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Mochales-Riaño G, Burriel-Carranza B, Barros MI, Velo-Antón G, Talavera A, Spilani L, Tejero-Cicuéndez H, Crochet PA, Piris A, García-Cardenete L, Busais S, Els J, Shobrak M, Brito JC, Šmíd J, Carranza S, Martínez-Freiría F. Hidden in the sand: Phylogenomics unravel an unexpected evolutionary history for the desert-adapted vipers of the genus Cerastes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 191:107979. [PMID: 38040070 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107979] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The desert vipers of the genus Cerastes are a small clade of medically important venomous snakes within the family Viperidae. According to published morphological and molecular studies, the group is comprised by four species: two morphologically similar and phylogenetically sister taxa, the African horned viper (Cerastes cerastes) and the Arabian horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii); a more distantly related species, the Saharan sand viper (Cerastes vipera), and the enigmatic Böhme's sand viper (Cerastes boehmei), only known from a single specimen in captivity allegedly captured in Central Tunisia. In this study, we sequenced one mitochondrial marker (COI) as well as genome-wide data (ddRAD sequencing) from 28 and 41 samples, respectively, covering the entire distribution range of the genus to explore the population genomics, phylogenomic relationships and introgression patterns within the genus Cerastes. Additionally, and to provide insights into the mode of diversification of the group, we carried out niche overlap analyses considering climatic and habitat variables. Both nuclear phylogenomic reconstructions and population structure analyses have unveiled an unexpected evolutionary history for the genus Cerastes, which sharply contradicts the morphological similarities and previously published mitochondrial approaches. Cerastes cerastes and C. vipera are recovered as sister taxa whilst C. gasperettii is a sister taxon to the clade formed by these two species. We found a relatively high niche overlap (OI > 0.7) in both climatic and habitat variables between C. cerastes and C. vipera, contradicting a potential scenario of sympatric speciation. These results are in line with the introgression found between the northwestern African populations of C. cerastes and C. vipera. Finally, our genomic data confirms the existence of a lineage of C. cerastes in Arabia. All these results highlight the importance of genome-wide data over few genetic markers to study the evolutionary history of species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bernat Burriel-Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain; Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, P° Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarida Isabel Barros
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- Universidad de Vigo, Facultad de Biología, Edificio de Ciencias Experimentales, Bloque B, Planta 2, Laboratorio 39 (Grupo GEA), E-36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Adrián Talavera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Loukia Spilani
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Héctor Tejero-Cicuéndez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alberto Piris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis García-Cardenete
- Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua de Andalucía, C/Johan G. Gutenberg, 1, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Salem Busais
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Aden University, Yemen
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed Shobrak
- National Center for Wildlife, Prince Saud Al Faisal Wildlife Research Centre, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - José Carlos Brito
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez-Freiría
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
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2
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Ghanavi HR, Rahimi P, Tavana M, Rezaei Tavabe K, Jouladeh-Roudbar A, Doadrio I. The evolutionary journey of freshwater crabs of the genus Potamon (Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 180:107690. [PMID: 36586544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM Freshwater ecosystems host a rich biodiversity, including freshwater crabs. The family Potamidae is a diverse group of freshwater crabs with a Palearctic and Oriental distribution. Specifically, the genus Potamon is found in the Middle East, Southern Europe, and Northern Africa. Potamon species are considered true freshwater crabs due to their total independence from the marine environment, which makes them idea organisms to study historical freshwater connectivity dynamics. In this study we aim to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Potamon and discuss the historical freshwater connectivity in the Mediterranean region. METHODS Here we use up to eleven genetic markers to reconstruct a robust phylogenetic tree of the group and use Bayesian methods to time-calibrate the tree. We further use historical biogeography methods implemented in a Bayesian framework to assess the ancestral distribution ranges of the group. RESULTS In this study we generate the most complete dataset for the group, covering practically the whole distribution range of the genus. We obtained a robust phylogenetic hypothesis and evaluated the times of divergence of the group. The result of the historical biogeography shows the evolution of historical distribution ranges of species of Potamon. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The Mediterranean Sea is placed in a key intersection for the exchange of fauna and flora. Here we present evidence for the potential of freshwater fauna exchange, through the Mediterranean Sea after a period of desiccation and the loss of contact with the ocean. The origin of Potamon genus is found to be in Western Asia, probably Eastern Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paniz Rahimi
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mina Tavana
- Fisheries Department, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | | | | | - Ignacio Doadrio
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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3
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Dwarves in a Big World: Two New Species of Tropiocolotes (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Sahara Desert, with the First Detailed Skull Description of the Genus. J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1670/20-103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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4
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Velo-Antón G, Henrique M, Liz AV, Martínez-Freiría F, Pleguezuelos JM, Geniez P, Crochet PA, Brito JC. DNA barcode reference library for the West Sahara-Sahel reptiles. Sci Data 2022; 9:459. [PMID: 35915106 PMCID: PMC9343634 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01582-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA barcode reference libraries are now continuously produced for the tree of life, which are essential pillars for the study of biological diversity. Yet, our knowledge about global diversity is largely limited in undersampled regions such as the largest warm desert, the Sahara-Sahel. This dataset provides a DNA barcode reference library for the reptiles of the Western Sahara-Sahel (WSS) and neighbouring countries across this region. It includes 760 barcodes from 133 reptile taxa, distributed in 23 families, and covering the intraspecific diversity of some species. A total of 84 species were collected in the WSS (83% of the total reptile species richness) over 18 overland field expeditions conducted since 2003. DNA barcodes resulted in a high success rate (95%) of species identification and barcoding gap analysis highlighted the effectiveness of the COI fragment as a barcode marker for the WSS reptiles. This dataset represents a comprehensive and reliable DNA reference library for the WSS, filling an important biodiversity gap across a remote and hard-to-sample region. Measurement(s) | reptile diversity | Technology Type(s) | DNA barcoding | Factor Type(s) | DNA barcode sequencing | Sample Characteristic - Organism | reptiles | Sample Characteristic - Environment | terrestrial | Sample Characteristic - Location | Western Sahara-Sahel |
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Velo-Antón
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Grupo GEA, Vigo, E-36310, Spain. .,CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal. .,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Margarida Henrique
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - André Vicente Liz
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Martínez-Freiría
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - Philippe Geniez
- CEFE, EPHE-PSL, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés, Montpellier, France
| | | | - José Carlos Brito
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal. .,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal. .,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002, Porto, Portugal.
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5
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Schwarz R, Dror L, Stark G, Gefen E, Kronfeld-Schor N, Chapple DG, Meiri S. Conserved ecophysiology despite disparate microclimatic conditions in a gecko. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:316-328. [PMID: 34951507 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microscale differences in the habitats organisms occupy can influence selection regimes and promote intraspecific variation of traits. Temperature-dependent traits can be locally adapted to climatic conditions or be highly conserved and insensitive to directional selection under all but the most extreme regimes, and thus be similar across populations. The opposing slopes of Nahal Oren canyon in the Carmel Mountains, Israel, are strikingly different: the south-facing slope receives intensive solar radiation, is hot and supports mostly annual vegetation, whereas the north-facing slope is ~10°C cooler, more humid, and supports Mediterranean woodland. We examined whether these differences manifest in the thermal physiology of a common gecko species Ptyodactylus guttatus in controlled laboratory conditions. We predicted that geckos from the hotter south-facing slope would prefer higher temperatures, have faster gut passage times, lower metabolic and evaporative water loss rates, and start diel activity earlier compared with north-facing slope conspecifics. Contrary to these predictions, there were no differences between any of the ecophysiological traits in geckos from the opposing slopes. Nevertheless, our data showed that individuals from the north-facing slope were generally more active in earlier hours of the afternoon compared with south-facing individuals. We suggest that P. guttatus individuals disperse between the slopes and either gene-flow or behavioral plasticity deter local adaptation, resulting in similar physiological traits. Perhaps a stronger contrast in climatic conditions and a stronger barrier are needed to result in interpopulation divergence in temperature-dependent traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Schwarz
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Liat Dror
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gavin Stark
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eran Gefen
- Department of Biology, University of Haifa-Oranim, Kiryat Tivon, Israel
| | | | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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6
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Tejero-Cicuéndez H, Simó-Riudalbas M, Menéndez I, Carranza S. Ecological specialization, rather than the island effect, explains morphological diversification in an ancient radiation of geckos. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211821. [PMID: 34933601 PMCID: PMC8692960 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Island colonists are often assumed to experience higher levels of phenotypic diversification than continental taxa. However, empirical evidence has uncovered exceptions to this 'island effect'. Here, we tested this pattern using the geckos of the genus Pristurus from continental Arabia and Africa and the Socotra Archipelago. Using a recently published phylogeny and an extensive morphological dataset, we explore the differences in phenotypic evolution between Socotran and continental taxa. Moreover, we reconstructed ancestral habitat occupancy to examine if ecological specialization is correlated with morphological change, comparing phenotypic disparity and trait evolution between habitats. We found a heterogeneous outcome of island colonization. Namely, only one of the three colonization events resulted in a body size increase. However, in general, Socotran species do not present higher levels or rates of morphological diversification than continental groups. Instead, habitat specialization explains better the body size and shape evolution in Pristurus. Particularly, the colonization of ground habitats appears as the main driver of morphological change, producing the highest disparity and evolutionary rates. Additionally, arboreal species show very similar body size and head proportions. These results reveal a determinant role of ecological mechanisms in morphological evolution and corroborate the complexity of ecomorphological dynamics in continent-island systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Tejero-Cicuéndez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Marc Simó-Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Iris Menéndez
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 12, Madrid 28040, Spain
- Departamento de Cambio Medioambiental, Instituto de Geociencias (UCM, CSIC), C/Severo Ochoa 7, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona 08003, Spain
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7
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Brito JC, Del Barrio G, Stellmes M, Pleguezuelos JM, Saarinen J. Drivers of change and conservation needs for vertebrates in drylands: an assessment from global scale to Sahara-Sahel wetlands. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2021.1991496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. C. Brito
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - G. Del Barrio
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Ctra. Sacramento sn, La Cañada, Spain
| | - M. Stellmes
- Institute of Geographical Sciences, Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - J. M. Pleguezuelos
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Spain
| | - J. Saarinen
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, Finland
- School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
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8
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AlRashidi M, Abdelgadir M, Shobrak M. Habitat selection by the Spiny-tailed lizard ( Uromastyx aegyptia): A view from spatial analysis. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:5034-5041. [PMID: 34466079 PMCID: PMC8381032 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.05.020] [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: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many factors affect the habitat selection for animal species, which in turn may greatly affect their distribution in different ecosystems. Understanding the processes that affect habitat selection is also critical for guiding and managing conservation initiatives. Our study aimed to assess the habitat selection by free-ranging Spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia) by analyzing a geospatial data connecting its burrow parameters to different habitat characteristics within selected sites in Hail region, Saudi Arabia. We examined evidence and patterns of significant spatial clustering for (366) active burrows by linking their parameters (burrow entrance size, burrow entrance width and burrow entrance height), their reference geographical locations and, two habitat characteristics defined by soil type and vegetation cover. The objective of the analysis was to increase the understanding on the burrows aggregation process in the space and, to describe its possible relation to other spatial habitat configurations. Analysis of distances based on the Nearest Neighbor Index (NNI) and hotspots detection in Nearest neighbor hierarchical clustering (Nnh) suggested twelve (12) spatial clusters located within the study area. In addition, a spatial ordinary least square (OLS) and Poisson regression models revealed significant effects of soil type and vegetation cover on burrow parameters (OLS, p < 0.05; Poisson, p < 0.001), which indicate a strong association between burrows parameters and habitats characteristics. Findings from the study also suggest that other factors such as elevations, highways, and human settlement concentration spots could possibly play a major role in defining burrow spatial aggregation and furthermore have a significant impact on habitat selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monif AlRashidi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ha’il, PO Box 2440, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohanad Abdelgadir
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Stockholm, 14189 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Mohammed Shobrak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
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9
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Tejero-Cicuéndez H, Patton AH, Caetano DS, Šmíd J, Harmon LJ, Carranza S. Reconstructing Squamate Biogeography in Afro-Arabia Reveals the Influence of a Complex and Dynamic Geologic Past. Syst Biol 2021; 71:261-272. [PMID: 33787928 PMCID: PMC8830062 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographic distribution of biodiversity is central to understanding evolutionary biology. Paleogeographic and paleoclimatic histories often help to explain how biogeographic patterns unfold through time. However, such patterns are also influenced by a variety of other factors, such as lineage diversification, that may affect the probability of certain types of biogeographic events. The complex and well-known geologic and climatic history of Afro-Arabia, together with the extensive research on reptile systematics in the region, makes Afro-Arabian squamate communities an ideal system to investigate biogeographic patterns and their drivers. Here we reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships and the ancestral geographic distributions of several Afro-Arabian reptile clades (totaling 430 species) to estimate the number of dispersal, vicariance and range contraction events. We then compare the observed biogeographic history to a distribution of simulated biogeographic events based on the empirical phylogeny and the best-fit model. This allows us to identify periods in the past where the observed biogeographic history was likely shaped by forces beyond the ones included in the model. We find an increase in vicariance following the Oligocene, most likely caused by the fragmentation of the Afro-Arabian plate. In contrast, we did not find differences between observed and expected dispersal and range contraction levels. This is consistent with diversification enhanced by environmental processes and with the establishment of a dispersal corridor connecting Africa, Arabia and Eurasia since the middle Miocene. Finally, here we show that our novel approach is useful to pinpoint events in the evolutionary history of lineages that might reflect external forces not predicted by the underlying biogeographic model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Tejero-Cicuéndez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Austin H Patton
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Daniel S Caetano
- Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, 19300, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Luke J Harmon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Machado L, Salvi D, James Harris D, Brito JC, Crochet PA, Geniez P, Ahmadzadeh F, Carranza S. Systematics, biogeography and evolution of the Saharo-Arabian naked-toed geckos genus Tropiocolotes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 155:106969. [PMID: 33031930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Plate tectonics constitute one of the main mechanisms of biological diversification on Earth, often being associated with cladogenetic events at different phylogenetic levels, as well as with exchange of faunas and floras across previously isolated biogeographic regions. North Africa and Arabia share a complex geological history that dates back to the break-up of the Arabian plate from the African plate ~30-25 Mya, followed by various geological events, such as the formation of the Red Sea or the connection between the African, Arabian and Eurasian plates. Species with Saharo-Arabian distributions have shown a close association between their evolutionary history and these geological events. In this study, we investigate the systematics, biogeography and evolution of the genus Tropiocolotes, a group of small ground-dwelling geckos, comprised by 12 species distributed from the Atlantic coast of North Africa to southwestern Iran. Species delimitation analyses uncovered the existence of high levels of undescribed diversity, with forms here considered at the species level including Tropiocolotes tripolitanus (Mauritania and southern Morocco), T. nattereri (southern Israel) and T. scorteccii (Yemen and Oman). Phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses recovered two main clades, an exclusively African clade and a Saharo-Arabian clade, that split ~25 Mya following the vicariant event mediated by the separation of the Arabian and African plates. The complex geological activity around the Red Sea is associated with the diversification within the Saharo-Arabian clade, including the colonization of North Africa from a second Tropiocolotes group. Results also provide new insights into the geographic distribution of Tropiocolotes nubicus, previously considered as exclusively associated to the Nile River valley, extending its known distribution further west, up to the Central Mountains of the Sahara. Accordingly, the Nile River seems to act as a major biogeographic barrier, separating Tropiocolotes nubicus and T. steudneri in their western and eastern margins, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Machado
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Daniele Salvi
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Department of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - D James Harris
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - José C Brito
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pierre-André Crochet
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Geniez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, PSL-EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés, Montpellier, France
| | - Faraham Ahmadzadeh
- Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Evin, Tehran 1983963113, Iran
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Soultan A, Wikelski M, Safi K. Classifying biogeographic realms of the endemic fauna in the Afro-Arabian region. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8669-8680. [PMID: 32884649 PMCID: PMC7452816 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Understanding diversity patterns and identifying the environmental factors that shape these patterns are essential for ecology and conservation. The Afro-Arabian region comprises one of the most important biogeographic areas connecting continents. Yet, little emphasis has been put on understanding its endemic fauna in relation to its biogeographic realms. Our objective is to fill the gaps in knowledge on diversity patterns and biogeography that are essential for prioritizing the overdue conservation efforts. LOCATION The study area covers mostly the hot desert climate region in North Africa and Arabia, and includes the Mediterranean, Sahel, and Ethiopian highlands (hereafter "Afro-Arabian region"). METHODS We used distribution maps developed by IUCN and BirdLife for species endemic to the Afro-Arabian region belonging to the four tetrapod classes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, to identify the endemic richness hotspots. We then used multivariate analyses to delineate biogeographic regions and evaluate their relationship with the environmental factors. RESULTS Our study reveals a complex map of the richness hotspots for the endemic tetrapod classes. The main hotspots of endemism were concentrated at the margins of the study area, along the Mediterranean coast, Ethiopian highlands, and along the Red Sea Mountains. We propose classifying the Afro-Arabian region into three discrete biogeographic realms for endemic amphibians, four for reptiles and birds, and five discrete biogeographic realms for endemic mammals. The identified realms are defined by their environmental conditions and the historical geological processes. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Richness hotspots of endemic tetrapod classes were heterogeneously distributed in the Afro-Arabian region. Our results support the hypothesis that species diversity patterns and endemism have been shaped by the environmental conditions and the paleogeographic processes. Each of the identified bioregions is associated with a characteristic set of tetrapod species. Our results are a benchmark for assessing the effectiveness of the protected areas and for implementing conservation plans for biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaaeldin Soultan
- Department of MigrationMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorRadolfzellGermany
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of MigrationMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorRadolfzellGermany
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Kamran Safi
- Department of MigrationMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorRadolfzellGermany
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
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12
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Tamar K, Chirio L, Shobrak M, Busais S, Carranza S. Using multilocus approach to uncover cryptic diversity within Pseudotrapelus lizards from Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2019; 26:1442-1449. [PMID: 31762607 PMCID: PMC6864301 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2019.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The agamid Pseudotrapelus lizards inhabit the mountainous areas of the Arabian Peninsula and eastern North Africa. Currently six Pseudotrapelus species are recognised, though diagnostic morphological characters are still lacking, creating great difficulty in describing new species. Recently, two specimens of Pseudotrapelus were collected from the vicinity of Riyadh in central Saudi Arabia, an area that was not sampled in previous phylogenetic studies. In here we used both mitochondrial and nuclear data to investigate the phylogenetic position of the new samples, and assess their phylogenetic relationships with the other recognised species of Pseudotrapelus from across the distribution range of the genus. We used a multilocus approach of haplotype networks, concatenated datasets and species trees, performed mitochondrial and nuclear species delimitation analyses, and estimated divergence times. In general, our results support previous molecular studies and uncover the presence of cryptic diversity within Pseudotrapelus. The phylogenetic structure of the genus is of two major clades and within them seven distinct, delimited phylogenetic groups belonging to the six recognised species and the seventh to the individuals from Riyadh. The Riyadh specimens were distinct in all analyses performed. We suggest that the new specimens from the Riyadh area are a distinct lineage, forming a clade with their phylogenetic relatives, P. sinaitus and P. chlodnickii. The clade formed by these three species diverged during the Late Miocene around 6.4 Ma, with cladogenesis possibly facilitated by vicariance and isolation caused due to climatic fluctuations and the progression of sandy areas. Our results suggest further morphological research is necessary to revise the taxonomic status of this lineage and of the entire genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Tamar
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mohammed Shobrak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Saudi Arabia.,Saudi Wildlife Authority, Prince Saud Al Faisal Research Center, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salem Busais
- Department of Biology, Aden University, Khormaksar 6235 Aden, Yemen.,Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Rohtla EA, Russell AP, Bauer AM. Sounding Off: Relationships between Call Properties, Body Size, Phylogeny, and Laryngotracheal Form of Geckos. HERPETOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1655/d-19-00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony P. Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Aaron M. Bauer
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
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14
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Biogeography of Mesalina (Reptilia: Lacertidae), with special emphasis on the Mesalina adramitana group from Arabia and the Socotra Archipelago. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 137:300-312. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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15
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Burriel-Carranza B, Tarroso P, Els J, Gardner A, Soorae P, Mohammed AA, Tubati SRK, Eltayeb MM, Shah JN, Tejero-Cicuéndez H, Simó-Riudalbas M, Pleguezuelos JM, Fernández-Guiberteau D, Šmíd J, Carranza S. An integrative assessment of the diversity, phylogeny, distribution, and conservation of the terrestrial reptiles (Sauropsida, Squamata) of the United Arab Emirates. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216273. [PMID: 31048886 PMCID: PMC6497385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study we use an unprecedented database of 5,535 distributional records to infer the diversity, ecological preferences and spatial distribution of the 60 species of terrestrial reptiles of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and use the 57 native species to test the effectiveness of the protected areas’ network in conserving this unique vertebrate fauna. We infer a time-calibrated phylogeny with 146 species of squamates and 15 genes including all UAE terrestrial reptile species to determine the phylogenetic diversity (PD) and evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) of the native species and to compare it with the distribution of the hotspots of native species richness. The results of this study indicate that the sampling effort is remarkable, covering 75% of the country’s territory representing nearly the entire climatic space of the UAE defined by the mean annual temperature and the total annual precipitation, as well as the multivariate climatic space defined by a principal component analysis (PCA). Species richness is highest in the northeast of the country, in a transitional area from sandy desert to the mountainous terrain of the Hajar Mountains. The highest PD of a single square cell of 10 arc-minutes grid is of 2,430 million years (my) of accumulated evolutionary history and the strong correlation between PD and species richness suggests that the raw number of species is a good surrogate to quantify the evolutionary history (i.e., PD). The species with the highest values of ED are those in families represented by only one species in the UAE. Finally, the assessment of the UAE protected areas shows that, despite their relevance in protecting the terrestrial reptiles, they do not offer adequate protection for some threatened species. Therefore, a reassessment of some of the protected areas or the creation of species specific conservation action plans are recommended in order to ensure the preservation of the unique diversity of UAE terrestrial reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernat Burriel-Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Tarroso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Andrew Gardner
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Mohamed Mustafa Eltayeb
- Natural Resource Conservation Section, Environment Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Junid Nazeer Shah
- Natural Resource Conservation Section, Environment Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Héctor Tejero-Cicuéndez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Simó-Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology, National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
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16
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Dispersal beyond geographic barriers: a contribution to the phylogeny and demographic history of Pristurus rupestris Blanford, 1874 (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) from southern Iran. ZOOLOGY 2019; 134:8-15. [PMID: 31146909 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Pristurus rupestris is a member of Semaphore geckos with a wide distribution range. Recently, 14 candidate species of P. rupestris rupestris have been identified in the Hajar Mountains (Arabia), yet the knowledge on the Iranian counterparts is limited. The present study elucidates the phylogenetic position of the Iranian P. rupestris and investigates the hypothesis on its historical colonization from Oman to Iran and the associated islands. Therefore, 20 Iranian specimens along with 115 individuals from Oman were examined using two mitochondrial genes including the Cytochrome b and the 12S ribosomal RNA. The molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the individuals collected from Iran are well nested within the candidate Species 3 of P. r. rupestris, demonstrating a single population with high gene flow. Additionally, the molecular analyses showed that the genetic diversity within the Iranian Blanford's Semaphore geckos is low and that the candidate Species 3 experienced a recent expansion approximately 17 thousand years ago (Kya). The historical demographic analyses (BSP) showed a mild increase in the effective population size between 15-20 Kya. These time estimations coincide with the Last Glacial Maximum, when the Persian Gulf was almost dry, reinforcing the hypothesis that the species might have colonized southern Iran from Oman through the Persian Gulf. In addition, we propose P. r. iranicus to be synonymized with P. r. rupestris.
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17
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Li H, Wiens JJ. Time Explains Regional Richness Patterns within Clades More Often than Diversification Rates or Area. Am Nat 2019; 193:514-529. [DOI: 10.1086/702253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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An integrative study of island diversification: Insights from the endemic Haemodracon geckos of the Socotra Archipelago. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 133:166-175. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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19
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Ancient diversification, biogeography, and the role of climatic niche evolution in the Old World cat snakes (Colubridae, Telescopus). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 134:35-49. [PMID: 30703516 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The process of species diversification is often associated with niche shifts in the newly arising lineages so that interspecific competition is minimized. However, an opposing force known as niche conservatism causes that related species tend to resemble each other in their niche requirements. Due to the inherent multidimensionality of niche space, some niche components may be subject to divergent evolution while others remain conserved in the process of speciation. One such possible component is the species' climatic niche. Here, we test the role of climatic niche evolution on the diversification of the Old World cat snakes of the genus Telescopus. These slender, nocturnal snakes are distributed in arid and semiarid areas throughout Africa, southwest Asia and adjoining parts of Europe. Because phylogenetic relationships among the Telescopus species are virtually unknown, we generated sequence data for eight genetic markers from ten of the 14 described species and reconstructed a time-calibrated phylogeny of the genus. Phylogenetic analysesindicate that the genus is of considerably old origin that dates back to the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Biogeographical analyses place the ancestor of the genus in Africa, where it diversified into the species observed today and from where it colonized Arabia and the Levant twice independently. The colonization of Arabia occurred in the Miocene, that of the Levant either in the Late Oligocene or Early Miocene. We then identified temperature and precipitation niche space and breadth of the species included in the phylogeny and examined whether there is phylogenetic signal in these climatic niche characteristics. Despite the vast range of the genus and its complex biogeographic history, most Telescopus species have similar environmental requirements with preference for arid to semiarid conditions. One may thus expect that the genus' climatic niche will be conserved. However, our results suggest that most of the climatic niche axes examined show no phylogenetic signal, being indicative of no evolutionary constraints on the climatic niche position and niche breadth in Telescopus. The only two variables with positive phylogenetic signal (temperature niche position and precipitation niche breadth) evolved under the Brownian motion model, also indicating no directional selection on these traits. As a result, climatic niche evolution does not seem to be the major driver for the diversification in Telescopus.
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20
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Tamar K, Mitsi P, Carranza S. Cryptic diversity revealed in the leaf‐toed gecko Asaccus montanus(Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) from the Hajar Mountains of Arabia. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Tamar
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
| | - Pelagia Mitsi
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
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21
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Machado L, Šmíd J, Mazuch T, Sindaco R, Al Shukaili AS, Carranza S. Systematics of the Saharo‐Arabian clade of the Palearctic naked‐toed geckos with the description of a new species of
Tropiocolotes
endemic to Oman. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Machado
- CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos InBio Laboratório Associado Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
| | - Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology National Museum Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
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22
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Beddek M, Zenboudji-Beddek S, Geniez P, Fathalla R, Sourouille P, Arnal V, Dellaoui B, Koudache F, Telailia S, Peyre O, Crochet PA. Comparative phylogeography of amphibians and reptiles in Algeria suggests common causes for the east-west phylogeographic breaks in the Maghreb. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201218. [PMID: 30157236 PMCID: PMC6114291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of phylogeographic studies in the Maghreb identified a repeated pattern of deep genetic divergence between an eastern (Tunisia) and western (Morocco) lineage for several taxa but lack of sampling in Algeria made it difficult to know if the range limits between the eastern and western lineages were shared among taxa or not. To address this question, we designed a comparative phylogeographic study using 8 reptile and 3 amphibian species with wide distribution in the Maghreb as models. We selected species where previous studies had identified an East-West phylogeographic divide and collected sampled in Algeria to 1) examine whether the simple East-West divergence pattern still holds after filling the sampling gap in Algeria or if more complex diversity patterns emerge; 2) if the E-W pattern still holds, test whether the limits between the E and W clades are shared between species, suggesting that common historical process caused the E-W divergences; 3) if E-W limits are shared between species, use information on the age of the divergence to identify possible geological or climatic events that could have triggered these E-W differentiations. We found that the E-W pattern was generally maintained after additional sampling in Algeria and identified two common disjunction areas, one around the Algeria-Morocco border, the other one in Kabylia (central Algeria), suggesting that common historical mechanisms caused the E-W divergences in the Maghreb. Our estimates for the times to most common recent ancestors to the E and W clades span a wide range between the Messinian salinity crisis and the Plio-Pleistocene limit (except for one older split), suggesting different origins for the initial divergences and subsequent preservation of the E and W lineages in common climatic refugia in the west and the east of the Maghreb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menad Beddek
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, INRA, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Naturalia Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Saliha Zenboudji-Beddek
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, INRA, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Geniez
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, INRA, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Raouaa Fathalla
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, INRA, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Unité de recherche de biodiversité et biologie des populations, Faculté des sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis Elmanar, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Patricia Sourouille
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, INRA, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Véronique Arnal
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, INRA, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Boualem Dellaoui
- Département de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université Djillali Liabes, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algérie
| | - Fatiha Koudache
- Département de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université Djillali Liabes, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algérie
| | - Salah Telailia
- Département des Sciences Agronomiques, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Chadli Bendjedid, El Tarf, Algérie
| | - Olivier Peyre
- Naturalia Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Pierre-André Crochet
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, INRA, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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23
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GonÇalves DV, Pereira P, Velo-AntÓn G, Harris DJ, Carranza S, Brito JC. Assessing the role of aridity-induced vicariance and ecological divergence in species diversification in North-West Africa using Agama lizards. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Duarte V GonÇalves
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paulo Pereira
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-AntÓn
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - D James Harris
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - JosÉ C Brito
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
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24
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Underground cryptic speciation within the Maghreb: Multilocus phylogeography sheds light on the diversification of the checkerboard worm lizard Trogonophis wiegmanni. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 120:118-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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25
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Carranza S, Xipell M, Tarroso P, Gardner A, Arnold EN, Robinson MD, Simó-Riudalbas M, Vasconcelos R, de Pous P, Amat F, Šmíd J, Sindaco R, Metallinou M, Els J, Pleguezuelos JM, Machado L, Donaire D, Martínez G, Garcia-Porta J, Mazuch T, Wilms T, Gebhart J, Aznar J, Gallego J, Zwanzig BM, Fernández-Guiberteau D, Papenfuss T, Al Saadi S, Alghafri A, Khalifa S, Al Farqani H, Bait Bilal S, Alazri IS, Al Adhoobi AS, Al Omairi ZS, Al Shariani M, Al Kiyumi A, Al Sariri T, Al Shukaili AS, Al Akhzami SN. Diversity, distribution and conservation of the terrestrial reptiles of Oman (Sauropsida, Squamata). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190389. [PMID: 29414999 PMCID: PMC5802441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present work, we use an exceptional database including 5,359 records of 101 species of Oman’s terrestrial reptiles together with spatial tools to infer the spatial patterns of species richness and endemicity, to infer the habitat preference of each species and to better define conservation priorities, with especial focus on the effectiveness of the protected areas in preserving this unique arid fauna. Our results indicate that the sampling effort is not only remarkable from a taxonomic point of view, with multiple observations for most species, but also for the spatial coverage achieved. The observations are distributed almost continuously across the two-dimensional climatic space of Oman defined by the mean annual temperature and the total annual precipitation and across the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the multivariate climatic space and are well represented within 17 out of the 20 climatic clusters grouping 10% of the explained climatic variance defined by PC1 and PC2. Species richness is highest in the Hajar and Dhofar Mountains, two of the most biodiverse areas of the Arabian Peninsula, and endemic species richness is greatest in the Jebel Akhdar, the highest part of the Hajar Mountains. Oman’s 22 protected areas cover only 3.91% of the country, including within their limits 63.37% of terrestrial reptiles and 50% of all endemics. Our analyses show that large areas of the climatic space of Oman lie outside protected areas and that seven of the 20 climatic clusters are not protected at all. The results of the gap analysis indicate that most of the species are below the conservation target of 17% or even the less restrictive 12% of their total area within a protected area in order to be considered adequately protected. Therefore, an evaluation of the coverage of the current network of protected areas and the identification of priority protected areas for reptiles using reserve design algorithms are urgently needed. Our study also shows that more than half of the species are still pending of a definitive evaluation by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Meritxell Xipell
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Tarroso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Andrew Gardner
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia
| | | | - Michael D. Robinson
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khod Muscat, Oman
| | - Marc Simó-Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Vasconcelos
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Philip de Pous
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fèlix Amat
- Àrea d’Herpetologia, Museu de Granollers–Ciències Naturals, Palaudàries, Granollers, Spain
| | - Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology, National Museum, Cirkusová, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Margarita Metallinou
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, UAE
| | | | - Luis Machado
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - David Donaire
- Asociación Herpetológica Fretum Gaditanum, Mar Egeo, Jerez de la Fra, Spain
| | | | - Joan Garcia-Porta
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Theodore Papenfuss
- Department of Integrative Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Saleh Al Saadi
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Muscat, Oman
| | - Ali Alghafri
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Muscat, Oman
| | - Sultan Khalifa
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Muscat, Oman
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ali Al Kiyumi
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Muscat, Oman
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Mendes J, Salvi D, Harris DJ, Els J, Carranza S. Hidden in the Arabian Mountains: Multilocus phylogeny reveals cryptic diversity in the endemicOmanosauralizards. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Mendes
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto; Vairão, Vila do Conde Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia; Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade do Porto; Porto Portugal
- Institute of Evolutionay Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra); Barcelona Spain
| | - Daniele Salvi
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto; Vairão, Vila do Conde Portugal
- Department of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences; University of L'Aquila; L'Aquila Italy
| | - David James Harris
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto; Vairão, Vila do Conde Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia; Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade do Porto; Porto Portugal
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority; Sharjah UAE
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionay Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra); Barcelona Spain
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Gonçalves DV, Martínez-Freiría F, Crochet PA, Geniez P, Carranza S, Brito JC. The role of climatic cycles and trans-Saharan migration corridors in species diversification: Biogeography of Psammophis schokari group in North Africa. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 118:64-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Tamar K, Metallinou M, Wilms T, Schmitz A, Crochet PA, Geniez P, Carranza S. Evolutionary history of spiny-tailed lizards (Agamidae:Uromastyx) from the Saharo-Arabian region. ZOOL SCR 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Tamar
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra); Barcelona Spain
| | - Margarita Metallinou
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra); Barcelona Spain
| | | | - Andreas Schmitz
- Department of Herpetology & Ichthyology; Natural History Museum of Geneva (MHNG); Geneva Switzerland
| | - Pierre-André Crochet
- CNRS-UMR 5175; Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE); Montpellier France
| | - Philippe Geniez
- EPHE, CNRS, UM, SupAgro, IRD, INRA, UMR 5175 Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE); PSL Research University; Montpellier France
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra); Barcelona Spain
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SimÓ-Riudalbas M, Tarroso P, Papenfuss T, Al-Sariri T, Carranza S. Systematics, biogeography and evolution of Asaccus gallagheri (Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) with the description of a new endemic species from Oman. SYST BIODIVERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2017.1403496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc SimÓ-Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Tarroso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Theodore Papenfuss
- Department of Integrative Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Thuraya Al-Sariri
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Thaqafah Street, 100, Muscat, Oman
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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Simó-Riudalbas M, Metallinou M, de Pous P, Els J, Jayasinghe S, Péntek-Zakar E, Wilms T, Al-Saadi S, Carranza S. Cryptic diversity in Ptyodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the northern Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates uncovered by an integrative taxonomic approach. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180397. [PMID: 28767644 PMCID: PMC5540286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hajar Mountains of south-eastern Arabia form an isolated massif surrounded by the sea to the east and by a large desert to the west. As a result of their old geological origin, geographical isolation, complex topography and local climate, these mountains provide an important refuge for endemic and relict species of plants and animals. With 19 species restricted to the Hajar Mountains, reptiles are the vertebrate group with the highest level of endemicity, becoming an excellent model for understanding the patterns and processes that generate and shape diversity in this arid mountain range. The geckos of the Ptyodactylus hasselquistii species complex are the largest geckos in Arabia and are found widely distributed across the Arabian Mountains, constituting a very important component of the reptile mountain fauna. Preliminary analyses suggested that their diversity in the Hajar Mountains may be higher than expected and that their systematics should be revised. In order to tackle these questions, we inferred a nearly complete calibrated phylogeny of the genus Ptyodactylus to identify the origin of the Hajar Mountains lineages using information from two mitochondrial and four nuclear genes. Genetic variability within the Hajar Mountains was further investigated using 68 specimens of Ptyodactylus from 46 localities distributed across the entire mountain range and sequenced for the same genes as above. The molecular phylogenies and morphological analyses as well as niche comparisons indicate the presence of two very old sister cryptic species living in allopatry: one restricted to the extreme northern Hajar Mountains and described as a new species herein; the other distributed across the rest of the Hajar Mountains that can be confidently assigned to the species P. orlovi. Similar to recent findings in the geckos of the genus Asaccus, the results of the present study uncover more hidden diversity in the northern Hajar Mountains and stress once again the importance of this unique mountain range as a hot spot of biodiversity and a priority focal point for reptile conservation in Arabia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Simó-Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37–49, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Metallinou
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37–49, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philip de Pous
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37–49, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Sithum Jayasinghe
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Erika Péntek-Zakar
- Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Thomas Wilms
- Allwetterzoo Münster, Sentruper Str. 315, Münster, Germany
| | - Saleh Al-Saadi
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Thaqafah Street, Muscat, Oman
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37–49, Barcelona, Spain
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Šmíd J, Moravec J, Gvoždík V, Štundl J, Frynta D, Lymberakis P, Kapli P, Wilms T, Schmitz A, Shobrak M, Yousefkhani SH, Rastegar-Pouyani E, Castilla AM, Els J, Mayer W. Cutting the Gordian Knot: Phylogenetic and ecological diversification of theMesalina brevirostrisspecies complex (Squamata, Lacertidae). ZOOL SCR 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
- South African National Biodiversity Institute; Claremont Cape Town South Africa
| | - Jiří Moravec
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Václav Gvoždík
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Jan Štundl
- Department of Zoology; National Museum; Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Petros Lymberakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete - University of Crete; Herakleio Greece
| | - Paschalia Kapli
- The Exelixis Lab; Scientific Computing Group; Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies; Heidelberg Germany
| | | | - Andreas Schmitz
- Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology; Natural History Museum of Geneva; Geneva Switzerland
| | - Mohammed Shobrak
- Biology Department; Faculty of Science; Taif University; Taif Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Aurora M. Castilla
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute; Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar Foundation); Doha Qatar
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority; Sharjah United Arab Emirates
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Evolutionary History of the Morocco lizard-Fingered Geckos of the Saurodactylus brosseti Complex. Evol Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-017-9417-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Tamar K, Šmíd J, Göçmen B, Meiri S, Carranza S. An integrative systematic revision and biogeography of Rhynchocalamus snakes (Reptilia, Colubridae) with a description of a new species from Israel. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2769. [PMID: 28028461 PMCID: PMC5183090 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The colubrid snakes of the genus Rhynchocalamus are seldom studied and knowledge of their ecology and life history is scarce. Three species of Rhynchocalamus are currently recognized, R. satunini (from Turkey eastwards to Iran), R. arabicus (Yemen and Oman), and R. melanocephalus (from the Sinai Peninsula northwards to Turkey). All are slender, secretive, mainly nocturnal and rare fossorial snakes. This comprehensive study is the first to sample all known Rhynchocalamus species in order to review the intra-generic phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography of the genus. METHODS We revised the systematics of Rhynchocalamus using an integrative approach and evaluated its phylogeography. The phylogenetic position within the Colubridae and the phylogenetic relationships within the genus were inferred using 29 individuals belonging to the three known species, with additional sampling of two other closely-related genera, Muhtarophis and Lytorhynchus. We analysed three mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cytb) and one nuclear (c-mos) gene fragments. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods; the latter method also used to provide the first time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of the genus. We generated a nuclear network and carried out a topology test and species delimitation analysis. Morphological comparisons were used to differentiate among species and to describe a new species from Israel. The studied material was comprised of 108 alcohol-preserved specimens, 15 photographs, and data from the literature for the examination of 17 mensural, 14 meristic, and two categorical characters. RESULTS The molecular results support Rhynchocalamus as monophyletic, and as having split from its sister genus Lytorhynchus during the Late Oligocene. The three recognized species of Rhynchocalamus comprise four independently evolving groups. The molecular results reveal that the genus began to diverge during the Middle Miocene. We revealed that the best-studied species, R. melanocephalus, is paraphyletic. A population, formally ascribed to this species, from the Negev Mountain area in southern Israel is phylogenetically closer to R. arabicus from Oman than to the northern populations of the species from Israel, Syria and Turkey. Herein we describe this population as a new species: Rhynchocalamus dayanaesp. nov. DISCUSSION We identify four species within Rhynchocalamus: R. satunini, R. arabicus, R. melanocephalus, and R. dayanaesp. nov., the latter, to the best of our knowledge, is endemic to southern Israel. The onset of Rhynchocalamus diversification is very old and estimated to have occurred during the Middle Miocene, possibly originating in the Levant region. Radiation probably resulted from vicariance and dispersal events caused by continuous geological instability, sea-level fluctuations and climatic changes within the Levant region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Tamar
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jiří Šmíd
- South African National Biodiversity Institute , Cape Town , South Africa
| | - Bayram Göçmen
- Department of Biology, Zoology Section, Ege University , Bornova-Izmir , Turkey
| | - Shai Meiri
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Animal Biodiversity and Evolution, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University) , Barcelona , Spain
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Out of Africa: Phylogeny and biogeography of the widespread genus Acanthodactylus (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 103:6-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Oliver PM, McDonald PJ. Young relicts and old relicts: a novel palaeoendemic vertebrate from the Australian Central Uplands. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160018. [PMID: 27853534 PMCID: PMC5098959 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Climatic change, and in particular aridification, has played a dominant role in shaping Southern Hemisphere biotas since the mid-Neogene. In Australia, ancient and geologically stable ranges within the vast arid zone have functioned as refugia for populations of mesic taxa extirpated from surrounding areas, yet the extent to which relicts may be linked to major aridification events before or after the Pliocene has not been examined in detail. Here we use molecular phylogenetic and morphological data to show that isolated populations of saxicoline geckos in the genus Oedura from the Australian Central Uplands, formerly confounded as a single taxon, actually comprise two divergent species with contrasting histories of isolation. The recently resurrected Oedura cincta has close relatives occurring elsewhere in the Australian arid biomes with estimated divergence dates concentrated in the early Pliocene. A new taxon (described herein) diverged from all extant Oedura much earlier, well before the end of the Miocene. A review of data for Central Uplands endemic vertebrates shows that for most (including Oedura cincta), gene flow with other parts of Australia probably occurred until at least the very late Miocene or Pliocene. There are, however, a small number of palaeoendemic taxa-often ecologically specialized forms-that show evidence of having persisted since earlier intensification of aridity in the late Miocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Oliver
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology and Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, The Australian National University, Building 116, Daley Road, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Peter J. McDonald
- Flora and Fauna Division, Department of Land Resource Management, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0870, Australia
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Assessing the diversity, host-specificity and infection patterns of apicomplexan parasites in reptiles from Oman, Arabia. Parasitology 2016; 143:1730-1747. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182016001372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYUnderstanding the processes that shape parasite diversification, their distribution and abundance provides valuable information on the dynamics and evolution of disease. In this study, we assessed the diversity, distribution, host-specificity and infection patterns of apicomplexan parasites in amphibians and reptiles from Oman, Arabia. Using a quantitative PCR approach we detected three apicomplexan parasites (haemogregarines, lankesterellids and sarcocystids). A total of 13 haemogregarine haplotypes were identified, which fell into four main clades in a phylogenetic framework. Phylogenetic analysis of six new lankesterellid haplotypes revealed that these parasites were distinct from, but phylogenetically related to, knownLankesterellaspecies and might represent new taxa. The percentage of infected hosts (prevalence) and the number of haemogregarines in the blood (parasitaemia) varied significantly between gecko species. We also found significant differences in parasitaemia between haemogregarine parasite lineages (defined by phylogenetic clustering of haplotypes), suggesting differences in host–parasite compatibility between these lineages. ForPristurus rupestris, we found significant differences in haemogregarine prevalence between geographical areas. Our results suggest that host ecology and host relatedness may influence haemogregarine distributions and, more generally, highlight the importance of screening wild hosts from remote regions to provide new insights into parasite diversity.
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Carranza S, Simó-Riudalbas M, Jayasinghe S, Wilms T, Els J. Microendemicity in the northern Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates with the description of two new species of geckos of the genus Asaccus (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae). PeerJ 2016; 4:e2371. [PMID: 27602305 PMCID: PMC4994081 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the highest mountain range in Eastern Arabia. As a result of their old geological origin, geographical isolation, complex topography and local climate, these mountains provide an important refuge for endemic and relict species of plants and animals with strong Indo-Iranian affinities. Among vertebrates, the rock climbing nocturnal geckos of the genus Asaccus represent the genus with the highest number of endemic species in the Hajar Mountains. Recent taxonomic studies on the Zagros populations of Asaccus have shown that this genus is much richer than it was previously thought and preliminary morphological and molecular data suggest that its diversity in Arabia may also be underestimated. METHODS A total of 83 specimens originally classified as Asaccus caudivolvulus (including specimens of the two new species described herein), six other Asaccus species from the Hajar and the Zagros Mountains and two representatives of the genus Haemodracon were sequenced for up to 2,311 base pairs including the mitochondrial 12S and cytb and the nuclear c-mos, MC1R and ACM4 genes. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using both Bayesian and maximum-likelihood approaches and the former method was also used to calibrate the phylogenetic tree. Haplotype networks and phylogenetic trees were inferred from the phased nuclear genes only. Sixty-one alcohol-preserved adult specimens originally classified as Asaccus caudivolvulus from the northern Hajar Mountains were examined for 13 morphometric and the five meristic variables using multivariate methods and were also used to diagnose and describe the two new species. RESULTS The results of the molecular and morphological analyses indicate that the species originally classified as Asaccus caudivolvulus is, in fact, an assemblage of three different species that started diversifying during the Mid-Miocene. The molecular phylogenies consistently recovered the Hajar endemic A. montanus as sister taxon to all the other Asaccus species included in the analyses, rendering the Arabian species of Asaccus polyphyletic. DISCUSSION Using this integrative approach we have uncovered a very old diversification event that has resulted in a case of microendemicity, where three morphologically and ecologically similar medium-sized lizard species coexist in a very short and narrow mountain stretch. Asaccus caudivolvulus is restricted to a small coastal area of the UAE and at risk from heavy development, while the two new species described herein are widely distributed across the northern tip of the Hajar Mountains and seem to segregate in altitude when found in close proximity in the Musandam Peninsula (Oman). Similarly to other integrative analyses of Hajar reptiles, this study highlights the high level of diversity and endemicity of this arid mountain range, underscoring its status as one of the top hotspots of reptile diversity in Arabia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Carranza
- Animal Biodiversity and Evolution, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Simó-Riudalbas
- Animal Biodiversity and Evolution, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sithum Jayasinghe
- Herpetology and Freshwater Fishes, Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Al Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Johannes Els
- Herpetology and Freshwater Fishes, Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Al Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Šmíd J, Shobrak M, Wilms T, Joger U, Carranza S. Endemic diversification in the mountains: genetic, morphological, and geographical differentiation of the Hemidactylus geckos in southwestern Arabia. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-016-0293-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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de Pous P, Simó-Riudalbas M, Els J, Jayasinghe S, Amat F, Carranza S. Phylogeny and biogeography of Arabian populations of the Persian Horned Viper Pseudocerastes persicus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854). ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2016.1202896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip de Pous
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Producció Animal, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Marc Simó-Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sithum Jayasinghe
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Felix Amat
- Àrea d‘Herpetologia, Museu de Granollers-Ciències Naturals, Granollers, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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Evolution around the Red Sea: Systematics and biogeography of the agamid genus Pseudotrapelus (Squamata: Agamidae) from North Africa and Arabia. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 97:55-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Revised: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Gonçalves DV, Pereira P, Godinho R, Lopes S, Velo-Antón G, Brito JC. Development of 23 microsatellite loci for Boulenger’s agama (Agama boulengeri) with partial cross-amplification in other Agama species. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00003048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of biodiversity and evolutionary processes controlling them are still poorly studied in desert biomes. Fine-scale markers could help answer some of the pressing research questions for desert biomes and Sahara in particular. Such markers are available for some large mammals and crocodiles, but not for small vertebrates. Here we present a battery of microsatellite loci developed for Agama boulengeri, a promising model to study evolutionary and demographic processes in the Sahara-Sahel. Loci were selected by sequencing enriched DNA libraries with 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 23 polymorphic loci were successfully amplified in four multiplex reactions. Cross-amplification of the microsatellite loci in A. agama and A. boueti was partially successful. These markers are a promising tool for assessing genetic diversity, gene-flow dynamics and demographic patterns in this group. Given the genus Agama is distributed throughout Africa, results presented here might also facilitate studies in other regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte Vasconcelos Gonçalves
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paulo Pereira
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Raquel Godinho
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - Susana Lopes
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - José Carlos Brito
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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Pous P, Machado L, Metallinou M, Červenka J, Kratochvíl L, Paschou N, Mazuch T, Šmíd J, Simó‐Riudalbas M, Sanuy D, Carranza S. Taxonomy and biogeography of
Bunopus spatalurus
(Reptilia; Gekkonidae) from the Arabian Peninsula. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Pous
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering Departament Producció Animal (Fauna Silvestre) Universitat de Lleida Lleida Spain
| | - Luis Machado
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
- CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto InBio Laboratório Associado Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
| | | | - Jan Červenka
- Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Nefeli Paschou
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
| | | | - Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology National Museum Prague Czech Republic
| | - Marc Simó‐Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
| | - Delfi Sanuy
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering Departament Producció Animal (Fauna Silvestre) Universitat de Lleida Lleida Spain
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Barcelona Spain
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