1
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Maggs X. A synthetic review: natural history of amniote reproductive modes in light of comparative evolutionary genomics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 39300750 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
There is a current lack of consensus on whether the ancestral parity mode was oviparity (egg-laying) or viviparity (live-birth) in amniotes and particularly in squamates (snakes, lizards, and amphisbaenids). How transitions between parity modes occur at the genomic level has primary importance for how science conceptualises the origin of amniotes, and highly variable parity modes in Squamata. Synthesising literature from medicine, poultry science, reproductive biology, and evolutionary biology, I review the genomics and physiology of five broad processes (here termed the 'Main Five') expected to change during transitions between parity modes: eggshell formation, embryonic retention, placentation, calcium transport, and maternal-fetal immune dynamics. Throughout, I offer alternative perspectives and testable hypotheses regarding proximate causes of parity mode evolution in amniotes and squamates. If viviparity did evolve early in the history of lepidosaurs, I offer the nucleation site hypothesis as a proximate explanation. The framework of this hypothesis can be extended to amniotes to infer their ancestral state. I also provide a mechanism and hypothesis on how squamates may transition from viviparity to oviparity and make predictions about the directionality of transitions in three species. After considering evidence for differing perspectives on amniote origins, I offer a framework that unifies (i) the extended embryonic retention model and (ii) the traditional model which describes the amniote egg as an adaptation to the terrestrial environment. Additionally, this review contextualises the origin of amniotes and parity mode evolution within Medawar's paradigm. Medawar posited that pregnancy could be supported by immunosuppression, inertness, evasion, or immunological barriers. I demonstrate that this does not support gestation or gravidity across most amniotes but may be an adequate paradigm to explain how the first amniote tolerated internal fertilization and delayed egg deposition. In this context, the eggshell can be thought of as an immunological barrier. If serving as a barrier underpins the origin of the amniote eggshell, there should be evidence that oviparous gravidity can be met with a lack of immunological responses in utero. Rare examples of two species that differentially express very few genes during gravidity, suggestive of an absent immunological reaction to oviparous gravidity, are two skinks Lampropholis guichenoti and Lerista bougainvillii. These species may serve as good models for the original amniote egg. Overall, this review grounds itself in the historical literature while offering a modern perspective on the origin of amniotes. I encourage the scientific community to utilise this review as a resource in evolutionary and comparative genomics studies, embrace the complexity of the system, and thoughtfully consider the frameworks proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Maggs
- Richard Gilder Graduate School at The American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY, 10024, USA
- Christopher S. Bond Life Science Center at the University of Missouri, 1201 Rollins St, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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2
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Zhang Y, Reynoso Y, Reznick D, Wang X. Whole Genome Assembly and Annotation of Blackstripe Livebearer Poeciliopsis prolifica. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad195. [PMID: 37949830 PMCID: PMC10655195 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The blackstripe livebearer Poeciliopsis prolifica is a live-bearing fish belonging to the family Poeciliidae with high level of postfertilization maternal investment (matrotrophy). This viviparous matrotrophic species has evolved a structure similarly to the mammalian placenta. Placentas have independently evolved multiple times in Poeciliidae from nonplacental ancestors, which provide an opportunity to study the placental evolution. However, there is a lack of high-quality reference genomes for the placental species in Poeciliidae. In this study, we present a 674 Mb assembly of P. prolifica in 504 contigs with excellent continuity (contig N50 7.7 Mb) and completeness (97.2% Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs [BUSCO] completeness score, including 92.6% single-copy and 4.6% duplicated BUSCO score). A total of 27,227 protein-coding genes were annotated from the merged datasets based on bioinformatic prediction, RNA sequencing and homology evidence. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that P. prolifica diverged from the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) ∼19 Ma. Our research provides the necessary resources and the genomic toolkit for investigating the genetic underpinning of placentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Alabama, USA
| | - Yuridia Reynoso
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - David Reznick
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Alabama, USA
- Center for Advanced Science, Innovation and Commerce, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
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3
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Genome Evolution and the Future of Phylogenomics of Non-Avian Reptiles. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030471. [PMID: 36766360 PMCID: PMC9913427 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-avian reptiles comprise a large proportion of amniote vertebrate diversity, with squamate reptiles-lizards and snakes-recently overtaking birds as the most species-rich tetrapod radiation. Despite displaying an extraordinary diversity of phenotypic and genomic traits, genomic resources in non-avian reptiles have accumulated more slowly than they have in mammals and birds, the remaining amniotes. Here we review the remarkable natural history of non-avian reptiles, with a focus on the physical traits, genomic characteristics, and sequence compositional patterns that comprise key axes of variation across amniotes. We argue that the high evolutionary diversity of non-avian reptiles can fuel a new generation of whole-genome phylogenomic analyses. A survey of phylogenetic investigations in non-avian reptiles shows that sequence capture-based approaches are the most commonly used, with studies of markers known as ultraconserved elements (UCEs) especially well represented. However, many other types of markers exist and are increasingly being mined from genome assemblies in silico, including some with greater information potential than UCEs for certain investigations. We discuss the importance of high-quality genomic resources and methods for bioinformatically extracting a range of marker sets from genome assemblies. Finally, we encourage herpetologists working in genomics, genetics, evolutionary biology, and other fields to work collectively towards building genomic resources for non-avian reptiles, especially squamates, that rival those already in place for mammals and birds. Overall, the development of this cross-amniote phylogenomic tree of life will contribute to illuminate interesting dimensions of biodiversity across non-avian reptiles and broader amniotes.
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4
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Trevine VC, Grazziotin FG, Giraudo A, Sallesbery‐Pinchera N, Vianna JA, Zaher H. The systematics of Tachymenini (Serpentes, Dipsadidae): An updated classification based on molecular and morphological evidence. ZOOL SCR 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vivian C. Trevine
- Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas Instituto Butantan São Paulo Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação de Zoologia, Insituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Alejandro Giraudo
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET – UNL) Ciudad Universitaria Santa Fe Argentina
- Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias (FHUC – UNL) Ciudad Universitaria Santa Fe Argentina
| | - Nicole Sallesbery‐Pinchera
- Escuela Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad Ecología y Recursos Naturales Universidad Andrés Bello Santiago Chile
| | - Juliana A. Vianna
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CRG), Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Hussam Zaher
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
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5
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de Paula FR, Picelli AM, Perles L, André MR, Viana LA. A 50-year-old redescription: molecular and morphometric characterization of Hepatozoon carinicauda Pessôa and Cavalheiro, 1969 in the brown-banded water snake Helicops angulatus (Linnaeus, 1758). Parasitology 2022; 149:1468-1478. [PMID: 35920304 PMCID: PMC11010502 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022000919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The combined use of molecular and microscopic techniques has become an increasingly common and efficient practice for the taxonomic and evolutionary understanding of single-celled parasites such as haemogregarines. Based on this integrative approach, we characterized Hepatozoon found in Helicops angulatus snakes from the Eastern Amazonia, Brazil. The gamonts observed caused cell hypertrophy and were extremely elongated and, in some cases, piriform (mean dimensions: 25.3 ± 1.9 × 8.6 ± 1.3 μm). These morphological features correspond to Hepatozoon carinicauda, described 50 years ago in the snake Helicops carinicaudus in the southeast region of Brazil. Phylogenetic and genetic divergence analyses, performed with the sequence obtained from the amplification of a 590 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene, revealed that Hepatozoon in He. angulatus differed from the other lineages retrieved from GenBank, and was clustered singly in both the phylogenetic tree and the haplotype network. The integration of these data allowed the identification of H. carinicauda in a new aquatic host, and increased the knowledge of its geographical distribution. Therefore, the present study included the first redescription of a Hepatozoon species in a snake from the Brazilian Amazon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiane R. de Paula
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Macapá, AP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Estudos Morfofisiológicos e Parasitários, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, UNIFAP, Macapá, AP, Brazil
| | - Amanda M. Picelli
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz – Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Lívia Perles
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos R. André
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Lúcio A. Viana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Macapá, AP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Estudos Morfofisiológicos e Parasitários, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, UNIFAP, Macapá, AP, Brazil
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Whittington CM, Van Dyke JU, Liang SQT, Edwards SV, Shine R, Thompson MB, Grueber CE. Understanding the evolution of viviparity using intraspecific variation in reproductive mode and transitional forms of pregnancy. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1179-1192. [PMID: 35098647 PMCID: PMC9064913 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
How innovations such as vision, flight and pregnancy evolve is a central question in evolutionary biology. Examination of transitional (intermediate) forms of these traits can help address this question, but these intermediate phenotypes are very rare in extant species. Here we explore the biology and evolution of transitional forms of pregnancy that are midway between the ancestral state of oviparity (egg-laying) and the derived state, viviparity (live birth). Transitional forms of pregnancy occur in only three vertebrates, all of which are lizard species that also display intraspecific variation in reproductive phenotype. In these lizards (Lerista bougainvillii, Saiphos equalis, and Zootoca vivipara), geographic variation of three reproductive forms occurs within a single species: oviparity, viviparity, and a transitional form of pregnancy. This phenomenon offers the valuable prospect of watching 'evolution in action'. In these species, it is possible to conduct comparative research using different reproductive forms that are not confounded by speciation, and are of relatively recent origin. We identify major proximate and ultimate questions that can be addressed in these species, and the genetic and genomic tools that can help us understand how transitional forms of pregnancy are produced, despite predicted fitness costs. We argue that these taxa represent an excellent prospect for understanding the major evolutionary shift between egg-laying and live birth, which is a fundamental innovation in the history of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M. Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
| | - James U. Van Dyke
- Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, School of Molecular SciencesLa Trobe UniversityBuilding 4WodongaVIC3689Australia
| | - Stephanie Q. T. Liang
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
| | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard University, and Museum of Comparative ZoologyCambridgeMA02138U.S.A.
| | - Richard Shine
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNorth RydeNSW2109Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
| | - Catherine E. Grueber
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
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7
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Nicolau GK, Jackson EA, Jordaan A, Alexander GJ. Tropidosaura essexi Hewitt, 1927 (Reptilia: Lacertidae) is live bearing: the only viviparous African lacertid. AFR J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2021.2019839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gary K Nicolau
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Emily A Jackson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Adriaan Jordaan
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Graham J Alexander
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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8
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Moraes-da-Silva A, Walterman S, Citeli N, Nunes PM, Curcio FF. A new oviparous species of Helicops Wagler, 1828 (Serpentes, Xenodontinae) from Brazilian Amazonia with reflections on the evolution of viviparity among hydropsine watersnakes. ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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9
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Citeli N, Klaczko J, De-Lima AKS, de-Carvalho M, Nunes PMS, Passos P, Brandão RA. Taxonomy, allometry, sexual dimorphism, and conservation of the trans-Andean watersnake Helicops danieli Amaral, 1937 (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Hydropsini). CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The extensive lack of knowledge on the morphological aspects of South American watersnakes includes a poor understanding of phenotypic parameters, intraspecific variation, and conservation of the trans-Andean Helicops species, Daniel’s Keelback (Helicops danieli Amaral, 1937). For the first time, we provide a multidisciplinary view using key features (e.g., morphology and niche modeling) to improve the taxonomic recognition of this species, as well as describing ontogenetic color changes, allometry, sexual dimorphism, and the conservation status of this poorly studied snake. First, we emended the morphological diagnosis of H. danieli with 23 characters and detected that juvenile tail length is positively related to allometric growth, and that juveniles differ from adults through the presence of the white nuchal collar. Females are larger than males for snout–vent length, whereas males showed proportionally longer tails and smaller head length growth. Suitable areas for H. danieli are restricted to the trans-Andean regions from the Magdalena drainage to the Caribbean coast, which also showed high values of anthropic impacts. Our multidisciplinary approach provided new insights into this South American watersnake’s morphology, intraspecific variation, and distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Citeli
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
- Laboratório de Anatomia Comparada dos Vertebrados, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Julia Klaczko
- Laboratório de Anatomia Comparada dos Vertebrados, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana de-Carvalho
- Laboratório de Comportamento Animal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Pedro M. Sales Nunes
- Departamento de Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Paulo Passos
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20940-040, Brazil
| | - Reuber Albuquerque Brandão
- Laboratório de Fauna e Unidades de Conservação, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
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10
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Maschio GF, da Rocha RM, dos Santos-Costa MC, Barros Barbosa LDN, dos Santos KSF, Costa Prudente ALD. Aspects of the Reproductive Biology and Beeding Habits of Leptodeira annulata
(Serpentes, Imantodini) in Eastern Amazonia. SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-17-00080.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gleomar Fabiano Maschio
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar do Ensino de Biologia a Distância, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará. Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, CEP 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Rossineide Martins da Rocha
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará. Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, CEP 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Maria Cristina dos Santos-Costa
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Zoologia de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará. Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, CEP 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Lais de Nazaré Barros Barbosa
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar do Ensino de Biologia a Distância, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará. Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, CEP 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Klyssia Stéfanni Fonseca dos Santos
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar do Ensino de Biologia a Distância, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará. Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, CEP 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Ana Lúcia da Costa Prudente
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Coordenação de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, CxP 399, CEP 66040-170, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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11
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García-Cobos D, Crawford AJ, Ramírez-Pinilla MP. Reproductive phenology in a Neotropical aquatic snake shows marked seasonality influenced by rainfall patterns. J NAT HIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1829724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela García-Cobos
- Museo de Historia Natural C.J Marinkelle, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Andrew J. Crawford
- Museo de Historia Natural C.J Marinkelle, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Martha Patricia Ramírez-Pinilla
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
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12
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França RC, Morais M, França FGR, Rödder D, Solé M. Snakes of the Pernambuco Endemism Center, Brazil: diversity, natural history and conservation. Zookeys 2020; 1002:115-158. [PMID: 33363430 PMCID: PMC7746674 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1002.50997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and richest tropical rainforests on the planet, being one of the 25 world priorities for conservation. The Atlantic Forest portion located north of the São Francisco River corresponds to the Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC). We describe the snake composition of the PEC, providing information about the diversity, natural history and geographical distribution of the species, based on records from five scientific collections and additional information from the literature. A total of 78 species of snakes distributed in eight families was registered in the Pernambuco Endemism Center. The Caatinga is the Brazilian biome that most shares species with the PEC, followed by Cerrado. On the other hand, seven species are considered endemic of this region. Most of the snake species in the PEC have been registered in forest (94.8%), followed by “Brejos Nordestinos” (46.1%), Tabuleiros (43.5%), Restingas (14.1%) and Mangroves (5.1%). The PEC snake fauna includes mainly terrestrial species (60.2%) and cryptozoic and/or fossorial species (21.7%), but also presents a high richness of semi-arboreal and arboreal species (29.5%). Vertebrates are the main food item consumed by the species (78% of species), among the main prey are mammals, lizards, and amphibians. Most species show a strictly nocturnal activity period (50%), followed by strictly diurnal (38%). The PEC is the most degraded and least known region of the Atlantic Forest, yet it has revealed a high richness of snake species, including seven endemic species. It is emphasized that regional conservation efforts need to be intensified, because few forests in the region are formally protected, and the majority consist of small and poorly protected fragments, which means that many species in the region may be in risk of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela C França
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, CEP 45662-900 Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.,Herpetology Section, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Mayara Morais
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, 11 Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, CEP 45662-900 Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Frederico G R França
- Departamento de Engenharia e Meio Ambiente, Centro de Ciências Aplicadas e Educação, Universidade Federal da Paraíba - UFPB, Av. Santa Elizabete, s/n - Centro. CEP 58297-000, Rio Tinto, PB, Brazil
| | - Dennis Rödder
- Herpetology Section, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Mirco Solé
- Herpetology Section, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany.,Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, km,16, 45662-900 Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
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13
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Guedes T, Guedes A. Notes on court and copula, fertility, nest, eggs and hatchlings of the Caatinga's black snake Boiruna sertaneja Zaher, 1996 (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from northeastern Brazil. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2020; 92 Suppl 2:e20190588. [PMID: 32813770 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202020190588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Caatinga's black snake Boiruna sertaneja is a Pseudoboini species, endemic of the Caatinga biome. It is rare and fits in five traits that suggest it deserve more attention in reproduction research and conservation policies. Here we provide information on reproductive biology of B. sertaneja by adding new data about court and copula, fertility, nest, eggs and hatchling morphometry and pattern of color based on captivity specimens. The court and copula, as well as oviposition of B. sertaneja in the Caatinga are associated to period of high temperature and dry season. Our findings indicate that females of B. sertaneja, in nature, could select protected places or actively build their nests. We recorded three oviposture after a single event of copula by the female of B. sertaneja. The long time gap between copula and clutches strongly suggests that female B. sertaneja can store sperm in their oviducts for long periods or do facultative parthenogenesis. Clutch size and hatchling size of B. sertaneja was high. We observed variation on the pattern of coloration among hatchlings of same litter. This study comprises the first description of important aspects of reproduction and can give us some clues about how B. sertaneja reproduce in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- ThaÍs Guedes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Ambiente e Saúde, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Caxias, MA, Brazil
| | - Abimael Guedes
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
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14
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Laird MK, Thompson MB, Whittington CM. Facultative oviparity in a viviparous skink ( Saiphos equalis). Biol Lett 2019; 15:20180827. [PMID: 30940025 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Facultative changes in parity mode (oviparity to viviparity and vice versa) are rare in vertebrates, yet offer fascinating opportunities to investigate the role of reproductive lability in parity mode evolution. Here, we report apparent facultative oviparity by a viviparous female of the bimodally reproductive skink Saiphos equalis-the first report of different parity modes within a vertebrate clutch. Eggs oviposited facultatively possess shell characteristics of both viviparous and oviparous S. equalis, demonstrating that egg coverings for viviparous embryos are produced by the same machinery as those for oviparous individuals. Since selection may act in either direction when viviparity has evolved recently, squamate reproductive lability may confer a selective advantage. We suggest that facultative oviparity is a viable reproductive strategy for S. equalis and that squamate reproductive lability is more evolutionarily significant than previously acknowledged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K Laird
- 1 Department of Anatomy, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand.,2 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- 2 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- 2 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia.,3 Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
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Blackburn DG. The oviparous olm: Analysis & refutation of claims for viviparity in the cave salamander Proteus anguinus (Amphibia: Proteidae). ZOOL ANZ 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Genetic introgression among differentiated clades is lower among clades exhibiting different parity modes. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 123:264-272. [PMID: 30833744 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0201-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms leading to sympatric speciation are diverse and may build up reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation among differentiated clades may exist due to genetic incompatibilities, sexual selection, differences in parity mode, reduced post-zygotic survival or reproductive success of hybrids. Here, we test whether differences in parity mode lead to reproductive isolation by investigating introgression in Zootoca vivipara, a lizard species exhibiting oviparous and viviparous reproduction. We measured introgression in transects spanning different viviparous clades, different oviparous subclades, transects containing oviparous and viviparous clades, and transects within the same subclade (control transects). Introgression in transects spanning oviparous and viviparous clades was one order of magnitude smaller than transects spanning the same reproductive mode and no statistical differences existed between transects spanning the same reproductive mode and control transects. Among types of transects, no significant differences existed in genetic and geographic distances, nor number of detected alleles. Moreover, hybrids were detected in all types of transects, showing that parity mode alone does not necessarily lead to complete reproductive isolation, which suggests that reinforcement may play an important role. The evolution of different parity modes together with reinforcement may thus promote reproductive isolation and rapid speciation, potentially explaining why only six of the almost 40,000 vertebrates belonging to groups consisting of viviparous and oviparous species exhibit bimodal reproduction.
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Braz HB, Almeida-Santos SM, Murphy CR, Thompson MB. Uterine and eggshell modifications associated with the evolution of viviparity in South American water snakes (Helicopsspp.). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2018; 330:165-180. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Henrique B. Braz
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução; Instituto Butantan; São Paulo Brazil
- Departamento de Anatomia; Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Selma M. Almeida-Santos
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução; Instituto Butantan; São Paulo Brazil
- Departamento de Anatomia; Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology; School of Medical Science and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
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18
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Horváth B, Kalinka AT. The genetics of egg retention and fertilization success in Drosophila: One step closer to understanding the transition from facultative to obligate viviparity. Evolution 2018; 72:318-336. [PMID: 29265369 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Oviparous, facultative egg retention enables Drosophila females to withhold fertilized eggs in their reproductive tracts until circumstances favor oviposition. The propensity to retain fertilized eggs varies greatly between species, and is correlated with other reproductive traits, such as egg size and ovariole number. While previous studies have described the phenomenon, no study to date has characterized within-species variation or the genetic basis of the trait. Here, we develop a novel microscope-based method for measuring egg retention in Drosophila females and determine the range of phenotypic variation in mated female egg retention in a subset of 91 Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) lines. We inferred the genetic basis of egg retention using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Further, the scoring of more than 95,000 stained, staged eggs enabled estimates of fertilization success for each line. We found evidence that ovary- and spermathecae-related genes as well as genes affecting olfactory behavior, male mating behavior, male-female attraction and sperm motility may play a crucial role in post-mating physiology. Based on our findings we also propose potential evolutionary routes toward obligate viviparity. In particular, we propose that the loss of fecundity incurred by viviparity could be offset by benefits arising from enhanced mate discrimination, resource specialization, or modified egg morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Horváth
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna A-1210, Austria.,Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna A-1210, Austria.,Current Address: Barbara Ellis, Institutionen för ekologi och genetik, Evolutionsbiologiskt Centrum (EBC), Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alex T Kalinka
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna A-1210, Austria
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Candidate genes involved in the evolution of viviparity: a RAD sequencing experiment in the lizard Zootoca vivipara (Squamata: Lacertidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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