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Domanico M, Cavadini P, Nardini R, Cecca D, Mastrandrea G, Eleni C, Galietta V, Attili L, Pizzarelli A, Onorati R, Amoruso C, Stilli D, Pacchiarotti G, Merzoni F, Caprioli A, Ricci I, Battisti A, Lavazza A, Scicluna MT. Pathological and virological insights from an outbreak of European brown hare syndrome in the Italian hare ( Lepus corsicanus). Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1250787. [PMID: 37928681 PMCID: PMC10622795 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1250787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease, mainly affecting European brown hares (Lepus europaeus). The etiological agent, EBHS virus (EBHSV), belongs to the Lagovirus genus within the Caliciviridae family. The Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) is endemic to Central-Southern Italy and Sicily and is classified as a vulnerable species. L. corsicanus is known to be susceptible to EBHS, but virological data available is scarce due to the few cases detected so far. In this study, we describe the occurrence of EBHS in two free-ranging L. corsicanus, found dead in a protected area of Central Italy. The two hares were identified as L. corsicanus using phenotypic criteria and confirmed through mitochondrial DNA analysis. Distinctive EBHS gross lesions were observed at necropsy and confirmed by subsequent histological examination. EBHSV was detected in the livers of the two animals initially using an antigen detection ELISA, followed by an EBHSV-specific reverse transcription-PCR, thus confirming the viral infection as the probable cause of death. The EBHS viruses detected in the two hares were identical, as based on blast analysis performed for the VP60 sequences and showed 98.86% nucleotide identity and 100% amino acid identity with strain EBHSV/GER-BY/EI97.L03477/2019, isolated in Germany in 2019. Phylogenetic analysis places our virus in group B, which includes strains that emerged after the mid-1980s. This study supports previous reports of EBHS in L. corsicanus and further expands the knowledge of the pathological and virological characteristics of the etiological agent. The ability of EBHSV to cause a fatal disease in the Italian hare represents a serious threat to the conservation of this vulnerable species, especially in populations kept in enclosed protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariagiovanna Domanico
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Cavadini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberto Nardini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Cecca
- Segretariato Generale della Presidenza della Repubblica—Servizio Tenuta di Castelporziano, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Mastrandrea
- Segretariato Generale della Presidenza della Repubblica—Servizio Tenuta di Castelporziano, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Eleni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Galietta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Attili
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Pizzarelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Onorati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Amoruso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Donatella Stilli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Pacchiarotti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Merzoni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrea Caprioli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Ida Ricci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Battisti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Scicluna
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), Rome, Italy
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Brustenga L, Franciosini MP, Diaferia M, Rigamonti G, Musa L, Russomanno BL, Veronesi F. Parasitological Survey in European Brown Hare ( Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) Breeding Facilities in Southern Italy. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020208. [PMID: 36839480 PMCID: PMC9964568 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites are considered important regulating factors of hosts' population dynamics, not only in free-ranging wildlife, but also in captive bred animals. To date, only few studies have been carried out to assess the parasitic communities of the European brown hare in Southern Italy, and only one focused on animals in captivity. The aim of the present survey was to assess the composition of the endoparasite community in game hares bred for restocking purposes. For this purpose, 215 fecal pools collected in eight different breeding facilities were examined by qualitative and quantitative coprological techniques. Parasites characterized by a direct life cycle, including six species of coccidia from the genus Eimeria and the nematode Trichostrongylus retorataeformis, proved to be the most prevalent parasites. Further helminthic infestations by Passalurus ambiguous, Strongylosides papillosus, Cittotenia spp. and Dicrocoelium dendriticum were also detected, but with an overall prevalence lower than 20%. The present study contributes to increasing knowledge on the health status of a poorly investigated species, and is useful for optimizing breeding efforts in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Brustenga
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo, 6, 06126 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Franciosini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo, 6, 06126 Perugia, Italy
| | - Manuela Diaferia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo, 6, 06126 Perugia, Italy
| | - Giulia Rigamonti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo, 6, 06126 Perugia, Italy
| | - Laura Musa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo, 6, 06126 Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Fabrizia Veronesi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo, 6, 06126 Perugia, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-075-585-7744
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Guarniero I, Bellinello E, Trocchi V, Giannini F, Sulliotti V, Stancampiano L. Helminth biocoenosis of Lepus europaeus meridiei (Hilzheimer, 1906) from Pianosa island, Italy. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 19:105-109. [PMID: 36105680 PMCID: PMC9467855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pianosa is a 10 km2 Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea which is part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. In this island lives a brown hare population which, according to the literature, belongs to the ancestral taxon Lepus europaeus meridei that offers a unique opportunity to observe how the parasite biocoenosis shapes in condition of isolation, limited space availability and high population density. The aim of this work is to describe the helminth component community of a non-managed, isolated, and dense hare population, evaluating host-parasite relationship and parasite community structure. All 26 analyzed hares (13 males and 13 females) were in good physical conditions, and all of them harboured exclusively the nematode Protostrongylus oryctolagi only. This is the first report of this lungworm species in Italy. The estimated overall abundance was 48.15 worms per examined hare (range 3-258, median 50) and the parasites were unevenly distributed across host population, with few hosts having most parasites (aggregated or overdispersed distribution). No significant relationship was detected between the number of isolated parasites and hare sex and weigh. The effect of the isolation of Pianosa's hare population seems to have acted reducing parasite richness, while the high host density is probably the cause of the high prevalence and abundance of the single helminth species collected. In conclusion, despite the low impact of parasites confirmed also by the overdispersed parasite distribution, the low diversity of the studied parasite community sounds a warning for the management of the hare population and the whole Pianosa's ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Guarniero
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064, Ozzano nell’Emilia, (BO), Italy
| | - Enrica Bellinello
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064, Ozzano nell’Emilia, (BO), Italy
- Azienda USL Bologna, Sanità Pubblica veterinaria, Via Fornaci 343/2, 40038, Vergato, (BO), Italy
| | - Valter Trocchi
- Italian Hunting Federation, via Salaria 298/A, 00144, Roma, Italy
| | - Francesca Giannini
- Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano, Ufficio conservazione e tutela della biodiversità, Loc. Enfola, 16, 57037, Portoferraio, (LI), Italy
| | - Valerio Sulliotti
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064, Ozzano nell’Emilia, (BO), Italy
| | - Laura Stancampiano
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064, Ozzano nell’Emilia, (BO), Italy
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Andrea C. As fast as a hare: did intraspecific morphological change bring the Hallands Väderö Island population of Lepus timidus close to interspecific differences in less than 150 years? ZOOLOGY 2022; 152:126014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2022.126014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Viviano A, Mori E, Fattorini N, Mazza G, Lazzeri L, Panichi A, Strianese L, Mohamed WF. Spatiotemporal Overlap between the European Brown Hare and Its Potential Predators and Competitors. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:562. [PMID: 33669965 PMCID: PMC7924828 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of spatiotemporal partitioning is pivotal to shed light on interspecific coexistence. Most research effort has involved large-sized carnivores and their prey, whereas little attention has been devoted to lagomorphs. We assessed spatiotemporal overlap among the European brown hare Lepus europaeus and its potential competitors and predators through camera-trapping in an area in Central Italy. We estimated the interspecific patterns of the spatiotemporal activity rhythms of brown hares, its potential predators (the red fox Vulpes vulpes, the pine marten Martes martes, the domestic cat Felis catus, and the domestic dog Canis familiaris), and a competitor, the roe deer Capreolus capreolus. Brown hare activity was studied in natural conditions as well as in a fenced area that excluded terrestrial predators and competitors. Free-ranging hares developed a more nocturnal behavior to avoid diurnal predators (i.e., domestic carnivores and martens). Although high temporal overlap was observed between free-ranging brown hares and both red foxes (82%) and roe deer (81%), hares avoided fox by being more active on darkest nights, as well as avoided roe deer through spatial partitioning. We suggest that hares may adapt their spatiotemporal behavior to avoid potential predators and competitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Viviano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università degli Studi di Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Niccolò Fattorini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali e Politiche–ESP, Università di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Mazza
- CREA Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification, Cascine del Riccio, 50125 Firenze, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Lazzeri
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Panichi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, dell’Università di Firenze, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
| | - Luigi Strianese
- Associazione Nazionale Libera Caccia, 58100 Grosseto, Italy;
| | - Walid Fathy Mohamed
- Department of Biological and Geological Sciences, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, Cairo 11566, Egypt;
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Buglione M, Petrelli S, de Filippo G, Troiano C, Rivieccio E, Notomista T, Maselli V, di Martino L, Carafa M, Gregorio R, Latini R, Fortebraccio M, Romeo G, Biliotti C, Fulgione D. Contribution to the ecology of the Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus). Sci Rep 2020; 10:13071. [PMID: 32753640 PMCID: PMC7403147 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70013-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) is endemic to Central-Southern Italy and Sicily, classified as vulnerable due to habitat alterations, low density and fragmented populations and ecological competition with the sympatric European hare (Lepus europaeus). Despite this status, only few and local studies have explored its ecological features. We provided some key traits of the ecological niche of the Italian hare as well as its potential distribution in the Italian peninsula. All data derived from genetically validated presences. We generated a habitat suitability model using maximum entropy distribution model for the Italian hare and its main competitor, the European hare. The dietary habits were obtained for the Italian hare with DNA metabarcoding and High-Throughput Sequencing on faecal pellets. The most relevant environmental variables affecting the potential distribution of the Italian hare are shared with the European hare, suggesting a potential competition. The variation in the observed altitudinal distribution is statistically significant between the two species.The diet of the Italian hare all year around includes 344 plant taxa accounted by 62 families. The Fagaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae and Solanaceae (counts > 20,000) represented the 90.22% of the total diet. Fabaceae (60.70%) and Fagaceae (67.47%) were the most abundant plant items occurring in the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter diets, respectively. The Spring/Summer diet showed richness (N = 266) and diversity index values (Shannon: 2.329, Evenness: 0.03858, Equitability: 0.4169) higher than the Autumn/Winter diet (N = 199, Shannon: 1.818, Evenness: 0.03096, Equitability: 0.3435). Our contribution adds important information to broaden the knowledge on the environmental (spatial and trophic) requirements of the Italian hare, representing effective support for fitting management actions in conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Petrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Troiano
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Tommaso Notomista
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Romano Gregorio
- Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni National Park, Salerno, Italy
| | - Roberta Latini
- Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, Pescasseroli, Aquila, Italy
| | | | - Giorgia Romeo
- Wildlife Section, Tuscan Regional Council, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Claudia Biliotti
- SOS Animali Onlus, Wildlife Rescue Center, Semproniano, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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Who is who? High Resolution Melting analysis to discern between hare species using non-invasive sampling. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-020-01153-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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8
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Naldi L, Greco I, Ferretti M, Zaccaroni M. Density Estimates and Habitat Preferences of the European Hare (Lepus europaeus) on Mountainous Areas in Italy. MAMMAL STUDY 2020. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2019-0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Naldi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ilaria Greco
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Ferretti
- Regione Toscana, Corso Gramsci 110, IT-51100 Pistoia, Italy
| | - Marco Zaccaroni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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10
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Unidirectional Introgression and Evidence of Hybrid Superiority over Parental Populations in Eastern Iranian Plateau Population of Hares (Mammalia: Lepus Linnaeus, 1758). J MAMM EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-019-09478-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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11
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Huang ZY, Li SY, Lu W, Zheng XL. Structure and Sense Organs of Ovipositors of an Endoparasitoid Aprostocetus causalis and an Ectoparasitoid Quadrastichus mendeli in Leptocybe spp. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2019; 25:250-256. [PMID: 30712524 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927618015647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Little is known of the olfactory mechanisms of host detection in the ovipositors of endoparasitoids and ectoparasitoids. An endoparasitoid Aprostocetus causalis La Salle & Wu (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and an ectoparasitoid Quadrastichus mendeli Kim & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae) are the two parasitoids of the eucalyptus gall wasp Leptocybe spp. Structures and sense organs of ovipositors of A. causalis and Q. mendeli were studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, which provided essential information for exploring the mechanism of host detection by endoparasitoid and ectoparasitoid. The ovipositors of two parasitoids consisted of the first and second valvulae and ended in a pointed tip. There were three types of microtrichia, two types of sensilla chaetica, and one type of sensilla campaniformia on the ovipositors of A. causalis and Q. mendeli. However, Q. mendeli has the fourth type of microtrichia on the ovipositor. The morphology, types, distribution, length, and width of these sensilla and microtrichia were described, and their possible functions are discussed in conjunction with the stinging, oviposition, and the host selection process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong-You Huang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education,College of Agriculture,Guangxi University,Nanning 530004,China
| | - Si-Yan Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education,College of Agriculture,Guangxi University,Nanning 530004,China
| | - Wen Lu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education,College of Agriculture,Guangxi University,Nanning 530004,China
| | - Xia-Lin Zheng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education,College of Agriculture,Guangxi University,Nanning 530004,China
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Mengoni C, Trocchi V, Mucci N, Gotti C, Giannini F, Mallia E, Geminiani C, Baccetti N. The secret of Pianosa island: an Italian native population of European brown hare (Lepus europaeus meridiei Hilzheimer, 1906). CONSERV GENET 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-018-1077-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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13
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Tolesa Z, Bekele E, Tesfaye K, Ben Slimen H, Valqui J, Getahun A, Hartl GB, Suchentrunk F. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA reveals reticulate evolution in hares (Lepus spp., Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from Ethiopia. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180137. [PMID: 28767659 PMCID: PMC5540492 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
For hares (Lepus spp., Leporidae, Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from Ethiopia no conclusive molecular phylogenetic data are available. To provide a first molecular phylogenetic model for the Abyssinian Hare (Lepus habessinicus), the Ethiopian Hare (L. fagani), and the Ethiopian Highland Hare (L. starcki) and their evolutionary relationships to hares from Africa, Eurasia, and North America, we phylogenetically analysed mitochondrial ATPase subunit 6 (ATP6; n = 153 / 416bp) and nuclear transferrin (TF; n = 155 / 434bp) sequences of phenotypically determined individuals. For the hares from Ethiopia, genotype composition at twelve microsatellite loci (n = 107) was used to explore both interspecific gene pool separation and levels of current hybridization, as has been observed in some other Lepus species. For phylogenetic analyses ATP6 and TF sequences of Lepus species from South and North Africa (L. capensis, L. saxatilis), the Anatolian peninsula and Europe (L. europaeus, L. timidus) were also produced and additional TF sequences of 18 Lepus species retrieved from GenBank were included as well. Median joining networks, neighbour joining, maximum likelihood analyses, as well as Bayesian inference resulted in similar models of evolution of the three species from Ethiopia for the ATP6 and TF sequences, respectively. The Ethiopian species are, however, not monophyletic, with signatures of contemporary uni- and bidirectional mitochondrial introgression and/ or shared ancestral polymorphism. Lepus habessinicus carries mtDNA distinct from South African L. capensis and North African L. capensis sensu lato; that finding is not in line with earlier suggestions of its conspecificity with L. capensis. Lepus starcki has mtDNA distinct from L. capensis and L. europaeus, which is not in line with earlier suggestions to include it either in L. capensis or L. europaeus. Lepus fagani shares mitochondrial haplotypes with the other two species from Ethiopia, despite its distinct phenotypic and microsatellite differences; moreover, it is not represented by a species-specific mitochondrial haplogroup, suggesting considerable mitochondrial capture by the other species from Ethiopia or species from other parts of Africa. Both mitochondrial and nuclear sequences indicate close phylogenetic relationships among all three Lepus species from Ethiopia, with L. fagani being surprisingly tightly connected to L. habessinicus. TF sequences suggest close evolutionary relationships between the three Ethiopian species and Cape hares from South and North Africa; they further suggest that hares from Ethiopia hold a position ancestral to many Eurasian and North American species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelalem Tolesa
- Department of Biology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
- Zoologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Endashaw Bekele
- Department of Microbial, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Kassahun Tesfaye
- Department of Microbial, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Centre of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Hichem Ben Slimen
- Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Béja, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Béja, Tunisia
| | - Juan Valqui
- Zoologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Abebe Getahun
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Günther B. Hartl
- Zoologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Rugge C, Mallia E, Perna A, Trocchi V, Freschi P. First contribute to the characterization of coat in Lepus corsicanus and Lepus europaeus by colorimetric determinations. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.4081/ijas.2009.s2.802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Rugge
- Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Animali, Università della Basilicata, Italy
| | - Egidio Mallia
- Veterinario del Parco Regionale di Gallipoli Cognato Piccole Dolomiti Lucane, Italy
| | - Annamaria Perna
- Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Animali, Università della Basilicata, Italy
| | - Valter Trocchi
- Istituto Superiore Protezione e Ricerca Ambiente ex INFS, Italy
| | - Pierangelo Freschi
- Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Animali, Università della Basilicata, Italy
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15
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Freschi P, Fascetti S, Musto M, Cosentino C, Paolino R, Valentini V. Seasonal variation in food habits of the Italian hare in a south Apennine semi-natural landscape. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1022906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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16
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Stott P. Factors influencing the importation and establishment in Australia of the European hare (Lepus europaeus). AUST J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/zo14037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Hares were introduced into Australia early in the period of European settlement. This study examined historical issues of newspapers and other historical sources to ascertain the number of importations, the number of hares landed alive, their destinations, relevant habitat characteristics at the sites of the releases, and whether the propagules became established and spread. Forty shipments were identified, and one or more live hares were landed from 27 of those shipments, totalling ~86 live hares, and resulted in the establishment of 10 populations of hares. The climate and the grasses at the known release sites were suitable for Lepus europaeus and predators were rigorously suppressed, which, acting together with the wealth, power, influence, and determination of the proponents of the importations, made establishment of hares in Australia almost certain. However, 11 of the hares landed alive were almost certainly L. nigricollis, and the fates of seven of those hares are not known. There are populations of hares in Australia at sites suited to L. nigricollis but not L. europaeus on the basis of climate and availability of C4 grass types, and the taxonomic status of those hares should be examined.
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17
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Mengoni C, Mucci N, Randi E. Genetic diversity and no evidences of recent hybridization in the endemic Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus). CONSERV GENET 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-014-0674-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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18
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Detection of the new emerging rabbit haemorrhagic disease type 2 virus (RHDV2) in Sicily from rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus). Res Vet Sci 2014; 97:642-5. [PMID: 25458493 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2014.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 09/27/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), a member of the genus Lagovirus, causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), a fatal hepatitis of rabbits, not previously reported in hares. Recently, a new RHDV-related virus emerged, called RHDV2. This lagovirus can cause RHD in rabbits and disease and mortality in Lepus capensis (Cape hare). Here we describe a case of RHDV2 infection in another hare species, Lepus corsicanus, during a concurrent RHD outbreak in a group of wild rabbits. The same RHDV2 strain infected rabbits and a hare, also causing a RHD-like syndrome in the latter. Our findings confirmed the capability of RHDV2 to infect hosts other than rabbits and improve the knowledge about the epidemiology and the host range of this new lagovirus.
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19
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Freschi P, Fascetti S, Musto M, Mallia E, Blasi AC, Cosentino C, Paolino R. Diet of the Apennine hare in a southern Italy Regional Park. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-014-0799-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [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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20
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Hares in Corsica: high prevalence of Lepus corsicanus and hybridization with introduced L. europaeus and L. granatensis. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-010-0430-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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21
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Landscape fragmentation and habitat suitability in endangered Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) and European hare (Lepus europaeus) populations. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-009-0256-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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22
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Alves PC, Melo-Ferreira J, Branco M, Suchentrunk F, Ferrand N, Harris DJ. Evidence for genetic similarity of two allopatric European hares (Lepus corsicanus and L. castroviejoi) inferred from nuclear DNA sequences. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2007; 46:1191-7. [PMID: 18178109 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2007] [Revised: 11/02/2007] [Accepted: 11/15/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P C Alves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
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23
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Wu C, Wu J, Bunch TD, Li Q, Wang Y, Zhang YP. Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of Lepus in Eastern Asia based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2005; 37:45-61. [PMID: 15990340 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2004] [Revised: 04/29/2005] [Accepted: 05/12/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In spite of several classification attempts among taxa of the genus Lepus, phylogenetic relationships still remain poorly understood. Here, we present molecular genetic evidence that may resolve some of the current incongruities in the phylogeny of the leporids. The complete mitochondrial cytb, 12S genes, and parts of ND4 and control region fragments were sequenced to examine phylogenetic relationships among Chinese hare taxa and other leporids throughout the World using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction approaches. Using reconstructed phylogenies, we observed that the Chinese hare is not a single monophyletic group as originally thought. Instead, the data infers that the genus Lepus is monophyletic with three unique species groups: North American, Eurasian, and African. Ancestral area analysis indicated that ancestral Lepus arose in North America and then dispersed into Eurasia via the Bering Land Bridge eventually extending to Africa. Brooks Parsimony analysis showed that dispersal events followed by subsequent speciation have occurred in other geographic areas as well and resulted in the rapid radiation and speciation of Lepus. A Bayesian relaxed molecular clock approach based on the continuous autocorrelation of evolutionary rates along branches estimated the divergence time between the three major groups within Lepus. The genus appears to have arisen approximately 10.76 MYA (+/-0.86 MYA), with most speciation events occurring during the Pliocene epoch (5.65+/-1.15 MYA approximately 1.12 +/- 0.47 MYA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhua Wu
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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24
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BELSHAW ROBERT, GRAFEN ALAN, QUICKE DONALDLJ. Inferring life history from ovipositor morphology in parasitoid wasps using phylogenetic regression and discriminant analysis. Zool J Linn Soc 2003. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1096-3642.2003.00078.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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25
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Pierpaoli M, Riga F, Trocchi V, Randi E. Hare populations in Europe: intra and interspecific analysis of mtDNA variation. C R Biol 2003; 326 Suppl 1:S80-4. [PMID: 14558454 DOI: 10.1016/s1631-0691(03)00042-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We report results of a project aimed at analysing genetic diversification in Lepus corsicanus (italian hare), carried out at the INFS as part of an ongoing project on the biology of L. corsicanus. Samples of Italian hare were collected in different localities in central-southern Italy and Sicily. Moreover samples of L. europaeus (brown hare), as well as other species of the genus Lepus, were collected in Italy and Europe in order to define the phylogenetic relationships of the Italian hare. Results show a clear genetic distinction of the Italian hare. Consequently the status of true species is warranted at the molecular level. Phylogenetic relationships among species suggest the presence of two distinct groups, the Italian hare belonging to an evolutionary lineage including species which probably originated in a glacial refugia in southern Europe before colonization by the brown hare. On the other hand the brown hare belongs to a different lineage including species of African origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Pierpaoli
- Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica (INFS), Via Ca' Fornacetta 9, I-40064, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO, Italy.
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26
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Alves PC, Ferrand N, Suchentrunk F, Harris DJ. Ancient introgression of Lepus timidus mtDNA into L. granatensis and L. europaeus in the Iberian Peninsula. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2003; 27:70-80. [PMID: 12679072 DOI: 10.1016/s1055-7903(02)00417-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A 587 bp fragment of cytochrome b sequences from 90 individuals of 15 hare (Lepus) species and two outgroups were phylogenetically analysed and compared to an analysis derived from 474 bp sequences of the nuclear transferrin gene. Mountain hare (Lepus timidus) type mtDNA was observed in L. granatensis and L. europaeus from the Iberian Peninsula, far away from the extant distributional range of L. timidus. In addition to these two hare species, other hare species may also contain mtDNA from L. timidus. This species may have introgressed with other species of Lepus that occur within its present range, or where fossils indicate its historical presence during glacial periods. L. timidus mtDNA is common in the northern part of the L. granatensis range. Finally, we reassessed the phylogenetic relationships of the five European hare species based on both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Alves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO/UP), Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal.
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27
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Gippoliti S, Amori G. Mammal diversity and taxonomy in Italy: implications for conservation. J Nat Conserv 2002. [DOI: 10.1078/1617-1381-00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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