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Park T, Burin G, Lazo-Cancino D, Rees JPG, Rule JP, Slater GJ, Cooper N. Charting the course of pinniped evolution: insights from molecular phylogeny and fossil record integration. Evolution 2024; 78:1212-1226. [PMID: 38644688 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae061] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, walruses, and their fossil relatives) are one of the most successful mammalian clades to live in the oceans. Despite a well-resolved molecular phylogeny and a global fossil record, a complete understanding of their macroevolutionary dynamics remains hampered by a lack of formal analyses that combine these 2 rich sources of information. We used a meta-analytic approach to infer the most densely sampled pinniped phylogeny to date (36 recent and 93 fossil taxa) and used phylogenetic paleobiological methods to study their diversification dynamics and biogeographic history. Pinnipeds mostly diversified at constant rates. Walruses, however, experienced rapid turnover in which extinction rates ultimately exceeded speciation rates from 12 to 6 Ma, possibly due to changing sea levels and/or competition with otariids (eared seals). Historical biogeographic analyses, including fossil data, allowed us to confidently identify the North Pacific and the North Atlantic (plus or minus Paratethys) as the ancestral ranges of Otarioidea (eared seals + walrus) and crown phocids (earless seals), respectively. Yet, despite the novel addition of stem pan-pinniped taxa, the region of origin for Pan-Pinnipedia remained ambiguous. These results suggest further avenues of study in pinnipeds and provide a framework for investigating other groups with substantial extinct and extant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Park
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Science Group, Natural History Museum London, London, United Kingdom
- Sciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gustavo Burin
- Science Group, Natural History Museum London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniela Lazo-Cancino
- Laboratorio de Mastozoología, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Joseph P G Rees
- Science Group, Natural History Museum London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James P Rule
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Science Group, Natural History Museum London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham J Slater
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Natalie Cooper
- Science Group, Natural History Museum London, London, United Kingdom
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Pacheco-Sandoval A, Schramm Y, Heckel G, Giffard-Mena I, Lago-Lestón A. Unraveling the gut microbiota of Mexican pinnipeds: the dominance of life histories over phylogeny. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0203023. [PMID: 38771055 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02030-23] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Studying how phylogeny influences the composition and functions of microbiotas within animal hosts is essential for gaining insights into the connection between genetics, ecology, and health in the animal kingdom. However, due to limited comprehensive studies, this influence remains unclear for many wild mammals, including Mexican pinnipeds. We employed 16S rRNA gene deep-sequencing to investigate the impact of phylogeny on the gut microbiota of four pinniped species inhabiting Mexican shores: the Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii), the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), and the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus philippii townsendi). Our results indicated that factors such as diets and shared life histories exerted more influence on microbiota composition than phylogeny alone. Notably, otariid species sharing similar life histories displayed greater microbiota similarity than phocids, which have distinct life histories and fewer microbiota similarities. Furthermore, harbor seals have more microbial similarities with the two otariid species than with elephant seals. Of particular concern, we observed a higher abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Photobacterium damselae and Clostridium perfringens) in harbor seals and Guadalupe fur seals compared to other pinnipeds. This finding could pose health threats to these species and nearby human populations.IMPORTANCEPinnipeds in Mexico host microbial communities that remain understudied. While several factors can influence microbiota composition, the role of phylogenetic relationships among these pinnipeds remains unclear due to limited knowledge of the microbiota in certain species. This study aimed to fill this gap by characterizing the composition and function of the gut microbiota in the four pinniped species that occur in Mexico. Our analysis reveals that shared diets and life histories contribute to similarities in the composition of gut microbial communities. This study also highlights the potential differences in the metabolic capabilities and adaptations within the gut microbiota of pinnipeds. Understanding how phylogeny impacts microbial communities enhances our insights into the evolutionary dynamics of marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pacheco-Sandoval
- Posgrado de Ciencias de la Vida, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Y Schramm
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - G Heckel
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - I Giffard-Mena
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - A Lago-Lestón
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
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Tang KN, Adkesson MJ, Cárdenas-Alayza S, Adamovicz L, Deming AC, Wellehan JFX, Childress A, Cortes-Hinojosa G, Colegrove K, Langan JN, Allender MC. Otariid gammaherpesvirus 1 in South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) and a novel related herpesvirus in free-ranging South American sea lions (Otaria byronia): Prevalence and effects of age, sex, and sample type. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299404. [PMID: 38446776 PMCID: PMC10917305 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299404] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Otariid gammaherpesvirus 1 (OtGHV1) is associated with high rates of urogenital carcinoma in free-ranging California sea lions (Zalophus californianus; CSL), and until recently was reported only in the Northern Hemisphere. The objective of this study was to survey free-ranging South American sea lions (Otaria byronia; SASL) and South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis: SAFS) in Punta San Juan, Peru for OtGHV1 and to determine prevalence characteristics. Twenty-one percent (14/67) of urogenital swabs collected over three years (2011, 2014, 2015) from live pinnipeds of both species tested positive with a pan-herpesvirus conventional PCR. Sequencing of SAFS amplicons revealed 100% homology to OtGHV1 at the DNA polymerase, glycoprotein B, and viral bcl2-like genes. Sequencing of SASL amplicons revealed a novel related virus, herein called Otariid gammaherpesvirus 8 (OtGHV8). For comparison of sample sites, urogenital, conjunctival, and oropharyngeal swabs collected from 136 live pinnipeds of both species at Punta San Juan between 2011-2018 were then assayed using quantitative PCR for a segment of the OtGHV1/8 DNA polymerase gene using a qPCR assay now determined to cross-react between the two viruses. In total, across both species, 38.6% (51/132) of urogenital swabs, 5.6% (4/71) of conjunctival swabs, and 1.1% (1/90) of oropharyngeal swabs were positive for OtGHV1/8, with SASL only positive on urogenital swabs. Results from SASL were complicated by the finding of OtGHV8, necessitating further study to determine prevalence of OtGHV1 versus OtGHV8 using an alternate assay. Results from SAFS suggest a potential relationship between OtGHV1 in SAFS and CSL. Though necropsy surveillance in SAFS is very limited, geographic patterns of OtGHV1-associated urogenital carcinoma in CSL and the tendency of herpesviruses to cause more detrimental disease in aberrant hosts suggests that it is possible that SAFS may be the definitive host of OtGHV1, which gives further insight into the diversity and phyogeography of this clade of related gammaherpesviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karisa N. Tang
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, United States of America
- Illinois Zoological and Aquatic Animal Residency, Urbana, IL, United States of America
- A. Watson Armour III Center for Animal Health and Welfare, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Adkesson
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, United States of America
| | - Susana Cárdenas-Alayza
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Laura Adamovicz
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - Alissa C. Deming
- Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Laguna Beach, CA, United States of America
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - James F. X. Wellehan
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - April Childress
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Galaxia Cortes-Hinojosa
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Kathleen Colegrove
- Zoological Pathology Program, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Brookfield, IL, United States of America
| | - Jennifer N. Langan
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - Matthew C. Allender
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, United States of America
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States of America
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Dosi A, Meziti A, Tounta E, Koemtzopoulos K, Komnenou A, Dendrinos P, Kormas K. Fecal and skin microbiota of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups during rehabilitation. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0280523. [PMID: 38084980 PMCID: PMC10783143 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02805-23] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE This study showed that during the rehabilitation of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups (Monachus monachus), the skin and fecal bacterial communities showed similar succession patterns between the two individuals. This finding means that co-housed pups share their microbiomes, and this needs to be considered in cases of infection outbreaks and their treatment. The housing conditions, along with the feeding scheme and care protocols, including the admission of antibiotics as prophylaxis, probiotics, and essential food supplements, resulted in bacterial communities with no apparent pathogenic bacteria. This is the first contribution to the microbiome of the protected seal species of M. monachus and contributes to the animal's conservation practices through its microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aggeliki Dosi
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Alexandra Meziti
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Eleni Tounta
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Kimon Koemtzopoulos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasia Komnenou
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Dendrinos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Kormas
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
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Martinek I, Hernández-Orts JS. Helminth fauna of the black goby Gobius niger L. (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae) from the Finnish Archipelago, Baltic Sea: Molecular and morphological data. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2023; 5:100169. [PMID: 38283061 PMCID: PMC10821376 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Black gobies (Gobius niger) from the Finnish Archipelago, Baltic Sea, were screened for helminth infections in summer 2020. Helminths were identified morphologically and/or molecularly. Altogether 26 novel sequences were generated and analysed using maximum likelihood estimation. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial genes revealed the presence of 8 species belonging to the Digenea (Diplostomum mergi Lineage 3), Cestoda (Bothriocephalus scorpii), Nematoda (Contracaecum rudolphii A, Cucullanus sp. and Hysterothylacium aduncum), and Acanthocephala (a putative new species of Corynosoma, Corynosoma semerme and Neoechinorhynchus sp.). Phylogenetic and comparative sequence analyses revealed that the putative new acanthocephalan species is closely related to C. neostrumosum described from the Caspian seal, Pusa caspica, in the Caspian Sea. The black goby represents a new host record for four parasite species (Diplostomum mergi Lineage 3, Contracaecum rudolphii A, Corynosoma semerme and Corynosoma sp.). The Finnish Archipelago is a novel locality record for three species (Corynosoma sp., Diplostomum mergi Lineage 3 and Bothriocephalus scorpii).
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Martinek
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jesús S. Hernández-Orts
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD, London, United Kingdom
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Asadobay P, Urquía DO, Künzel S, Espinoza-Ulloa SA, Vences M, Páez-Rosas D. Time-calibrated phylogeny and full mitogenome sequence of the Galapagos sea lion ( Zalophus wollebaeki) from scat DNA. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16047. [PMID: 37790631 PMCID: PMC10542389 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Galapagos sea lion, Zalophus wollebaeki, is an endemic and endangered otariid, which is considered as a sentinel species of ecosystem dynamics in the Galapagos archipelago. Mitochondrial DNA is an important tool in phylogenetic and population genetic inference. In this work we use Illumina sequencing to complement the mitogenomic resources for Zalophus genus-the other two species employed Sanger sequencing-by a complete mitochondrial genome and a molecular clock of this species, which is not present in any case. Materials and Methods We used DNA obtained from a fresh scat sample of a Galapagos sea lion and shotgun-sequenced it on the Illumina NextSeq platform. The obtained raw reads were processed using the GetOrganelle software to filter the mitochondrial Zalophus DNA reads (∼16% survive the filtration), assemble them, and set up a molecular clock. Results From the obtained 3,511,116 raw reads, we were able to assemble a full mitogenome of a length of 16,676 bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNA), and two ribosomal RNAs (rRNA). A time-calibrated phylogeny confirmed the phylogenetic position of Z. wollebaeki in a clade with Z. californianus, and Z. japonicus, and sister to Z. californianus; as well as establishing the divergence time for Z. wollebaeki 0.65 million years ago. Our study illustrates the possibility of seamlessly sequencing full mitochondrial genomes from fresh scat samples of marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacarina Asadobay
- Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Diego O. Urquía
- Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Sven Künzel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute, Plön, Germany
| | - Sebastian A. Espinoza-Ulloa
- Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
- Oficina Técnica San Cristóbal, Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
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Bender AN, Krause DJ, Goebel ME, Hoffman JI, Lewallen EA, Bonin CA. Genetic diversity and demographic history of the leopard seal: A Southern Ocean top predator. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284640. [PMID: 37566609 PMCID: PMC10420386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are top predators that can exert substantial top-down control of their Antarctic prey species. However, population trends and genetic diversity of leopard seals remain understudied, limiting our understanding of their ecological role. We investigated the genetic diversity, effective population size and demographic history of leopard seals to provide fundamental data that contextualizes their predatory influence on Antarctic ecosystems. Ninety leopard seals were sampled from the northern Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summers of 2008-2019 and a 405bp segment of the mitochondrial control region was sequenced for each individual. We uncovered moderate levels of nucleotide (π = 0.013) and haplotype (Hd = 0.96) diversity, and the effective population size was estimated at around 24,000 individuals (NE = 24,376; 95% CI: 16,876-33,126). Consistent with findings from other ice-breeding pinnipeds, Bayesian skyline analysis also revealed evidence for population expansion during the last glacial maximum, suggesting that historical population growth may have been boosted by an increase in the abundance of sea ice. Although leopard seals can be found in warmer, sub-Antarctic locations, the species' core habitat is centered on the Antarctic, making it inherently vulnerable to the loss of sea ice habitat due to climate change. Therefore, detailed assessments of past and present leopard seal population trends are needed to inform policies for Antarctic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arona N. Bender
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Department, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, United States of America
| | - Douglas J. Krause
- Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Michael E. Goebel
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Eric A. Lewallen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, United States of America
| | - Carolina A. Bonin
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Department, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, United States of America
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Fang W, Li K, Ma S, Wei F, Hu Y. Natural selection and convergent evolution of the HOX gene family in Carnivora. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1107034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
HOX genes play a central role in the development and regulation of limb patterns. For mammals in the order Carnivora, limbs have evolved in different forms, and there are interesting cases of phenotypic convergence, such as the pseudothumb of the giant and red pandas, and the flippers or specialized limbs of the pinnipeds and sea otter. However, the molecular bases of limb development remain largely unclear. Here, we studied the molecular evolution of the HOX9 ~ 13 genes of 14 representative species in Carnivora and explored the molecular evolution of other HOX genes. We found that only one limb development gene, HOXC10, underwent convergent evolution between giant and red pandas and was thus an important candidate gene related to the development of pseudothumbs. No signals of amino acid convergence and natural selection were found in HOX9 ~ 13 genes between pinnipeds and sea otter, but there was evidence of positive selection and rapid evolution in four pinniped species. Overall, few HOX genes evolve via natural selection or convergent evolution, and these could be important candidate genes for further functional validation. Our findings provide insights into potential molecular mechanisms of the development of specialized pseudothumbs and flippers (or specialized limbs).
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Yakupova A, Tomarovsky A, Totikov A, Beklemisheva V, Logacheva M, Perelman PL, Komissarov A, Dobrynin P, Krasheninnikova K, Tamazian G, Serdyukova NA, Rayko M, Bulyonkova T, Cherkasov N, Pylev V, Peterfeld V, Penin A, Balanovska E, Lapidus A, OBrien SJ, Graphodatsky A, Koepfli KP, Kliver S. Chromosome-Length Assembly of the Baikal Seal (Pusa sibirica) Genome Reveals a Historically Large Population Prior to Isolation in Lake Baikal. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030619. [PMID: 36980891 PMCID: PMC10048373 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030619] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pusa sibirica, the Baikal seal, is the only extant, exclusively freshwater, pinniped species. The pending issue is, how and when they reached their current habitat—the rift lake Baikal, more than three thousand kilometers away from the Arctic Ocean. To explore the demographic history and genetic diversity of this species, we generated a de novo chromosome-length assembly, and compared it with three closely related marine pinniped species. Multiple whole genome alignment of the four species compared with their karyotypes showed high conservation of chromosomal features, except for three large inversions on chromosome VI. We found the mean heterozygosity of the studied Baikal seal individuals was relatively low (0.61 SNPs/kbp), but comparable to other analyzed pinniped samples. Demographic reconstruction of seals revealed differing trajectories, yet remarkable variations in Ne occurred during approximately the same time periods. The Baikal seal showed a significantly more severe decline relative to other species. This could be due to the difference in environmental conditions encountered by the earlier populations of Baikal seals, as ice sheets changed during glacial–interglacial cycles. We connect this period to the time of migration to Lake Baikal, which occurred ~3–0.3 Mya, after which the population stabilized, indicating balanced habitat conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliya Yakupova
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 19701 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: (A.Y.); (A.G.)
| | - Andrey Tomarovsky
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 19701 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of the Diversity and Evolution of Genomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Azamat Totikov
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 19701 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of the Diversity and Evolution of Genomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Violetta Beklemisheva
- Department of the Diversity and Evolution of Genomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Maria Logacheva
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russia
| | - Polina L. Perelman
- Department of the Diversity and Evolution of Genomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Aleksey Komissarov
- Applied Genomics Laboratory, SCAMT Institute, ITMO University, 9 Ulitsa Lomonosova, 191002 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pavel Dobrynin
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 19701 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Gaik Tamazian
- Centre for Computational Biology, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia A. Serdyukova
- Department of the Diversity and Evolution of Genomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mike Rayko
- Center for Bioinformatics and Algorithmic Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatiana Bulyonkova
- Laboratory of Mixed Computations, A.P. Ershov Institute of Informatics Systems SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nikolay Cherkasov
- Centre for Computational Biology, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir Pylev
- Laboratory of Human Population Genetics, Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115522 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Peterfeld
- Baikal Branch of State Research and Industrial Center of Fisheries, 670034 Ulan-Ude, Russia
| | - Aleksey Penin
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 127051 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Balanovska
- Laboratory of Human Population Genetics, Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115522 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alla Lapidus
- Center for Bioinformatics and Algorithmic Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - DNA Zoo Consortium
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Stephen J. OBrien
- Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, NOVA Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33004, USA
| | - Alexander Graphodatsky
- Department of the Diversity and Evolution of Genomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Correspondence: (A.Y.); (A.G.)
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Sergei Kliver
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute, The University of Copenhagen, 5A, Oester Farimagsgade, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark
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10
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Genetic variation in the spotted seal (Phoca largha Pallas, 1811) from the Rimsky-Korsakov Archipelago (Peter the Great Bay, western sea of Japan) as inferred from mitochondrial DNA control region sequences. ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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11
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Boisville M, Chatar N, Lambert O, Dewaele L. Sexual dimorphism in the walrus mandible: comparative description and geometric morphometrics. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13940. [PMID: 36157061 PMCID: PMC9504446 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The modern walrus Odobenus rosmarus is characterized by marked sexual dimorphism, related to its polygynous behavior and the aggressive competition between males during the breeding season. Previous studies treated skeletal sexual dimorphism in walruses either qualitatively or with basic quantitative measurements. The present study combines a detailed qualitative comparison of male and female walrus mandibles with quantitative two-dimensional geometric morphometrics analysis (principal component analysis, Procrustes ANOVA and a linear discriminant analysis). In addition to identifying previously recognized sexually dimorphic features (e.g., convexity of the anterior margin of the mandible in adult males), our study finds new morphological differences between males and females, such as a relative dorsal expansion of the anterior part of the mandible and an accentuated concavity between the dorsal margin and the coronoid process in adult males. Both our qualitative comparisons and quantitative analyses demonstrate that sexual dimorphism as expressed in the mandible of extant walruses is statistically significant and that (variation in) mandibular morphology can be used as tool to attribute sex with a good degree of accuracy to isolated mandibles or skeletons lacking the cranium. Sexual dimorphism in walruses is directly related to their sexual behavior, characterized as aggressive in males and linked to a polygynous reproduction system. Indeed, the difference in size of the tusks between males and females but also the use of these during intraspecific fights, can reasonably account for this great mandibular morphological disparity between adult males and females, but also among different ontogenetic stages. Finally, the results obtained in the present study may serve as a starting point for assessing sexual dimorphism more in-depth and studying inter- and intraspecific variation in the mandibles of fossil walruses by identifying quantified size and shape mandibular features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Boisville
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Earth Historical Analysis, Earth Evolution Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Narimane Chatar
- Department of Geology, University of Liège, Evolution & Diversity Dynamics Lab, Liège, Belgium
| | - Olivier Lambert
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Leonard Dewaele
- Department of Geology, University of Liège, Evolution & Diversity Dynamics Lab, Liège, Belgium,Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Brussels, Belgium
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12
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How Did Seal Lice Turn into the Only Truly Marine Insects? INSECTS 2021; 13:insects13010046. [PMID: 35055889 PMCID: PMC8778168 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Sucking lice are permanent and obligate ectoparasites throughout their whole life cycle. Echinophthiriids escorted their mammal hosts during their passage from fully terrestrial to amphibian life. Seal lice synchronize their reproduction cycle with that of their mammalian hosts. Echinophthiriids tolerate long immersion periods and extreme hydrostatic pressures. Diving lice can reach kilometers under the surface and survive, during the months their hosts remain in the open ocean. In the present work, we describe and discuss how some of these adaptations allow seal lice to cope with the amphibious habits of their hosts and how they can help us to understand why insects are so rare in the ocean. Abstract Insects are the most evolutionarily and ecologically successful group of living animals, being present in almost all possible mainland habitats; however, they are virtually absent in the ocean, which constitutes more than 99% of the Earth’s biosphere. Only a few insect species can be found in the sea but they remain at the surface, in salt marshes, estuaries, or shallow waters. Remarkably, a group of 13 species manages to endure long immersion periods in the open sea, as well as deep dives, i.e., seal lice. Sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) are ectoparasites of mammals, living while attached to the hosts’ skin, into their fur, or among their hairs. Among them, the family Echinophthiriidae is peculiar because it infests amphibious hosts, such as pinnipeds and otters, who make deep dives and spend from weeks to months in the open sea. During the evolutionary transition of pinnipeds from land to the ocean, echinophthiriid lice had to manage the gradual change to an amphibian lifestyle along with their hosts, some of which may spend more than 80% of the time submerged and performing extreme dives, some beyond 2000 m under the surface. These obligate and permanent ectoparasites have adapted to cope with hypoxia, high salinity, low temperature, and, in particular, conditions of huge hydrostatic pressures. We will discuss some of these adaptations allowing seal lice to cope with their hosts’ amphibious habits and how they can help us understand why insects are so rare in the ocean.
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13
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Makhrov AA, Vinarski MV, Gofarov MY, Dvoryankin GA, Novoselov AP, Bolotov IN. Faunal Exchanges between the Basins of the Arctic Ocean and the Caspian Sea: Their History and Current Processes. BIOL BULL+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021070190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Chen X, Liu L, Chu Q, Sun S, Wu Y, Tong Z, Fang W, Timko MP, Fan L. Large-scale identification of extracellular plant miRNAs in mammals implicates their dietary intake. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257878. [PMID: 34587184 PMCID: PMC8480717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed to function in cross-kingdom gene regulation. Among these, plant-derived miRNAs of dietary origin have been reported to survive the harsh conditions of the human digestive system, enter the circulatory system, and regulate gene expression and metabolic function. However, definitive evidence supporting the presence of plant-derived miRNAs of dietary origin in mammals has been difficult to obtain due to limited sample sizes. We have developed a bioinformatics pipeline (ePmiRNA_finder) that provides strident miRNA classification and applied it to analyze 421 small RNA sequencing data sets from 10 types of human body fluids and tissues and comparative samples from carnivores and herbivores. A total of 35 miRNAs were identified that map to plants typically found in the human diet and these miRNAs were found in at least one human blood sample and their abundance was significantly different when compared to samples from human microbiome or cow. The plant-derived miRNA profiles were body fluid/tissue-specific and highly abundant in the brain and the breast milk samples, indicating selective absorption and/or the ability to be transported across tissue/organ barriers. Our data provide conclusive evidence for the presence of plant-derived miRNAs as a consequence of dietary intake and their cross-kingdom regulatory function within human circulating system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Crop Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qinjie Chu
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuo Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yixuan Wu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhou Tong
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weijia Fang
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Michael P. Timko
- Departments of Biology & Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Longjiang Fan
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Crop Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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15
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Rule JP, Adams JW, Marx FG, Evans AR, Tennyson AJD, Scofield RP, Fitzgerald EMG. Correction to: First monk seal from the Southern Hemisphere rewrites the evolutionary history of true seals. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211858. [PMID: 34493084 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James P Rule
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Monash, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Justin W Adams
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Monash, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Felix G Marx
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.,Department of Geology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Alistair R Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Monash, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Alan J D Tennyson
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
| | | | - Erich M G Fitzgerald
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Monash, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.,National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
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16
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Gutiérrez J, Seguel M, Saenz‐Agudelo P, Acosta‐Jamett G, Verdugo C. Genetic diversity and kinship relationships in one of the largest South American fur seal (
Arctocephalus australis
) populations of the Pacific Ocean. Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Josefina Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Patología Animal Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
- Programa de Investigación Aplicada a la Fauna Silvestre Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Mauricio Seguel
- Department of Pathobiology Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph ON Canada
| | - Pablo Saenz‐Agudelo
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Gerardo Acosta‐Jamett
- Programa de Investigación Aplicada a la Fauna Silvestre Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
- Instituto de Medicina Preventiva Veterinaria Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Claudio Verdugo
- Instituto de Patología Animal Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
- Programa de Investigación Aplicada a la Fauna Silvestre Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
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17
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In-air hearing in Hawaiian monk seals: implications for understanding the auditory biology of Monachinae seals. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:561-573. [PMID: 34145465 PMCID: PMC8222047 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01498-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The auditory biology of Monachinae seals is poorly understood. Limited audiometric data and certain anatomical features suggest that these seals may have reduced sensitivity to airborne sounds compared to related species. Here, we describe the in-air hearing abilities of a Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) trained to participate in a psychophysical paradigm. We report absolute (unmasked) thresholds for narrowband signals measured in quiet conditions across the range of hearing and masked thresholds measured in the presence of octave-band noise at two frequencies. The behavioral audiogram indicates a functional hearing range from 0.1 to 33 kHz and poor sensitivity, with detection thresholds above 40 dB re 20 µPa. Critical ratio measurements are elevated compared to those of other seals. The apparently reduced terrestrial hearing ability of this individual—considered with available auditory data for a northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)—suggests that hearing in Monachinae seals differs from that of the highly sensitive Phocinae seals. Exploration of phylogenetic relationships and anatomical traits support this claim. This work advances understanding of the evolution of hearing in amphibious marine mammals and provides updated information that can be used for management and conservation of endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
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18
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Hassanin A, Veron G, Ropiquet A, Jansen van Vuuren B, Lécu A, Goodman SM, Haider J, Nguyen TT. Evolutionary history of Carnivora (Mammalia, Laurasiatheria) inferred from mitochondrial genomes. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0240770. [PMID: 33591975 PMCID: PMC7886153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The order Carnivora, which currently includes 296 species classified into 16 families, is distributed across all continents. The phylogeny and the timing of diversification of members of the order are still a matter of debate. Here, complete mitochondrial genomes were analysed to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships and to estimate divergence times among species of Carnivora. We assembled 51 new mitogenomes from 13 families, and aligned them with available mitogenomes by selecting only those showing more than 1% of nucleotide divergence and excluding those suspected to be of low-quality or from misidentified taxa. Our final alignment included 220 taxa representing 2,442 mitogenomes. Our analyses led to a robust resolution of suprafamilial and intrafamilial relationships. We identified 21 fossil calibration points to estimate a molecular timescale for carnivorans. According to our divergence time estimates, crown carnivorans appeared during or just after the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum; all major groups of Caniformia (Cynoidea/Arctoidea; Ursidae; Musteloidea/Pinnipedia) diverged from each other during the Eocene, while all major groups of Feliformia (Nandiniidae; Feloidea; Viverroidea) diversified more recently during the Oligocene, with a basal divergence of Nandinia at the Eocene/Oligocene transition; intrafamilial divergences occurred during the Miocene, except for the Procyonidae, as Potos separated from other genera during the Oligocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Hassanin
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
| | - Géraldine Veron
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
| | - Anne Ropiquet
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bettine Jansen van Vuuren
- Department of Zoology, Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Alexis Lécu
- Parc zoologique de Paris, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Steven M. Goodman
- Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Jibran Haider
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
- Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
- Forest Parks & Wildlife Department Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu, Pakistan
| | - Trung Thanh Nguyen
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
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19
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Lopes F, Oliveira LR, Kessler A, Beux Y, Crespo E, Cárdenas-Alayza S, Majluf P, Sepúlveda M, Brownell RL, Franco-Trecu V, Páez-Rosas D, Chaves J, Loch C, Robertson BC, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Kirkman SP, Peart CR, Wolf JBW, Bonatto SL. Phylogenomic Discordance in the Eared Seals is best explained by Incomplete Lineage Sorting following Explosive Radiation in the Southern Hemisphere. Syst Biol 2020; 70:786-802. [PMID: 33367817 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogeny and systematics of fur seals and sea lions (Otariidae) have long been studied with diverse data types, including an increasing amount of molecular data. However, only a few phylogenetic relationships have reached acceptance because of strong gene-tree species tree discordance. Divergence times estimates in the group also vary largely between studies. These uncertainties impeded the understanding of the biogeographical history of the group, such as when and how trans-equatorial dispersal and subsequent speciation events occurred. Here, we used high-coverage genome-wide sequencing for 14 of the 15 species of Otariidae to elucidate the phylogeny of the family and its bearing on the taxonomy and biogeographical history. Despite extreme topological discordance among gene trees, we found a fully supported species tree that agrees with the few well-accepted relationships and establishes monophyly of the genus Arctocephalus. Our data support a relatively recent trans-hemispheric dispersal at the base of a southern clade, which rapidly diversified into six major lineages between 3 and 2.5 Ma. Otaria diverged first, followed by Phocarctos and then four major lineages within Arctocephalus. However, we found Zalophus to be nonmonophyletic, with California (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) grouping closer than the Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) with evidence for introgression between the two genera. Overall, the high degree of genealogical discordance was best explained by incomplete lineage sorting resulting from quasi-simultaneous speciation within the southern clade with introgresssion playing a subordinate role in explaining the incongruence among and within prior phylogenetic studies of the family. [Hybridization; ILS; phylogenomics; Pleistocene; Pliocene; monophyly.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Lopes
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | - Larissa R Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil.,GEMARS, Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul, 95560-000 Torres, RS, Brazil
| | - Amanda Kessler
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Yago Beux
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Enrique Crespo
- Centro Nacional Patagónico - CENPAT, CONICET, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Susana Cárdenas-Alayza
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Patricia Majluf
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maritza Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Robert L Brownell
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, La Jolla, USA
| | - Valentina Franco-Trecu
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Jaime Chaves
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador.,Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1800 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carolina Loch
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Stephen P Kirkman
- Department of Environmental Affairs, Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Claire R Peart
- Department Biologie II, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Münich, Germany
| | - Jochen B W Wolf
- Department Biologie II, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Münich, Germany
| | - Sandro L Bonatto
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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20
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Karyotype Evolution in 10 Pinniped Species: Variability of Heterochromatin versus High Conservatism of Euchromatin as Revealed by Comparative Molecular Cytogenetics. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11121485. [PMID: 33321928 PMCID: PMC7763226 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pinnipedia karyotype evolution was studied here using human, domestic dog, and stone marten whole-chromosome painting probes to obtain comparative chromosome maps among species of Odobenidae (Odobenus rosmarus), Phocidae (Phoca vitulina, Phoca largha, Phoca hispida, Pusa sibirica, Erignathus barbatus), and Otariidae (Eumetopias jubatus, Callorhinus ursinus, Phocarctos hookeri, and Arctocephalus forsteri). Structural and functional chromosomal features were assessed with telomere repeat and ribosomal-DNA probes and by CBG (C-bands revealed by barium hydroxide treatment followed by Giemsa staining) and CDAG (Chromomycin A3-DAPI after G-banding) methods. We demonstrated diversity of heterochromatin among pinniped karyotypes in terms of localization, size, and nucleotide composition. For the first time, an intrachromosomal rearrangement common for Otariidae and Odobenidae was revealed. We postulate that the order of evolutionarily conserved segments in the analyzed pinnipeds is the same as the order proposed for the ancestral Carnivora karyotype (2n = 38). The evolution of conserved genomes of pinnipeds has been accompanied by few fusion events (less than one rearrangement per 10 million years) and by novel intrachromosomal changes including the emergence of new centromeres and pericentric inversion/centromere repositioning. The observed interspecific diversity of pinniped karyotypes driven by constitutive heterochromatin variation likely has played an important role in karyotype evolution of pinnipeds, thereby contributing to the differences of pinnipeds’ chromosome sets.
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21
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Kim M, Cho H, Lee WY. Distinct gut microbiotas between southern elephant seals and Weddell seals of Antarctica. J Microbiol 2020; 58:1018-1026. [PMID: 33263895 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-020-0524-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiome provides ecological information about host animals, but we still have limited knowledge of the gut microbiome, particularly for animals inhabiting remote locations, such as Antarctica. Here, we compared fecal microbiota between southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) and Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddelli), that are top predatory marine mammals in the Antarctic ecosystem, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and assessed the relationships of the gut microbial communities to functional profiles using gut metabolite analysis. The bacterial community did not differ significantly by host species or sex at the phylum level, but the distinction at the family level was obvious. The family Ruminococcaceae (Firmicutes) was more abundant in southern elephant seals than in Weddell seals, and the families Acidaminococcaceae (Firmicutes) and Pasteurellaceae (Gammaproteobacteria) were uniquely present in Weddell seals. The fecal bacterial community structure was distinctively clustered by host species, with only 6.7% of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) shared between host species. This result implies that host phylogeny rather than other factors, such as diet or age, could be the major driver of fecal microbiotic diversification. Interestingly, there was no apparent sex effect on bacterial community structure in Weddell seals, but the effect of sex was pronounced in adult southern elephant seals mainly due to the prevalence of Edwardsiella sp., suggesting that extreme sexual dimorphism may modulate the gut microbiota of southern elephant seals. Unlike the clear distinction in the taxonomic composition of fecal bacterial communities, there were no discernible differences in the profiles of potential microbial functions and gut metabolites between host species or sexes, indicating that functional redundancy dominates the gut microbiota of seals surveyed in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mincheol Kim
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjun Cho
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Young Lee
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea.
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22
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Rule JP, Adams JW, Marx FG, Evans AR, Tennyson AJD, Scofield RP, Fitzgerald EMG. First monk seal from the Southern Hemisphere rewrites the evolutionary history of true seals. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202318. [PMID: 33171079 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Living true seals (phocids) are the most widely dispersed semi-aquatic marine mammals, and comprise geographically separate northern (phocine) and southern (monachine) groups. Both are thought to have evolved in the North Atlantic, with only two monachine lineages-elephant seals and lobodontins-subsequently crossing the equator. The third and most basal monachine tribe, the monk seals, have hitherto been interpreted as exclusively northern and (sub)tropical throughout their entire history. Here, we describe a new species of extinct monk seal from the Pliocene of New Zealand, the first of its kind from the Southern Hemisphere, based on one of the best-preserved and richest samples of seal fossils worldwide. This unanticipated discovery reveals that all three monachine tribes once coexisted south of the equator, and forces a profound revision of their evolutionary history: rather than primarily diversifying in the North Atlantic, monachines largely evolved in the Southern Hemisphere, and from this southern cradle later reinvaded the north. Our results suggest that true seals crossed the equator over eight times in their history. Overall, they more than double the age of the north-south dichotomy characterizing living true seals and confirms a surprisingly recent major change in southern phocid diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Rule
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Justin W Adams
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Felix G Marx
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.,Department of Geology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Alistair R Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Alan J D Tennyson
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
| | | | - Erich M G Fitzgerald
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.,National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20013-7012, USA
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23
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Kim JU, Kim JH. Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of the Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii. MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES 2020; 5:3339-3340. [PMID: 33458160 PMCID: PMC7783060 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1820390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii, which belongs to the family Phocidae, is an abundant pinniped that inhabits the Antarctica. Here, we present the complete mitochondrial genome and phylogeny of L. weddellii. The total length of the mitogenome is 16,762 bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. The base composition of the mitogenome is 34.26% (A), 25.51% (T), 27.09% (C), and 13.11% (G), and 40.22% for overall GC contents. The description of this mitogenome can provide information about variations at the intra-species level and aid phylogenetic studies in family Phocidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-U Kim
- Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, South Korea
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24
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Auditory biology of bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus). Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02736-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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25
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Reisch F, Kakularam KR, Stehling S, Heydeck D, Kuhn H. Eicosanoid biosynthesis in marine mammals. FEBS J 2020; 288:1387-1406. [PMID: 32627384 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
After 300 million years of evolution, the first land-living mammals reentered the marine environment some 50 million years ago. The driving forces for this dramatic lifestyle change are still a matter of discussion but the struggle for food resources and the opportunity to escape predators probably contributed. Reentering the oceans requires metabolic adaption putting evolutionary pressure on a number of genes. To explore whether eicosanoid signaling has been part of this adaptive response, we first explored whether the genomes of marine mammals involve functional genes encoding for key enzymes of eicosanoid biosynthesis. Cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (ALOX) genes are present in the genome of all marine mammals tested. Interestingly, ALOX12B, which has been implicated in skin development of land-living mammals, is lacking in whales and dolphins and genes encoding for its sister enzyme (ALOXE3) involve premature stop codons and/or frameshifting point mutations, which interrupt the open reading frames. ALOX15 orthologs have been detected in all marine mammals, and the recombinant enzymes exhibit similar catalytic properties as those of land-living species. All marine mammals express arachidonic acid 12-lipoxygenating ALOX15 orthologs, and these data are consistent with the Evolutionary Hypothesis of ALOX15 specificity. These enzymes exhibit membrane oxygenase activity and introduction of big amino acids at the triad positions altered the reaction specificity in favor of arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenation. Thus, the ALOX15 orthologs of marine mammals follow the Triad concept explaining their catalytic specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Reisch
- Institute of Biochemistry, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kumar Reddy Kakularam
- Institute of Biochemistry, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Stehling
- Institute of Biochemistry, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dagmar Heydeck
- Institute of Biochemistry, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hartmut Kuhn
- Institute of Biochemistry, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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26
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Magnadóttir B, Uysal-Onganer P, Kraev I, Svansson V, Skírnisson K, Lange S. Deiminated proteins and extracellular vesicles as novel biomarkers in pinnipeds: Grey seal (Halichoerus gryptus) and harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Biochimie 2020; 171-172:79-90. [PMID: 32105816 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) are phylogenetically conserved calcium-dependent enzymes which post-translationally convert arginine into citrulline in target proteins in an irreversible manner, leading to functional and structural changes in target proteins. Protein deimination can cause the generation of neo-epitopes, affect gene regulation and also allow for protein moonlighting and therefore facilitate multifaceted functions of the same protein. PADs are furthermore a key regulator of cellular release of extracellular vesicle (EVs), which are found in most body fluids and participate in cellular communication via transfer of cargo proteins and genetic material. In this study, post-translationally deiminated proteins and EVs were assessed in sera of two seal species, grey seal and harbour seal. We report a poly-dispersed population of serum-EVs, which were positive for phylogenetically conserved EV-specific markers and characterised by transmission electron microscopy. A number of deiminated proteins critical for immune and metabolic functions were identified in the seal sera and varied somewhat between the two species under study, while some targets were in common. EV profiles of the seal sera further revealed that key microRNAs for inflammation, immunity and hypoxia also vary between the two species. Protein deimination and EVs profiles may be useful biomarkers for assessing health status of sea mammals, which face environmental challenges, including opportunistic infection, pollution and shifting habitat due to global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bergljót Magnadóttir
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur V. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Pinar Uysal-Onganer
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW, UK.
| | - Igor Kraev
- Electron Microscopy Suite, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Vilhjálmur Svansson
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur V. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Karl Skírnisson
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur V. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Sigrun Lange
- Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW, UK.
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27
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Paterson RS, Rybczynski N, Kohno N, Maddin HC. A Total Evidence Phylogenetic Analysis of Pinniped Phylogeny and the Possibility of Parallel Evolution Within a Monophyletic Framework. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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28
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Mason MJ, Wenger LMD, Hammer Ø, Blix AS. Structure and function of respiratory turbinates in phocid seals. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02618-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn terrestrial mammals, the respiratory turbinate bones within the nasal cavity are employed to conserve heat and water. In order to investigate whether environmental temperature affects respiratory turbinate structure in phocids, we used micro-computed tomography to compare maxilloturbinate bone morphology in polar seals, grey seals and monk seals. The maxilloturbinates of polar seals have much higher surface areas than those of monk seals, the result of the polar seals having more densely packed, complex turbinates within larger nasal cavities. Grey seals were intermediate; a juvenile of this species proved to have more densely packed maxilloturbinates with shorter branch lengths than a conspecific adult. Fractal dimension in the densest part of the maxilloturbinate mass was very close to 2 in all seals, indicating that these convoluted bones evenly fill the available space. The much more elaborate maxilloturbinate systems in polar seals, compared with monk seals, are consistent with a greater need to limit respiratory heat loss.
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29
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Nagel R, Forcada J, Hoffman JI. Complete mitochondrial genome of the Antarctic fur seal ( Arctocephalus gazella). Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2019; 4:2936-2937. [PMID: 33365800 PMCID: PMC7706844 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2019.1662751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) is an abundant Antarctic otariid. Here, we present the complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of this species, which includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and the control region for a total length of 16,156 bp. A phylogenetic analysis including all 25 publically available pinniped mitogenomes nested the Antarctic fur seal within the Otariid clade, which was clearly resolved from the Phocidae and Odobenidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Nagel
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
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30
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Guo B, Fang B, Shikano T, Momigliano P, Wang C, Kravchenko A, Merilä J. A phylogenomic perspective on diversity, hybridization and evolutionary affinities in the stickleback genus
Pungitius. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:4046-4064. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Baocheng Guo
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Bohao Fang
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Takahito Shikano
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Paolo Momigliano
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Cui Wang
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Alexandra Kravchenko
- Laboratory of Ichthyology Institute of Marine Biology Far East Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Vladivostok Russia
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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31
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Vandendorpe J, van Baak CGC, Stelbrink B, Delicado D, Albrecht C, Wilke T. Historical faunal exchange between the Pontocaspian Basin and North America. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10816-10827. [PMID: 31632651 PMCID: PMC6787871 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecrobia is a genus of small brackish-water mud snails with an amphi-Atlantic distribution. Interestingly, the species occurring in the northwestern Atlantic, Ecrobia truncata, is more closely related to the Pontocaspian taxa, Ecrobia grimmi and Ecrobia maritima, than to the species occurring in the northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. At least three colonization scenarios may account for this peculiar biogeographical pattern: (1) a recent human-mediated dispersal, (2) a historical transatlantic interchange, and (3) a historical transpolar interchange. To test these three scenarios, we used five operational criteria-time of species divergence, first appearance in the fossil record, dispersal limitation as well as environmental filtering and biotic interactions along the potential migration routes. Specifically, we inferred a time-calibrated molecular phylogeny for Ecrobia and reconstructed a paleogeographical map of the Arctic Ocean at 2.5 million years ago (Mya). Based on the five operational criteria, scenarios 1 and 2 can likely be rejected. In contrast, all criteria support scenario 3 (historical transpolar interchange). It is therefore suggested that a bird-mediated and/or ocean current-mediated faunal interchange via the Arctic Ocean occurred during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene. This dispersal was likely facilitated by reduced distances between the Eurasian and North American/Greenland landmasses, marine introgressions, and/or a stepping-stone system of brackish-water habitats in northern Siberia, as well as a lack of competition along the migration route. As for the direction of dispersal, the scientific data presented are not conclusive. However, there is clearly more support for the scenario of dispersal from the Pontocaspian Basin to North America than vice versa. This is the first study providing evidence for a natural faunal exchange between the Pontocaspian Basin and North America via the Arctic Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Vandendorpe
- Department of Animal Ecology and SystematicsJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | | | - Björn Stelbrink
- Department of Animal Ecology and SystematicsJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Diana Delicado
- Department of Animal Ecology and SystematicsJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Christian Albrecht
- Department of Animal Ecology and SystematicsJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Thomas Wilke
- Department of Animal Ecology and SystematicsJustus Liebig University GiessenGiessenGermany
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32
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Loza CM, Krmpotic CM, Galliari FC, Andrés Laube PF, Negrete J, Scarano AC, Loureiro J, Carlini AA, Barbeito CG. Adaptations to a semiaquatic lifestyle in the external ear of southern pinnipeds (Otariidae and Phocidae, Carnivora): Morphological evidences. ZOOLOGY 2019; 133:66-80. [PMID: 30979391 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pinnipeds are semiaquatic carnivorans that spend most of their lives in water and use coastal terrestrial, or ice pack, environments to breed, molt and rest. Certain characteristics of the ear have been linked to ecological aspects. In our contribution we focus on the study of the macroscopic and microscopic morphology of the external ear (with the exception of the osseous outer ear canal) of six species of Southern pinnipeds. In order to recognize the different components of tissues, sections were stained following several routine protocols. In addition, double-staining and enzymatic clearing (Alcian blue-alizarin red) was performed to assess the arrangement of skeletal elements in the OEC. The basic structure of the pinna in the southern otariids studied match those previously analyzed for Northern Hemisphere species. The cartilage macro anatomy of the OEC of Mirounga leonina and Arctocephallus gazella is different from that of the Northern Hemisphere species, with only one plate of cartilage, but markedly different between them. The histology of the otariids OEC is homogeneous along the entire extension, but phocids has three different regions (distal, middle, and proximal). The cartilage histology of most phocids is also different from that of analyzed otariids, with an elastic cartilage that resembles a myxoid-like tissue, but is not present in M. leonina, were the tissue around the OEC is very rich in adipocytes. The southern elephant seal M. leonina OEC has a combination of features similar to both the rest of the phocids and to the otariids. An auditory organ that is functional both over and under water could be essential for social behavior in these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleopatra M Loza
- Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina; División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Cecilia M Krmpotic
- Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina; División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Fernando C Galliari
- Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pedro F Andrés Laube
- Laboratorio de Histología y Embriología descriptiva, experimental y comparada (LHYEDEC), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Javier Negrete
- Departamento Biología de Predadores Tope, Instituto Antártico Argentino, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejo C Scarano
- Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina; División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Ambiente y Turismo, Universidad Nacional de Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julio Loureiro
- Fundación Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alfredo A Carlini
- Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina; División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio G Barbeito
- CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina; Laboratorio de Histología y Embriología descriptiva, experimental y comparada (LHYEDEC), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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33
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Randau M, Sanfelice D, Goswami A. Shifts in cranial integration associated with ecological specialization in pinnipeds (Mammalia, Carnivora). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190201. [PMID: 31032062 PMCID: PMC6458409 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of trait integration reflect the underlying genetic and developmental architecture of morphology and significantly influence the direction of evolution. Nevertheless, the relationship between integration and disparity is complex and unlikely to be uniform across large phylogenetic and ecological scales. To date, there are little data comparing patterns of integration across major ecological transitions, limiting understanding of the processes driving changes in trait integration and their consequences. Here, we investigated patterns of cranial integration and disparity across pinnipeds, three closely related carnivoran families that have undergone a secondary adaptation to the aquatic niche with varying levels of ecological differentiation. With a three-dimensional geometric morphometric dataset of 677 specimens spanning 15 species, we compared five models of trait integration, and examined the effects of sexual dimorphism and allometry on model support. Pinnipeds varied greatly in patterns of cranial integration compared to terrestrial carnivorans. Interestingly, this variation is concentrated in phocids, which may reflect the broader range of ecological and life-history specializations across phocid species, and greater independence from the terrestrial habitat observed in that group, relative to otariids. Overall, these results indicate that major ecological transitions, and presumably large changes in selection pressures, may drive changes in phenotypic trait integration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela Sanfelice
- Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus Restinga, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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34
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Terhune J. The underwater vocal complexity of seals (Phocidae) is not related to their phylogeny. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Closely related mammalian species often make similar vocalizations, but this is not so with the underwater calls of the true seals. Some seal species have diverse underwater vocal repertoires, whereas others only make pulsed calls. Vocal complexity scores of underwater calls of 13 seal species were compared with their phylogeny and life-history traits. Waveform types, repertoire sizes, repetition and rhythm patterns, and frequency and duration measures (15 attributes, scaled 0 to 1) were summed to give a vocal complexity score. The lowest complexity group use low frequency, burst pulse or irregular waveforms and have small repertoires. The intermediate group have both sinusoidal and noisy waveforms, songs, and a single rhythm pattern in repeated element calls. The most complex group have large repertoires, sinusoidal and noisy waveforms, songs, and two or more rhythm patterns in repeated element calls. There is no evidence of a relationship between phylogeny and vocal complexity. The low vocal complexity species are serially monogamous, do not form breeding groups, breed on beaches or pack ice, and are subject to higher predation risk. Species with higher vocal complexity are promiscuous or polygamous, form breeding groups on pack or landfast ice, and have a lower predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.M. Terhune
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada
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35
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Dewaele L, Lambert O, Louwye S. A late surviving Pliocene seal from high latitudes of the North Atlantic realm: the latest monachine seal on the southern margin of the North Sea. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5734. [PMID: 30324020 PMCID: PMC6183512 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The family of true seals, the Phocidae, is subdivided into two subfamilies: the southern Monachinae, and the northern Phocinae, following the subfamilies’ current distribution: extant Monachinae are largely restricted to the (sub-)Antarctic and the eastern Pacific, with historical distributions of the monk seals of the genus Monachus in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and around Hawaii; and Phocinae to the northern temperate and Arctic zones. However, the fossil record shows that Monachinae were common in the North Atlantic realm during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Until now, only one late Pliocene record is known from the Mediterranean, Pliophoca etrusca from Tuscany, Italy, but none from farther north in the North Atlantic. Methods We present the description of one partial phocid humerus collected in the early 20th century from the Antwerp area (Belgium), with an assessment of its stratigraphic origin using data from the literature. Results The studied humerus was recovered during construction works at the former Lefèvre dock in the Antwerp harbour (currently part of the America dock). Combining the information associated to the specimen with data from the literature and from local boreholes, the upper Pliocene Lillo Formation is ascertained as the lithological unit from which the specimen originates. Morphologically, among other features the shape of the deltopectoral crest and the poor development of the supinator crest indicates a monachine attribution for this specimen. The development of the deltopectoral crest is closer to the condition in extant Monachinae than in extinct Monachinae. Discussion The presented specimen most likely represents a monachine seal and a literature study clearly shows that it came from the latest early to late Pliocene Lillo Formation. This would be the first known monachine specimen from the latest early to late Pliocene of the North Sea, and more broadly from the northern part of the North Atlantic realm. This humerus differs from the humerus of P. etrusca and suggests a higher diversity of Monachinae in the latest early to late Pliocene than previously assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Dewaele
- Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Geology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivier Lambert
- Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
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36
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Meyer WK, Jamison J, Richter R, Woods SE, Partha R, Kowalczyk A, Kronk C, Chikina M, Bonde RK, Crocker DE, Gaspard J, Lanyon JM, Marsillach J, Furlong CE, Clark NL. Ancient convergent losses of Paraoxonase 1 yield potential risks for modern marine mammals. Science 2018; 361:591-594. [PMID: 30093596 DOI: 10.1126/science.aap7714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Mammals diversified by colonizing drastically different environments, with each transition yielding numerous molecular changes, including losses of protein function. Though not initially deleterious, these losses could subsequently carry deleterious pleiotropic consequences. We have used phylogenetic methods to identify convergent functional losses across independent marine mammal lineages. In one extreme case, Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) accrued lesions in all marine lineages, while remaining intact in all terrestrial mammals. These lesions coincide with PON1 enzymatic activity loss in marine species' blood plasma. This convergent loss is likely explained by parallel shifts in marine ancestors' lipid metabolism and/or bloodstream oxidative environment affecting PON1's role in fatty acid oxidation. PON1 loss also eliminates marine mammals' main defense against neurotoxicity from specific man-made organophosphorus compounds, implying potential risks in modern environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wynn K Meyer
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jerrica Jamison
- Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca Richter
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stacy E Woods
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Raghavendran Partha
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Amanda Kowalczyk
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Charles Kronk
- Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Maria Chikina
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Robert K Bonde
- Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
| | | | - Janet M Lanyon
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Judit Marsillach
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Clement E Furlong
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nathan L Clark
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Kennedy SN, Wilhite B, Margaret Castellini J, Rea LD, Kuhn TB, Ferrante A, O'Hara TM. Enhanced quantification of serum immunoglobulin G from a non-model wildlife species, the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), using a protein A ELISA. J Immunol Methods 2018; 462:42-47. [PMID: 30099015 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Immunoglobulins (Ig) are proteins that preserve immune homeostasis and are quantified to infer changes to the acquired humoral immune response in mammals. Measuring Ig in non-model wildlife for immune surveillance often requires ingenuity, and rigorous standardization of methodologies to provide reliable results especially when lacking species-specific reagents. We modified and optimized existing ELISA methodology utilizing the binding properties of Staphylococcus-derived Protein A (PrtA) to immunoglobulin G (IgG). We enhanced the assay for quantifying IgG in Steller sea lion (SSL) serum using critical quality control measures including dilution linearity, spike and percent recoveries, and internal controls. Of the modifications made, heat treatment of SSL serum enhanced accuracy and precision of IgG measurements by improving linearity and percent recovery in parallel dilutions and serum spikes. Purified canine IgG standard was not affected by heat inactivation. These results support that confounding serum proteins interfere with binding of PrtA with IgG demonstrating the need for heat treatment of serum to optimize IgG quantification using the PrtA-ELISA. Further, essential validation measures ensure proper assay performance. Consequently, the improved PrtA-ELISA provides species-independent IgG detection with validation criteria to enhance accuracy and precision for addressing future immunological questions in non-model wildlife in clinical, ecological, and conservation contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Kennedy
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 982 Koyukuk Drive, Murie Building 101 (RM 223K), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA.
| | - Brittany Wilhite
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 982 Koyukuk Drive, Murie Building 101 (RM 223K), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757750, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Lorrie D Rea
- Institute of Northern Engineering, 1764 Tanana Loop, ELIF Suite 240, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Thomas B Kuhn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 982 Koyukuk Drive, Murie Building 101 (RM 223K), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Andrea Ferrante
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757750, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
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Cammen KM, Schultz TF, Don Bowen W, Hammill MO, Puryear WB, Runstadler J, Wenzel FW, Wood SA, Kinnison M. Genomic signatures of population bottleneck and recovery in Northwest Atlantic pinnipeds. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6599-6614. [PMID: 30038760 PMCID: PMC6053562 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Population increases over the past several decades provide natural settings in which to study the evolutionary processes that occur during bottleneck, growth, and spatial expansion. We used parallel natural experiments of historical decline and subsequent recovery in two sympatric pinniped species in the Northwest Atlantic, the gray seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica) and harbor seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina), to study the impact of recent demographic change in genomic diversity. Using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing, we assessed genomic diversity at over 8,700 polymorphic gray seal loci and 3,700 polymorphic harbor seal loci in samples from multiple cohorts collected throughout recovery over the past half-century. Despite significant differences in the degree of genetic diversity assessed in the two species, we found signatures of historical bottlenecks in the contemporary genomes of both gray and harbor seals. We evaluated temporal trends in diversity across cohorts, as well as compared samples from sites at both the center and edge of a recent gray seal range expansion, but found no significant change in genomewide diversity following recovery. We did, however, find that the variance and degree of allele frequency change measured over the past several decades were significantly different from neutral expectations of drift under population growth. These two cases of well-described demographic history provide opportunities for critical evaluation of current approaches to simulating and understanding the genetic effects of historical demographic change in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas F. Schultz
- Duke University Marine LabNicholas School of the EnvironmentBeaufortNCUSA
| | - W. Don Bowen
- Bedford Institute of OceanographyDartmouthNSCanada
| | - Michael O. Hammill
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaMaurice Lamontagne InstituteMont‐JoliQCCanada
| | - Wendy B. Puryear
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global HealthCummings School of Veterinary MedicineTufts UniversityNorth GraftonMAUSA
| | - Jonathan Runstadler
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global HealthCummings School of Veterinary MedicineTufts UniversityNorth GraftonMAUSA
| | - Frederick W. Wenzel
- Protected Species Branch, NOAA, NMFSNortheast Fisheries Science CenterWoods HoleMAUSA
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Garofalo L, Mariacher A, Fanelli R, Fico R, Lorenzini R. Hindering the illegal trade in dog and cat furs through a DNA-based protocol for species identification. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4902. [PMID: 29888130 PMCID: PMC5993017 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In Western countries dogs and cats are the most popular pets, and people are increasingly opposed to their rearing for the fur industry. In 2007, a Regulation of the European Union (EU) banned the use and trade of dog and cat furs, but an official analytical protocol to identify them as source species was not provided, and violations of law are still frequent in all Member States. In this paper we report on the development and validation of a simple and affordable DNA method for species detection in furs to use as an effective tool to combat illegal trade in fur products. A set of mitochondrial primers was designed for amplification of partial cytochrome b, control region and ND1 gene in highly degraded samples, like furs and pelts. Our amplification workflow involved the use of a non-specific primer pair to perform a first test to identify the species through sequencing, then the application of species-specific primer pairs to use in singleplex end-point PCRs as confirmation tests. The advantage of this two-step procedure is twofold: on the one hand it minimises the possibility of negative test results from degraded samples, since failure of amplification with a first set of primers can be offset by successful amplification of the second, and on the other it adds confidence and reliability to final authentication of species. All designed primers were validated on a reference collection of tissue samples, obtaining solid results in terms of specificity, sensitivity, repeatability and reproducibility. Application of the protocol on real caseworks from seized furs yielded successful results also from old and dyed furs, suggesting that age and chemical staining do not necessarily affect positive amplifications. Major pros of this approach are: (1) sensitive and informative primer sets for detection of species; (2) short PCR amplicons for the analysis of poor quality DNA; (3) binding primers that avoid contamination from human DNA; (4) user-friendly protocol for any laboratory equipped for analysis of low-copy-number DNA. Our molecular procedure proved to be a good starting point for enforcing the EU Regulation against dog and cat fur trade in forensic contexts where source attribution is essential to the assignment of responsibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Garofalo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana "M. Aleandri", Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Medicina Forense Veterinaria, Rieti, Italy
| | - Alessia Mariacher
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana "M. Aleandri", Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Medicina Forense Veterinaria, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Rita Fanelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana "M. Aleandri", Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Medicina Forense Veterinaria, Rieti, Italy
| | - Rosario Fico
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana "M. Aleandri", Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Medicina Forense Veterinaria, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Rita Lorenzini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana "M. Aleandri", Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Medicina Forense Veterinaria, Rieti, Italy
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Hocking DP, Marx FG, Sattler R, Harris RN, Pollock TI, Sorrell KJ, Fitzgerald EMG, McCurry MR, Evans AR. Clawed forelimbs allow northern seals to eat like their ancient ancestors. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172393. [PMID: 29765684 PMCID: PMC5936949 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Streamlined flippers are often considered the defining feature of seals and sea lions, whose very name 'pinniped' comes from the Latin pinna and pedis, meaning 'fin-footed'. Yet not all pinniped limbs are alike. Whereas otariids (fur seals and sea lions) possess stiff streamlined forelimb flippers, phocine seals (northern true seals) have retained a webbed yet mobile paw bearing sharp claws. Here, we show that captive and wild phocines routinely use these claws to secure prey during processing, enabling seals to tear large fish by stretching them between their teeth and forelimbs. 'Hold and tear' processing relies on the primitive forelimb anatomy displayed by phocines, which is also found in the early fossil pinniped Enaliarctos. Phocine forelimb anatomy and behaviour therefore provide a glimpse into how the earliest seals likely fed, and indicate what behaviours may have assisted pinnipeds along their journey from terrestrial to aquatic feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P. Hocking
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Felix G. Marx
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Directorate of Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Robert N. Harris
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Tahlia I. Pollock
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karina J. Sorrell
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Erich M. G. Fitzgerald
- Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Matthew R. McCurry
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- PANGEA Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alistair R. Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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41
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Boessenecker RW, Churchill M. The last of the desmatophocid seals: a new species of Allodesmus from the upper Miocene of Washington, USA, and a revision of the taxonomy of Desmatophocidae. Zool J Linn Soc 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Boessenecker
- Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
- University of California Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Morgan Churchill
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
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42
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Springer MS, Gatesy J. Pinniped Diphyly and Bat Triphyly: More Homology Errors Drive Conflicts in the Mammalian Tree. J Hered 2017; 109:297-307. [DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esx089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Springer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA
| | - John Gatesy
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
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43
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Loza CM, Latimer AE, Sánchez-Villagra MR, Carlini AA. Sensory anatomy of the most aquatic of carnivorans: the Antarctic Ross seal, and convergences with other mammals. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2017.0489. [PMID: 29021317 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transitions to and from aquatic life involve transformations in sensory systems. The Ross seal, Ommatophoca rossii, offers the chance to investigate the cranio-sensory anatomy in the most aquatic of all seals. The use of non-invasive computed tomography on specimens of this rare animal reveals, relative to other species of phocids, a reduction in the diameters of the semicircular canals and the parafloccular volume. These features are independent of size effects. These transformations parallel those recorded in cetaceans, but these do not extend to other morphological features such as the reduction in eye muscles and the length of the neck, emphasizing the independence of some traits in convergent evolution to aquatic life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleopatra Mara Loza
- División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina. CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ashley E Latimer
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum der Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marcelo R Sánchez-Villagra
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum der Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alfredo A Carlini
- División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina. CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
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du Toit Z, du Plessis M, Dalton DL, Jansen R, Paul Grobler J, Kotzé A. Mitochondrial genomes of African pangolins and insights into evolutionary patterns and phylogeny of the family Manidae. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:746. [PMID: 28934931 PMCID: PMC5609056 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4140-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study used next generation sequencing to generate the mitogenomes of four African pangolin species; Temminck's ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii), giant ground pangolin (S. gigantea), white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) and black-bellied pangolin (P. tetradactyla). RESULTS The results indicate that the mitogenomes of the African pangolins are 16,558 bp for S. temminckii, 16,540 bp for S. gigantea, 16,649 bp for P. tetradactyla and 16,565 bp for P. tricuspis. Phylogenetic comparisons of the African pangolins indicated two lineages with high posterior probabilities providing evidence to support the classification of two genera; Smutsia and Phataginus. The total GC content between African pangolins was observed to be similar between species (36.5% - 37.3%). The most frequent codon was found to be A or C at the 3rd codon position. Significant variations in GC-content and codon usage were observed for several regions between African and Asian pangolin species which may be attributed to mutation pressure and/or natural selection. Lastly, a total of two insertions of 80 bp and 28 bp in size respectively was observed in the control region of the black-bellied pangolin which were absent in the other African pangolin species. CONCLUSIONS The current study presents reference mitogenomes of all four African pangolin species and thus expands on the current set of reference genomes available for six of the eight extant pangolin species globally and represents the first phylogenetic analysis with six pangolin species using full mitochondrial genomes. Knowledge of full mitochondrial DNA genomes will assist in providing a better understanding on the evolution of pangolins which will be essential for conservation genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelda du Toit
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
- Centre for Conservation Science, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Morné du Plessis
- Centre for Conservation Science, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Desiré L Dalton
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.
- Centre for Conservation Science, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa.
| | - Raymond Jansen
- Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - J Paul Grobler
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Antoinette Kotzé
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
- Centre for Conservation Science, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
- Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
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Rahmat SJ, Koretsky IA, Osborne JE, Alford AA. New Miocene Monachinae from the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland, USA). VESTNIK ZOOLOGII 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/vzoo-2017-0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The Family Phocidae includes four subfamilies (Phocinae, Monachinae, Cystophorinae, and Devinophocinae) consisting of mediumto large-sized mammals that possess distinctive adaptations to semi-aquatic life. In the Miocene of the Chesapeake Group, only two subfamilies of the Family Phocidae were identified: Phocinae and Monachinae. Leptophoca, a representative of the subfamily Phocinae, appears on the eastern shore of the North Atlantic around 16 million years ago. Recently, two new monachine species, the larger Terranectes magnus (n. gen., n. sp.) and the medium-sized T. parvus (n. sp.), were recorded in the Upper Miocene of the Chesapeake Group in the Eastover Formation (7.0–6.0 Ma) and St. Marys Formation (10.0-8.0 Ma). These two distinct subfamilies of seals indicate a well-marked divergence between phocines and monachines, much earlier than 18 million years ago, as previously suggested. The Eastover Formation was deposited in a shallow embayment that covered southern Maryland, the coastal plain of Virginia, and the northeastern corner of North Carolina. The geologically older St. Marys Formation represents a tide-influenced coastal environment, with low-salinity estuaries. There was a sharp temperature decrease in the Late Miocene, indicated by a shift to a cooler-water fish fauna during St. Marys time. The Eastover Formation reflects warmer waters with relatively strong currents, significant shoals, barriers, and varied depths. Fossil evidence of earlier seals suggests that phocids originated in the North Atlantic and otarioids in the North Pacific. True seals diverged from ancient Carnivora in the early Oligocene (or earlier) in the Paratethyan / Mediterranean Basins, spread widely during the Middle Miocene and crossed westward across the Atlantic Ocean, before dispersing in the eastern United States by the Early Pliocene.
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Ní Leathlobhair M, Gulland FMD, Murchison EP. No evidence for clonal transmission of urogenital carcinoma in California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus). Wellcome Open Res 2017; 2:46. [PMID: 28948233 PMCID: PMC5527528 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.11483.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Urogenital carcinoma is a highly metastatic cancer affecting California sea lions (
Zalophus californianus). The disease has high prevalence amongst stranded animals, and is one of the most commonly observed cancers in wildlife. The genital localisation of primary tumours suggests the possibility that coital transmission of an infectious agent could underlie this disease. Otarine herpesvirus type 1 has been associated with lesions, however a causative role for this virus has not been confirmed. We investigated the possibility that urogenital carcinoma might be clonally transmissible, spread by the direct transfer of cancer cells. Analysis of sequences at the mitochondrial DNA control region in seven matched tumour and host pairs confirmed that tumour genotypes were identical to those of their matched hosts and did not show similarity with tumours from other individuals. Thus our findings suggest that urogenital carcinoma in California sea lions is not clonally transmitted, but rather arises from transformed host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máire Ní Leathlobhair
- Transmissible Cancer Group, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth P Murchison
- Transmissible Cancer Group, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
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47
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Dewaele L, Amson E, Lambert O, Louwye S. Reappraisal of the extinct seal " Phoca" vitulinoides from the Neogene of the North Sea Basin, with bearing on its geological age, phylogenetic affinities, and locomotion. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3316. [PMID: 28533965 PMCID: PMC5436577 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Discovered on the southern margin of the North Sea Basin, “Phoca” vitulinoides represents one of the best-known extinct species of Phocidae. However, little attention has been given to the species ever since its original 19th century description. Newly discovered material, including the most complete specimen of fossil Phocidae from the North Sea Basin, prompted the redescription of the species. Also, the type material of “Phoca” vitulinoides is lost. Methods “Phoca” vitulinoides is redescribed. Its phylogenetic position among Phocinae is assessed through phylogenetic analysis. Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy is used to determine and reassess the geological age of the species. Myological descriptions of extant taxa are used to infer muscle attachments, and basic comparative anatomy of the gross morphology and biomechanics are applied to reconstruct locomotion. Results Detailed redescription of “Phoca” vitulinoides indicates relatively little affinities with the genus Phoca, but rather asks for the establishment of a new genus: Nanophoca gen. nov. Hence, “Phoca” vitulinoides is recombined into Nanophoca vitulinoides. This reassignment is confirmed by the phylogenetic analysis, grouping the genus Nanophoca and other extinct phocine taxa as stem phocines. Biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy expand the known stratigraphic range of N. vitulinoides from the late Langhian to the late Serravallian. The osteological anatomy of N. vitulinoides indicates a relatively strong development of muscles used for fore flipper propulsion and increased flexibility for the hind flipper. Discussion The extended stratigraphic range of N. vitulinoides into the middle Miocene confirms relatively early diversification of Phocinae in the North Atlantic. Morphological features on the fore- and hindlimb of the species point toward an increased use of the fore flipper and greater flexibility of the hind flipper as compared to extant Phocinae, clearly indicating less derived locomotor strategies in this Miocene phocine species. Estimations of the overall body size indicate that N. vitulinoides is much smaller than Pusa, the smallest extant genus of Phocinae (and Phocidae), and than most extinct phocines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Dewaele
- Department of Geology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,O.D. Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Eli Amson
- Arbeitsgruppe Morphologie und Formengeschichte, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Lambert
- O.D. Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
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Dewaele L, Lambert O, Louwye S. On Prophoca and Leptophoca (Pinnipedia, Phocidae) from the Miocene of the North Atlantic realm: redescription, phylogenetic affinities and paleobiogeographic implications. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3024. [PMID: 28243538 PMCID: PMC5322758 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prophoca and Leptophoca represent the oldest known genera of phocine seals, dating from the latest early to middle Miocene. Originally, Prophoca rousseaui and Prophoca proxima were described based on fragmentary remains from the Miocene of Belgium. However, several researchers contested the union of Prophoca rousseaui and Prophoca proxima into one genus, without providing evidence. The stratigraphic context of Prophoca remained poorly constrained due to the lack of precise data associated with the original specimens collected in the area of Antwerp (north of Belgium). Methods Prophoca and Leptophoca are redescribed and their phylogenetic position among Phocidae is reassessed using PAUP. Dinoflagellate biostratigraphy has been carried out on sediment samples associated with specimens from Prophoca and Leptophoca to elucidate their approximate ages. Results Whereas the species Prophoca rousseaui is redescribed, Prophoca proxima is considered synonymous to Leptophoca lenis, with the proposal of a new combination Leptophoca proxima (Van Beneden, 1877). Sediment samples from specimens of both taxa have been dated to the late Langhian–early Serravallian (middle Miocene). Following a reinvestigation of Leptophoca amphiatlantica, characters from the original diagnosis are questioned and the specimens of Leptophoca amphiatlantica are considered Leptophoca cf. L. proxima. In a phylogenetic analysis, Prophoca rousseaui and Leptophoca proxima constitute early branching stem-phocines. Discussion Leptophoca proxima from the North Sea Basin is younger than the oldest known find of Leptophoca proxima from North America, which does not contradict the hypothesis that Phocinae originated along the east coast of North America during the late early Miocene, followed by dispersal to Europe shortly after. Morphological features of the appendicular skeleton indicate that Prophoca rousseaui and Leptophoca proxima have archaic locomotory modes, retaining a more prominent use of the fore flipper for aquatic propulsion than extant Phocidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Dewaele
- Department of Geology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; O.D. Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Lambert
- O.D. Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences , Brussels , Belgium
| | - Stephen Louwye
- Department of Geology, Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium
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Barroso Lima NC, Prosdocimi F. The heavy strand dilemma of vertebrate mitochondria on genome sequencing age: number of encoded genes or G + T content? Mitochondrial DNA A DNA Mapp Seq Anal 2017; 29:300-302. [PMID: 28129726 DOI: 10.1080/24701394.2016.1275603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Costa Barroso Lima
- a Laboratório de Genômica e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Francisco Prosdocimi
- a Laboratório de Genômica e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
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Takei Y, Suzuki I, Wong MKS, Milne R, Moss S, Sato K, Hall A. Development of an animal-borne blood sample collection device and its deployment for the determination of cardiovascular and stress hormones in phocid seals. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2016; 311:R788-R796. [PMID: 27581813 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00211.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
An animal-borne blood sampler with data-logging functions was developed for phocid seals, which collected two blood samples for the comparison of endocrinological/biochemical parameters under two different conditions. The sampler can be triggered by preset hydrostatic pressure, acceleration (descending or ascending), temperature, and time, and also manually by light. The sampling was reliable with 39/50 (78%) successful attempts to collect blood samples. Contamination of fluids in the tubing to the next blood sample was <1%, following the prior clearance of the tubing to a waste syringe. In captive harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), the automated blood-sampling method was less stressful than direct blood withdrawal, as evidenced by lower levels of stress hormones (P < 0.05 for ACTH and P = 0.078 for cortisol). HPLC analyses showed that both cortisol and cortisone were circulating in seal blood. Using the sampler, plasma levels of cardiovascular hormones, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), AVP, and ANG II were compared in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), between samples collected when the animals were on land and in the water. HPLC analyses determined that [Met12] ANP (1-28) and various forms of angiotensins (ANG II, III, and IV) were circulating in seal blood. Although water immersion profoundly changes the plasma levels of cardiovascular hormones in terrestrial mammals, there were only tendencies toward an increase in ANP (P = 0.069) and a decrease in AVP (P = 0.074) in the seals. These results suggest that cardiovascular regulation in phocid seals may have undergone adaptation during evolution of the carnivore to a semiaquatic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Takei
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan; and
| | - Ippei Suzuki
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan; and
| | - Marty K S Wong
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan; and
| | - Ryan Milne
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
| | - Simon Moss
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
| | - Katsufumi Sato
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan; and
| | - Ailsa Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
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