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Müller IA, Thörn F, Rajan S, Ericson PGP, Dumbacher JP, Maiah G, Blom MPK, Jønsson KA, Irestedt M. Species-specific dynamics may cause deviations from general biogeographical predictions - evidence from a population genomics study of a New Guinean endemic passerine bird family (Melampittidae). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0293715. [PMID: 38781204 PMCID: PMC11115331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The family Melampittidae is endemic to New Guinea and consists of two monotypic genera: Melampitta lugubris (Lesser Melampitta) and Megalampitta gigantea (Greater Melampitta). Both Melampitta species have scattered and disconnected distributions across New Guinea in the central mountain range and in some of the outlying ranges. While M. lugubris is common and found in most montane regions of the island, M. gigantaea is elusive and known from only six localities in isolated pockets on New Guinea with very specific habitats of limestone and sinkholes. In this project, we apply museomics to determine the population structure and demographic history of these two species. We re-sequenced the genomes of all seven known M. gigantaea samples housed in museum collections as well as 24 M. lugubris samples from across its distribution. By comparing population structure between the two species, we investigate to what extent habitat dependence, such as in M. gigantaea, may affect population connectivity. Phylogenetic and population genomic analyses, as well as acoustic variation revealed that M. gigantaea consists of a single population in contrast to M. lugubris that shows much stronger population structure across the island. We suggest a recent collapse of M. gigantaea into its fragmented habitats as an explanation to its unexpected low diversity and lack of population structure. The deep genetic divergences between the M. lugubris populations on the Vogelkop region, in the western central range and the eastern central range, respectively, suggests that these three populations should be elevated to full species level. This work sheds new light on the mechanisms that have shaped the intriguing distribution of the two species within this family and is a prime example of the importance of museum collections for genomic studies of poorly known and rare species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo A. Müller
- Department of Zoology, Division of Systematics and Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
| | - Filip Thörn
- Department of Zoology, Division of Systematics and Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
| | - Samyuktha Rajan
- Department of Zoology, Division of Ethology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per G. P. Ericson
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John P. Dumbacher
- Department of Ornithology and Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Gibson Maiah
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Mozes P. K. Blom
- Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
| | - Knud A. Jønsson
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Nijman V. Harvest quotas, free markets and the sustainable trade in pythons. NATURE CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.48.80988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Assessing the sustainability of the harvest of animals can be done by obtaining data from processing facilities and establishing that vital attributes of the harvested animals (e.g., size, age structure, sex ratio) do not change over time. This model works if the traders operate in a free market without any regulations on what can be harvested, processed or exported, and when harvest methods and harvest areas do not change between assessment periods. Several studies assessed the harvest effects on blood pythons (Python brongersmai) in North Sumatra, Indonesia seemingly under a free market scenario, with some concluding that trade was sustainable and the others hinting at an overharvest. Indonesia has established harvest and export quotas and, internationally, trade in blood pythons is regulated through CITES, and the blood python trade clearly does not operate in a free market. Data suggest that the three (or four) slaughterhouses included in these studies processed ~27,000 blood pythons a year against a quota of 18,000. There is a risk that data from traders alone purporting to show that harvest is sustainable will lead to an increase of quotas or an abandonment of quotas altogether. There is no conclusive data to support that the harvest of blood pythons in North Sumatra is sustainable but there is sufficient evidence to suggest that a substantial part of this trade is illegal. Likewise, at a global level there are clear indications of misdeclared, underreported and illegal trade involving 10,000 s of blood pythons. While important biological information can be obtained from harvested animals, to assess whether harvest is sustainable there is no substitute for monitoring wild populations. After decades of international trade in blood pythons from Indonesia, during which at least half a million blood pythons were exported, it is all the more urgent that systematic monitoring of wild populations commences.
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OUP accepted manuscript. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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4
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Slavenko A, Tamar K, Tallowin OJS, Kraus F, Allison A, Carranza S, Meiri S. Revision of the montane New Guinean skink genus Lobulia (Squamata: Scincidae), with the description of four new genera and nine new species. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The skink genus Lobulia is endemic to New Guinea, the largest and highest tropical island in the world. Lobulia and its related genera represent an important component of the montane herpetofauna of New Guinea, but it remains understudied and poorly known. We here provide the first, large-scale, systematic revision of Lobulia, using molecular phylogenetic and morphological comparisons to assess the monophyly of the genus and the diversity of species within it. We find that Lobulia, as currently defined, is polyphyletic. The eight species currently assigned to it form three clades. Furthermore, many specimens from New Guinea of unknown specific affinity are genetically and morphologically distinct from each other. Based on these data, we re-diagnose Lobulia and two of its closely related genera, Prasinohaema and Papuascincus. We erect four new genera (Alpinoscincus gen. nov., Nubeoscincus gen. nov., Ornithuroscincus gen. nov. and Palaia gen. nov.) to address the problem of polyphyly and describe nine new species Lobulia fortis sp. nov., Lobulia huonensis sp. nov., Loublia marmorata sp. nov., Lobulia vogelkopensis sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus bengaun sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus inornatus sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus pterophilus sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus shearmani sp. nov. and Ornithuroscincus viridis sp. nov. We supplement this taxonomic revision by investigating the biogeographic history of Lobulia s.l. and find evidence for a large radiation in the accreted terranes of New Guinea, with multiple independent colonizations of montane habitats and subsequent recolonization of lowland habitats. Our study reinforces the uniqueness and richness of the montane herpetofauna of New Guinea and the importance of mountains to biodiversity in the Tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Slavenko
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Karin Tamar
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Oliver J S Tallowin
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fred Kraus
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shai Meiri
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Esquerré D, Donnellan SC, Pavón-Vázquez CJ, Fenker J, Keogh JS. Phylogeography, historical demography and systematics of the world's smallest pythons (Pythonidae, Antaresia). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 161:107181. [PMID: 33892100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Advances from empirical studies in phylogeography, systematics and species delimitation highlight the importance of integrative approaches for quantifying taxonomic diversity. Genomic data have greatly improved our ability to discern both systematic diversity and evolutionary history. Here we combine analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences, thousands of genome-wide SNPs and linear and geometric morphometrics on Antaresia, a clade of four currently recognised dwarf pythons from Australia and New Guinea (Antaresia childreni, A. stimsoni, A. maculosa and A. perthensis). Our integrative analyses of phylogenetics, population structure, species delimitation, historical demography and morphometrics revealed that the true evolutionary diversity is not well reflected in the current appraisal of the diversity of the group. We find that Antaresia childreni and A. stimsoni comprise a widespread network of populations connected by gene flow and without evidence of species-level divergence among them. However, A. maculosa shows considerable genetic structuring which leads us to recognise two subspecies in northeastern Australia and a new species in Torres Strait and New Guinea. These two contrasting cases of over and under estimation of diversity, respectively, illustrate the power of thorough integrative approaches into understanding evolution of biodiversity. Furthermore, our analyses of historical demographic patterns highlight the importance of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Cape York as origins of biodiversity in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Esquerré
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
| | | | - Carlos J Pavón-Vázquez
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Jéssica Fenker
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - J Scott Keogh
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
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6
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Genetic variation of blue-tongue skinks of the genus Tiliqua (Squamata: Scincidae) from New Guinea and Wallacea. Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-020-00646-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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7
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Slavenko A, Tamar K, Tallowin OJS, Allison A, Kraus F, Carranza S, Meiri S. Cryptic diversity and non-adaptive radiation of montane New Guinea skinks (Papuascincus; Scincidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 146:106749. [PMID: 32014575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
New Guinea, the world's largest and highest tropical island, has a rich but poorly known biota. Papuascincus is a genus of skinks endemic to New Guinea's mountain regions, comprising two wide-ranging species and two species known only from their type series. The phylogeny of the genus has never been examined and the relationships among its species - as well as between it and closely related taxa - are hitherto unknown. We performed the first large-scale molecular-phylogenetic study of Papuascincus, including sampling across the genus' range in Papua New Guinea. We sequenced three mitochondrial and two nuclear markers from 65 specimens of Papuascincus and reconstructed their phylogenetic relationships. We also performed species-delimitation analyses, estimated divergence times and ancestral biogeography, and examined body-size evolution within the genus. Papuascincus was strongly supported as monophyletic. It began radiating during the mid-Miocene in the area now comprising the Central Cordillera of New Guinea, then dispersed eastward colonising the Papuan Peninsula. We found evidence of extensive cryptic diversity within the genus, with between nine and 20 supported genetic lineages. These were estimated using three methods of species delimitation and predominantly occur in allopatry. Distribution and body-size divergence patterns indicated that character displacement in size took place during the evolutionary history of Papuascincus. We conclude that the genus requires comprehensive taxonomic revision and likely represents a species-rich lineage of montane skinks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Slavenko
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Karin Tamar
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Fred Kraus
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, MI, USA
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel; The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv, Israel
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8
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Natusch DJ, Esquerré D, Lyons JA, Hamidy A, Lemmon AR, Moriarty Lemmon E, Riyanto A, Keogh JS, Donnellan S. Species delimitation and systematics of the green pythons (Morelia viridis complex) of melanesia and Australia. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 142:106640. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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9
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Tallowin OJS, Meiri S, Donnellan SC, Richards SJ, Austin CC, Oliver PM. The other side of the Sahulian coin: biogeography and evolution of Melanesian forest dragons (Agamidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
New Guinea has been considered both as a refuge for mesic rainforest-associated lineages that contracted in response to the late Cenozoic aridification of Australia and as a centre of biotic diversification and radiation since the mid-Miocene or earlier. Here, we estimate the diversity and a phylogeny for the Australo-Papuan forest dragons (Sauria: Agamidae; ~20 species) in order to examine the following: (1) whether New Guinea and/or proto-Papuan Islands may have been a biogeographical refuge or a source for diversity in Australia; (2) whether mesic rainforest environments are ancestral to the entire radiation, as may be predicted by the New Guinea refuge hypothesis; and (3) more broadly, how agamid ecological diversity varies across the contrasting environments of Australia and New Guinea. Patterns of lineage distribution and diversity suggest that extinction in Australia, and colonization and radiation on proto-Papuan islands, have both shaped the extant diversity and distribution of forest dragons since the mid-Miocene. The ancestral biome for all Australo-Papuan agamids is ambiguous. Both rainforest and arid-adapted radiations probably started in the early Miocene. However, despite deep-lineage diversity in New Guinea rainforest habitats, overall species and ecological diversity is low when compared with more arid areas, with terrestrial taxa being strikingly absent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Stephen C Donnellan
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Christopher C Austin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Paul M Oliver
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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10
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Pleistocene-dated biogeographic barriers drove divergence within the Australo-Papuan region in a sex-specific manner: an example in a widespread Australian songbird. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 123:608-621. [PMID: 30874632 PMCID: PMC6972870 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0206-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how environmental change has shaped species evolution can inform predictions of how future climate change might continue to do so. Research of widespread biological systems spanning multiple climates that have been subject to environmental change can yield generalizable inferences about the neutral and adaptive processes driving lineage divergence during periods of environmental change. We contribute to the growing body of multi-locus phylogeographic studies investigating the effect of Pleistocene climate change on species evolution by focusing on a widespread Australo-Papuan songbird with several mitochondrial lineages that diverged during the Pleistocene, the grey shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica). We employed multi-locus phylogenetic, population genetic and coalescent analyses to (1) assess whether nuclear genetic diversity suggests a history congruent with that based on phenotypically defined subspecies ranges, mitochondrial clade boundaries and putative biogeographical barriers, (2) estimate genetic diversity within and genetic differentiation and gene flow among regional populations and (3) estimate population divergence times. The five currently recognized subspecies of grey shrike-thrush are genetically differentiated in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, but connected by low levels of gene flow. Divergences among these populations are concordant with recognized historical biogeographical barriers and date to the Pleistocene. Discordance in the order of population divergence events based on mitochondrial and nuclear genomes suggests a history of sex-biased gene flow and/or mitochondrial introgression at secondary contacts. This study demonstrates that climate change can impact sexes with different dispersal biology in different ways. Incongruence between population and mitochondrial trees calls for a genome-wide investigation into dispersal, mitochondrial introgression and mitonuclear evolution.
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11
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Summerell AE, Frankham GJ, Gunn P, Johnson RN. DNA based method for determining source country of the short beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) in the illegal wildlife trade. Forensic Sci Int 2018; 295:46-53. [PMID: 30554021 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The illegal trade in wild animals being sold as 'captive bred' is an emerging issue in the pet and zoo industry and has both animal welfare and conservation implications. DNA based methods can be a quick, inexpensive, and definitive way to determine the source of these animals, thereby assisting efforts to combat this trade. The short beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is currently one of the species suspected to be targeted in this trade. As this species is distributed throughout Australia and in New Guinea (currently comprising of five recognised sub-species), this project aimed to develop a DNA based method to definitively determine the source country of an echidna and explore the use of non-invasive sampling techniques. Here we use non-invasively sampled echidna quills and demonstrate the extraction of mitochondrial DNA and amplification of a region of the mitochondrial genome. Phylogenetically informative markers for analysis of a 322bp segment of the D-loop region were developed, and subsequently validated, using animals with known source locations allowing us to reliably distinguish between echidnas from New Guinea, and Australia. This research presents the first validated forensic protocols for short beaked echidnas and will be an integral tool in understanding the movement of animals in this emerging trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Summerell
- Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics, Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, Australia.
| | - G J Frankham
- Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics, Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, Australia
| | - P Gunn
- Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, Australia
| | - R N Johnson
- Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics, Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, Australia.
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12
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Eldridge MDB, Potter S, Helgen KM, Sinaga MH, Aplin KP, Flannery TF, Johnson RN. Phylogenetic analysis of the tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus) reveals multiple divergent lineages within New Guinea. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 127:589-599. [PMID: 29807156 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Amongst the Australasian kangaroos and wallabies (Macropodidae) one anomalous genus, the tree-kangaroos, Dendrolagus, has secondarily returned to arboreality. Modern tree-kangaroos are confined to the wet tropical forests of north Queensland, Australia (2 species) and New Guinea (8 species). Due to their behavior, distribution and habitat most species are poorly known and our understanding of the evolutionary history and systematics of the genus is limited and controversial. We obtained tissue samples from 36 individual Dendrolagus including representatives from 14 of the 17 currently recognised or proposed subspecies and generated DNA sequence data from three mitochondrial (3116 bp) and five nuclear (4097 bp) loci. Phylogenetic analysis of these multi-locus data resolved long-standing questions regarding inter-relationships within Dendrolagus. The presence of a paraphyletic ancestral long-footed and derived monophyletic short-footed group was confirmed. Six major lineages were identified: one in Australia (D. lumholtzi, D. bennettianus) and five in New Guinea (D. inustus, D. ursinus, a Goodfellow's group, D. mbaiso and a Doria's group). Two major episodes of diversification within Dendrolagus were identified: the first during the late Miocene/early Pliocene associated with orogenic processes in New Guinea and the second mostly during the early Pleistocene associated with the intensification of climatic cycling. All sampled subspecies showed high levels of genetic divergence and currently recognized species within both the Doria's and Goodfellow's groups were paraphyletic indicating that adjustments to current taxonomy are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D B Eldridge
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia.
| | - Sally Potter
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, Environment Institute, Centre for Applied Conservation Science, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Martua H Sinaga
- Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) & Museum Bogoriense, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Ken P Aplin
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; Wildlife Conservation Society, Goroka, Papua New Guinea
| | - Tim F Flannery
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, Melbourne University, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia
| | - Rebecca N Johnson
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia
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13
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Wassermann M, Raisch L, Lyons JA, Natusch DJD, Richter S, Wirth M, Preeprem P, Khoprasert Y, Ginting S, Mackenstedt U, Jäkel T. Examination of Sarcocystis spp. of giant snakes from Australia and Southeast Asia confirms presence of a known pathogen - Sarcocystis nesbitti. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187984. [PMID: 29131856 PMCID: PMC5683627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined Sarcocystis spp. in giant snakes from the Indo-Australian Archipelago and Australia using a combination of morphological (size of sporocyst) and molecular analyses. We amplified by PCR nuclear 18S rDNA from single sporocysts in order to detect mixed infections and unequivocally assign the retrieved sequences to the corresponding parasite stage. Sarcocystis infection was generally high across the study area, with 78 (68%) of 115 examined pythons being infected by one or more Sarcocystis spp. Among 18 randomly chosen, sporocyst-positive samples (11 from Southeast Asia, 7 from Northern Australia) the only Sarcocystis species detected in Southeast Asian snakes was S. singaporensis (in reticulated pythons), which was absent from all Australian samples. We distinguished three different Sarcocystis spp. in the Australian sample set; two were excreted by scrub pythons and one by the spotted python. The sequence of the latter is an undescribed species phylogenetically related to S. lacertae. Of the two Sarcocystis species found in scrub pythons, one showed an 18S rRNA gene sequence similar to S. zamani, which is described from Australia for the first time. The second sequence was identical/similar to that of S. nesbitti, a known human pathogen that was held responsible for outbreaks of disease among tourists in Malaysia. The potential presence of S. nesbitti in Australia challenges the current hypothesis of a snake-primate life cycle, and would have implications for human health in the region. Further molecular and biological characterizations are required to confirm species identity and determine whether or not the Australian isolate has the same zoonotic potential as its Malaysian counterpart. Finally, the absence of S. nesbitti in samples from reticulated pythons (which were reported to be definitive hosts), coupled with our phylogenetic analyses, suggest that alternative snake hosts may be responsible for transmitting this parasite in Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Wassermann
- Department of Zoology, Division of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Lisa Raisch
- Department of Zoology, Division of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | | | - Sarah Richter
- Department of Zoology, Division of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Mareike Wirth
- Department of Zoology, Division of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Piyarat Preeprem
- Plant Protection Research and Development Office, Department of Agriculture, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yuvaluk Khoprasert
- Plant Protection Research and Development Office, Department of Agriculture, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Ute Mackenstedt
- Department of Zoology, Division of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Thomas Jäkel
- Department of Zoology, Division of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Plant Protection Research and Development Office, Department of Agriculture, Bangkok, Thailand
- * E-mail:
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14
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Dervas E, Hepojoki J, Laimbacher A, Romero-Palomo F, Jelinek C, Keller S, Smura T, Hepojoki S, Kipar A, Hetzel U. Nidovirus-Associated Proliferative Pneumonia in the Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis). J Virol 2017; 91:e00718-17. [PMID: 28794044 PMCID: PMC5640870 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00718-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2014 we observed a noticeable increase in the number of sudden deaths among green tree pythons (Morelia viridis). Pathological examination revealed the accumulation of mucoid material within the airways and lungs in association with enlargement of the entire lung. We performed a full necropsy and histological examination on 12 affected green tree pythons from 7 different breeders to characterize the pathogenesis of this mucinous pneumonia. By histology we could show a marked hyperplasia of the airway epithelium and of faveolar type II pneumocytes. Since routine microbiological tests failed to identify a causative agent, we studied lung tissue samples from a few diseased snakes by next-generation sequencing (NGS). From the NGS data we could assemble a piece of RNA genome whose sequence was <85% identical to that of nidoviruses previously identified in ball pythons and Indian pythons. We then employed reverse transcription-PCR to demonstrate the presence of the novel nidovirus in all diseased snakes. To attempt virus isolation, we established primary cultures of Morelia viridis liver and brain cells, which we inoculated with homogenates of lung tissue from infected individuals. Ultrastructural examination of concentrated cell culture supernatants showed the presence of nidovirus particles, and subsequent NGS analysis yielded the full genome of the novel virus Morelia viridis nidovirus (MVNV). We then generated an antibody against MVNV nucleoprotein, which we used alongside RNA in situ hybridization to demonstrate viral antigen and RNA in the affected lungs. This suggests that in natural infection MVNV damages the respiratory tract epithelium, which then results in epithelial hyperplasia, most likely as an exaggerated regenerative attempt in association with increased epithelial turnover.IMPORTANCE Novel nidoviruses associated with severe respiratory disease were fairly recently identified in ball pythons and Indian pythons. Herein we report on the isolation and identification of a further nidovirus from green tree pythons (Morelia viridis) with fatal pneumonia. We thoroughly characterized the pathological changes in the infected individuals and show that nidovirus infection is associated with marked epithelial proliferation in the respiratory tract. We speculate that this and the associated excess mucus production can lead to the animals' death by inhibiting normal gas exchange in the lungs. The virus was predominantly detected in the respiratory tract, which renders transmission via the respiratory route likely. Nidoviruses cause sudden outbreaks with high rates of mortality in breeding collections, and most affected snakes die without prior clinical signs. These findings, together with those of other groups, indicate that nidoviruses are a likely cause of severe pneumonia in pythons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Dervas
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jussi Hepojoki
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University of Helsinki, Medicum, Department of Virology, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andrea Laimbacher
- Institute of Virology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fernando Romero-Palomo
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Jelinek
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Saskia Keller
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Teemu Smura
- University of Helsinki, Medicum, Department of Virology, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Satu Hepojoki
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja Kipar
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Udo Hetzel
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Murray-Dickson G, Ghazali M, Ogden R, Brown R, Auliya M. Phylogeography of the reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus ssp.): Conservation implications for the worlds' most traded snake species. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182049. [PMID: 28817588 PMCID: PMC5560690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As an important economic natural resource in Southeast Asia, reticulated pythons (Malayopython reticulatus ssp.) are primarily harvested from the wild for their skins-which are prized in the luxury leather goods industry. Trade dynamics of this CITES Appendix II listed species are complex and management approaches on the country or regional level appear obscure. Little is known about the actual geographic point-of-harvest of snakes, how genetic diversity is partitioned across the species range, how current harvest levels may affect the genetic viability of populations, and whether genetic structure could (or should) be accounted for when managing harvest quotas. As an initial survey, we use mitochondrial sequence data to define the broad-scale geographic structure of genetic diversity across a significant portion of the reticulated python's native range. Preliminary results reveal: (1) prominent phylogenetic structure across populations east and west of Huxley's modification of Wallace's line. Thirty-four haplotypes were apportioned across two geographically distinct groups, estimated to be moderately (5.2%); (2) Philippine, Bornean and Sulawesian populations appear to cluster distinctly; (3) individuals from Ambon Island suggest recent human introduction. Malayopython reticulatus is currently managed as a single taxonomic unit across Southeast Asia yet these initial results may justify special management considerations of the Philippine populations as a phylogenetically distinct unit, that warrants further examination. In Indonesia, genetic structure does not conform tightly to political boundaries and therefore we advocate the precautionary designation and use of Evolutionary Significant Units within Malayopython reticulatus, to inform and guide regional adaptive management plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian Murray-Dickson
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) WildGenes Laboratory, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Muhammad Ghazali
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) WildGenes Laboratory, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Ogden
- Trace Wildlife Forensics Network, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rafe Brown
- KU Biodiversity Institute, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd, Dyche, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Mark Auliya
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
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16
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Irestedt M, Batalha-Filho H, Ericson PGP, Christidis L, Schodde R. Phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomic consequences in a bird-of-paradise species complex, Lophorina–Ptiloris (Aves: Paradisaeidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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17
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Oliver PM, Iannella A, Richards SJ, Lee MS. Mountain colonisation, miniaturisation and ecological evolution in a radiation of direct-developing New Guinea Frogs ( Choerophryne, Microhylidae). PeerJ 2017; 5:e3077. [PMID: 28382230 PMCID: PMC5376113 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Mountain ranges in the tropics are characterised by high levels of localised endemism, often-aberrant evolutionary trajectories, and some of the world's most diverse regional biotas. Here we investigate the evolution of montane endemism, ecology and body size in a clade of direct-developing frogs (Choerophryne, Microhylidae) from New Guinea. METHODS Phylogenetic relationships were estimated from a mitochondrial molecular dataset using Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches. Ancestral state reconstruction was used to infer the evolution of elevational distribution, ecology (indexed by male calling height), and body size, and phylogenetically corrected regression was employed to examine the relationships between these three traits. RESULTS We obtained strong support for a monophyletic lineage comprising the majority of taxa sampled. Within this clade we identified one subclade that appears to have diversified primarily in montane habitats of the Central Cordillera (>1,000 m a.s.l.), with subsequent dispersal to isolated North Papuan Mountains. A second subclade (characterised by moderately to very elongated snouts) appears to have diversified primarily in hill forests (<1,000 m a.s.l.), with inferred independent upwards colonisations of isolated montane habitats, especially in isolated North Papuan Mountains. We found no clear relationship between extremely small body size (adult SVL less than 15 mm) and elevation, but a stronger relationship with ecology-smaller species tend to be more terrestrial. CONCLUSIONS Orogeny and climatic oscillations have interacted to generate high montane biodiversity in New Guinea via both localised diversification within montane habitats (centric endemism) and periodic dispersal across lowland regions (eccentric endemism). The correlation between extreme miniaturisation and terrestrial habits reflects a general trend in frogs, suggesting that ecological or physiological constraints limit niche usage by miniaturised frogs, even in extremely wet environments such as tropical mountains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Oliver
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology & Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Amy Iannella
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Michael S.Y. Lee
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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18
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Gauffre-Autelin P, von Rintelen T, Stelbrink B, Albrecht C. Recent range expansion of an intermediate host for animal schistosome parasites in the Indo-Australian Archipelago: phylogeography of the freshwater gastropod Indoplanorbis exustus in South and Southeast Asia. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:126. [PMID: 28264699 PMCID: PMC5339995 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2043-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The planorbid snail Indoplanorbis exustus is the sole intermediate host for the Schistosoma indicum species group, trematode parasites responsible for cattle schistosomiasis and human cercarial dermatitis. This freshwater snail is widely distributed in Southern Asia, ranging from Iran to China eastwards including India and from the southeastern Himalayas to Southeast Asia southwards. The veterinary and medical importance of this snail explains the interest in understanding its geographical distribution patterns and evolutionary history. In this study, we used a large and comprehensive sampling throughout Indo-Malaya, including specimens from South India and Indonesia, areas that have been formerly less studied. Results The phylogenetic inference revealed five highly divergent clades (genetic distances among clades: 4.4–13.9%) that are morphologically indistinguishable, supporting the assumption that this presumed nominal species may represent a cryptic species complex. The species group may have originated in the humid subtropical plains of Nepal or in southern adjacent regions in the Early Miocene. The major cladogenetic events leading to the fives clades occurred successively from the Early Miocene to the Early Pleistocene, coinciding with major periods of monsoonal intensification associated with major regional paleogeographic events in the Miocene and repeated climate changes due to the Plio-Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Our coverage of the Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) highlights the presence of a single clade there. Contrary to expectations, an AMOVA did not reveal any population genetic structure among islands or along a widely recognised zoogeographical regional barrier, suggesting a recent colonisation independent of natural biogeographical constraints. Neutrality tests and mismatch distributions suggested a sudden demographic and spatial population expansion that could have occurred naturally in the Pleistocene or may possibly result of a modern colonisation triggered by anthropogenic activities. Conclusions Even though Indoplanorbis is the main focus of this study, our findings may also have important implications for fully understanding its role in hosting digenetic trematodes. The existence of a cryptic species complex, the historical phylogeographical patterns and the recent range expansion in the IAA provide meaningful insights to the understanding and monitoring of the parasites potential spread. It brings a substantial contribution to veterinary and public health issues. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2043-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas von Rintelen
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Björn Stelbrink
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christian Albrecht
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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19
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Irestedt M, Batalha-Filho H, Roselaar CS, Christidis L, Ericson PGP. Contrasting phylogeographic signatures in two Australo-Papuan bowerbird species complexes (Aves: Ailuroedus). ZOOL SCR 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics; Swedish Museum of Natural History; PO Box 50007 Stockholm 10405 Sweden
| | | | - Cees S. Roselaar
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Darwinweg 2 PO Box 9517 RA Leiden 2300 The Netherlands
| | - Les Christidis
- National Marine Science Centre; Southern Cross University; Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Australia
| | - Per G. P. Ericson
- Department of Zoology; Swedish Museum of Natural History; PO Box 50007 Stockholm 10405 Sweden
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20
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Barker DG, Barker TM, Davis MA, Schuett GW. A review of the systematics and taxonomy of Pythonidae: an ancient serpent lineage. Zool J Linn Soc 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David G. Barker
- Vida Preciosa International, Inc.; P.O. Box 300 Boerne TX 78006 USA
| | - Tracy M. Barker
- Vida Preciosa International, Inc.; P.O. Box 300 Boerne TX 78006 USA
| | - Mark A. Davis
- Illinois Natural History Survey; Prairie Research Institute; University of Illinois Urbana Champaign; 1816 South Oak St. Champaign IL 61820 USA
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- Department of Biology and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience; Georgia State University; Atlanta GA 30303 USA
- The Copperhead Institute; P.O. Box 6755 Spartanburg SC 29304 USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum; P.O. Box 376 Rodeo NM 88056 USA
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21
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Makhubo BG, Tolley KA, Bates MF. Molecular phylogeny of the Afroedura nivaria (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) species complex in South Africa provides insight on cryptic speciation. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 82 Pt A:31-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2013] [Revised: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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22
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Molecular identification of python species: development and validation of a novel assay for forensic investigations. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2014; 16:64-70. [PMID: 25541013 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Revised: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Python snake species are often encountered in illegal activities and the question of species identity can be pertinent to such criminal investigations. Morphological identification of species of pythons can be confounded by many issues and molecular examination by DNA analysis can provide an alternative and objective means of identification. Our paper reports on the development and validation of a PCR primer pair that amplifies a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene that has been suggested previously as a good candidate locus for differentiating python species. We used this DNA region to perform species identification of pythons, even when the template DNA was of poor quality, as might be the case with forensic evidentiary items. Validation tests are presented to demonstrate the characteristics of the assay. Tests involved the cross-species amplification of this marker in non-target species, minimum amount of DNA template required, effects of degradation on product amplification and a blind trial to simulate a casework scenario that provided 100% correct identity. Our results demonstrate that this assay performs reliably and robustly on pythons and can be applied directly to forensic investigations where the presence of a species of python is in question.
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23
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Lin W, Frère CH, Karczmarski L, Xia J, Gui D, Wu Y. Phylogeography of the finless porpoise (genus Neophocaena): testing the stepwise divergence hypothesis in the northwestern Pacific. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6572. [PMID: 25303422 PMCID: PMC4193091 DOI: 10.1038/srep06572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We used 344 mitochondrial control region (717 bp) sequences from the finless porpoise (genus Neophocaena) from the northwestern Pacific to investigate the extent and manner in which past climatic oscillations may have shaped patterns of genetic diversity for this marine mammal. Both SplitsTree and Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) revealed the presence of a deep divergence among N. phocaenoides in subtropical waters compared with N. asiaeorientalis in temperate waters. Results from Migrate-n indicated that migration increased along the continent during the early Pleistocene period. Migration increased, although to a lesser extent than that during the Pleistocene, along the marginal shelf in the Yellow/Bohai Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) due to a shortening coastline. Our results suggest that the current patterns of genetic diversity of Neophocaena vary at a hierarchy on a temporal and spatial scale, and phylogeographic history should be taken into account when examining species population structure and taxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhi Lin
- 1] Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China [2] Guangdong Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve, Zhuhai 519080, PR China
| | - Céline H Frère
- Center for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Leszek Karczmarski
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Cape d'Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong
| | - Jia Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Duan Gui
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Yuping Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
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24
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Geographic and Sexual Variations in Body Size, Morphology, and Diet among Five Populations of Green Pythons (Morelia viridis). J HERPETOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1670/12-207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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25
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Ciavaglia S, Donnellan S, Henry J, Linacre A. Species identification of protected carpet pythons suitable for degraded forensic samples. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2014; 10:295-305. [DOI: 10.1007/s12024-014-9573-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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26
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Graham Reynolds R, Niemiller ML, Revell LJ. Toward a Tree-of-Life for the boas and pythons: Multilocus species-level phylogeny with unprecedented taxon sampling. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2014; 71:201-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Revised: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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27
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Georges A, Zhang X, Unmack P, Reid BN, Le M, McCord WP. Contemporary genetic structure of an endemic freshwater turtle reflects Miocene orogenesis of New Guinea. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Xiuwen Zhang
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Peter Unmack
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Brenden N. Reid
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology; University of Wisconsin; 1630 Linden Drive Madison WI 53706 USA
| | - Minh Le
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences; Hanoi University of Science; 334 Nguyen Trai Road Hanoi Vietnam
- Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies; 19 Le Thanh Tong Street Hanoi Vietnam
- Department of Herpetology; American Museum of Natural History; New York NY 10024 USA
| | - William P. McCord
- East Fishkill Animal Hospital; 455, Route 82 Hopewell Junction NY 12533 USA
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28
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Seah IM, Ambrose L, Cooper RD, Beebe NW. Multilocus population genetic analysis of the Southwest Pacific malaria vector Anopheles punctulatus. Int J Parasitol 2013; 43:825-35. [PMID: 23747927 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Revised: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The population structure and history of the cryptic malaria vector species, Anopheles punctulatus (Doenitz), was investigated throughout Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with the aim of detailing genetic subdivisions and the potential for movement through this biogeographically complex region. We obtained larval collections from over 80 sites and utilised a diverse array of molecular markers that evolve through different processes. Individuals were initially identified to species and genotyped using the ribosomal DNA second internal transcribed spacer. DNA sequencing of a single copy nuclear ribosomal protein S9 and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I loci were then investigated and 12 nuclear microsatellite markers were developed and analysed. Our data revealed three genetically distinct populations--one in Papua New Guinea, the second on Buka Island (Bougainville Province, Papua New Guinea), and the third on Guadalcanal Island (Solomon Islands). Genetic differentiation within Papua New Guinea was much lower than that found in studies of other closely related species in the region. The data does suggest that A. punctulatus has undergone a population bottleneck followed by a recent population and range expansion in Papua New Guinea. Humans and regional economic growth may be facilitating this population expansion, as A. punctulatus is able to rapidly occupy human modified landscapes and traverse unsealed roads. We therefore anticipate extensive movement of this species through New Guinea--particularly into the highlands, with a potential increase in malaria frequency in a warming climate--as well as relatively unrestricted gene flow of advantageous alleles that may confound vector control efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignatius M Seah
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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29
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Oliver LA, Rittmeyer EN, Kraus F, Richards SJ, Austin CC. Phylogeny and phylogeography of Mantophryne (Anura: Microhylidae) reveals cryptic diversity in New Guinea. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2013; 67:600-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Irestedt M, Fabre PH, Batalha-Filho H, Jønsson KA, Roselaar CS, Sangster G, Ericson PGP. The spatio-temporal colonization and diversification across the Indo-Pacific by a 'great speciator' (Aves, Erythropitta erythrogaster). Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130309. [PMID: 23554394 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Indo-Pacific region has arguably been the most important area for the formulation of theories about biogeography and speciation, but modern studies of the tempo, mode and magnitude of diversification across this region are scarce. We study the biogeographic history and characterize levels of diversification in the wide-ranging passerine bird Erythropitta erythrogaster using molecular, phylogeographic and population genetics methods, as well as morphometric and plumage analyses. Our results suggest that E. erythrogaster colonized the Indo-Pacific during the Pleistocene in an eastward direction following a stepping stone pathway, and that sea-level fluctuations during the Pleistocene may have promoted gene flow only locally. A molecular species delimitation test suggests that several allopatric island populations of E. erythrogaster may be regarded as species. Most of these putative new species are further characterized by diagnostic differences in plumage. Our study reconfirms the E. erythrogaster complex as a 'great speciator': it represents a complex of up to 17 allopatrically distributed, reciprocally monophyletic and/or morphologically diagnosable species that originated during the Pleistocene. Our results support the view that observed latitudinal gradients of genetic divergence among avian sister species may have been affected by incomplete knowledge of taxonomic limits in tropical bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Irestedt
- Department of Biodiversity Informatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, PO Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
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31
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KREY KELIOPAS, FARAJALLAH ACHMAD. Skin Histology and Microtopography of Papuan White Snake (Micropechis ikaheka) in Relation to Their Zoogeographical Distribution. HAYATI JOURNAL OF BIOSCIENCES 2013. [DOI: 10.4308/hjb.20.1.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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32
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Ambrose L, Riginos C, Cooper RD, Leow KS, Ong W, Beebe NW. Population structure, mitochondrial polyphyly and the repeated loss of human biting ability in anopheline mosquitoes from the southwest Pacific. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:4327-43. [PMID: 22747666 PMCID: PMC3470930 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2012.05690.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Revised: 04/27/2012] [Accepted: 05/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Australia and New Guinea contain high levels of endemism and biodiversity, yet there have been few evaluations of population-level genetic diversity in fauna occurring throughout the Australo-Papuan region. Using extensive geographical sampling, we examined and compared the phylogenetic relationships, phylogeography and population structure of Anopheles farauti, An. hinesorum and An. irenicus throughout their ranges in the southwest Pacific using mitochondrial (mtDNA COI) and nuclear (ribosomal protein S9 and ribosomal DNA ITS2) loci. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the ability to utilize humans as hosts has been lost repeatedly, coincident with independent colonizations of the Solomon Islands. As some of the species under investigation transmit malaria in the region, this is a medically important finding. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of nuclear loci also showed that the three species are monophyletic. However, putative introgression of An. hinesorum mtDNA onto a nuclear background of An. farauti was evident in populations from Queensland, Torres Strait and southern New Guinea. Haplotype networks and pairwise F(ST) values show that there is significant genetic structure within New Guinea and Australia in both An. farauti and An. hinesorum, consistent with a long-term history of low gene flow among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ambrose
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Qld. 4072, Australia
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33
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Natusch DJD, Lyons JA. Relationships between ontogenetic changes in prey selection, head shape, sexual maturity, and colour in an Australasian python (Morelia viridis). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01941.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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34
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Xiao JH, Wang NX, Murphy RW, Cook J, Jia LY, Huang DW. Wolbachia infection and dramatic intraspecific mitochondrial DNA divergence in a fig wasp. Evolution 2012; 66:1907-16. [PMID: 22671555 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01561.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria and Wolbachia are maternally inherited genomes that exhibit strong linkage disequilibrium in many organisms. We surveyed Wolbachia infections in 187 specimens of the fig wasp species, Ceratosolen solmsi, and found an infection prevalence of 89.3%. DNA sequencing of 20 individuals each from Wolbachia-infected and -uninfected subpopulations revealed extreme mtDNA divergence (up to 9.2% and 15.3% in CO1 and cytochrome b, respectively) between infected and uninfected wasps. Further, mtDNA diversity was significantly reduced within the infected group. Our sequencing of a large part of the mitochondrial genome from both Wolbachia-infected and -uninfected individuals revealed that high sequence divergence is common throughout the mitochondrial genome. These patterns suggest a partial selective sweep of mitochondria subsequent to the introduction of Wolbachia into C. solsmi, by hybrid introgression from a related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Hua Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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35
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Kearns AM, Joseph L, Omland KE, Cook LG. Testing the effect of transient Plio-Pleistocene barriers in monsoonal Australo-Papua: did mangrove habitats maintain genetic connectivity in the Black Butcherbird? Mol Ecol 2011; 20:5042-59. [PMID: 22060632 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05330.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Changes in climate and sea level are hypothesized to have promoted the diversification of biota in monsoonal Australia and New Guinea by causing repeated range disjunctions and restricting gene flow between isolated populations. Using a multilocus (one mtDNA locus, five nuclear introns) phylogeographic approach, we test whether populations of the mangrove and rainforest restricted Black Butcherbird (Cracticus quoyi) have diverged across several geographic barriers defined a priori for this region. Phylogeographic structure and estimates of divergence times revealed Plio-Pleistocene divergences and long-term restricted gene flow of populations on either side of four major geographic barriers between and within Australia and New Guinea. Overall, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that mesic-adapted species did not disperse across the open dry woodlands and grasslands that dominated the transient palaeo-landbridges during the Plio-Pleistocene despite the presence of mangrove forests that might have acted as dispersal corridors for mesic-adapted species. Our study offers one of the first multilocus perspectives on the impact of changes in climate and sea level on the population history of widespread species with disjunct ranges in Australia and New Guinea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Kearns
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
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36
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Phylogenetics of the pademelons (Macropodidae: Thylogale) and historical biogeography of the Australo-Papuan region. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2010; 57:1134-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2010] [Revised: 05/23/2010] [Accepted: 08/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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37
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Sallaberry-Pincheira N, Garin CF, González-Acuña D, Sallaberry MA, Vianna JA. Genetic divergence of Chilean long-tailed snake (Philodryas chamissonis) across latitudes: conservation threats for different lineages. DIVERS DISTRIB 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2010.00729.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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38
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Schleip WD, O’Shea M. Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution. Zookeys 2010; 66:29-80. [PMID: 21594030 PMCID: PMC3088416 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.66.683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2009] [Accepted: 09/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
McDiarmid et al. (1999) published the first part of their planned taxonomic catalog of the snakes of the world. Since then, several new python taxa have been described in both the scientific literature and non-peer-reviewed publications. This checklist evaluates the nomenclatural status of the names and discusses the taxonomic status of the new taxa, and aims to continue the work of McDiarmid et al. (1999) for the family Pythonidae, covering the period 1999 to 2010. Numerous new taxa are listed, and where appropriate recent synonymies are included and annotations are made. A checklist and a taxonomic identification key of valid taxa are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark O’Shea
- Australian Venom Research Unit, Dept. Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Vic., 3010, Australia
- Reptile Department, West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley, Worcs., DY12 1LF, United Kingdom
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39
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Cook BD, Hughes JM. Historical population connectivity and fragmentation in a tropical freshwater fish with a disjunct distribution (pennyfish, Denariusa bandata). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1899/09-087.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Cook
- Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge Commonwealth Environmental Research Facility, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Queensland, 4111 Australia
| | - Jane M. Hughes
- Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge Commonwealth Environmental Research Facility, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Queensland, 4111 Australia
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40
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Population genetics of ecological communities with DNA barcodes: an example from New Guinea Lepidoptera. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:5041-6. [PMID: 20202924 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0913084107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative population genetics of ecological guilds can reveal generalities in patterns of differentiation bearing on hypotheses regarding the origin and maintenance of community diversity. Contradictory estimates of host specificity and beta diversity in tropical Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) from New Guinea and the Americas have sparked debate on the role of host-associated divergence and geographic isolation in explaining latitudinal diversity gradients. We sampled haplotypes of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I from 28 Lepidoptera species and 1,359 individuals across four host plant genera and eight sites in New Guinea to estimate population divergence in relation to host specificity and geography. Analyses of molecular variance and haplotype networks indicate varying patterns of genetic structure among ecologically similar sympatric species. One-quarter lacked evidence of isolation by distance or host-associated differentiation, whereas 21% exhibited both. Fourteen percent of the species exhibited host-associated differentiation without geographic isolation, 18% showed the opposite, and 21% were equivocal, insofar as analyses of molecular variance and haplotype networks yielded incongruent patterns. Variation in dietary breadth among community members suggests that speciation by specialization is an important, but not universal, mechanism for diversification of tropical Lepidoptera. Geographically widespread haplotypes challenge predictions of vicariance biogeography. Dispersal is important, and Lepidoptera communities appear to be highly dynamic according to the various phylogeographic histories of component species. Population genetic comparisons among herbivores of major tropical and temperate regions are needed to test predictions of ecological theory and evaluate global patterns of biodiversity.
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Metzger GA, Kraus F, Allison A, Parkinson CL. Uncovering cryptic diversity in Aspidomorphus (Serpentes: Elapidae): Evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2010; 54:405-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2009] [Revised: 07/21/2009] [Accepted: 07/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Austin CC, Spataro M, Peterson S, Jordan J, McVay JD. Conservation genetics of Boelen’s python (Morelia boeleni) from New Guinea: reduced genetic diversity and divergence of captive and wild animals. CONSERV GENET 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-009-9931-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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43
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Haponski AE, Stepien CA. Molecular, morphological, and biogeographic resolution of cryptic taxa in the Greenside Darter Etheostoma blennioides complex. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2008; 49:69-83. [PMID: 18703148 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2007] [Revised: 06/13/2008] [Accepted: 07/20/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The systematic identity and genetic divergence of cryptic taxa and morphological subspecies in the Greenside Darter Etheostoma blennioides complex are analyzed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data, along with morphological characters. We sequenced the mtDNA cytochrome b gene and control region and is the nuclear S7 intron 1 for 345 Greenside Darters from 19 locations across their distribution including areas of sympatry and allopatry, in comparison to putative sister species and relatives. Results provide the first genetic evidence that E. gutselli is a separate species and is the sister species of E. blennius, which together with E. rupestre comprise the sister group to the Greenside Darter complex; separating approximately 4.0 mya. MtDNA results show that the complex comprises 6 clades and supports only the morphological subspecies Etheostoma blennioides blennioides, distinguished by theta(ST)=0.94, approximately 1.7 my, scale counts, and ventral squamation. The former E. b. pholidotum and E. b. newmanii are polyphyletic and are invalid taxa, together comprising 5 differentiated clades that diverged approximately 0.90-1.7 mya. Nuclear DNA results recover some of the mtDNA clades, which are distinguished morphologically by subtle meristic count differences. Populations of E. b. blennioides genetically diverge, with diversity increasing to the southwest; attributed to restricted gene flow and genetic isolation with geographic distance. Samples of the former E. b. pholidotum from the Great Lakes/Wabash River clade are less divergent, with diversity increasing to the southwest, reflecting allopatric fragmentation and isolation by distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Haponski
- Great Lakes Genetics Laboratory, Lake Erie Center and Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, 6200 Bayshore Road, Toledo, OH 43618, USA
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44
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McGaugh SE, Eckerman CM, Janzen FJ. Molecular phylogeography of Apalone spinifera (Reptilia, Trionychidae). ZOOL SCR 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00329.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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45
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RAWLINGS LESLEYH, RABOSKY DANIELL, DONNELLAN STEPHENC, HUTCHINSON MARKN. Python phylogenetics: inference from morphology and mitochondrial DNA. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00904.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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46
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Abstract
Hybrid breakdown, or outbreeding depression, is the loss of fitness observed in crosses between genetically divergent populations. The role of maternally inherited mitochondrial genomes in hybrid breakdown has not been widely examined. Using laboratory crosses of the marine copepod Tigriopus californicus, we report that the low fitness of F(3) hybrids is completely restored in the offspring of maternal backcrosses, where parental mitochondrial and nuclear genomic combinations are reassembled. Paternal backcrosses, which result in mismatched mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, fail to restore hybrid fitness. These results suggest that fitness loss in T. californicus hybrids is completely attributable to nuclear-mitochondrial genomic interactions. Analyses of ATP synthetic capacity in isolated mitochondria from hybrid and backcross animals found that reduced ATP synthesis in hybrids was also largely restored in backcrosses, again with maternal backcrosses outperforming paternal backcrosses. The strong fitness consequences of nuclear-mitochondrial interactions have important, and often overlooked, implications for evolutionary and conservation biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K Ellison
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
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47
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Wilson D, Heinsohn R. Geographic range, population structure and conservation status of the green python (Morelia viridis), a popular snake in the captive pet trade. AUST J ZOOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1071/zo06078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Accurate knowledge of distribution and population size is required for effective conservation and management of wild species. Here we report on the first estimates of the distribution and density of the green python (Morelia viridis), an iconic rainforest species widely kept in captivity. We used climatic modelling to predict its distribution in Papua New Guinea, and both climate and vegetation mapping to predict its Australian distribution. We used mark–recapture methods to estimate the density and population structure of green pythons at Iron Range, northern Australia. Bioclimatic analyses suggested that there is extensive climatically suitable habitat in Papua New Guinea (≥200 000 km2), but very little in Australia (~300 km2). However, use of vegetation maps increases the predicted suitable area of occupancy in Australia to 3127 km2, including nine regional ecosystems. Density estimates at Iron Range were 4–5 ha–1 in the complex vine forest regional ecosystem; however, only half of these were mature adults. The large predicted area of occurrence and the high density in the one intensively studied area suggest that the species is not vulnerable to extinction in the short term. However, more studies are needed in both New Guinea and Australia, especially to quantify the impact of harvesting green pythons for the pet trade.
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48
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Molecular Relationships of New Guinean Three-Striped Dasyures, (Myoictis, Marsupialia: Dasyuridae). J MAMM EVOL 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-006-9023-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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49
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Wilson D, Heinsohn R, Wood J. Life-history traits and ontogenetic colour change in an arboreal tropical python, Morelia viridis. J Zool (1987) 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00190.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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50
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SANDERS KATEL, MALHOTRA ANITA, THORPE ROGERS. Combining molecular, morphological and ecological data to infer species boundaries in a cryptic tropical pitviper. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00568.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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