scholarly journals From morphology to molecules: a combined source approach to untangle the taxonomy ofClessinia(Gastropoda, Odontostomidae), endemic land snails from the Dry Chaco ecoregion

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gabriela Cuezzo ◽  
Maria Jose Miranda ◽  
Roberto Eugenio Vogler ◽  
Ariel Anibal Beltramino

BackgroundLand gastropods of the Dry Chaco merit special attention because they comprise a highly diverse but barely studied group.ClessiniaDoering, 1875 are typical inhabitants of this ecoregion. The inclusion of their distribution areas intoSpixiarange, their shell shape similarities, and a former molecular study raised doubts on the monophyly of this genus. The present study review the species ofClessinia, under a morphological, geometric morphometrics, and molecular combined approach.MethodsAdults were collected, photographed, measured, and dissected for anatomical studies. Shell ultrastructure was studied with scanning electron microscope. Geometric morphometric analyses on shells were performed testing if they gave complementary information to anatomy. Two mitochondrial genes, and a nuclear region were studied. Phylogenetic reconstructions to explore the relationships of DNA sequences here obtained to those ofClessiniaandSpixiaspecies from GenBank were performed.ResultsSpecies description on shell, periostracal ornamentation and anatomy is provided. We raised formerClessinia cordovana striatato species rank, naming it asClessinia tulumbensissp. nov. The periostracum, consisting of hairs and lamellae, has taxonomic importance for species identification. Shell morphometric analyses, inner sculpture of penis and proportion of the epiphallus and penis, were useful tools to species identification. Nuclear markers do not exhibit enough genetic variation to determine species relationships. Based on the mitochondrial markers, genetic distances amongClessiniaspecies were greater than 10%, and whileC. cordovana,C. nattkemperi, andC. pagodawere recognized as distinct evolutionary genetic species, the distinction betweenC. stelzneriandC. tulumbensissp. nov. was not evident.ClessiniaandSpixiawere paraphyletic in the molecular phylogenetic analyses. Species ofClessiniahere treated have narrow distributional areas and are endemic to the Chaco Serrano subecoregion, restricted to small patches within the Dry Chaco.ClessiniaandSpixiaare synonymous, and the valid name of the taxon should beClessiniaDoering, 1875 which has priority overSpixiaPilsbry & Vanatta, 1894.DiscussionOur results support the composition ofC. cordovanacomplex by three species,C. cordovana,C. stelzneri, andC. tulumbensissp. nov. The low genetic divergence betweenC. stelzneriandC. tulumbensissp. nov. suggests that they have evolved relatively recently. The formerSpixiaandClessiniaare externally distinguished becauseClessiniahas a detached aperture from the body whorl forming a cornet, periostracal microsculpture extended over dorsal portion of the peristome, five inner teeth on the shell aperture instead of three–four found inSpixia. Morphological similarities exists between both genera in shell shape, type of periostracum microsculpture, reproductive anatomy, besides the overlap in geographic ranges.

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.L. Sereno-Uribe ◽  
A. López-Jimenez ◽  
L. Andrade-Gómez ◽  
M. García-Varela

AbstractAdults of Hysteromorpha triloba (Rudolpi, 1819), Lutz, 1931 inhabit primarily the intestine of cormorants across the globe, whereas metacercariae have been found in the body cavity of freshwater fishes of the families Cyprinidae, Ictaluridae, Ariidae, Pimelodidae and Catostomidae. In this study, adults and metacercariae identified as H. triloba were collected from the Neotropical cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianus) and from the Mexican tetra fish (Astyanax mexicanus) from the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean slopes in the Neotropical region. Partial DNA sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox 1) and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA were generated for both developmental stages, and were compared with available sequences of H. triloba from the Nearctic region. The genetic divergence between metacercariae and adults of H. triloba from the Neotropical and Nearctic region (Canada) associated with the double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritus), ranged from 0 to 5.5% for cox 1 and from 0 to 0.2% for ITS. Phylogenetic analyses inferred with both molecular markers using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference placed the adults and metacercariae in a single clade, confirming that both stages are conspecific. Our data confirmed that H. triloba is a widely distributed species across the Americas, parasitizing both the Neotropical and Nearctic cormorants in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, USA and Canada.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renan Rodrigues Rocha ◽  
Rosana de Mesquita Alves ◽  
Rubens Pasa ◽  
Karine Frehner Kavalco

The Astyanax scabripinnis complex is composed of a large number of almost morphological indistinguishable species, including Astyanax paranae and Astyanax rivularis, which exist in the Paraná and São Francisco Basins, respectively, and sometimes are considered subspecies of the A. scabripinnis group or even are cited just as A. scabripinnis. The two river basins are separated by the Upper Paranaíba Arc, likely the main cause of the isolation of these species. We used geometric morphometric tools and DNA analyses of populations of both species to identify the differences between them. Geometric morphometrics separated the two species into distinct groups, whose main difference was the body depth. This is generally related to the speed of the water flow in the river basins. The maximum likelihood phylogram based on mitochondrial DNA sequences formed two main clades: one composed of the population of A. rivularis and the other, of A. paranae. In the haplotype network, the species were similarly separated into two groups from the same ancestral haplotype, with A. rivularis dispersing into two lineages in the São Francisco River Basin. The distribution of A. paranae is a consequence of a secondary dispersion event in the Paraná River Basin. It forms two lineages from a haplotype derived from the ancestor. The vicariant effect of separate basins, through the elevation of the Upper Paranaíba Arc, led to the allopatric speciation of the populations originating the present species. The results of geometric morphometrics and molecular data of the fish show the importance of this geological event in the biogeography and evolutionary history of the ichthyofauna of the region and indicate that the isolation of these species seems to be effective.


Mammalia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Álvaro J. Benítez ◽  
Dina Ricardo-Caldera ◽  
María Atencia-Pineda ◽  
Jesús Ballesteros-Correa ◽  
Julio Chacón-Pacheco ◽  
...  

Abstract Bats are mammals of great ecological and medical importance, which have associations with different pathogenic microorganisms. DNA barcoding is a tool that can expedite species identification using short DNA sequences. In this study, we assess the DNA barcoding methodology in bats from the Colombian Northern region, specifically in the Córdoba department. Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences of nine bat species were typified, and their comparison with other Neotropic samples revealed that this marker is suitable for individual species identification, with ranges of intra-species variation from 0.1 to 0.9%. Bat species clusters are well supported and differentiated, showing average genetic distances ranging from 3% between Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus planirostris, up to 27% between Carollia castanea and Molossus molossus. C. castanea and Glossophaga soricina show geographical structuring in the Neotropic. The findings reported in this study confirm DNA barcoding usefulness for fast species identification of bats in the region.


ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 996 ◽  
pp. 37-58
Author(s):  
Pei Wang ◽  
Mei-Ling Hu ◽  
Jun-Hong Lin ◽  
Hai-Fang Yang ◽  
Xiao-Jing Li ◽  
...  

In this study, four new dextral camaenid from China are reported, based on shell morphology, reproductive system anatomy, and molecular phylogenetic analyses: Camaena funingensis Zhou, Wang & Lin, sp. nov., Camaena gaolongensis Zhou, Wang & Lin, sp. nov., Camaena maguanensis Zhou, Wang & Hu, sp. nov., and Camaena yulinensis Zhou, Wang & Hu, sp. nov. Detailed descriptions of the morphological characteristics including shells and genitalia, DNA sequences, and living environments of the four new species are provided, with further comparisons with congeners.


Mammalia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luíza Z. Magnus ◽  
Nilton Cáceres

AbstractTribosphenic molars are considered great innovations in mammals and are related to several structures and variables that can explain adaptation. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of body size and habitat relation, using a phylogenetic approach, in the first lower molar shape in didelphid marsupials. Geometric morphometric analyses of the lower molar’s shape were performed on 261 specimens, 130 females and 131 males, covering 14 genera and 37 species of the Didelphidae family. The molar conformation showed a larger talonid in relation to the trigonid in more arboreal genera, and narrower and longer molars in genera with a larger body size. Phylogeny was the variable with the highest explanation for both females and males (16.17% and 9.02%, respectively). The body size was significant in males, presenting an important influence on molar shape, while the body size in females was not significant when phylogenetic relationship was controlled for. In both sexes, habitat presents a strong effect of phylogeny, with no direct effect on molar shape. Didelphid molar shape is another result of its phylogenetic history and does not respond very much to environmental pressures. Male body size influences molar shape in didelphids, even in the presence of a strong phylogenetic signal.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (16) ◽  
pp. 5817-5830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madlen Stange ◽  
Gabriel Aguirre‐Fernández ◽  
Richard G. Cooke ◽  
Tito Barros ◽  
Walter Salzburger ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-199
Author(s):  
Robert D. Bradley ◽  
Matthew R. Mauldin

Abstract DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome- b gene were obtained from 41 specimens of Neotoma albigula from the southwestern United States and northwestern México. Phylogenetic analyses depicted that samples of N. a. melanura from southern Sonora and northern Sinaloa formed a clade separate from representatives of the other sampled subspecies of N. albigula ( albigula , laplataensis , mearnsi , seri , sheldoni , and venusta ). Genetic distances detected between these clades (7.41%) approached divergence levels reported for other sister species of woodrats and indicated that N. a. melanura is presumably a cryptic and genetically differentiated species relative to N . albigula . Analyses of DNA sequences from a nuclear gene (intron 2 of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene, Adh 1-I2) indicated that samples of N. a. melanura formed a separate, monophyletic clade relative to the remainder of N. albigula . Further, habitat, geographic distinctions, and morphological differences were apparent between members of the 2 clades. Together, those data support the elevation of N. a. melanura to species status. Secuencias de ADN del gen mitocondrial citocromo- b se obtuvieron de 41 especímenes de Neotoma albigula provenientes del suroeste de los Estados Unidos y del noroeste de México. Análisis filogenéticos revelaron que las muestras de N. a. melanura del sureste de Sonora y del norte de Sinaloa formaron un clado separado de especímenes que representan a las otras subspecies de N. albigula (albigula, laplataensis, mearnsi, seri, sheldoni , y venusta ). Las distancias genéticas detectadas entre estos clados (7.41%) se aproximan a los valores de divergencia reportados para otras especies de ratas magueyeras, indicando que N. a. melanura es presumiblemente una especie críptica y relativamente diferenciada genéticamente de N. albigula . Los análisis de secuencias de ADN de un gen nuclear (intron 2 del gen alcohol deshidrogenasa, Adh -I2) indicaron que las muestras de N. a. melanura formaron un clado separado relativamente a especímenes de N. albigula . Adicionalmente, hábitat, distinciones geográficas, y diferencias morfológicas fueron aparentes entre miembros de los dos clados. Todos estos datos soportan la elevación de N. a. melanura al estatus de especie.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3128 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
ABDUL A. BUHROO ◽  
FERENC LAKATOS

Morphological and molecular analyses of Ips bark beetles collected in the eastern and northwestern Himalayan area resulted in the diagnosis of three species—Ips stebbingi, I. longifolia and I. schmutzenhoferi. These three species can be distinguished by morphological characters, including the frontal setae, the body size and the shape and position of the spines on the elytral declivity. DNA sequences of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene were analyzed to detect haplotype variation within each of the species. A phylogenetic analysis was performed on our data plus data from GenBank. Considerable amount of intra-specific sequence divergence was found in I. longifolia, ranging between 0.2%−2.5%. Intra-specific sequence divergence in I. stebbingi ranged from 0.2%−1.1% and in I. schmutzenhoferi it varied by 0.2%. Interspecific sequence divergence was high among the three species: 7.4−8.6% between I. longifolia and I. stebbingi, 11.9−12.2% between I. stebbingi and I. schmutzenhoferi, and 11.5−12.6% between I. longifolia and I. schmutzenhoferi. Phylogenetic analyses revealed Himalayan Ips species to be monophyletic and unrelated to other Asian species. Ips stebbingi and I. longifolia were sister taxa and I. schmutzenhoferi was distinguished from I. stebbingi.


ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 943 ◽  
pp. 119-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Xu ◽  
Shi-Ze Li ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Gang Wei ◽  
Bin Wang

A new species of the genus Megophrys is described from Guizhou Province, China. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA sequences all strongly supported the new species as an independent clade sister to M. minor and M. jiangi. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: body size moderate (SVL 43.4–44.1 mm in males, and 44.8–49.8 mm in females; vomerine teeth absent; tongue not notched behind; a small horn-like tubercle at the edge of each upper eyelid; tympanum distinctly visible, rounded; two metacarpal tubercles on palm; relative finger lengths II < I < V < III; toes without webbing; heels overlapping when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; tibiotarsal articulation reaching the level between tympanum and eye when leg stretched forward; in breeding males, an internal single subgular vocal sac in male, and the nuptial pads with black spines on dorsal surface of bases of the first two fingers.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig G. Morley ◽  
Patricia A. McLenachan ◽  
Peter J. Lockhart

The small Indian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus was introduced in the late nineteenth centure into Fiji and is now found throughout the two main islands of Fiji (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu) and on another 11 small outsr islands. When trapping mongoose as part of an investigation into the spread of leptospirosis around Suva, six large red-coloured mongoose were also captured. The body measurements (weight, length and hind-foot size) of these red-coloured mongoose were significantly larger than a random sample of the grey-coloured mongoose H. javanicus normally seen. To clarify whether the red-coloured mongoose was a different species or just a different colour morph of H. javanicus, mitochondrial cytochrome B cytb DNA sequences were determined from muscle tissue of four red-coloured Individuals. Phylogenetic analyses using cytb sequences show that while the red-coloured mongoose belongs to an Asian clade, it is not H. javanicus or H. edwardsi. Further research is needed to determine the identity and origin of the red-coloured mongoose and to ascertain its prevalence in Fiji.


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