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Mathias MDL, Mira A, Tapisso J, Pita R, Neves T, Cabral JA, Barros P, Rainho A, Alves PC, Queirós J, Paupério J, Ferreira M, Eira C, Sequeira M, Rodrigues L. New Additions to the Mammal List Documented in the Portuguese Red Data Book. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2514. [PMID: 39272299 PMCID: PMC11393906 DOI: 10.3390/ani14172514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
This study outlines the procedures used for collecting, processing, and categorizing data on 16 new mammal species for mainland Portugal, belonging to four taxonomic groups: Eulipotyphla (1), Chiroptera (4), Rodentia (2), and Cetacea (9). Data collection and processing encompassed field and lab work and bibliographic compilation. Data categorization involves, whenever possible, the assessment of the approximate number of mature individuals in populations, the extent of occurrence, and the area of occupancy. The approach employed led to the classification of eight out of the 16 species into an IUCN category: two non-volant small mammals and one bat species were designated as Vulnerable, requiring ongoing monitoring; one rodent and three cetaceans were assigned to Data Deficient due to insufficient available information; and a single bat species was classified as Least Concern due to the high abundance of local populations. For small mammals and bats, alterations to natural systems and climate change emerged as the most relevant threatening factors, while for cetaceans, human activities such as fishing, commercial shipping, and tourism were identified as the primary survival risks. It is recommended to maintain action programs that assist in defining strategic orientations for the implementation of conservation measures on a case-by-case basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria da Luz Mathias
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e Mar (CESAM), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, & Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais (Ce3C), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - António Mira
- Instituto Mediterrâneo para a Agricultura, Ambiente e Desenvolvimento (MED), Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra & Change, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Joaquim Tapisso
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e Mar (CESAM), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, & Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais (Ce3C), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Pita
- Instituto Mediterrâneo para a Agricultura, Ambiente e Desenvolvimento (MED), Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra & Change, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Tomé Neves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO/BIOPOLIS), Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Porto, & Estação Biológica de Mértola (EBM), & Instituto Superior de Agronomia, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Alexandre Cabral
- Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas (CITAB), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Paulo Barros
- Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas (CITAB), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ana Rainho
- Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais (Ce3C), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paulo Célio Alves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO/BIOPOLIS), Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Porto, & Estação Biológica de Mértola (EBM), & Instituto Superior de Agronomia, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Queirós
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO/BIOPOLIS), Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Porto, & Estação Biológica de Mértola (EBM), & Instituto Superior de Agronomia, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana Paupério
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO/BIOPOLIS), Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Porto, & Estação Biológica de Mértola (EBM), & Instituto Superior de Agronomia, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Marisa Ferreira
- Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem (SPVS), 3080-530 Figueira da Foz, Portugal
| | - Catarina Eira
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e Mar (CESAM), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, & Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marina Sequeira
- Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF), 1495-165 Algés, Portugal
| | - Luísa Rodrigues
- Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF), 1495-165 Algés, Portugal
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Wikar Z, Ciechanowski M, Zwolicki A. The positive response of small terrestrial and semi-aquatic mammals to beaver damming. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167568. [PMID: 37797774 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers, such as the Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber, transform habitats, thereby creating favourable conditions for other species and increasing biodiversity. Multiple studies have revealed that beaver ponds are valuable habitats for invertebrates and vertebrates, including other mammals, but the impact of watercourse damming on the fauna of small terrestrial rodents and shrews has not yet been documented. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of beaver dams and consequent flooding enrich the small mammal assemblage both quantitatively and qualitatively. We live-trapped small mammals at nine beaver-modified sites on 300-metre transects alongside dammed watercourses, starting from the dam through to the pond to the sections with unmodified lotic conditions. The abundance and species richness of trapped small mammals were highest near the dams and declined with distance. Additionally, five out of 12 trapped species significantly decreased their abundance with linear distance along the shoreline from the dam and none revealed the opposite trend. Four species were more abundant on plots subjected to beaver-related inundation (especially Sorex minutus and Micromys minutus), while none were present solely on uninundated plots. Among the semi-aquatic species, two water shrews benefited from beaver activity in different ways. Neomys milleri occurred only in flooded sections, while N. fodiens preferred unmodified sections, but was the most numerous species closer to the dams, as per known patterns of competitive displacement observed in Central Europe. An important factor affecting small mammals, the herbaceous layer cover, appeared to be interdependent with damming. We provide the first unequivocal evidence that the presence of beaver dams facilitate the abundance and diversity of small mammals, presumably due to increased food abundance, availability of shelter and habitat connectivity. Beaver-created wetlands may act as potential refuges for species most susceptible to the consequences of anthropogenic climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Wikar
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Mateusz Ciechanowski
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Adrian Zwolicki
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
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Svoboda Karić P, Anđelić Dmitrović B, Mrmić S, Paić A, Bjedov L, Štritof Z, Margaletić J, Kurolt IC. First Molecular Evidence of Seewis Virus in Croatia. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2359. [PMID: 38137960 PMCID: PMC10744651 DOI: 10.3390/life13122359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Orthohantaviruses are mainly carried and transmitted by wild rodents, although during the last decade, they have also been identified in multiple species of shrews and moles. Orthohantavirus, Orthohantavirus seewisense (Seewis virus, SWSV), first detected in Switzerland in a single Sorex araneus (Eurasian common shrew) specimen, has been further described in several European countries, including Croatia's neighboring Slovenia and Hungary. Croatia is a well-known endemic region for several zoonotic agents including three different orthohantaviruses: Orthohantavirus puumalaense (PUUV), Orthohantavirus dobravaense (DOBV), and Orthohantavirus tulaense (TULV). In this study, nine shrews were tested and SWSV RNA was detected in liver, lung, and kidney belonging to two shrews (22.22%), one collected on Medvednica mountain in Zagreb County, and the other in the Stara Gradiška area in lowland Croatia. The phylogenetic analysis of the complete S segment's open reading frame (ORF) and partial L-segment revealed that the Croatian sequences, when compared to sequences from the adjacent geographic regions, form a specific genetic lineage. Two SWSV-positive shrew species-Sorex araneus and Neomys milleri (Mediterranean water shrew)-were identified using barcode-based sequence analysis. Therefore, the SWSV detection in N. milleri throughout the course of this study is seen as a rare find in this shrew species. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular and phylogenetic analysis of SWSV in Croatia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Svoboda Karić
- Research Department, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Barbara Anđelić Dmitrović
- Research Department, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Stella Mrmić
- Research Department, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Antonia Paić
- Research Department, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Linda Bjedov
- Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zrinka Štritof
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Josip Margaletić
- Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan-Christian Kurolt
- Research Department, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Balmori-de la Puente A, Ventura J, Miñarro M, Somoano A, Hey J, Castresana J. Divergence time estimation using ddRAD data and an isolation-with-migration model applied to water vole populations of Arvicola. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4065. [PMID: 35260719 PMCID: PMC8904462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07877-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dating methods of population splits are crucial in evolutionary biology, but they present important difficulties due to the complexity of the genealogical relationships of genes and past migrations between populations. Using the double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) technique and an isolation-with-migration (IM) model, we studied the evolutionary history of water vole populations of the genus Arvicola, a group of complex evolution with fossorial and semi-aquatic ecotypes. To do this, we first estimated mutation rates of ddRAD loci using a phylogenetic approach. An IM model was then used to estimate split times and other relevant demographic parameters. A set of 300 ddRAD loci that included 85 calibrated loci resulted in good mixing and model convergence. The results showed that the two populations of A. scherman present in the Iberian Peninsula split 34 thousand years ago, during the last glaciation. In addition, the much greater divergence from its sister species, A. amphibius, may help to clarify the controversial taxonomy of the genus. We conclude that this approach, based on ddRAD data and an IM model, is highly useful for analyzing the origin of populations and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Balmori-de la Puente
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jacint Ventura
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.,Àrea de Recerca en Petits Mamífers, Granollers Museum of Natural Sciences, Palaudàries, 102, 08402, Granollers, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marcos Miñarro
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Ctra AS-267, PK 19, 33300, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Aitor Somoano
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Ctra AS-267, PK 19, 33300, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Jody Hey
- Department of Biology, Center for Computational Genetics and Genomics, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Jose Castresana
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
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Peres PHF, Luduvério DJ, Bernegossi AM, Galindo DJ, Nascimento GB, Oliveira ML, Sandoval EDP, Vozdova M, Kubickova S, Cernohorska H, Duarte JMB. Revalidation of Mazama rufa (Illiger 1815) (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) as a Distinct Species out of the Complex Mazama americana (Erxleben 1777). Front Genet 2022; 12:742870. [PMID: 34970296 PMCID: PMC8712859 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.742870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The red brocket deer Mazama americana Erxleben, 1777 is considered a polyphyletic complex of cryptic species with wide chromosomal divergence. Evidence indicates that the observed chromosomal divergences result in reproductive isolation. The description of a neotype for M. americana allowed its genetic characterization and represented a comparative basis to resolve the taxonomic uncertainties of the group. Thus, we designated a neotype for the synonym Mazama rufa Illiger, 1815 and tested its recognition as a distinct species from the M. americana complex with the analysis of morphological, cytogenetic and molecular data. We also evaluated its distribution by sampling fecal DNA in the wild. Morphological data from craniometry and body biometry indicated an overlap of quantitative measurements between M. rufa and the entire M. americana complex. The phylogenetic hypothesis obtained through mtDNA confirmed the reciprocal monophyly relationship between M. americana and M. rufa, and both were identified as distinct molecular operational taxonomic units by the General Mixed Yule Coalescent species delimitation analysis. Finally, classic cytogenetic data and fluorescence in situ hybridization with whole chromosome painting probes showed M. rufa with a karyotype of 2n = 52, FN = 56. Comparative analysis indicate that at least fifteen rearrangements separate M. rufa and M. americana (sensu stricto) karyotypes, which confirmed their substantial chromosomal divergence. This divergence should represent an important reproductive barrier and allow its characterization as a distinct and valid species. Genetic analysis of fecal samples demonstrated a wide distribution of M. rufa in the South American continent through the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and south region of Amazon. Thus, we conclude for the revalidation of M. rufa as a distinct species under the concept of biological isolation, with its karyotype as the main diagnostic character. The present work serves as a basis for the taxonomic review of the M. americana complex, which should be mainly based on cytogenetic characterization and directed towards a better sampling of the Amazon region, the evaluation of available names in the species synonymy and a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro H F Peres
- Deer Research and Conservation Center (NUPECCE), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Douglas J Luduvério
- Deer Research and Conservation Center (NUPECCE), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Agda Maria Bernegossi
- Deer Research and Conservation Center (NUPECCE), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - David J Galindo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, National University of San Marcos (UNMSM), Lima, Peru
| | | | - Márcio L Oliveira
- Deer Research and Conservation Center (NUPECCE), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
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Quina AS, Durão AF, Mathias MDL. Evidence of micro-evolution in Crocidura russula from two abandoned heavy metal mines: potential use of Cytb, CYP1A1, and p53 as gene biomarkers. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:1969-1982. [PMID: 34505200 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02472-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metals accumulated in the environment due to the mining industry may impact on the health of exposed wild animals with consequences at the population level via survival and selection of the most resistant individuals. The detection and quantification of shifts in gene frequencies or in the genetic structure in populations inhabiting polluted sites may be used as early indicators of environmental stress and reveal potential 'candidate gene biomarkers' for environmental health assessment. We had previously observed that specimens of the Greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) from two heavy metal mines in Southern Portugal (the Aljustrel and the Preguiça mines) carried physiological alterations compared to shrews from an unpolluted site. Here, we further investigated whether these populations showed genetic differences in genes relevant for physiological homeostasis and/or that are associated with pathways altered in animals living under chronic exposure to pollution, and which could be used as biomarkers. We analysed the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene and intronic and/or exonic regions of four nuclear genes: CYP1A1, LCAT, PRPF31, and p53. We observed (1) population differences in allele frequencies, types of variation, and diversity parameters in the Cytb, CYP1A1, and p53 genes; (2) purifying selection of Cytb in the mine populations; (3) genetic differentiation of the two mine populations from the reference by the p53 gene. Adding to our previous observations with Mus spretus, we provide unequivocal evidence of a population effect exerted by the contaminated environment of the mines on the local species of small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Quina
- CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Universidade de Aveiro Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
- CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Ana Filipa Durão
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Maria da Luz Mathias
- CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
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Hinckley A, Camacho-Sanchez M, Ruedi M, Hawkins MTR, Mullon M, Cornellas A, Tuh Yit Yuh F, Leonard JA. Evolutionary history of Sundaland shrews (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae: Crocidura) with a focus on Borneo. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The hyperdiverse shrew genus Crocidura is one of few small mammal genera distributed across Sundaland and all of its boundaries. This represents a rare opportunity to study the geological history of this region through the evolutionary history of these shrews. We generate a phylogeny of all recognized species of Sundaland Crocidura and show that most speciation events took place during the Pleistocene, prior to the inundation of the Sunda Shelf around 400 000 years ago. We find east–west differentiation within two separate lineages on Borneo, and that the current taxonomy of its two endemic species does not reflect evolutionary history, but ecophenotypic variation of plastic traits related to elevation. Sulawesi shrews are monophyletic, with a single notable exception: the black-footed shrew (C. nigripes). We show that the black-footed shrew diverged from its relatives on Borneo recently, suggesting a human-assisted breach of Wallace’s line. Overall, the number of Crocidura species, especially on Borneo, probably remains an underestimate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlo Hinckley
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Miguel Camacho-Sanchez
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
- Instituto Andaluz de Investigación y Formación Agraria, Pesquera, Alimentaria y de la Producción Ecológica (IFAPA) Centro Las Torres, Alcalá del Río, Spain
| | | | - Melissa T R Hawkins
- National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, USA
| | | | - Anna Cornellas
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | | | - Jennifer A Leonard
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
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Venom Use in Eulipotyphlans: An Evolutionary and Ecological Approach. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13030231. [PMID: 33810196 PMCID: PMC8004749 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13030231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomousness is a complex functional trait that has evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom, although it is rare among mammals. Intriguingly, most venomous mammal species belong to Eulipotyphla (solenodons, shrews). This fact may be linked to their high metabolic rate and a nearly continuous demand of nutritious food, and thus it relates the venom functions to facilitation of their efficient foraging. While mammalian venoms have been investigated using biochemical and molecular assays, studies of their ecological functions have been neglected for a long time. Therefore, we provide here an overview of what is currently known about eulipotyphlan venoms, followed by a discussion of how these venoms might have evolved under ecological pressures related to food acquisition, ecological interactions, and defense and protection. We delineate six mutually nonexclusive functions of venom (prey hunting, food hoarding, food digestion, reducing intra- and interspecific conflicts, avoidance of predation risk, weapons in intraspecific competition) and a number of different subfunctions for eulipotyphlans, among which some are so far only hypothetical while others have some empirical confirmation. The functions resulting from the need for food acquisition seem to be the most important for solenodons and especially for shrews. We also present several hypotheses explaining why, despite so many potentially beneficial functions, venomousness is rare even among eulipotyphlans. The tentativeness of many of the arguments presented in this review highlights our main conclusion, i.e., insights regarding the functions of eulipotyphlan venoms merit additional study.
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Balmori-de la Puente A, Nores C, Román J, Fernández-González A, Aymerich P, Gosálbez J, Escoda L, Castresana J. Size increase without genetic divergence in the Eurasian water shrew Neomys fodiens. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17375. [PMID: 31758027 PMCID: PMC6874603 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53891-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
When a population shows a marked morphological change, it is important to know whether that population is genetically distinct; if it is not, the novel trait could correspond to an adaptation that might be of great ecological interest. Here, we studied a subspecies of water shrew, Neomys fodiens niethammeri, which is found in a narrow strip of the northern Iberian Peninsula. This subspecies presents an abrupt increase in skull size when compared to the rest of the Eurasian population, which has led to the suggestion that it is actually a different species. Skulls obtained from owl pellets collected over the last 50 years allowed us to perform a morphometric analysis in addition to an extensive multilocus analysis based on short intron fragments successfully amplified from these degraded samples. Interestingly, no genetic divergence was detected using either mitochondrial or nuclear data. Additionally, an allele frequency analysis revealed no significant genetic differentiation. The absence of genetic divergence and differentiation revealed here indicate that the large form of N. fodiens does not correspond to a different species and instead represents an extreme case of size increase, of possible adaptive value, which deserves further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Balmori-de la Puente
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Nores
- Indurot, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus de Mieres, 33600, Mieres, Asturias, Spain
| | - Jacinto Román
- Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Calle Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | | | - Joaquim Gosálbez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lídia Escoda
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Castresana
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
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Nováková L, Vohralík V. Discrimination of the sympatric species of water shrews Neomys fodiens and N. milleri (Soricomorpha, Soricidae). ZOOL ANZ 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2019.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Assessing geographic differences in skulls of Neomys fodiens and Neomys anomalus using linear measurements, geometric morphometrics, and non-metric epigenetics. MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00448-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Rey C, Noguerales V, García-Navas V. Ecological and phenotypic divergence in Iberian shrews (Soricidae). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rey
- Máster Universitario en Biodiversidad y Biología de la Conservación; Universidad Pablo de Olavide; Seville Spain
| | - Víctor Noguerales
- Grupo de Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ciudad Real Spain
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Cyprus; Nicosia Cyprus
| | - Vicente García-Navas
- Department of Integrative Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD CSIC); Seville Spain
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA); Université Grenoble Alpes; Grenoble France
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
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Yusefi GH, Faizolahi K, Darvish J, Safi K, Brito JC. The species diversity, distribution, and conservation status of the terrestrial mammals of Iran. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gholam Hosein Yusefi
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da, Universidade do Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
- Mohitban Society, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kaveh Faizolahi
- Paazan, Iranian Mammal Quarterly, Tavana Building, Khanbabaee Aly., Ashrafi Esfahani str., Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamshid Darvish
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Rodentology Research Department, Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Kamran Safi
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - José Carlos Brito
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da, Universidade do Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
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Querejeta M, Castresana J. Evolutionary history of the endemic water shrew Neomys anomalus: Recurrent phylogeographic patterns in semi-aquatic mammals of the Iberian Peninsula. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10138-10146. [PMID: 30397453 PMCID: PMC6206195 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cabrera's water shrew (Neomys anomalus) is a small semi-aquatic mammal whose taxonomic status was recently elevated from subspecies to species; as a consequence of this change, this species is now endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. In this study, we looked at its evolutionary history by combining phylogeography, the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, and species distribution modeling. To perform these analyses, we used noninvasive samples collected across the species distribution range and sequenced partial mitochondrial cytochrome b and D-loop genes. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic trees derived from these sequences indicated that N. anomalus is divided into two main phylogroups that correlate strongly with geography, with two contact zones between the groups that showed limited spatial mixing between them. River basins were responsible for only a small percentage of the structure of the genetic diversity of this species despite its riparian habitat. The nucleotide diversity variation map showed the highest genetic diversity to be in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Finally, species distribution modeling allowed the inference of an optimal area during the Last Interglacial in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, and multiple glacial refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum. The phylogeographic pattern of N. anomalus is strikingly similar to that of another semi-aquatic Iberian mammal, the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), revealing how Pleistocene glaciations could have had equivalent effects on species of similar ecology and distribution. This phylogeographic structure is consistent with N. anomalus having been isolated for long periods in multiple glacial refugia within the Iberian Peninsula, in agreement with the "refugia-within-refugia" hypothesis, and further supporting its status as a distinct species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Querejeta
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra)BarcelonaSpain
- Bavarian State Collection of ZoologyMünchenGermany
| | - Jose Castresana
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra)BarcelonaSpain
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Mori E, Menchetti M, Zozzoli R, Milanesi P. The importance of taxonomy in species distribution models at a global scale: the case of an overlooked alien squirrel facing taxonomic revision. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Mori
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita Università degli Studi di Siena Siena Italy
- Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei Roma Italy
| | - M. Menchetti
- Dipartimento di Biologia Università degli Studi di Firenze Sesto Fiorentino (Florence) Italy
| | - R. Zozzoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale Università degli Studi di Parma Parma Italy
| | - P. Milanesi
- Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach Switzerland
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Zidarova SA, Popov VV. Patterns of craniometric variability of six common species of shrews (Soricidae: Crocidura, Neomys, Sorex). ACTA ZOOL ACAD SCI H 2018. [DOI: 10.17109/azh.64.3.259.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
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Biedma L, Román J, Calzada J, Friis G, Godoy JA. Phylogeography of Crocidura suaveolens (Mammalia: Soricidae) in Iberia has been shaped by competitive exclusion by C. russula. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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