Phylogeny of Amathusiini butterflies based on adult morphology (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)

Based on comparative morphology of adults, a phylogeny is proposed for the butterfly tribe Amathusiini (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). The dataset includes 92 characters scored for 45 species in 12 genera, representing the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis for this group. Parsimony analyses produced a well-resolved strict consensus tree where genera were divided in three main groups: (clade 1) Stichophthalma; (clade 2) Aemona, Faunis, Melanocyma and Taenaris; (clade 3) Enispe, Discophora, Thaumantis, Thauria, Amathusia, Amathuxidia, and Zeuxidia. While genera in clades 1 and 2 were found to be morphologically homogeneous, clade 3 showed remarkable morphological divergence between and within genera. The monophyly of most genera was recovered with variable levels of support, but Melanocyma and Taenaris nested within Faunis. Therefore, here Melanocyma NEW SYN. is subsumed within Faunis, and Taenaris STAT. REV. is regarded as a subgenus of Faunis. Mimicry likely evolved a single time within the Faunis-Taenaris assemblage, as species of Taenaris formed a monophyletic group. Results are compared to early classifications and recent DNA-based analyses, and points of agreement and conflicts are discussed.

A combined molecular and morphological phylogeny of the Loricariinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), with emphasis on the Harttiini and Farlowellini

We present a combined molecular and morphological phylogenetic analysis of the Loricariinae, with emphasis on the Harttiini (Cteniloricaria, Harttia, and Harttiella) and Farlowellini (Aposturisoma, Farlowella, Lamontichthys, Pterosturisoma, Sturisoma, and Sturisomatichthys). Character sampling comprised seven molecular markers (the mitochondrial Cytb, nd2, 12S and 16S, and the nuclear MyH6, RAG1 and RAG2) and 196 morphological characters. A total of 1,059 specimens, and 159 tissue samples were analized, representing 100 species. A Bayesian Inference analysis was performed using the concatenated data matrix, which is comprised of 6,819 characters. The Loricariinae were found to comprise the tribes (Hartiini (Loricariini, Farlowellini)), the latter two elevated from subtribes. A Maximum Parsimony analysis was also performed using the same data matrix in order to reveal phenotypical synapomorphies to diagnose each clade. Two MP trees were found with a length of 14,704 steps, consistency index of 0.29 and retention index of 0.61, which were summarized in a strict consensus tree. Harttiini includes (Harttiella (Cteniloricaria, Harttia), and Farlowellini includes (Lamontichthys (Pterosturisoma (Sturisoma (Sturisomatichthys, Farlowella)))). Aposturisoma was recovered nested within Farlowella and is synonymyzed to the latter. Sturisoma was corroborated as strictly cis-Andean, while Sturisomatichthys encompasses, besides the valid species already included in the genus, the trans-Andean species once belonging to Sturisoma sensu lato. Identification keys and phylogenetic diagnoses of family-group taxa and genera of both the Harttiini and the Farlowellini are provided.

Phylogenetic systematics of the driftwood catfishes (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae): a combined morphological and molecular analysis

A comprehensive phylogeny of species relationships of the Auchenipteridae is reconstructed here with a large-scale taxon sampling based on combined morphological and molecular datasets. The hypothesized phylogeny includes most species of Auchenipteridae (97 of 124 valid species) and multiple members of siluriform families as an outgroup (32 species) to embrace the diversity of forms among related catfishes. As the first large-scale phylogeny of the Auchenipteridae, comparison between taxa included information from both morphology (264 characters) and mitochondrial and nuclear molecular markers (3490 nucleotides) from five genes: coI, 16S, rag2, myh6 and SH3PX3. Trees were generated under two different optimality criteria (Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference). A new classification for the family is presented herein to bring the taxonomy more in line with the new phylogenetic hypothesis. The strict consensus tree corroborates the monophyly of superfamily Doradoidea, family Auchenipteridae and its two subfamilies, Centromochlinae and Auchenipterinae. The new classification scheme proposes nine tribes in Auchenipteridae, based on the monophyly of major groups in both subfamilies. Centromochlus, Glanidium and Tatia are each recovered as paraphyletic. To maintain a monophyletic classification, some species treated as Tatia and Centromochlus are assigned to genera not previously recognized as valid.

Systematics and biogeography of the Afrotropical flea beetle subgenus Blepharidina (Afroblepharida) Biondi & D’Alessandro, with description of seven new species (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

A taxonomic revision of the species attributed to the subgenus Blepharidina (Afroblepharida) Biondi & D’Alessandro is provided. Seven new species are described: Blepharidina (Afroblepharida) afarensis sp. nov. and B. (A.) tajurensis sp. nov. from Djibouti; B. (A.) bantu sp. nov. from Kenya; B. (A.) benadiriensis sp. nov. from Somalia; B. (A.) nubiana sp. nov. from Sudan; B. (A.) pusilla sp. nov. from Ethiopia and Kenya; B. (A.) zephyra sp. nov. from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. An updated catalogue, including material examined, distributions, chorotypes, and ecological notes, is supplied. The revision comprises a key to the eleven known species, habitus photos, and microscope and scanning electron micrographs of diagnostic characters, including the aedeagus and spermatheca. A phylogenetic analysis based on parsimony was provided. The strict consensus tree was used to put forward a preliminary biogeographical analysis of the taxon in the light of the current distribution of the species.

A new slider turtle (Testudines: Emydidae: Deirochelyinae:Trachemys) from the late Hemphillian (late Miocene/early Pliocene) of eastern Tennessee and the evolution of the deirochelyines

Trachemys(Testudines: Emydidae) represents one of the most well-known turtle genera today. The evolution ofTrachemys, while being heavily documented with fossil representatives, is not well understood. Numerous fossils from the late Hemphillian Gray Fossil Site (GFS) in northeastern Tennessee help to elucidate its evolution. The fossilTrachemysat the GFS represent a new species. The new taxon,Trachemys haugrudi, is described, and currently represents the most thoroughly described fossil emydid species known. A phylogenetic analysis, including 31 species, focusing on the subfamily Deirochelyinae is performed that includes the new fossil species, along with numerous other modern and fossil deirochelyine species, representing the first phylogenetic analysis published that includes several fossil deirochelyines. The phylogenetic analysis, utilizing morphological evidence, provides monophyletic clades of all modern deirochelyines, includingChrysemys,Deirochelys,Pseudemys,Malaclemys,Graptemys, andTrachemys. A strict consensus tree finds the recently described fossil speciesGraptemys kernerito be part of a clade ofGraptemys+Malaclemys. Three fossil taxa, including one previously referred toPseudemys(Pseudemys caelata) and two toDeirochelys(Deirochelys carriandDeirochelys floridana) are found to form a clade with modernDeirochelys reticularia reticularia, withD. floridanasister to the other members of the clade.Chrysemysis found to be part of a basal polytomy withDeirochelysin relation to other deirochelyine taxa. Two fossil taxa previously referred toChrysemys(Chrysemys timidaandChrysemys williamsi) form a paraphyly with the modernChrysemys picta pictaandDeirochelys, and may be referable to distinct genera. Additionally, fossil taxa previously attributed toTrachemys(Trachemys hillii,Trachemys idahoensis,Trachemys inflata, andTrachemys platymarginata) andT. haugrudiare found to form a clade separate from clades of northern and southernTrachemysspecies, potentially suggesting a distinct lineage ofTrachemyswith no modern survivors. Hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships mostly agree between the present study and previous ones, although the inclusion of fossil taxa provides further clues to the evolution of parts of the Deirochelyinae. The inclusion of more fossil taxa and characters may help resolve the placement of some taxa, and further elucidate the evolution of these New World turtles.

An appraisal of the phylogenetic relationships of Hypoptopomatini cascudinhos with description of two new genera and three new species (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)

ABSTRACT The discovery of three new taxa of Hypoptotopomatini with ambiguous generic assignment prompted a reanalysis of the phylogenetic relationships of the tribe. The analysis focused on a data matrix of 56 terminals and 107 morphological characters comprising the three new taxa, most species of Hypoptopoma and Otocinclus, and all other species of the tribe. The 162 maximally parsimonious trees of 382 steps, consistency index of 0.41, and retention index of 0.83 were then summarized in a strict consensus tree. The results confirm the monophyly of the Hypoptopomatini, recover four genera as monophyletic (Acestridium, Hypoptopoma, Niobichthys, and Otocinclus), revealed Hypoptopoma and Oxyropsis to be non-monophyletic; and revealed two new genera within Hypoptopomatini. Additionally, Otocinclus was found to be sister to a group with all remaining genera of the tribe; Acestridium and Niobichthys were found to be sister to each other and that clade sister to a group formed by ((Leptotocinclus + Hypoptopoma [part]) + (Nannoxyropsis (Oxyropsis + Hypoptopoma [part]))). Based on this framework, changes to the classification and the taxonomy of the Hypoptopomatini are suggested and the new taxa are described.

Linguistic homoplasy and phylogeny reconstruction. The cases of Lezgian and Tsezic languages (North Caucasus)

This paper deals with the problem of linguistic homoplasy (parallel or backward development), how it can be detected, what kinds of linguistic homoplasy can be distinguished and which varieties of the phenomenon are the most deleterious for the reconstruction of language phylogeny. It is proposed that language phylogeny reconstruction should consist of two main stages. Firstly, a strict consensus tree should be built on the basis of high-quality input data elaborated with the help of the main phylogenetic methods (such as Neighbor-joining, Bayesian MCMC, and Maximum parsimony), and ancestral character states, allowing us to reveal a certain number of homoplastic characters. Secondly, after the detected instances of homoplasy are eliminated from the input matrix, the consensus tree is to be compiled again. It is expected that after homoplastic optimization it will be possible to better resolve individual “problem clades”, and generally the homoplasy-optimized phylogeny should be more robust than the tree constructed initially. The proposed procedure is tested on the 110-item Swadesh wordlists of the Lezgian and Tsezic groups. The Lezgian and Tsezic results generally support theoretical expectations. The MLN (minimal lateral network) method, currently implemented in the LingPy software, is a helpful tool for the detection of linguistic homoplasy.

Phylogeny of Galium L. (Rubiaceae) from Korea and Japan based on chloroplast DNA sequence

The present paper deals with the phylogeny and inter-and intragenic relationships using four chloroplast DNA sequences within 19 Galium L. species from Korea and Japan. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses were conducted to clarify the relationships among the section and species. The strict consensus tree had three main clades. Clade I comprises of the only individuals of G. paradoxum Maximowicz (sect. Cymogalia), which is distinguished by opposite leaves in the genus, supported by the 100% bootstrap value (PP: 0.98); Clade II consists of members of eight sections (sect. Galium, sect. Hylaea, sect. Kolgyda, sect. Trachygalium, sect. Leptogalium, sect. Orientigalium, sect. Aparine, and sect. Leiogalium); Clade III comprises members of eight sections (sect. Baccogalium, sect. Lophogalium, sect. Platygalium, sect. Relbunium, sect. Depauperata, sect. Aparinoides, sect. Leiogalium and Trachygalium). The sect. Leptogalium which includes two taxa namely G. tokyoense Makino and G. dahuricum var. lasiocarpum (Makino) Nakai is paraphyletic. Four taxa of Trachygalium group (G. trachyspermum A. Gray, G. gracilens (A. Gray) Makino, G. pogonanthum Franch. & Sav., G. koreanum Nakai) were placed from sect. Cymogalia to sect. Platygalium based on molecular and morphological data.Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 237-246, 2016 (December)

An almost complete side-necked turtle shell (Pelomedusoides, Bothremydidae) from the Maria Farinha Formation (Paleogene, Paleocene), Paraíba Basin, NE Brazil

Background. Pelomedusoides turtles are an important group in extant fauna of northern South America, Africa and Madagascar, which have a long fossil record, with numerous records through the Cretaceous, Paleogene, and Neogene in South America. One of high- diversified clade of this linage is Bothremydidae, and its record extends from Early Cretaceous (Barreminan) to Eocene. So far, no named species from the Paleocene of Brazil were described. The single Paleocene record is a peripheral bone associated to pelomedusoid turtle from the Maria Farinha Formation (Danian), of Pernambuco State. Herein we present an almost complete shell (DGM 1310LE) from the Maria Farinha Formation, Paraíba Basin, which is the first early Paleocene South American bothremydid turtle. Methods. The new specimen have been analyzed through traditional paleontological methodology. We performed a CT scan in DGM 1310LE in search for internal bones and structures. In addition, we scored DGM 1310LE in a modified data matrix of Pelomedusoides, with 43 taxa and 175 characters, and the phylogenetic analysis were performed in TNT. Branch supports were provided using bootstrap and Bremer support. Results. The new specimen is the most complete turtle coming of Maria Farinha Formation. DGM 1310LE has seven neurals, and an incomplete neural series to suprapygal, as the most Podocnemidoidae turtles. Our preliminary phylogeny resulted in 4 most parsimonious trees of 428 steps. The strict consensus tree places DGM 1310LE as a member of Bothremydidae, which was recovered in a polytomy together with early Cretaceous turtle Galianemys. 5th Turtle Evolution Symposium Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil | July, 2015 Discussion. Despite of the almost complete nature of the DGM 1310LE, we were unable to determine if DGM 1310LE is a new species due to the lack of diagnostic characteristics. However, this new Paleocene specimen is important because it expands the record of Bothremydidade to the Cenozoic of Brazil; up to date only the Early Cretaceous genera Cearachelys and Atolchelys were recognized. Moreover, Bothremydidae shows a great diversification, occupying marine environments as well as diverse freshwater environments. Since the depositional context of the Maria Farinha Formation is considered a shallow marine environment (continental shelf), including the presence of marine taxa such as lamniforms sharks (e.g. Cretolamna appendiculata) and the dyrosaurid crocodyliform Guarinisuchus munizi, the presence of a Bothremydidae in these strata confirm the great paleoecological diversification of this family, varying from near-shore marine to freshwater environments.

An almost complete side-necked turtle shell (Pelomedusoides, Bothremydidae) from the Maria Farinha Formation (Paleogene, Paleocene), Paraíba Basin, NE Brazil

Background. Pelomedusoides turtles are an important group in extant fauna of northern South America, Africa and Madagascar, which have a long fossil record, with numerous records through the Cretaceous, Paleogene, and Neogene in South America. One of high- diversified clade of this linage is Bothremydidae, and its record extends from Early Cretaceous (Barreminan) to Eocene. So far, no named species from the Paleocene of Brazil were described. The single Paleocene record is a peripheral bone associated to pelomedusoid turtle from the Maria Farinha Formation (Danian), of Pernambuco State. Herein we present an almost complete shell (DGM 1310LE) from the Maria Farinha Formation, Paraíba Basin, which is the first early Paleocene South American bothremydid turtle. Methods. The new specimen have been analyzed through traditional paleontological methodology. We performed a CT scan in DGM 1310LE in search for internal bones and structures. In addition, we scored DGM 1310LE in a modified data matrix of Pelomedusoides, with 43 taxa and 175 characters, and the phylogenetic analysis were performed in TNT. Branch supports were provided using bootstrap and Bremer support. Results. The new specimen is the most complete turtle coming of Maria Farinha Formation. DGM 1310LE has seven neurals, and an incomplete neural series to suprapygal, as the most Podocnemidoidae turtles. Our preliminary phylogeny resulted in 4 most parsimonious trees of 428 steps. The strict consensus tree places DGM 1310LE as a member of Bothremydidae, which was recovered in a polytomy together with early Cretaceous turtle Galianemys. 5th Turtle Evolution Symposium Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil | July, 2015 Discussion. Despite of the almost complete nature of the DGM 1310LE, we were unable to determine if DGM 1310LE is a new species due to the lack of diagnostic characteristics. However, this new Paleocene specimen is important because it expands the record of Bothremydidade to the Cenozoic of Brazil; up to date only the Early Cretaceous genera Cearachelys and Atolchelys were recognized. Moreover, Bothremydidae shows a great diversification, occupying marine environments as well as diverse freshwater environments. Since the depositional context of the Maria Farinha Formation is considered a shallow marine environment (continental shelf), including the presence of marine taxa such as lamniforms sharks (e.g. Cretolamna appendiculata) and the dyrosaurid crocodyliform Guarinisuchus munizi, the presence of a Bothremydidae in these strata confirm the great paleoecological diversification of this family, varying from near-shore marine to freshwater environments.