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Regmi B, Douglas MR, Wangchuk K, Zbinden ZD, Edds DR, Tshering S, Douglas ME. The Himalayan uplift and evolution of aquatic biodiversity across Asia: Snowtrout (Cyprininae: Schizothorax) as a test case. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289736. [PMID: 37874844 PMCID: PMC10597529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Global biodiversity hotspots are often remote, tectonically active areas undergoing climatic fluctuations, such as the Himalaya Mountains and neighboring Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). They provide biogeographic templates upon which endemic biodiversity can be mapped to infer diversification scenarios. Yet, this process can be somewhat opaque for the Himalaya, given substantial data gaps separating eastern and western regions. To help clarify, we evaluated phylogeographic and phylogenetic hypotheses for a widespread fish (Snowtrout: Cyprininae; Schizothorax) by sequencing 1,140 base pair of mtDNA cytochrome-b (cytb) from Central Himalaya samples (Nepal: N = 53; Bhutan: N = 19), augmented with 68 GenBank sequences (N = 60 Schizothorax/N = 8 outgroups). Genealogical relationships (N = 132) were analyzed via maximum likelihood (ML), Bayesian (BA), and haplotype network clustering, with clade divergence estimated via TimeTree. Snowtrout seemingly originated in Central Asia, dispersed across the QTP, then into Bhutan via southward-flowing tributaries of the east-flowing Yarlung-Tsangpo River (YLTR). Headwaters of five large Asian rivers provided dispersal corridors from Central into eastern/southeastern Asia. South of the Himalaya, the YLTR transitions into the Brahmaputra River, facilitating successive westward colonization of Himalayan drainages first in Bhutan, then Nepal, followed by far-western drainages subsequently captured by the (now) westward-flowing Indus River. Two distinct Bhutanese phylogenetic groups were recovered: Bhutan-1 (with three subclades) seemingly represents southward dispersal from the QTP; Bhutan-2 apparently illustrates northward colonization from the Lower Brahmaputra. The close phylogenetic/phylogeographic relationships between the Indus River (Pakistan) and western tributaries of the Upper Ganges (India/Nepal) potentially implicate an historic, now disjunct connection. Greater species-divergences occurred across rather than within-basins, suggesting vicariance as a driver. The Himalaya is a component of the Earth's largest glacial reservoir (i.e., the "third-pole") separate from the Arctic/Antarctic. Its unique aquatic biodiversity must be defined and conserved through broad, trans-national collaborations. Our study provides an initial baseline for this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binod Regmi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Marlis R. Douglas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Karma Wangchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
- National Research & Development Centre for Riverine and Lake Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture & Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | - Zachery D. Zbinden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - David R. Edds
- Department of Biological Sciences, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Singye Tshering
- National Research & Development Centre for Riverine and Lake Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture & Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | - Michael E. Douglas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
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Pneumonia in endangered aquatic mammals and the need for developing low-coverage vaccination for their management and conservation. Anim Health Res Rev 2020; 21:122-130. [PMID: 33292914 DOI: 10.1017/s1466252320000158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities can lead to several devastating effects on the environment. The pollutants, which include the discharge of effluents, runoffs in the form of different lethal and sub-lethal concentrations of pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants, can harm exposed fauna and flora. The aquatic environment is the ultimate destination for many pollutants which negatively affect aquatic biodiversity and even can cause a species to become extinct. A pollutant can directly affect the behavior of an animal, disrupt cellular systems, and impair the immune system. This harm can be reduced and even mitigated by adopting proper approaches for the conservation of the target biota. Among aquatic organisms, cetaceans, such as the Yangtze finless porpoise, Irrawaddy dolphin, Ganges River dolphin, Amazon River dolphin, and Indus River dolphin, are at a higher risk of extinction because of lack of knowledge and research, and thus insufficient information with respect to their conservation status, management, and policies. Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mass mortalities of cetaceans. This article reviews the limited research reported on stress and pneumonia induced by pollution, stress-induced pneumonia and immunosuppression, pneumonia-caused mass mortalities of aquatic mammals, and vaccination in wildlife with a specific focus on aquatic mammals, the role of genomics in vaccine development and vaccination, and the major challenges in vaccine development for biodiversity conservation.
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Paudel S, Koprowski JL. Factors affecting the persistence of endangered Ganges River dolphins ( Platanista gangetica gangetica). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3138-3148. [PMID: 32211183 PMCID: PMC7083702 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli (GBMK) River Basin in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh is among the world's most biodiverse river basins. However, human-induced habitat modification processes threaten the ecological structure of this river basin. Among the GBMK's diverse flora and fauna of this freshwater ecosystem, the endemic Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica; GRD) is one of the most charismatic species in this freshwater ecosystem. Though a >50% population size reduction has occurred since 1957, researchers and decision-makers often overlook the persistence (or evolutionary potential) of this species in the highly fragmented GBMK. We define the evolutionary potential as the ability of species/populations to adapt in a changing environment by maintaining their genetic diversity. Here, we review how evolutionary trap mechanisms affect the dynamics and viability of the GRD (hereafter Ganges dolphin) populations after rapid declines in their population size and distribution. We detected six potential trap mechanisms that might affect the Ganges dolphin populations discretely or in combination: (a) habitat modification; (b) occurrence of finite and geographically restricted local populations; (c) ratio of effective to estimate population size; (d) increasing risk of inbreeding depression in genetically isolated groups; (e) at-risk behavioral attributes; and (f) direct fisheries-dolphin interactions. Because evolutionary traps appear most significant during low water season, they adversely affect demographic parameters, which reduce evolutionary potential. These traps have already caused local extirpation events; therefore, we recommend translocation among populations, including restoring and preserving essential habitats as immediate conservation strategies. Integrative evolutionary potential information based on demographic, genetic, and environmental data is still lacking. Thus, we identify gaps in the knowledge and suggest integrative approaches to understand the future of Ganges dolphins in South Asian waterways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shambhu Paudel
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
- Institute of Forestry Tribhuvan University Pokhara Nepal
| | - John L Koprowski
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
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Kundu S, Sharma G, Balakrishnan S, Tyagi K, Chandra K, Kumar V. DNA barcoding identified two endangered dolphins: threats on living aquatic mammals in India. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2018.1536467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Kundu
- 1Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Gopal Sharma
- 2Gangetic Plains Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Patna, India
| | | | - Kaomud Tyagi
- 1Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
| | - Kailash Chandra
- 1Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
- 2Gangetic Plains Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Patna, India
- 3Marine Aquarium and Research Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Digha, India
| | - Vikas Kumar
- 1Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
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Kelkar N, Dey S, Deshpande K, Choudhary SK, Dey S, Morisaka T. Foraging and feeding ecology ofPlatanista: an integrative review. Mamm Rev 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nachiket Kelkar
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE); Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO Bangalore 560064 Karnataka India
| | - Subhasis Dey
- Vikramshila Biodiversity Research & Education Centre; T.M. Bhagalpur University; Bhagalpur 812007 Bihar India
| | - Kadambari Deshpande
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE); Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO Bangalore 560064 Karnataka India
| | - Sunil Kumar Choudhary
- Vikramshila Biodiversity Research & Education Centre; T.M. Bhagalpur University; Bhagalpur 812007 Bihar India
| | - Sushant Dey
- Vikramshila Biodiversity Research & Education Centre; T.M. Bhagalpur University; Bhagalpur 812007 Bihar India
| | - Tadamichi Morisaka
- Graduate School of Bioresources; Mie University; 1577 Kurimamachiya-cho Tsu City Mie Prefecture 514-8507 Japan
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Boersma AT, Pyenson ND. Arktocara yakataga, a new fossil odontocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Oligocene of Alaska and the antiquity of Platanistoidea. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2321. [PMID: 27602287 PMCID: PMC4991871 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversification of crown cetacean lineages (i.e., crown Odontoceti and crown Mysticeti) occurred throughout the Oligocene, but it remains an ongoing challenge to resolve the phylogenetic pattern of their origins, especially with respect to stem lineages. One extant monotypic lineage, Platanista gangetica (the Ganges and Indus river dolphin), is the sole surviving member of the broader group Platanistoidea, with many fossil relatives that range from Oligocene to Miocene in age. Curiously, the highly threatened Platanista is restricted today to freshwater river systems of South Asia, yet nearly all fossil platanistoids are known globally from marine rocks, suggesting a marine ancestry for this group. In recent years, studies on the phylogenetic relationships in Platanistoidea have reached a general consensus about the membership of different sub-clades and putative extinct groups, although the position of some platanistoid groups (e.g., Waipatiidae) has been contested. Here we describe a new genus and species of fossil platanistoid, Arktocara yakataga, gen. et sp. nov. from the Oligocene of Alaska, USA. The type and only known specimen was collected from the marine Poul Creek Formation, a unit known to include Oligocene strata, exposed in the Yakutat City and Borough of Southeast Alaska. In our phylogenetic analysis of stem and node-based Platanistoidea, Arktocara falls within the node-based sub-clade Allodelphinidae as the sister taxon to Allodelphis pratti. With a geochronologic age between ∼29–24 million years old, Arktocara is among the oldest crown Odontoceti, reinforcing the long-standing view that the diversification for crown lineages must have occurred no later than the early Oligocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra T Boersma
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America; College of Extended Education, California State University, Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, United States of America
| | - Nicholas D Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America; Departments of Mammology and Paleontology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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