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Hofmann S, Podsiadlowski L, Andermann T, Matschiner M, Baniya CB, Litvinchuk SN, Martin S, Masroor R, Yang J, Zheng Y, Jablonski D, Schmidt J. The last of their kind: Is the genus Scutiger (Anura: Megophryidae) a relict element of the paleo-transhimalaya biota? Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024:108166. [PMID: 39127262 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
The orographic evolution of the Himalaya-Tibet Mountain system continues to be a subject of controversy, leading to considerable uncertainty regarding the environment and surface elevation of the Tibetan Plateau during the Cenozoic era. As many geoscientific (but not paleontological) studies suggest, elevations close to modern heights exist in vast areas of Tibet since at least the late Paleogene, implicating the presence of large-scale alpine environments for more than 30 million years. To explore a recently proposed alternative model that assumes a warm temperate environment across paleo-Tibet, we carried out a phylogeographic survey using genomic analyses of samples covering the range of endemic lazy toads (Scutiger) across the Himalaya-Tibet orogen. We identified two main clades, with several, geographically distinct subclades. The long temporal gap between the stem and crown age of Scutiger may suggest high extinction rates. Diversification within the crown group, depending on the calibration, occurred either from the Mid-Miocene or Late-Miocene and continued until the Holocene. The present-day Himalayan Scutiger fauna could have evolved from lineages that existed on the southern edges of the paleo-Tibetan area (the Transhimalaya = Gangdese Shan), while extant species living on the eastern edge of the Plateau originated probably from the eastern edges of northern parts of the ancestral Tibetan area (Hoh Xil, Tanggula Shan). Based on the Mid-Miocene divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction, we propose that uplift-associated aridification of a warm temperate Miocene-Tibet, coupled with high extirpation rates of ancestral populations, and species range shifts along drainage systems and epigenetic transverse valleys of the rising mountains, is a plausible scenario explaining the phylogenetic structure of Scutiger. This hypothesis aligns with the fossil record but conflicts with geoscientific concepts of high elevated Tibetan Plateau since the late Paleogene. Considering a Late-Miocene/Pliocene divergence time, an alternative scenario of dispersal from SE Asia into the East, Central, and West Himalaya cannot be excluded, although essential evolutionary and biogeographic aspects remain unresolved within this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Hofmann
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, D-53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Lars Podsiadlowski
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, D-53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Tobias Andermann
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Chitra B Baniya
- Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur 44618, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Spartak N Litvinchuk
- Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Peterburg 194064, Russia
| | - Sebastian Martin
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, D-53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Rafaqat Masroor
- Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Jianhuan Yang
- Kadoorie Conservation China, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hongkong, China.
| | - Yuchi Zheng
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Kadoorie Conservation China, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hongkong, China.
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Joachim Schmidt
- General and Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Rostock, 18055 Rostock, Germany
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2
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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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3
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Lamb K, Debban CL, Galloway LF. Phylogeography and paleoclimatic range dynamics explain variable outcomes to contact across a species' range. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17450. [PMID: 38973501 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Replicability of divergence after contact is a poorly characterized process, particularly in the contexts of phylogeography and postglacial range dynamics within species. Using contact zones located at the leading-, mid- and rear-edges of a species' range, we examined variation in outcomes to contact between divergent lineages of Campanula americana. We investigated whether contact zones vary in quantity and directionality of gene flow, how phylogeographic structure differs between contact zones, and how historic range dynamics may affect outcomes to contact. We found that all contact zones formed at similar times via primary contact yet detected significant admixture in only the rear-edge (RE) contact zone. In the northern leading-edge contact zone and the mid-range Virginia contact zone, gene flow was minimal and asymmetric. In the southern RE contact zone, gene flow was strong and symmetric. Asymmetric admixture in the leading-edge and Virginia contact zones matches the directionality of a known cosmopolitan cytonuclear incompatibility between lineages of C. americana. Our results emphasize the dependence of speciation processes on phylogeographic structure, evolutionary history and range dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keric Lamb
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Catherine L Debban
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Laura F Galloway
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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4
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Lukhtanov VA, Dantchenko AV. Cryptic Taxa Revealed through Combined Analysis of Chromosomes and DNA Barcodes: The Polyommatus ripartii Species Complex in Armenia and NW Iran. INSECTS 2024; 15:545. [PMID: 39057277 PMCID: PMC11277131 DOI: 10.3390/insects15070545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The detection of cryptic species in complexes that have undergone recent speciation is often difficult, since many standard nuclear markers have not yet accumulated differences between closely related taxa, and differences in mitochondrial markers can be leveled out due to mitochondrial introgressions. In these cases, the use of derived chromosomal characters such as non-ancestral chromosomal numbers and/or unusual karyotype features may be a solution to the species delimitation problem. However, non-ancestral but similar karyotypes may arise secondarily as a result of homoplastic evolution, and their interpretation as homologies may lead to incorrect taxonomic conclusions. In our study, we show that the combined use of mitochondrial DNA barcodes and karyotypes helps to solve this problem and identifies cryptic species in situations where each of these markers does not work individually. Using this approach, we show that the fauna of Armenia and adjacent Iran includes the following cryptic taxa of the Polyommatus ripartii species complex (haploid chromosome number, n in parentheses): P. ripartii paralcestis (n = 90), P. ripartii kalashiani, subsp. nov (n close to 90), P. emmeli, sp. nov. (n = 77-79), P. keleybaricus, sp. nov. (n = 86), P. demavendi belovi (n = 73-75), P. demavendi antonius, subsp. nov. (n = 71-73), P. admetus anatoliensis (n = 79) and P. eriwanensis (n = 29-34). Polyommatus admetus yeranyani is synonymized with P. admetus anatoliensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir A. Lukhtanov
- Department of Karyosystematics, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Nab. 1, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander V. Dantchenko
- Department of Karyosystematics, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Nab. 1, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
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5
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Schild A, Baur H, Hertwig ST, Fritz U, Ursenbacher S. Genetic identification, morphology and distribution of Natrixhelvetica subspecies in southern and western Switzerland (Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes). Zookeys 2024; 1205:223-238. [PMID: 38966573 PMCID: PMC11222720 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1205.123911] [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: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Most of Switzerland is inhabited by the nominotypical subspecies of the barred grass snake (Natrixhelveticahelvetica), which is characterized by mitochondrial DNA lineage E. Only in the northeast of the country, the common grass snake (N.natrix) occurs and hybridizes with N.h.helvetica in a narrow contact zone. However, we discovered that in southern and western Switzerland barred grass snakes representing another mtDNA lineage (lineage C) are widely distributed. Lineage C is typical for Alpine populations of the southern subspecies N.h.sicula. Our microsatellite analyses of the Swiss samples revealed differences between the two subspecies and also a substructure with two clusters in each subspecies. Furthermore, we discovered a contact and hybrid zone of N.h.helvetica and N.h.sicula along the northern shore of Lake Geneva and also confirm that interbreeding with alien common grass snakes (N.n.moreotica, mtDNA lineage 7) occurs there. This finding is of concern for nature conservation and measures should be taken to prevent further genetic pollution. Using morphometrics, we found no differences between the two subspecies of N.helvetica, while N.natrix was slightly distinct from N.helvetica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schild
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Hannes Baur
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, Bernastrasse 15, 3005 Bern, SwitzerlandNatural History Museum BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Stefan T. Hertwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, Bernastrasse 15, 3005 Bern, SwitzerlandNatural History Museum BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Uwe Fritz
- Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde), Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109 Dresden, GermanyMuseum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde)DresdenGermany
| | - Sylvain Ursenbacher
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Section of Conservation Biology, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 32, 4056 Basel, SwitzerlandUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- info fauna – karch, University of Neuchâtel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, 2000 Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandUniversity of NeuchâtelNeuchâtelSwitzerland
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, 8237 Tihany, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, HungaryBalaton Limnological Research InstituteTihanyHungary
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6
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Talavera A, Valbuena-Ureña E, Burriel-Carranza B, Mochales-Riaño G, Adams DC, Amat F, Carbonell F, Carranza S. Integrative systematic revision of the Montseny brook newt ( Calotriton arnoldi), with the description of a new subspecies. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17550. [PMID: 38881865 PMCID: PMC11180430 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The Montseny brook newt (Calotriton arnoldi), a glacial relict endemic to a small, isolated massif in northeast Spain, is considered the only Critically Endangered urodele in Europe. Its restricted range is divided by a deep valley that acts as an impassable barrier to dispersal, separating two isolated metapopulations (Western and Eastern) that correspond to independent lineages with different evolutionary trajectories, based on genetic and genomic data. Here, we address the ecological differentiation between lineages and discuss its potential effect on the phenotypic distinctness of each lineage. Based on multiple lines of evidence, we formally describe the Western Montseny brook newt as a new subspecies: Calotriton arnoldi laietanus ssp. nov. Finally, our study underscores the importance of considering taxonomic progress in the conservation policies of endangered species, ensuring appropriate management and protection of the newly described taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Talavera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Bernat Burriel-Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gabriel Mochales-Riaño
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Dean C Adams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
| | - Fèlix Amat
- Àrea d'Herpetologia, Museu de Granollers-Ciències Naturals, Granollers, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesc Carbonell
- Centre de Fauna Salvatge de Torreferrussa, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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7
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Kazilas C, Dufresnes C, France J, Kalaentzis K, Martínez-Solano I, de Visser MC, Arntzen JW, Wielstra B. Spatial genetic structure in European marbled newts revealed with target enrichment by sequence capture. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 194:108043. [PMID: 38382821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108043] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
European marbled newts come in two species that have abutting ranges. The northern species, Triturus marmoratus, is found in France and the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, whereas the southern species, T. pygmaeus, is found in the southwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula. We study the intraspecific genetic differentiation of the group because morphological data show geographical variation and because the Iberian Peninsula is a recognized center of speciation and intraspecific genetic diversity for all kinds of organisms, amphibians included. We use target enrichment by sequence capture to generate c. 7 k nuclear DNA markers. We observe limited genetic exchange between the species, which confirms their distinctiveness. Both species show substantial genetic structuring that is only in part mirrored by morphological variation. Genetically differentiated groups are found in the south (T. marmoratus) and west (T. pygmaeus) of the species ranges. Our observations highlight the position of the Iberian Peninsula as a hotspot for genetic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Kazilas
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Christophe Dufresnes
- LASER, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China; Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - James France
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantinos Kalaentzis
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Iñigo Martínez-Solano
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manon C de Visser
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jan W Arntzen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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8
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Burroughs RW, Parham JF, Stuart BL, Smits PD, Angielczyk KD. Morphological Species Delimitation in The Western Pond Turtle ( Actinemys): Can Machine Learning Methods Aid in Cryptic Species Identification? Integr Org Biol 2024; 6:obae010. [PMID: 38689939 PMCID: PMC11058871 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
As the discovery of cryptic species has increased in frequency, there has been an interest in whether geometric morphometric data can detect fine-scale patterns of variation that can be used to morphologically diagnose such species. We used a combination of geometric morphometric data and an ensemble of five supervised machine learning methods (MLMs) to investigate whether plastron shape can differentiate two putative cryptic turtle species, Actinemys marmorata and Actinemys pallida. Actinemys has been the focus of considerable research due to its biogeographic distribution and conservation status. Despite this work, reliable morphological diagnoses for its two species are still lacking. We validated our approach on two datasets, one consisting of eight morphologically disparate emydid species, the other consisting of two subspecies of Trachemys (T. scripta scripta, T. scripta elegans). The validation tests returned near-perfect classification rates, demonstrating that plastron shape is an effective means for distinguishing taxonomic groups of emydids via MLMs. In contrast, the same methods did not return high classification rates for a set of alternative phylogeographic and morphological binning schemes in Actinemys. All classification hypotheses performed poorly relative to the validation datasets and no single hypothesis was unequivocally supported for Actinemys. Two hypotheses had machine learning performance that was marginally better than our remaining hypotheses. In both cases, those hypotheses favored a two-species split between A. marmorata and A. pallida specimens, lending tentative morphological support to the hypothesis of two Actinemys species. However, the machine learning results also underscore that Actinemys as a whole has lower levels of plastral variation than other turtles within Emydidae, but the reason for this morphological conservatism is unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- R W Burroughs
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Center for Inclusive Education, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - J F Parham
- Department of Geological Sciences, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA
| | - B L Stuart
- Section of Research and Collections, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - P D Smits
- 952 NW 60th St., Seattle, Washington, WA 98107, USA
| | - K D Angielczyk
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
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9
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Martinet KM, Harmon LJ. Delimiting the rare, endangered and actively speciating. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13938. [PMID: 38409662 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13938] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Species delimitation is a contentious topic. The genomics revolution initially brought hope that identifying and classifying species would be easier through better methods and more data, but genomics has also brought complexity and controversy to delimitation. One solution can be to collect a larger sample of individuals at a finer geographic scale. But what if taxa are rare and collecting more samples is difficult or detrimental to the organisms at hand? In this issue of Molecular Ecology Resources, Opatova et al. (2023) tackle the ambiguity of species delimitation in rare and endangered trapdoor spiders (genus Cyclocosmia). The authors propose a framework for delimiting species when samples are hard to come by, such as in these rare and cryptic spiders. The authors combine extensive genomic sampling with statistical approaches that consider both the genetic distinctiveness of each population of spiders and how much gene flow occurs between these populations. Their proposed taxonomy balances two opposing signals, structure and gene flow, to count eight lineages of Cyclocosmia, and to point the way for future taxonomic studies of the rare or difficult to obtain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Martinet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Luke J Harmon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
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10
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Dufresnes C, Monod-Broca B, Bellati A, Canestrelli D, Ambu J, Wielstra B, Dubey S, Crochet PA, Denoël M, Jablonski D. Piecing the barcoding puzzle of Palearctic water frogs (Pelophylax) sheds light on amphibian biogeography and global invasions. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17180. [PMID: 38465701 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Palearctic water frogs (genus Pelophylax) are an outstanding model in ecology and evolution, being widespread, speciose, either threatened or threatening to other species through biological invasions, and capable of siring hybrid offspring that escape the rules of sexual reproduction. Despite half a century of genetic research and hundreds of publications, the diversity, systematics and biogeography of Pelophylax still remain highly confusing, in no small part due to a lack of correspondence between studies. To provide a comprehensive overview, we gathered >13,000 sequences of barcoding genes from >1700 native and introduced localities and built multigene mitochondrial (~17 kb) and nuclear (~10 kb) phylogenies. We mapped all currently recognized taxa and their phylogeographic lineages (>40) to get a grasp on taxonomic issues, cyto-nuclear discordances, the genetic makeup of hybridogenetic hybrids, and the origins of introduced populations. Competing hypotheses for the molecular calibration were evaluated through plausibility tests, implementing a new approach relying on predictions from the anuran speciation continuum. Based on our timetree, we propose a new biogeographic paradigm for the Palearctic since the Paleogene, notably by attributing a prominent role to the dynamics of the Paratethys, a vast paleo-sea that extended over most of Europe. Furthermore, our results show that distinct marsh frog lineages from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Near East, and Central Asia (P. ridibundus ssp.) are naturally capable of inducing hybridogenesis with pool frogs (P. lessonae). We identified 14 alien lineages (mostly of P. ridibundus) over ~20 areas of invasions, especially in Western Europe, with genetic signatures disproportionally pointing to the Balkans and Anatolia as the regions of origins, in line with exporting records of the frog leg industry and the stocks of pet sellers. Pelophylax thus emerges as one of the most invasive amphibians worldwide, and deserves much higher conservation concern than currently given by the authorities fighting biological invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- Laboratory of Amphibian Systematics and Evolutionary Research (LASER), College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Monod-Broca
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Adriana Bellati
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Daniele Canestrelli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Johanna Ambu
- Laboratory of Amphibian Systematics and Evolutionary Research (LASER), College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvain Dubey
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Mathieu Denoël
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians (LECA), FOCUS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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11
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Dufresnes C, Poyarkov NA, Jablonski D. Reply to Lukhtanov: Polytypic species: Old wine in a new bottle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321819121. [PMID: 38377186 PMCID: PMC10907257 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321819121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- Laboratory of Amphibian Systematics and Evolutionary Research, College of Biology & Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Rd, Nanjing210037, People’s Republic of China
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, CP 50, Paris75005, France
| | - Nikolay A. Poyarkov
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, 64 Nguyen Van Huyen, Cau Giay, Hanoi122000, Vietnam
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1/12 Leninskiye Gory, Moscow119234, Russia
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, Bratislava842 15, Slovakia
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12
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Lukhtanov VA. Polytypic species concept and subspecies in the genomic era. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317038121. [PMID: 38377202 PMCID: PMC10907253 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317038121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir A. Lukhtanov
- Department of Karyosystematics, Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg199034, Russia
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13
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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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Pyron RA, Kakkera A, Beamer DA, O'Connell KA. Discerning structure versus speciation in phylogeographic analysis of Seepage Salamanders (Desmognathus aeneus) using demography, environment, geography, and phenotype. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17219. [PMID: 38015012 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Numerous mechanisms can drive speciation, including isolation by adaptation, distance, and environment. These forces can promote genetic and phenotypic differentiation of local populations, the formation of phylogeographic lineages, and ultimately, completed speciation. However, conceptually similar mechanisms may also result in stabilizing rather than diversifying selection, leading to lineage integration and the long-term persistence of population structure within genetically cohesive species. Processes that drive the formation and maintenance of geographic genetic diversity while facilitating high rates of migration and limiting phenotypic differentiation may thereby result in population genetic structure that is not accompanied by reproductive isolation. We suggest that this framework can be applied more broadly to address the classic dilemma of "structure" versus "species" when evaluating phylogeographic diversity, unifying population genetics, species delimitation, and the underlying study of speciation. We demonstrate one such instance in the Seepage Salamander (Desmognathus aeneus) from the southeastern United States. Recent studies estimated up to 6.3% mitochondrial divergence and four phylogenomic lineages with broad admixture across geographic hybrid zones, which could potentially represent distinct species supported by our species-delimitation analyses. However, while limited dispersal promotes substantial isolation by distance, microhabitat specificity appears to yield stabilizing selection on a single, uniform, ecologically mediated phenotype. As a result, climatic cycles promote recurrent contact between lineages and repeated instances of high migration through time. Subsequent hybridization is apparently not counteracted by adaptive differentiation limiting introgression, leaving a single unified species with deeply divergent phylogeographic lineages that nonetheless do not appear to represent incipient species.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Anvith Kakkera
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
| | - David A Beamer
- Office of Research, Economic Development and Engagement, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kyle A O'Connell
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Deloitte Consulting LLP, Health and Data AI, Arlington, Virginia, USA
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15
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Garrick RC. Genetic signatures of lineage fusion closely resemble population decline. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10725. [PMID: 37964788 PMCID: PMC10641302 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10725] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate interpretation of the genetic signatures of past demographic events is crucial for reconstructing evolutionary history. Lineage fusion (complete merging, resulting in a single panmictic population) is a special case of secondary contact that is seldom considered. Here, the circumstances under which lineage fusion can be distinguished from population size constancy, growth, bottleneck, and decline were investigated. Multi-locus haplotype data were simulated under models of lineage fusion with different divergence versus sampling lag times (D:L ratios). These pseudo-observed datasets also differed in their allocation of a fixed amount of sequencing resources (number of sampled alleles, haplotype length, number of loci). Distinguishability of lineage fusion versus each of 10 untrue non-fusion scenarios was quantified based on six summary statistics (neutrality tests). Some datasets were also analyzed using extended Bayesian skyline plots. Results showed that signatures of lineage fusion very closely resemble those of decline-high distinguishability was generally limited to the most favorable scenario (D:L = 9), using the most sensitive summary statistics (F S and Z nS), coupled with the optimal sequencing resource allocation (maximizing number of loci). Also, extended Bayesian skyline plots often erroneously inferred population decline. Awareness of the potential for lineage fusion to carry the hallmarks of population decline is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C. Garrick
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MississippiOxfordMississippiUSA
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