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Dufresnes C, Ghielmi S, Halpern B, Martínez-Freiría F, Mebert K, Jelić D, Crnobrnja-Isailović J, Gippner S, Jablonski D, Joger U, Laddaga L, Petrovan S, Tomović L, Vörös J, İğci N, Kariş M, Zinenko O, Ursenbacher S. Phylogenomic insights into the diversity and evolution of Palearctic vipers. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 197:108095. [PMID: 38729384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Despite decades of molecular research, phylogenetic relationships in Palearctic vipers (genus Vipera) still essentially rely on a few loci, such as mitochondrial barcoding genes. Here we examined the diversity and evolution of Vipera with ddRAD-seq data from 33 representative species and subspecies. Phylogenomic analyses of ∼ 1.1 Mb recovered nine major clades corresponding to known species/species complexes which are generally consistent with the mitochondrial phylogeny, albeit with a few deep discrepancies that highlight past hybridization events. The most spectacular case is the Italian-endemic V. walser, which is grouped with the alpine genetic diversity of V. berus in the nuclear tree despite carrying a divergent mitogenome related to the Caucasian V. kaznakovi complex. Clustering analyses of SNPs suggest potential admixture between diverged Iberian taxa (V. aspis zinnikeri and V. seoanei), and confirm that the Anatolian V. pontica corresponds to occasional hybrids between V. (ammodytes) meridionalis and V. kaznakovi. Finally, all analyzed lineages of the V. berus complex (including V. walser and V. barani) form vast areas of admixture and may be delimited as subspecies. Our study sets grounds for future taxonomic and phylogeographic surveys on Palearctic vipers, a group of prime interest for toxinological, ecological, biogeographic and conservation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- Laboratory for Amphibian Systematics and Evolutionary Research, College of Biology & the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China; Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, Paris, France.
| | | | - Bálint Halpern
- MME Birdlife Hungary, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE-Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; HUN-REN - ELTE - MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Fernando Martínez-Freiría
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Konrad Mebert
- Global Biology, 5242 Birr, Switzerland; Institute of Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Dusan Jelić
- Croatian Institute for Biodiversity, BIOTA Ltd, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailović
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research « S. Stanković », University of Belgrade - National Institute for Republic of Serbia, 11108 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sven Gippner
- Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ulrich Joger
- State Museum of Natural History, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Laddaga
- Società di Scienze Naturali del Verbano Cusio Ossola, Museo di Scienze Naturali, Collegio Mellerio Rosmini, Domodossola, Italy
| | - Silviu Petrovan
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Ljiljana Tomović
- Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Judit Vörös
- Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, 1088 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Naşit İğci
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Nevşehir Haci Bektaş Veli University, 50300 Nevşehir, Türkiye
| | - Mert Kariş
- Laboratory Technology Program, Acıgöl Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Nevşehir Haci Bektaş Veli University, 50300 Nevşehir, Türkiye
| | | | - Sylvain Ursenbacher
- info fauna - Karch, University of Neuchâtel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, 8237 Tihany, Hungary.
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Mulqueeney JM, Searle-Barnes A, Brombacher A, Sweeney M, Goswami A, Ezard THG. How many specimens make a sufficient training set for automated three-dimensional feature extraction? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:rsos.240113. [PMID: 39100182 PMCID: PMC11296157 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Deep learning has emerged as a robust tool for automating feature extraction from three-dimensional images, offering an efficient alternative to labour-intensive and potentially biased manual image segmentation methods. However, there has been limited exploration into the optimal training set sizes, including assessing whether artficial expansion by data augmentation can achieve consistent results in less time and how consistent these benefits are across different types of traits. In this study, we manually segmented 50 planktonic foraminifera specimens from the genus Menardella to determine the minimum number of training images required to produce accurate volumetric and shape data from internal and external structures. The results reveal unsurprisingly that deep learning models improve with a larger number of training images with eight specimens being required to achieve 95% accuracy. Furthermore, data augmentation can enhance network accuracy by up to 8.0%. Notably, predicting both volumetric and shape measurements for the internal structure poses a greater challenge compared with the external structure, owing to low contrast differences between different materials and increased geometric complexity. These results provide novel insight into optimal training set sizes for precise image segmentation of diverse traits and highlight the potential of data augmentation for enhancing multivariate feature extraction from three-dimensional images.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Mulqueeney
- School of Ocean & Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Alex Searle-Barnes
- School of Ocean & Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Anieke Brombacher
- School of Ocean & Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Marisa Sweeney
- School of Ocean & Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Thomas H. G. Ezard
- School of Ocean & Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, UK
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3
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Mochales-Riaño G, Burriel-Carranza B, Barros MI, Velo-Antón G, Talavera A, Spilani L, Tejero-Cicuéndez H, Crochet PA, Piris A, García-Cardenete L, Busais S, Els J, Shobrak M, Brito JC, Šmíd J, Carranza S, Martínez-Freiría F. Hidden in the sand: Phylogenomics unravel an unexpected evolutionary history for the desert-adapted vipers of the genus Cerastes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 191:107979. [PMID: 38040070 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The desert vipers of the genus Cerastes are a small clade of medically important venomous snakes within the family Viperidae. According to published morphological and molecular studies, the group is comprised by four species: two morphologically similar and phylogenetically sister taxa, the African horned viper (Cerastes cerastes) and the Arabian horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii); a more distantly related species, the Saharan sand viper (Cerastes vipera), and the enigmatic Böhme's sand viper (Cerastes boehmei), only known from a single specimen in captivity allegedly captured in Central Tunisia. In this study, we sequenced one mitochondrial marker (COI) as well as genome-wide data (ddRAD sequencing) from 28 and 41 samples, respectively, covering the entire distribution range of the genus to explore the population genomics, phylogenomic relationships and introgression patterns within the genus Cerastes. Additionally, and to provide insights into the mode of diversification of the group, we carried out niche overlap analyses considering climatic and habitat variables. Both nuclear phylogenomic reconstructions and population structure analyses have unveiled an unexpected evolutionary history for the genus Cerastes, which sharply contradicts the morphological similarities and previously published mitochondrial approaches. Cerastes cerastes and C. vipera are recovered as sister taxa whilst C. gasperettii is a sister taxon to the clade formed by these two species. We found a relatively high niche overlap (OI > 0.7) in both climatic and habitat variables between C. cerastes and C. vipera, contradicting a potential scenario of sympatric speciation. These results are in line with the introgression found between the northwestern African populations of C. cerastes and C. vipera. Finally, our genomic data confirms the existence of a lineage of C. cerastes in Arabia. All these results highlight the importance of genome-wide data over few genetic markers to study the evolutionary history of species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bernat Burriel-Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain; Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, P° Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarida Isabel Barros
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- Universidad de Vigo, Facultad de Biología, Edificio de Ciencias Experimentales, Bloque B, Planta 2, Laboratorio 39 (Grupo GEA), E-36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Adrián Talavera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Loukia Spilani
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Héctor Tejero-Cicuéndez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alberto Piris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis García-Cardenete
- Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua de Andalucía, C/Johan G. Gutenberg, 1, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Salem Busais
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Aden University, Yemen
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed Shobrak
- National Center for Wildlife, Prince Saud Al Faisal Wildlife Research Centre, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - José Carlos Brito
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jiří Šmíd
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez-Freiría
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
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Frynta D, Elmi HSA, Janovcová M, Rudolfová V, Štolhoferová I, Rexová K, Král D, Sommer D, Berti DA, Landová E, Frýdlová P. Are vipers prototypic fear-evoking snakes? A cross-cultural comparison of Somalis and Czechs. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1233667. [PMID: 37928591 PMCID: PMC10620321 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1233667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakes are known as highly fear-evoking animals, eliciting preferential attention and fast detection in humans. We examined the human fear response to snakes in the context of both current and evolutionary experiences, conducting our research in the cradle of humankind, the Horn of Africa. This region is characterized by the frequent occurrence of various snake species, including deadly venomous viperids (adders) and elapids (cobras and mambas). We conducted experiments in Somaliland and compared the results with data from Czech respondents to address the still unresolved questions: To which extent is human fear of snakes affected by evolutionary or current experience and local culture? Can people of both nationalities recognize venomous snakes as a category, or are they only afraid of certain species that are most dangerous in a given area? Are respondents of both nationalities equally afraid of deadly snakes from both families (Viperidae, Elapidae)? We employed a well-established picture-sorting approach, consisting of 48 snake species belonging to four distinct groups. Our results revealed significant agreement among Somali as well as Czech respondents. We found a highly significant effect of the stimulus on perceived fear in both populations. Vipers appeared to be the most salient stimuli in both populations, as they occupied the highest positions according to the reported level of subjectively perceived fear. The position of vipers strongly contrasts with the fear ranking of deadly venomous elapids, which were in lower positions. Fear scores of vipers were significantly higher in both populations, and their best predictor was the body width of the snake. The evolutionary, cultural, and cognitive aspects of this phenomenon are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Amoud University, Borama, Somalia
| | - Markéta Janovcová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Veronika Rudolfová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Iveta Štolhoferová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Kateřina Rexová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - David Král
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - David Sommer
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Daniel Alex Berti
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Eva Landová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petra Frýdlová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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5
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Štolhoferová I, Frynta D, Janovcová M, Rudolfová V, Elmi HSA, Rexová K, Berti DA, Král D, Sommer D, Landová E, Frýdlová P. The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1234593. [PMID: 37829068 PMCID: PMC10565226 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1234593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
High fear reaction, preferential attention, or fast detection are only a few of the specific responses which snakes evoke in humans. Previous research has shown that these responses are shared amongst several distinct cultures suggesting the evolutionary origin of the response. However, populations from sub-Saharan Africa have been largely missing in experimental research focused on this issue. In this paper, we focus on the effect of snake threat display on human spontaneous attention. We performed an eye-tracking experiment with participants from Somaliland and the Czechia and investigated whether human attention is swayed towards snakes in a threatening posture. Seventy-one Somalis and 71 Czechs were tested; the samples were matched for gender and comparable in age structure and education level. We also investigated the effect of snake morphotype as snakes differ in their threat display. We found that snakes in a threatening posture were indeed gazed upon more than snakes in a relaxed (non-threatening) posture. Further, we found a large effect of snake morphotype as this was especially prominent in cobras, less in vipers, and mostly non-significant in other morphotypes. Finally, despite highly different cultural and environmental backgrounds, the overall pattern of reaction towards snakes was similar in Somalis and Czechs supporting the evolutionary origin of the phenomenon. We concluded that human attention is preferentially directed towards snakes, especially cobras and vipers, in threatening postures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iveta Štolhoferová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Markéta Janovcová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Veronika Rudolfová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Amoud University, Borama, Somalia
| | - Kateřina Rexová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Daniel Alex Berti
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - David Král
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - David Sommer
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Eva Landová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petra Frýdlová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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6
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Barido-Sottani J, Żyła D, Heath TA. Estimating the Age of Poorly Dated Fossil Specimens and Deposits Using a Total-Evidence Approach and the Fossilized Birth-Death Process. Syst Biol 2023; 72:466-475. [PMID: 36382797 PMCID: PMC10275547 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Bayesian total-evidence approaches under the fossilized birth-death model enable biologists to combine fossil and extant data while accounting for uncertainty in the ages of fossil specimens, in an integrative phylogenetic analysis. Fossil age uncertainty is a key feature of the fossil record as many empirical data sets may contain a mix of precisely dated and poorly dated fossil specimens or deposits. In this study, we explore whether reliable age estimates for fossil specimens can be obtained from Bayesian total-evidence phylogenetic analyses under the fossilized birth-death model. Through simulations based on the example of the Baltic amber deposit, we show that estimates of fossil ages obtained through such an analysis are accurate, particularly when the proportion of poorly dated specimens remains low and the majority of fossil specimens have precise dates. We confirm our results using an empirical data set of living and fossil penguins by artificially increasing the age uncertainty around some fossil specimens and showing that the resulting age estimates overlap with the recorded age ranges. Our results are applicable to many empirical data sets where classical methods of establishing fossil ages have failed, such as the Baltic amber and the Gobi Desert deposits. [Bayesian phylogenetic inference; fossil age estimates; fossilized birth-death; Lagerstätte; total-evidence.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle Barido-Sottani
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborne Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Institut de Biologie de l’ENS (IBENS), École normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Dagmara Żyła
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborne Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
- Museum of Nature Hamburg, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tracy A Heath
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborne Drive, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Cytogenetic Analysis of the Bimodal Karyotype of the Common European Adder, Vipera berus (Viperidae). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12243563. [PMID: 36552484 PMCID: PMC9774092 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243563] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Vipera berus is the species with the largest range of snakes on Earth and one of the largest among reptiles in general. It is also the only snake species found in the Arctic Circle. Vipera berus is the most involved species of the genus Vipera in the process of interspecific hybridization in nature. The taxonomy of the genus Vipera is based on molecular markers and morphology and requires clarification using SC-karyotyping. This work is a detailed comparative study of the somatic and meiotic karyotypes of V. berus, with special attention to DNA and protein markers associated with synaptonemal complexes. The karyotype of V. berus is a remarkable example of a bimodal karyotype containing both 16 large macrochromosomes and 20 microchromosomes. We traced the stages of the asynchronous assembly of both types of bivalents. The number of crossing-over sites per pachytene nucleus, the localization of the nucleolar organizer, and the unique heterochromatin block on the autosomal bivalent 6-an important marker-were determined. Our results show that the average number of crossing-over sites per pachytene nucleus is 49.5, and the number of MLH1 sites per bivalent 1 reached 11, which is comparable to several species of agamas.
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8
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OUP accepted manuscript. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac008] [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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9
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Doniol‐Valcroze P, Ursenbacher S, Mebert K, Ghielmi S, Laddaga L, Sourrouille P, Kariş M, Crochet P. Conflicting relationships of
Vipera walser
inferred from nuclear genes sequences and mitochondrial DNA. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sylvain Ursenbacher
- Department of Environmental Sciences Section of Conservation Biology University of Basel Basel Switzerland
- Info fauna ‐ karch University of Neuchâtel Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Konrad Mebert
- IDECCInstitute of Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation Rome Italy
| | - Samuele Ghielmi
- Tropical Biodiversity Section MUSE ‐ Museo delle Scienze Trento Italy
| | - Lorenzo Laddaga
- Società di Scienze Naturali del Verbano Cusio Ossola Museo di Scienze Naturali Collegio Mellerio Rosmini Domodossola Italy
| | | | - Mert Kariş
- Program of Laboratory Technology Department of Chemistry and Chemical Process Technologies Acıgöl Vocational School of Technical Sciences Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University Nevşehir Turkey
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10
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Damm M, Hempel BF, Süssmuth RD. Old World Vipers-A Review about Snake Venom Proteomics of Viperinae and Their Variations. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13060427. [PMID: 34204565 PMCID: PMC8235416 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fine-tuned by millions of years of evolution, snake venoms have frightened but also fascinated humanity and nowadays they constitute potential resources for drug development, therapeutics and antivenoms. The continuous progress of mass spectrometry techniques and latest advances in proteomics workflows enabled toxinologists to decipher venoms by modern omics technologies, so-called ‘venomics’. A tremendous upsurge reporting on snake venom proteomes could be observed. Within this review we focus on the highly venomous and widely distributed subfamily of Viperinae (Serpentes: Viperidae). A detailed public literature database search was performed (2003–2020) and we extensively reviewed all compositional venom studies of the so-called Old-World Vipers. In total, 54 studies resulted in 89 venom proteomes. The Viperinae venoms are dominated by four major, four secondary, six minor and several rare toxin families and peptides, respectively. The multitude of different venomics approaches complicates the comparison of venom composition datasets and therefore we differentiated between non-quantitative and three groups of quantitative workflows. The resulting direct comparisons within these groups show remarkable differences on the intra- and interspecies level across genera with a focus on regional differences. In summary, the present compilation is the first comprehensive up-to-date database on Viperinae venom proteomes and differentiating between analytical methods and workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Damm
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Benjamin-Florian Hempel
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, (BCRT), 10117 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Roderich D. Süssmuth
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)30-314-24205
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11
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op den Brouw B, Coimbra FCP, Bourke LA, Huynh TM, Vlecken DHW, Ghezellou P, Visser JC, Dobson JS, Fernandez-Rojo MA, Ikonomopoulou MP, Casewell NR, Ali SA, Fathinia B, Hodgson WC, Fry BG. Extensive Variation in the Activities of Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis Viper Venoms Suggests Divergent Envenoming Strategies Are Used for Prey Capture. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:112. [PMID: 33540884 PMCID: PMC7913145 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes of the genera Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis (Viperidae: Viperinae) are known as the desert vipers due to their association with the arid environments of the Middle East. These species have received limited research attention and little is known about their venom or ecology. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of desert viper venoms was conducted by visualising the venom proteomes via gel electrophoresis and assessing the crude venoms for their cytotoxic, haemotoxic, and neurotoxic properties. Plasmas sourced from human, toad, and chicken were used as models to assess possible prey-linked venom activity. The venoms demonstrated substantial divergence in composition and bioactivity across all experiments. Pseudocerastes urarachnoides venom activated human coagulation factors X and prothrombin and demonstrated potent procoagulant activity in human, toad, and chicken plasmas, in stark contrast to the potent neurotoxic venom of P. fieldi. The venom of E. macmahonii also induced coagulation, though this did not appear to be via the activation of factor X or prothrombin. The coagulant properties of P. fieldi and P. persicus venoms varied among plasmas, demonstrating strong anticoagulant activity in the amphibian and human plasmas but no significant effect in that of bird. This is conjectured to reflect prey-specific toxin activity, though further ecological studies are required to confirm any dietary associations. This study reinforces the notion that phylogenetic relatedness of snakes cannot readily predict venom protein composition or function. The significant venom variation between these species raises serious concerns regarding antivenom paraspecificity. Future assessment of antivenom is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca op den Brouw
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Francisco C. P. Coimbra
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Lachlan A. Bourke
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Tam Minh Huynh
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Danielle H. W. Vlecken
- Department of Animal Science and Health, Institute of Biology Leiden, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Parviz Ghezellou
- Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran;
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeroen C. Visser
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - James S. Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Manuel A. Fernandez-Rojo
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maria P. Ikonomopoulou
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK;
| | - Syed A. Ali
- HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan;
| | - Behzad Fathinia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yasouj University, 75914 Yasouj, Iran;
| | - Wayne C. Hodgson
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
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12
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Swimming through the sands of the Sahara and Arabian deserts: Phylogeny of sandfish skinks (Scincidae, Scincus) reveals a recent and rapid diversification. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 155:107012. [PMID: 33217580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.107012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Large parts of the Sahara Desert and Arabia are covered by sand seas and sand dunes, which are inhabited by specialized animal communities. For example, many lizards have developed adaptations to life in loose sand, including sand-swimming behavior. The best-known sand swimmers of the Saharo-Arabia are the sandfish skinks (genus Scincus). Although there are currently only four Scincus species recognized, their phylogenetic relationships have not yet been addressed in detail. We use eight genetic markers (three mitochondrial, five nuclear) and a complete sampling of species to infer the relationships within the genus. We employ multiple phylogenetic approaches to reconstruct the evolutionary history of these skinks and to assess the level of reticulation at the onset of their radiation. Our results indicate the presence of five strongly supported species-level lineages, four represented by the currently recognized species and the fifth by S. scincus conirostris, which does not form a clade with S. scincus. Based on these results we elevate the Iranian and northern Arabian S. conirostris to the species level. The two Saharan species, S. albifasciatus and S. scincus, are sister in all analyses. Deeper relationships within the genus, however, remained largely unresolved despite the extensive genetic data set. This basal polytomy, together with the fact that we detected no sign of hybridization in the history of the genus, indicates that the diversification of the five Scincus species was rapid, burst-like, and not followed by secondary hybridization events. Divergence time estimations show a Middle Pliocene crown radiation of the genus (3.3 Mya). We hypothesize that the aridification of the Saharo-Arabia that began in the Late Miocene triggered the initial diversification of Scincus, and that the subsequent expansion of sand deserts enabled their dispersal over the large Saharan and Arabian range. We discuss the evolution of body form in sand swimming lizards and ponder how Scincus retained their fully limbed morphology despite being sand swimmers that are typically limbless.
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13
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Widespread Evolution of Molecular Resistance to Snake Venom α-Neurotoxins in Vertebrates. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12100638. [PMID: 33023159 PMCID: PMC7601176 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12100638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Venomous snakes are important subjects of study in evolution, ecology, and biomedicine. Many venomous snakes have alpha-neurotoxins (α-neurotoxins) in their venom. These toxins bind the alpha-1 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) at the neuromuscular junction, causing paralysis and asphyxia. Several venomous snakes and their predators have evolved resistance to α-neurotoxins. The resistance is conferred by steric hindrance from N-glycosylated asparagines at amino acids 187 or 189, by an arginine at position 187 that has been hypothesized to either electrostatically repulse positively charged neurotoxins or sterically interfere with α-neurotoxin binding, or proline replacements at positions 194 or 197 of the nAChR ligand-binding domain to inhibit α-neurotoxin binding through structural changes in the receptor. Here, we analyzed this domain in 148 vertebrate species, and assessed its amino acid sequences for resistance-associated mutations. Of these sequences, 89 were sequenced de novo. We find widespread convergent evolution of the N-glycosylation form of resistance in several taxa including venomous snakes and their lizard prey, but not in the snake-eating birds studied. We also document new lineages with the arginine form of inhibition. Using an in vivo assay in four species, we provide further evidence that N-glycosylation mutations reduce the toxicity of cobra venom. The nAChR is of crucial importance for normal neuromuscular function and is highly conserved throughout the vertebrates as a result. Our research shows that the evolution of α-neurotoxins in snakes may well have prompted arms races and mutations to this ancient receptor across a wide range of sympatric vertebrates. These findings underscore the inter-connectedness of the biosphere and the ripple effects that one adaption can have across global ecosystems.
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14
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Torres-Roig E, Mitchell KJ, Alcover JA, Martínez-Freiría F, Bailón S, Heiniger H, Williams M, Cooper A, Pons J, Bover P. Origin, extinction and ancient DNA of a new fossil insular viper: molecular clues of overseas immigration. Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Viperinae is a subfamily of viperid snakes whose fossil record in the Mediterranean islands is, until now, restricted to 12 palaeontological deposits on seven islands. Revision of the material excavated 30 years ago from the Middle/Late Pleistocene–Holocene deposit of Es Pouàs [Eivissa (= Ibiza), Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean] revealed about 6000 bones of a small-sized viper across different stratigraphic levels. Its morphological characteristics are different enough to known species of Vipera to warrant the description of a new species, but the nearly complete mitochondrial genome obtained from this snake based on a sample dated to 16 130 ± 45 bp, suggested it belonged to a new insular population of Lataste’s viper (Vipera latastei), Vipera latastei ebusitana subsp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the dispersal of the ancestors of V. l. ebusitana to Eivissa, most probably from a north-east Iberian population, occurred via overwater colonization < 1.5 Mya, well after the Messinian Salinity Crisis (5.97–5.32 Mya) when land bridges allowed terrestrial colonization of the Balearic Islands by mainland faunas. The morphological differences between V. l. ebusitana and the Iberian populations suggest that it is a new dwarf taxon resulting from insular evolutionary processes, becoming extinct shortly after the first human arrival to this island about 4000 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Torres-Roig
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l’Oceà, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kieren J Mitchell
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Josep Antoni Alcover
- Departament de Biodiversitat Animal i Microbiana. Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Mallorca, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez-Freiría
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Salvador Bailón
- Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, UMR 7194, Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, CNRS, Paris, France
- Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements, UMR 7209, Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Holly Heiniger
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Matthew Williams
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Alan Cooper
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Joan Pons
- Departament de Biodiversitat Animal i Microbiana. Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Mallorca, Spain
| | - Pere Bover
- Aragonese Foundation for Research & Development (ARAID), Zaragoza, Spain
- IUCA, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales-Grupo Aragosaurus. Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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15
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Ceríaco LMP, Tolley KA, Marques MP, Heinicke MP, Bauer AM. A dwarf among giants: phylogenetic position of the elusive Angolan Adder (Bitis heraldica) and biogeographic affinities of Angolan Afromontane regions. AFR J HERPETOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2020.1782484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis MP Ceríaco
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Praça Gomes Teixeira, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Krystal A Tolley
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mariana P Marques
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, Lisboa, Portugal
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (InBIO), University of Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, Vairão, Porto, Portugal
| | - Matthew P Heinicke
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, Michigan, USA
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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Carné A, Fathinia B, Rastegar-Pouyani E. Molecular phylogeny of the Arabian Horned Viper, Cerastes gasperettii (Serpentes: Viperidae) in the Middle East. ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2020.1711622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Behzad Fathinia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran
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17
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Vaughan ER, Teshera MS, Kusamba C, Edmonston TR, Greenbaum E. A remarkable example of suspected Batesian mimicry of Gaboon Vipers (Reptilia: Viperidae: Bitis gabonica) by Congolese Giant Toads (Amphibia: Bufonidae: Sclerophrys channingi). J NAT HIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1669730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugene R. Vaughan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Mark S. Teshera
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Chifundera Kusamba
- Laboratoire d’Herpétologie, Département de Biologie, Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles, Lwiro, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Theresa R. Edmonston
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Eli Greenbaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
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