1
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Booth W, Levine BA, Berg CS, Schuett GW. Facultative Parthenogenesis in a Zoo-Held Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon. Zoo Biol 2024. [PMID: 39234643 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21861] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Over the past several decades, facultative parthenogenesis (FP)-the ability of a sexually reproducing species to reproduce asexually-in vertebrates has been removed from the realm of obscurity and placed firmly in a position where it warrants focused scientific attention. Likely fueled by increased recognition of the trait, the availability of molecular tools capable of disentangling FP from long-term sperm storage, and the availability of potential cases originating from both zoological and private collections, a wealth of papers has been published revealing the diversity of vertebrate systems in which FP occurs. Specifically, cases have been reported in squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), crocodiles, birds, and elasmobranch fishes (sharks, rays, and skates). Nonetheless, gaps remain in species documentation, and it is important to analyze and report on new cases. In this paper, we provide a DNA-based analysis confirming FP in a zoo-maintained northern water snake, Nerodia sipedon, a viviparous natricine species that is common and widely distributed in North America. Additionally, we provide information on the sexual development and health of the male parthenogen. Encouragingly, zoological institutions, aquaria, university laboratories, and private collections continue to be rich sources for the further study and documentation of FP in vertebrate species, advancing our understanding of this reproductive trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Booth
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, New Mexico, USA
| | - Brenna A Levine
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, New Mexico, USA
- Department of Biology, Kean University, Union, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Gordon W Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, New Mexico, USA
- Department of Biology, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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2
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Di Ianni F, Albarella S, Vetere A, Torcello M, Ablondi M, Pugliano M, Di Mauro S, Parma P, Ciotola F. Demonstration of Parthenogenetic Reproduction in a Pet Ball Python ( Python regius) through Analysis of Early-Stage Embryos. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1744. [PMID: 37761884 PMCID: PMC10531270 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091744] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis is an asexual form of reproduction, normally present in various animal and plant species, in which an embryo is generated from a single gamete. Currently, there are some species for which parthenogenesis is supposed but not confirmed, and the mechanisms that activate it are not well understood. A 10-year-old, wild-caught female ball python (Python regius) laid four eggs without any prior contact with a male. The eggs were not incubated and, after 3 days, were submitted to the University of Parma for analysis due to the suspicion of potential embryo presence. Examination of the egg content revealed residual blood vessels and a small red spot, indicative of an early-stage embryo. DNA was extracted from the three deceased embryos and from the mother's blood, five microsatellites were analyzed to ascertain the origin of the embryos. The captive history data, together with the genetic microsatellite analysis approach, demonstrated the parthenogenetic origin of all three embryos. The embryos were homozygous for each of the maternal microsatellites, suggesting a terminal fusion automixis mode of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Ianni
- Department of Veterinary Science, Strada del Taglio 10, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Sara Albarella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vetere
- Department of Veterinary Science, Strada del Taglio 10, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Marco Torcello
- Ambulatorio Veterinario Dott. Di Mauro, Via Parini 8, 24043 Caravaggio, Italy
| | - Michela Ablondi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Strada del Taglio 10, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Mariagiulia Pugliano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
| | - Susanna Di Mauro
- Ambulatorio Veterinario Dott. Di Mauro, Via Parini 8, 24043 Caravaggio, Italy
| | - Pietro Parma
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Ciotola
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
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3
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Booth W, Levine BA, Corush JB, Davis MA, Dwyer Q, De Plecker R, Schuett GW. Discovery of facultative parthenogenesis in a new world crocodile. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230129. [PMID: 37282490 PMCID: PMC10244963 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0129] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there has been an astounding growth in the documentation of vertebrate facultative parthenogenesis (FP). This unusual reproductive mode has been documented in birds, non-avian reptiles-specifically lizards and snakes-and elasmobranch fishes. Part of this growth among vertebrate taxa is attributable to awareness of the phenomenon itself and advances in molecular genetics/genomics and bioinformatics, and as such our understanding has developed considerably. Nonetheless, questions remain as to its occurrence outside of these vertebrate lineages, most notably in Chelonia (turtles) and Crocodylia (crocodiles, alligators and gharials). The latter group is particularly interesting because unlike all previously documented cases of FP in vertebrates, crocodilians lack sex chromosomes and sex determination is controlled by temperature. Here, using whole-genome sequencing data, we provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence of FP in a crocodilian, the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus. The data support terminal fusion automixis as the reproductive mechanism; a finding which suggests a common evolutionary origin of FP across reptiles, crocodilians and birds. With FP now documented in the two main branches of extant archosaurs, this discovery offers tantalizing insights into the possible reproductive capabilities of the extinct archosaurian relatives of crocodilians and birds, notably members of Pterosauria and Dinosauria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Booth
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM 88056, USA
| | - Brenna A. Levine
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM 88056, USA
- Department of Biology, Kean University, Union, NJ 07083, USA
| | - Joel B. Corush
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, IL 61820, USA
| | - Mark A. Davis
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, IL 61820, USA
| | - Quetzal Dwyer
- Reptilandia Reptile Lagoon, Johnson City, TX 78636, USA
| | - Roel De Plecker
- Parque Reptilandia, Dominical 5000, Puntarenas Province, 11902, Costa Rica
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM 88056, USA
- Department of Biology, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
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4
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Genome Evolution and the Future of Phylogenomics of Non-Avian Reptiles. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030471. [PMID: 36766360 PMCID: PMC9913427 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-avian reptiles comprise a large proportion of amniote vertebrate diversity, with squamate reptiles-lizards and snakes-recently overtaking birds as the most species-rich tetrapod radiation. Despite displaying an extraordinary diversity of phenotypic and genomic traits, genomic resources in non-avian reptiles have accumulated more slowly than they have in mammals and birds, the remaining amniotes. Here we review the remarkable natural history of non-avian reptiles, with a focus on the physical traits, genomic characteristics, and sequence compositional patterns that comprise key axes of variation across amniotes. We argue that the high evolutionary diversity of non-avian reptiles can fuel a new generation of whole-genome phylogenomic analyses. A survey of phylogenetic investigations in non-avian reptiles shows that sequence capture-based approaches are the most commonly used, with studies of markers known as ultraconserved elements (UCEs) especially well represented. However, many other types of markers exist and are increasingly being mined from genome assemblies in silico, including some with greater information potential than UCEs for certain investigations. We discuss the importance of high-quality genomic resources and methods for bioinformatically extracting a range of marker sets from genome assemblies. Finally, we encourage herpetologists working in genomics, genetics, evolutionary biology, and other fields to work collectively towards building genomic resources for non-avian reptiles, especially squamates, that rival those already in place for mammals and birds. Overall, the development of this cross-amniote phylogenomic tree of life will contribute to illuminate interesting dimensions of biodiversity across non-avian reptiles and broader amniotes.
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5
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Ryder OA, Thomas S, Judson JM, Romanov MN, Dandekar S, Papp JC, Sidak-Loftis LC, Walker K, Stalis IH, Mace M, Steiner CC, Chemnick LG. Facultative Parthenogenesis in California Condors. J Hered 2021; 112:569-574. [PMID: 34718632 PMCID: PMC8683835 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis is a relatively rare event in birds, documented in unfertilized eggs from columbid, galliform, and passerine females with no access to males. In the critically endangered California condor, parentage analysis conducted utilizing polymorphic microsatellite loci has identified two instances of parthenogenetic development from the eggs of two females in the captive breeding program, each continuously housed with a reproductively capable male with whom they had produced offspring. Paternal genetic contribution to the two chicks was excluded. Both parthenotes possessed the expected male ZZ sex chromosomes and were homozygous for all evaluated markers inherited from their dams. These findings represent the first molecular marker-based identification of facultative parthenogenesis in an avian species, notably of females in regular contact with fertile males, and add to the phylogenetic breadth of vertebrate taxa documented to have reproduced via asexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver A Ryder
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Steven Thomas
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,SGI-DNA, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jessica Martin Judson
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
| | - Michael N Romanov
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Sugandha Dandekar
- Human Genetics Department, GenoSeq Core, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jeanette C Papp
- Human Genetics Department, GenoSeq Core, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lindsay C Sidak-Loftis
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.,Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Program in Vector-borne Diseases, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Ilse H Stalis
- Disease Investigations, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - Michael Mace
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - Cynthia C Steiner
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Leona G Chemnick
- Conservation Genetics, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
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6
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Garcia VC, de Almeida-Santos SM. Reproductive cycles of neotropical boid snakes evaluated by ultrasound. Zoo Biol 2021; 41:74-83. [PMID: 34411319 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Snakes have increasingly been bred as pets around the world. Few studies have addressed the reproduction of boid snakes, and no study has addressed their reproductive cycles in captivity. Thus, this paper describes the reproductive aspects of Brazilian boids in captivity. We used ultrasonography to characterize the reproductive cycle of four boid species in captivity in the Southern Hemisphere: the anaconda (Eunectes murinus), the red-tailed boa (Boa constrictor constrictor), the Amazon tree boa (Corallus hortulanus), and the rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria). Nonvitellogenic follicles occurred from January to December in anaconda and red-tailed boa and for a shorter period from September to February in Amazon tree boa and from January to May in rainbow boa. Vitellogenesis occurred from late June to late March in E. murinus in year-round (12 months), from March to March in Amazon tree boa, from late September to late March in red-tailed boa, and from late March to late September in rainbow boa. Mating occurred from late March to late September in red-tailed boa and rainbow boa and from late September to late March in Amazon tree boa. No mating was observed in anacondas, but a female probably underwent parthenogenesis. Births occurred in July in anaconda and in March to July in Amazon tree boa and from December to March in red-tailed boa and rainbow boa. In males, increases in testicular size were associated with the mating season. Ultrasonography proved to be a safe and noninvasive technique to study the reproductive cycle of giant snakes in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane C Garcia
- Departamento de Cirurgia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Anatomia dos Animais Domésticos e Silvestres, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Centro de Desenvolvimento Científico, Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Selma Maria de Almeida-Santos
- Departamento de Cirurgia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Anatomia dos Animais Domésticos e Silvestres, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Centro de Desenvolvimento Científico, Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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7
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Card DC, Vonk FJ, Smalbrugge S, Casewell NR, Wüster W, Castoe TA, Schuett GW, Booth W. Genome-wide data implicate terminal fusion automixis in king cobra facultative parthenogenesis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7271. [PMID: 33790309 PMCID: PMC8012631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86373-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Facultative parthenogenesis (FP) is widespread in the animal kingdom. In vertebrates it was first described in poultry nearly 70 years ago, and since then reports involving other taxa have increased considerably. In the last two decades, numerous reports of FP have emerged in elasmobranch fishes and squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), including documentation in wild populations of both clades. When considered in concert with recent evidence of reproductive competence, the accumulating data suggest that the significance of FP in vertebrate evolution has been largely underestimated. Several fundamental questions regarding developmental mechanisms, nonetheless, remain unanswered. Specifically, what is the type of automixis that underlies the production of progeny and how does this impact the genomic diversity of the resulting parthenogens? Here, we addressed these questions through the application of next-generation sequencing to investigate a suspected case of parthenogenesis in a king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Our results provide the first evidence of FP in this species, and provide novel evidence that rejects gametic duplication and supports terminal fusion as a mechanism underlying parthenogenesis in snakes. Moreover, we precisely estimated heterozygosity in parthenogenetic offspring and found appreciable retained genetic diversity that suggests that FP in vertebrates has underappreciated evolutionary significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daren C Card
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Freek J Vonk
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sterrin Smalbrugge
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Groups, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Wolfgang Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.,Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Gordon W Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA.,Department of Biology, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Warren Booth
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA. .,Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA.
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8
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Cubides-Cubillos SD, Patané JSL, Pereira da Silva KM, Almeida-Santos SM, Polydoro DS, Galassi GG, Travaglia Cardoso SR, Silva MJDJ. Evidence of facultative parthenogenesis in three Neotropical pitviper species of the Bothrops atrox group. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10097. [PMID: 33240594 PMCID: PMC7680053 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined four suspected cases of facultative parthenogenesis in three species of a neotropical lineage of pitvipers of the Bothrops atrox group. Reproduction without mating was observed in captive females of B. atrox, B. moojeni and B. leucurus housed alone for seven years (the two former species) and nine years (the latter one). In addition to the observation of captivity data, we investigated molecularly this phenomenon using heterologous microsatellites. DNA was extracted from the mothers’ scales or liver, from embryo and newborn fragments, and yolked ova. Four of the microsatellites showed good amplification using Polymerase Chain Reaction and informative band segregation patterns among each mother and respective offspring. Captivity information, litter characteristics (comparison of the number of newborns, embryos and yolked ova) and molecular data altogether agreed with facultative parthenogenesis predictions in at least three out of the four mothers studied: B. atrox (ID#933) was heterozygous for three out of the four markers, and the sons S1 and S2 were homozygous; B. moojeni (BUT86) was heterozygous for two out of four markers, offspring S1, S3, E2, and E4, and O1 to O6 were homozygous; and B. leucurus (MJJS503) was heterozygous for three out of four markers, and son E1 and O1 were homozygous. B. moojeni (BUT44) was homozygous for all loci analyzed in the mother and offspring, which although not informative is also consistent with parthenogenesis. This study represents the first molecular confirmation of different pitviper species undergoing facultative parthenogenesis among Neotropical endemic snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José S L Patané
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Singchat W, Ahmad SF, Laopichienpong N, Suntronpong A, Panthum T, Griffin DK, Srikulnath K. Snake W Sex Chromosome: The Shadow of Ancestral Amniote Super-Sex Chromosome. Cells 2020; 9:cells9112386. [PMID: 33142713 PMCID: PMC7692289 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
: Heteromorphic sex chromosomes, particularly the ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system of birds and some reptiles, undergo evolutionary dynamics distinct from those of autosomes. The W sex chromosome is a unique karyological member of this heteromorphic pair, which has been extensively studied in snakes to explore the origin, evolution, and genetic diversity of amniote sex chromosomes. The snake W sex chromosome offers a fascinating model system to elucidate ancestral trajectories that have resulted in genetic divergence of amniote sex chromosomes. Although the principal mechanism driving evolution of the amniote sex chromosome remains obscure, an emerging hypothesis, supported by studies of W sex chromosomes of squamate reptiles and snakes, suggests that sex chromosomes share varied genomic blocks across several amniote lineages. This implies the possible split of an ancestral super-sex chromosome via chromosomal rearrangements. We review the major findings pertaining to sex chromosomal profiles in amniotes and discuss the evolution of an ancestral super-sex chromosome by collating recent evidence sourced mainly from the snake W sex chromosome analysis. We highlight the role of repeat-mediated sex chromosome conformation and present a genomic landscape of snake Z and W chromosomes, which reveals the relative abundance of major repeats, and identifies the expansion of certain transposable elements. The latest revolution in chromosomics, i.e., complete telomere-to-telomere assembly, offers mechanistic insights into the evolutionary origin of sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Nararat Laopichienpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Aorarat Suntronpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | | | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, (CASTNAR, NRU-KU, Thailand), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1, Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-2562-5644
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10
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Viana PF, Ezaz T, Cioffi MDB, Liehr T, Al-Rikabi A, Tavares-Pinheiro R, Bertollo LAC, Feldberg E. Revisiting the Karyotype Evolution of Neotropical Boid Snakes: A Puzzle Mediated by Chromosomal Fissions. Cells 2020; 9:cells9102268. [PMID: 33050432 PMCID: PMC7601083 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Boidae family is an ancient group of snakes widely distributed across the Neotropical region, where several biogeographic events contributed towards shaping their evolution and diversification. Most species of this family have a diploid number composed of 2n = 36; however, among Booidea families, the Boidae stands out by presenting the greatest chromosomal diversity, with 2n ranging between 36 and 44 chromosomes and an undifferentiated XY sex chromosome system. Here, we applied a comparative chromosome analysis using cross-species chromosome paintings in five species representing four Boidae genera, to decipher the evolutionary dynamics of some chromosomes in these Neotropical snakes. Our study included all diploid numbers (2n = 36, 40, and 44) known for this family and our comparative chromosomal mappings point to a strong evolutionary relationship among the genera Boa, Corallus, Eunectes, and Epicrates. The results also allowed us to propose the cytogenomic diversification that had occurred in this family: a process mediated by centric fissions, including fission events of the putative and undifferentiated XY sex chromosome system in the 2n = 44 karyotype, which is critical in solving the puzzle of the karyotype evolution of boid snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik F. Viana
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus 69067-375, AM, Brazil; (P.F.V.); (E.F.)
| | - Tariq Ezaz
- Institute for Applied Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra 12 2616, ACT, Australia;
| | - Marcelo de Bello Cioffi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-090, SP, Brazil; (M.d.B.C.); (L.A.C.B.)
| | - Thomas Liehr
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-3641-9396850
| | - Ahmed Al-Rikabi
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany;
| | - Rodrigo Tavares-Pinheiro
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Laboratório de Herpetologia, Universidade Federal do Amapá, Macapá 68903-419, AP, Brazil;
| | - Luiz Antônio Carlos Bertollo
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-090, SP, Brazil; (M.d.B.C.); (L.A.C.B.)
| | - Eliana Feldberg
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus 69067-375, AM, Brazil; (P.F.V.); (E.F.)
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11
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Cytogenetic Analysis Did Not Reveal Differentiated Sex Chromosomes in Ten Species of Boas and Pythons (Reptilia: Serpentes). Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10110934. [PMID: 31731798 PMCID: PMC6896069 DOI: 10.3390/genes10110934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Homologous and differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes (or derived multiple neo-sex chromosomes) were often described in caenophidian snakes, but sex chromosomes were unknown until recently in non-caenophidian snakes. Previous studies revealed that two species of boas (Boa imperator, B. constrictor) and one species of python (Python bivittatus) independently evolved XX/XY sex chromosomes. In addition, heteromorphic ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes were recently revealed in the Madagascar boa (Acrantophis sp. cf. dumerili) and putatively also in the blind snake Myriopholis macrorhyncha. Since the evolution of sex chromosomes in non-caenophidian snakes seems to be more complex than previously thought, we examined ten species of pythons and boas representing the families Boidae, Calabariidae, Candoiidae, Charinidae, Pythonidae, and Sanziniidae by conventional and molecular cytogenetic methods, aiming to reveal their sex chromosomes. Our results show that all examined species do not possess sex-specific differences in their genomes detectable by the applied cytogenetic methods, indicating the presence of poorly differentiated sex chromosomes or even the absence of sex chromosomes. Interestingly, fluorescence in situ hybridization with telomeric repeats revealed extensive distribution of interstitial telomeric repeats in eight species, which are likely a consequence of intra-chromosomal rearrangements.
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12
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Levy T, Rosen O, Manor R, Dotan S, Azulay D, Abramov A, Sklarz MY, Chalifa-Caspi V, Baruch K, Shechter A, Sagi A. Production of WW males lacking the masculine Z chromosome and mining the Macrobrachium rosenbergii genome for sex-chromosomes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12408. [PMID: 31455815 PMCID: PMC6712010 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47509-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The cultivation of monosex populations is common in animal husbandry. However, preselecting the desired gender remains a major biotechnological and ethical challenge. To achieve an efficient biotechnology for all-female aquaculture in the economically important prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), we achieved – for the first time – WW males using androgenic gland cells transplantation which caused full sex-reversal of WW females to functional males. Crossing the WW males with WW females yielded all-female progeny lacking the Z chromosome. We now have the ability to manipulate – by non-genomic means – all possible genotype combinations (ZZ, WZ and WW) to retain either male or female phenotypes and hence to produce monosex populations of either gender. This calls for a study of the genomic basis underlying this striking sexual plasticity, questioning the content of the W and Z chromosomes. Here, we report on the sequencing of a high-quality genome exhibiting distinguishable paternal and maternal sequences. This assembly covers ~ 87.5% of the genome and yielded a remarkable N50 value of ~ 20 × 106 bp. Genomic sex markers were used to initiate the identification and validation of parts of the W and Z chromosomes for the first time in arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Levy
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel
| | - Ohad Rosen
- Enzootic HK, Ltd., Unit 1109, 11/F, Kowloon Centre, 33 Ashley Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Rivka Manor
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel
| | - Shahar Dotan
- Enzootic HK, Ltd., Unit 1109, 11/F, Kowloon Centre, 33 Ashley Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Dudu Azulay
- Enzootic HK, Ltd., Unit 1109, 11/F, Kowloon Centre, 33 Ashley Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Anna Abramov
- Enzootic HK, Ltd., Unit 1109, 11/F, Kowloon Centre, 33 Ashley Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Menachem Y Sklarz
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel
| | - Vered Chalifa-Caspi
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel
| | | | - Assaf Shechter
- Enzootic HK, Ltd., Unit 1109, 11/F, Kowloon Centre, 33 Ashley Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Amir Sagi
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel. .,The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel.
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13
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Miller KL, Castañeda Rico S, Muletz-Wolz CR, Campana MG, McInerney N, Augustine L, Frere C, Peters AM, Fleischer RC. Parthenogenesis in a captive Asian water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) identified with novel microsatellites. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217489. [PMID: 31166974 PMCID: PMC6550409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reptiles show varying degrees of facultative parthenogenesis. Here we use genetic methods to determine that an isolated, captive female Asian water dragon produced at least nine offspring via parthenogenesis. We identified microsatellites for the species from shotgun genomic sequences, selected and optimized primer sets, and tested all of the offspring for a set of seven microsatellites that were heterozygous in the mother. We verified that the seven loci showed high levels of polymorphism in four wild Asian water dragons from Vietnam. In all cases, the offspring (unhatched, but developed eggs, or hatched young) had only a single allele at each locus, and contained only alleles present in the mother’s genotype (i.e., were homozygous or hemizygous). The probability that our findings resulted from the female mating with one or more males is extremely small, indicating that the offspring were derived from a single female gamete (either alone or via duplication and/or fusion) and implicating parthenogenesis. This is the first documented case of parthenogenesis in the Squamate family Agamidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle L. Miller
- Department of Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Susette Castañeda Rico
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Carly R. Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Michael G. Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Nancy McInerney
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Lauren Augustine
- Department of Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Celine Frere
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alan M. Peters
- Department of Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Robert C. Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
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14
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Calvete JJ, Casewell NR, Hernández-Guzmán U, Quesada-Bernat S, Sanz L, Rokyta DR, Storey D, Albulescu LO, Wüster W, Smith CF, Schuett GW, Booth W. Venom Complexity in a Pitviper Produced by Facultative Parthenogenesis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11539. [PMID: 30068934 PMCID: PMC6070573 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29791-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Facultative parthenogenesis (FP) is asexual reproduction in plant and animal species that would otherwise reproduce sexually. This process in vertebrates typically results from automictic development (likely terminal fusion) and is phylogenetically widespread. In squamate reptiles and chondrichthyan fishes, FP has been reported to occur in nature and can result in the production of reproductively viable offspring; suggesting that it is of ecological and evolutionary significance. However, terminal fusion automixis is believed to result in near genome-wide reductions in heterozygosity; thus, FP seems likely to affect key phenotypic characters, yet this remains almost completely unstudied. Snake venom is a complex phenotypic character primarily used to subjugate prey and is thus tightly linked to individual fitness. Surprisingly, the composition and function of venom produced by a parthenogenetic pitviper exhibits a high degree of similarity to that of its mother and conspecifics from the same population. Therefore, the apparent loss of allelic diversity caused by FP appears unlikely to have a significant impact on the prey-capturing ability of this snake. Accordingly, the pitviper offspring produced by FP retained complex phenotypic characteristics associated with fitness. This result reinforces the potential ecological and evolutionary importance of FP and questions our understanding of the inheritance of venom-associated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Calvete
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain.
| | - N R Casewell
- Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Parasitology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| | - U Hernández-Guzmán
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
- Laboratorio de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán C.P, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - S Quesada-Bernat
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - L Sanz
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - D R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - D Storey
- Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Parasitology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - L-O Albulescu
- Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Parasitology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - W Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
| | - C F Smith
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
- The Copperhead Institute, P.O. Box 6755, Spartanburg, SC, USA
- Department of Biology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC, USA
| | - G W Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
- The Copperhead Institute, P.O. Box 6755, Spartanburg, SC, USA
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - W Booth
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, P.O. Box 376, Rodeo, NM, USA
- The Copperhead Institute, P.O. Box 6755, Spartanburg, SC, USA
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
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15
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Shibata H, Sakata S, Hirano Y, Nitasaka E, Sakabe A. Facultative parthenogenesis validated by DNA analyses in the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189654. [PMID: 29236745 PMCID: PMC5728508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In reptiles, the mode of reproduction is typically sexual. However, facultative parthenogenesis occurs in some Squamata, such as Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) and Burmese python (Python bivittatus). Here, we report facultative parthenogenesis in the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus). We found two fully developed female neonates and 17 undeveloped eggs in the oviduct of a female anaconda isolated from other individuals for eight years and two months at Ueno Zoo, Japan. To clarify the zygosity of the neonates, we analyzed 18 microsatellite markers of which 16 were informative. We observed only maternal alleles and no paternal alleles for all 16 markers. To examine the possibility of the long-term sperm storage, we estimated allele frequencies in a putative parental stock by genotyping five unrelated founders. If all founders, including the mother, are originated from a single Mendelian population, then the probability that the neonates were produced by sexual reproduction with an unrelated male via long-term sperm storage was infinitesimally small (2.31E-32 per clutch). We also examined samples from two additional offspring that the mother delivered eight years before her death. We consistently observed paternal alleles in these elder offspring, indicating that the mother had switched from sexual reproduction to asexual reproduction during the eight years of isolation. This is the first case of parthenogenesis in Eunectes to be validated by DNA analysis, and suggests that facultative parthenogenesis is widespread in the Boidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Shibata
- Division of Genomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | - Yuzo Hirano
- Ueno Zoo, 9-83, Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eiji Nitasaka
- Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ai Sakabe
- Ueno Zoo, 9-83, Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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16
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Switch from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction in a zebra shark. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40537. [PMID: 28091617 PMCID: PMC5238396 DOI: 10.1038/srep40537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which embryos develop in the absence of fertilisation. Most commonly found in plants and invertebrate organisms, an increasing number of vertebrate species have recently been reported employing this reproductive strategy. Here we use DNA genotyping to report the first demonstration of an intra-individual switch from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction in a shark species, the zebra shark Stegostoma fasciatum. A co-housed, sexually produced daughter zebra shark also commenced parthenogenetic reproduction at the onset of maturity without any prior mating. The demonstration of parthenogenesis in these two conspecific individuals with different sexual histories provides further support that elasmobranch fishes may flexibly adapt their reproductive strategy to environmental circumstances.
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17
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Sex allocation and secondary sex ratio in Cuban boa (Chilabothrus angulifer): mother's body size affects the ratio between sons and daughters. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:48. [PMID: 27216175 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1369-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Secondary sex ratios of animals with genetically determined sex may considerably deviate from equality. These deviations may be attributed to several proximate and ultimate factors. Sex ratio theory explains some of them as strategic decisions of mothers improving their fitness by selective investment in sons or daughters, e.g. local resource competition hypothesis (LRC) suggests that philopatric females tend to produce litters with male-biased sex ratios to avoid future competition with their daughters. Until now, only little attention has been paid to examine predictions of sex ratio theory in snakes possessing genetic sex determination and exhibiting large variance in allocation of maternal investment. Cuban boa is an endemic viviparous snake producing large-bodied newborns (∼200 g). Extremely high maternal investment in each offspring increases importance of sex allocation. In a captive colony, we collected breeding records of 42 mothers, 62 litters and 306 newborns and examined secondary sex ratios (SR) and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) of newborns. None of the examined morphometric traits of neonates appeared sexually dimorphic. The sex ratio was slightly male biased (174 males versus 132 females) and litter sex ratio significantly decreased with female snout-vent length. We interpret this relationship as an additional support for LRC as competition between mothers and daughters increases with similarity of body sizes between competing snakes.
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18
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Harmon TS, Kamerman TY, Corwin AL, Sellas AB. Consecutive parthenogenetic births in a spotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2016; 88:741-745. [PMID: 26563982 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Genetic evidence is given to support consecutive parthenogenesis in a spotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari using nuclear microsatellite genotyping. To date, only a handful of births involving the parthenogenesis process in chondrichthyans have been verified using microsatellite markers and even fewer verified as recurring births. This appears to be the first documented case of this process occurring in a myliobatid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- T S Harmon
- Disney's Animals, Science, and Environment, Disney's Animal Kingdom, EPCOT's The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Walt Disney's Parks and Resorts, Bay Lake, FL, 32830, U.S.A
| | - T Y Kamerman
- Disney's Animals, Science, and Environment, Disney's Animal Kingdom, EPCOT's The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Walt Disney's Parks and Resorts, Bay Lake, FL, 32830, U.S.A
| | - A L Corwin
- Disney's Animals, Science, and Environment, Disney's Animal Kingdom, EPCOT's The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Walt Disney's Parks and Resorts, Bay Lake, FL, 32830, U.S.A
| | - A B Sellas
- California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118, U.S.A
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19
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Straube N, Lampert KP, Geiger MF, Weiß JD, Kirchhauser JX. First record of second-generation facultative parthenogenesis in a vertebrate species, the whitespotted bambooshark Chiloscyllium plagiosum. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2016; 88:668-675. [PMID: 26727105 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this study, two parthenogenetic events within a family of the whitespotted bambooshark Chiloscyllium plagiosum are reported. A captive female produced multiple parthenogens. Unexpectedly, a single specimen of a total of nine parthenogens displayed external claspers characterizing the male sex in chondrichthyans. Upon dissection, internal sexual organs of this specimen were malformed or absent; however, the presence of claspers in this study challenges the as yet assumed sex determination system in this shark species. Even more remarkable was that one of the female parthenogens reproduced asexually again producing viable offspring. As far as is known, this is the first genetically confirmed evidence for second-generation facultative parthenogenesis in vertebrates. These results support the evolutionary significance of parthenogenesis as an alternative to sexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Straube
- Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstrasse 21, 81247, München, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, mit Phyletischem Museum, Erbertstr. 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - K P Lampert
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - M F Geiger
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig Bonn, Adenauerallee 160, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - J D Weiß
- Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstrasse 21, 81247, München, Germany
| | - J X Kirchhauser
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstrasse 13, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany
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20
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Booth W, Schuett GW. The emerging phylogenetic pattern of parthenogenesis in snakes. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Warren Booth
- Department of Biological Sciences; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa OK 74104 USA
- The Copperhead Institute; PO Box 6755 Spartanburg SC 29304 USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum; PO Box 376 Rodeo NM 88056 USA
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- The Copperhead Institute; PO Box 6755 Spartanburg SC 29304 USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum; PO Box 376 Rodeo NM 88056 USA
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute; Georgia State University; Atlanta GA 30303 USA
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21
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Reynolds RG, Puente-Rolón AR, Platenberg R, Tyler RK, Tolson PJ, Revell LJ. Large divergence and low diversity suggest genetically informed conservation strategies for the endangered Virgin Islands Boa (Chilabothrus monensis). Glob Ecol Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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22
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Grismer JL, Bauer AM, Grismer LL, Thirakhupt K, Aowphol A, Oaks JR, Wood PL, Onn CK, Thy N, Cota M, Jackman T. Multiple origins of parthenogenesis, and a revised species phylogeny for the Southeast Asian butterfly lizards,Leiolepis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse L. Grismer
- Department of Biology; Villanova University; 800 Lancaster Ave Villanova PA 19085 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute; University of Kansas; Dyche Hall 1345 Jayhawk Blvd Lawrence KS 66045-7561 USA
| | - Aaron M. Bauer
- Department of Biology; Villanova University; 800 Lancaster Ave Villanova PA 19085 USA
| | - L. Lee Grismer
- Department of Biology; La Sierra University; 4500 Riverwalk Parkway Riverside CA 92515-8247 USA
| | - Kumthorn Thirakhupt
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Chulalongkorn University; Bangkok 10330 Thailand
| | - Anchelee Aowphol
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; 50 Phahon Yothin Rd. Chatuchak BKK 10900 Thailand
| | - Jamie R. Oaks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute; University of Kansas; Dyche Hall 1345 Jayhawk Blvd Lawrence KS 66045-7561 USA
- Departments of Biology and Statistics; University of Washington; Box 315800 Seattle WA 98195 USA
| | - Perry L. Wood
- Department of Biology; Brigham Young University; 150 East Bulldog Boulevard Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Chan Kin Onn
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute; University of Kansas; Dyche Hall 1345 Jayhawk Blvd Lawrence KS 66045-7561 USA
| | - Neang Thy
- General Department of Nature Conservation and Protection (DNCP); Ministry of Environment; Phnom Penh Cambodia
| | - Micheal Cota
- Thailand Natural History Museum; National Science Museum Technopolis; Khlong 5 Khlong Luang PT 12120 Thailand
| | - Todd Jackman
- Department of Biology; Villanova University; 800 Lancaster Ave Villanova PA 19085 USA
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23
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Booth W, Schuett GW, Ridgway A, Buxton DW, Castoe TA, Bastone G, Bennett C, McMahan W. New insights on facultative parthenogenesis in pythons. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Warren Booth
- Department of Biological Sciences; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa OK 74104 USA
- The Copperhead Institute; PO Box 6755 Spartanburg SC 29304 USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum; PO Box 376 Rodeo NM 88056 USA
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- The Copperhead Institute; PO Box 6755 Spartanburg SC 29304 USA
- Chiricahua Desert Museum; PO Box 376 Rodeo NM 88056 USA
- Department of Biology and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience; Georgia State University; Atlanta GA 30303 USA
| | - Annice Ridgway
- Department of Biological Sciences; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa OK 74104 USA
| | - Devin W. Buxton
- Department of Biological Sciences; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa OK 74104 USA
| | - Todd A. Castoe
- Department of Biology; The University of Texas; Arlington TX USA
| | - Giuseppe Bastone
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences; Bologna University; Casenatico FC Italy
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24
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Vicoso B, Emerson JJ, Zektser Y, Mahajan S, Bachtrog D. Comparative sex chromosome genomics in snakes: differentiation, evolutionary strata, and lack of global dosage compensation. PLoS Biol 2013; 11:e1001643. [PMID: 24015111 PMCID: PMC3754893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakes exhibit genetic sex determination, with female heterogametic sex chromosomes (ZZ males, ZW females). Extensive cytogenetic work has suggested that the level of sex chromosome heteromorphism varies among species, with Boidae having entirely homomorphic sex chromosomes, Viperidae having completely heteromorphic sex chromosomes, and Colubridae showing partial differentiation. Here, we take a genomic approach to compare sex chromosome differentiation in these three snake families. We identify homomorphic sex chromosomes in boas (Boidae), but completely heteromorphic sex chromosomes in both garter snakes (Colubridae) and pygmy rattlesnake (Viperidae). Detection of W-linked gametologs enables us to establish the presence of evolutionary strata on garter and pygmy rattlesnake sex chromosomes where recombination was abolished at different time points. Sequence analysis shows that all strata are shared between pygmy rattlesnake and garter snake, i.e., recombination was abolished between the sex chromosomes before the two lineages diverged. The sex-biased transmission of the Z and its hemizygosity in females can impact patterns of molecular evolution, and we show that rates of evolution for Z-linked genes are increased relative to their pseudoautosomal homologs, both at synonymous and amino acid sites (even after controlling for mutational biases). This demonstrates that mutation rates are male-biased in snakes (male-driven evolution), but also supports faster-Z evolution due to differential selective effects on the Z. Finally, we perform a transcriptome analysis in boa and pygmy rattlesnake to establish baseline levels of sex-biased expression in homomorphic sex chromosomes, and show that heteromorphic ZW chromosomes in rattlesnakes lack chromosome-wide dosage compensation. Our study provides the first full scale overview of the evolution of snake sex chromosomes at the genomic level, thus greatly expanding our knowledge of reptilian and vertebrate sex chromosomes evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Vicoso
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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Puente-Rolón AR, Reynolds RG, Revell LJ. Preliminary genetic analysis supports cave populations as targets for conservation in the endemic endangered Puerto Rican boa (Boidae: Epicrates inornatus). PLoS One 2013; 8:e63899. [PMID: 23691110 PMCID: PMC3655012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The endemic Puerto Rican boa (Epicrates inornatus) has spent 42 years on the Endangered Species List with little evidence for recovery. One significant impediment to effective conservation planning has been a lack of knowledge of the distribution of genetic variability in the species. It has previously been suggested that boas might best be protected around caves that harbor large populations of bats. Prior study has found Puerto Rican boas at relatively high densities in and around bat caves, which they use both to feed and seek shelter. However, it is unknown whether these behaviorally distinctive populations represent a distinct evolutionary lineage, or (conversely) whether caves harbor representative genetic diversity for the species across the island. We provide the first genetic study of the Puerto Rican boa, and we examine and compare genetic diversity and divergence among two cave populations and two surface populations of boas. We find three haplogroups and an apparent lack of phylogeographic structure across the island. In addition, we find that the two cave populations appear no less diverse than the two surface populations, and harbor multiple mtDNA lineages. We discuss the conservation implications of these findings, including a call for the immediate protection of the remaining cave-associated populations of boas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto R. Puente-Rolón
- Departamento de Ciencias y Tecnología, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Arecibo, Arecibo, Puerto Rico
| | - R. Graham Reynolds
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Liam J. Revell
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Doody JS, Burghardt GM, Dinets V. Breaking the Social-Non-social Dichotomy: A Role for Reptiles in Vertebrate Social Behavior Research? Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Sean Doody
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; Knoxville; TN; USA
| | | | - Vladimir Dinets
- Department of Psychology, Austin Peay Building; University of Tennessee; Knoxville; TN; USA
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Kinney ME, Wack RF, Grahn RA, Lyons L. Parthenogenesis in a Brazilian rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria cenchria). Zoo Biol 2012; 32:172-6. [PMID: 23086743 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Revised: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A 22-year-old captive Brazilian rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria cenchria) gave birth to four offspring after being housed with a vasectomized male. Sexual reproduction as a result of failed prior vasectomy, recanalization of the vas deferens, or prolonged sperm storage was ruled out using the clinical history, histopathology, and gross necropsy. Short tandem repeat (STR) DNA markers were genotyped in the male, female, and four offspring. None of the offspring possessed a diagnostic STR allele present in the potential sire. In addition, all offspring were homozygous at each STR locus evaluated, supporting parthenogenetic reproduction. This is the first report of parthenogenesis in a Brazilian rainbow boa and has implications for the conservation of reptiles maintained in captive breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Kinney
- William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95822, USA.
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Booth W, Smith CF, Eskridge PH, Hoss SK, Mendelson JR, Schuett GW. Facultative parthenogenesis discovered in wild vertebrates. Biol Lett 2012; 8:983-5. [PMID: 22977071 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Facultative parthenogenesis (FP)-asexual reproduction by bisexual species-has been documented in a variety of multi-cellular organisms but only recently in snakes, varanid lizards, birds and sharks. Unlike the approximately 80 taxa of unisexual reptiles, amphibians and fishes that exist in nature, FP has yet to be documented in the wild. Based on captive documentation, it appears that FP is widespread in squamate reptiles (snakes, lizards and amphisbaenians), and its occurrence in nature seems inevitable, yet the task of detecting FP in wild individuals has been deemed formidable. Here we show, using microsatellite DNA genotyping and litter characteristics, the first cases of FP in wild-collected pregnant females and their offspring of two closely related species of North American pitviper snakes-the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus). Our findings support the view that non-hybrid origins of parthenogenesis, such as FP, are more common in squamates than previously thought. With this confirmation, FP can no longer be viewed as a rare curiosity outside the mainstream of vertebrate evolution. Future research on FP in squamate reptiles related to proximate control of induction, reproductive competence of parthenogens and population genetics modelling is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Booth
- Department of Entomology and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, PO Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Reynolds RG, Booth W, Schuett GW, Fitzpatrick BM, Burghardt GM. Successive virgin births of viable male progeny in the checkered gartersnake,Thamnophis marcianus. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01954.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Graham Reynolds
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall Knoxville TN 37996-1610 USA
| | - Warren Booth
- Department of Entomology; W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University; Box 7613 Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- Department of Biology; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience; Georgia State University; 33 Gilmer Street, SE, Unit 8 Atlanta GA 30303-3088 USA
| | - Benjamin M. Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall Knoxville TN 37996-1610 USA
| | - Gordon M. Burghardt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall Knoxville TN 37996-1610 USA
- Department of Psychology; University of Tennessee; 1404 Circle Drive Knoxville TN 37996-0900 USA
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Vázquez-Domínguez E, Suárez-Atilano M, Booth W, González-Baca C, Cuarón AD. Genetic evidence of a recent successful colonization of introduced species on islands: Boa constrictor imperator on Cozumel Island. Biol Invasions 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-012-0217-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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BOOTH WARREN, SCHUETT GORDONW. Molecular genetic evidence for alternative reproductive strategies in North American pitvipers (Serpentes: Viperidae): long-term sperm storage and facultative parthenogenesis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01782.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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