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Mitochondrial DNA and Distribution Modelling Evidenced the Lost Genetic Diversity and Wild-Residence of Star Tortoise, Geochelone elegans (Testudines: Testudinidae) in India. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010150. [PMID: 36611759 PMCID: PMC9817980 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a massively traded animal in South Asia. To mitigate this risk, the conservation agencies recommended guidelines to safeguard this charismatic species in nature. We adopted mitochondrial DNA-based investigation and performed species distribution modeling of G. elegans throughout its distribution range in the Indian subcontinent. The genetic analyses revealed weak genetic landscape shape interpolations, low intraspecific distances (0% to 1.5%) with mixed haplotype diversity, and a single molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTU) in the cytochrome b gene dataset. The star tortoise, G. elegans, and its sister species Geochelone platynota showed a monophyletic clustering in the Bayesian (BA) phylogeny. We also attempt to understand the habitat suitability and quality of G. elegans in its distribution range. Our results suggest that, out of the extant area, only 56,495 km2 (9.90%) is suitable for this species, with regions of highest suitability in Sri Lanka. Comparative habitat quality estimation suggests the patch shape complexity and habitat fragmentation are greater in the western and southern ranges of India, which have been greatly influenced by an increased level of urbanization and agriculture practices. We have also provided a retrospect on the potential threat to G. elegans related to the wildlife trade on the regional and international spectrum. Our results detected multiple trading hubs and junctions overlying within the suitable ranges which need special attention in the vicinity. The present study calls for a proper conservation strategy to combat the fragmented distribution and explicitly recommends intensive genetic screening of founder individuals or isolated adult colonies, implementing scientific breeding, and subsequent wild release to restore the lost genetic diversity of star tortoises.
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2
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Jensen EL, Quinzin MC, Miller JM, Russello MA, Garrick RC, Edwards DL, Glaberman S, Chiari Y, Poulakakis N, Tapia W, Gibbs JP, Caccone A. A new lineage of Galapagos giant tortoises identified from museum samples. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 128:261-270. [PMID: 35217806 PMCID: PMC8987048 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00510-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Galapagos Archipelago is recognized as a natural laboratory for studying evolutionary processes. San Cristóbal was one of the first islands colonized by tortoises, which radiated from there across the archipelago to inhabit 10 islands. Here, we sequenced the mitochondrial control region from six historical giant tortoises from San Cristóbal (five long deceased individuals found in a cave and one found alive during an expedition in 1906) and discovered that the five from the cave are from a clade that is distinct among known Galapagos giant tortoises but closely related to the species from Española and Pinta Islands. The haplotype of the individual collected alive in 1906 is in the same clade as the haplotype in the contemporary population. To search for traces of a second lineage in the contemporary population on San Cristóbal, we closely examined the population by sequencing the mitochondrial control region for 129 individuals and genotyping 70 of these for both 21 microsatellite loci and >12,000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]. Only a single mitochondrial haplotype was found, with no evidence to suggest substructure based on the nuclear markers. Given the geographic and temporal proximity of the two deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages in the historical samples, they were likely sympatric, raising the possibility that the lineages coexisted. Without the museum samples, this important discovery of an additional lineage of Galapagos giant tortoise would not have been possible, underscoring the value of such collections and providing insights into the early evolution of this iconic radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn L Jensen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. .,School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
| | - Maud C Quinzin
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joshua M Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Ryan C Garrick
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Danielle L Edwards
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Scott Glaberman
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Ylenia Chiari
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Nikos Poulakakis
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Irakleio, Greece.,The Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Irakleio, Greece
| | - Washington Tapia
- Galapagos Conservancy, 11150 Fairfax Boulevard #408, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA.,University of Málaga, Campus Teatinos, Apdo. 59, 29080, Málaga, Spain
| | - James P Gibbs
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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3
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Jensen EL, Gaughran SJ, Garrick RC, Russello MA, Caccone A. Demographic history and patterns of molecular evolution from whole genome sequencing in the radiation of Galapagos giant tortoises. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:6325-6339. [PMID: 34510620 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Whole genome sequencing provides deep insights into the evolutionary history of a species, including patterns of diversity, signals of selection, and historical demography. When applied to closely related taxa with a wealth of background knowledge, population genomics provides a comparative context for interpreting population genetic summary statistics and comparing empirical results with the expectations of population genetic theory. The Galapagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.), an iconic rapid and recent radiation, offer such an opportunity. Here, we sequenced whole genomes from three individuals of the 12 extant lineages of Galapagos giant tortoise and estimate diversity measures and reconstruct changes in coalescent rate over time. We also compare the number of derived alleles in each lineage to infer how synonymous and nonsynonymous mutation accumulation rates correlate with population size and life history traits. Remarkably, we find that patterns of molecular evolution are similar within individuals of the same lineage, but can differ significantly among lineages, reinforcing the evolutionary distinctiveness of the Galapagos giant tortoise species. Notably, differences in mutation accumulation among lineages do not align with simple population genetic predictions, suggesting that the drivers of purifying selection are more complex than is currently appreciated. By integrating results from earlier population genetic and phylogeographic studies with new findings from the analysis of whole genomes, we provide the most in-depth insights to date on the evolution of Galapagos giant tortoises, and identify discrepancies between expectation from population genetic theory and empirical data that warrant further scrutiny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn L Jensen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Stephen J Gaughran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ryan C Garrick
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, USA
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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4
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Ali JR, Fritz U. Origins of Galápagos’ land-locked vertebrates: what, whence, when, how? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Based on a synthesis of new molecular phylogenetic data, a detailed review is presented for the origins of the Galápagos’ native land-locked vertebrates [42 species; 11 clades: geckos (3), lava lizards (2), giant tortoises (1), iguanas (1), racer snakes (1) and oryzomyine rodents (3)]. Nine groups have roots in coastal Ecuador and Peru and would have been transported to the archipelago on rafts, many on the Humboldt Current. Inferring the sources of the giant tortoises, which probably floated over unaided, and the iguanas is more challenging because their closest living relatives occupy ground remote from the Pacific. Acknowledging uncertainties with the age-dating of both the phylogenetic tree nodes and the landmass emergences, seven, probably eight, of the colonizations likely involved beachings on the modern-day islands within the last 4 Myr. Three, possibly four, of the earlier arrivals may have been on now-submerged landmasses that were created by the Galápagos volcanic hotspot. Alternatively, the true sister taxa of the Galápagos species could be extinct and these colonizations, too, are more recent. This is likely for the giant tortoises. The assembled data set hints at the oldest/youngest clades showing the highest/lowest levels of diversification, although other factors also exert an influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Ali
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Uwe Fritz
- Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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5
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FIELD ANESTHESIA AND GONADAL MORPHOLOGY OF IMMATURE WESTERN SANTA CRUZ TORTOISES ( CHELONOIDIS PORTERI). J Zoo Wildl Med 2021; 51:848-855. [PMID: 33480565 DOI: 10.1638/2019-0240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluation of sex ratios is a critical component of chelonian captive breeding programs and may become increasingly useful to assess the demographics of free-living populations. In many reptile species, the sex of immature animals cannot be determined based on external features. Endoscopic sex identification is an accurate and safe method to identify the sex of immature individuals of some chelonian species. A number of studies describe this technique in controlled, hospital settings and report significant interspecies variations in gonad morphology; however, there are few reports describing this technique in field conditions. In the current study, the gonadal morphology of 40 immature Western Santa Cruz tortoises (Chelonoidis porteri) on Santa Cruz Island in Galapagos, Ecuador, was assessed. A previously described endoscopic protocol was used to perform sex identification under field conditions. Tortoises were anesthetized using an intramuscular injection of ketamine (10 mg/kg) and medetomidine (0.1 mg/kg), which provided an adequate plane of anesthesia. The medetomidine was reversed with atipamezole (0.5 mg/kg). Field conditions presented challenges such as limited control over lighting, suboptimal patient positioning, and restricted power supply for endoscopy equipment. The immature testicle in Western Santa Cruz tortoises was oval, reddish pink, and tightly adhered to the coelomic membrane ventral to the kidney. The surface of the gonads resembled other species with the notable exception that the ovaries lacked a significant number of primordial follicles. These gonadal characteristics were consistent, with only one individual identified as undetermined sex of the 40 samples. This field-based endoscopic gonadal evaluation was a safe and sensitive technique for determining the sex of free-living immature Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises.
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6
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Poulakakis N, Miller JM, Jensen EL, Beheregaray LB, Russello MA, Glaberman S, Boore J, Caccone A. Colonization history of Galapagos giant tortoises: Insights from mitogenomes support the progression rule. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikos Poulakakis
- Department of Biology School of Sciences and Engineering University of Crete Heraklio Greece
- Natural History Museum of Crete School of Sciences and Engineering University of Crete Heraklio Greece
| | - Joshua M. Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven CT USA
| | - Evelyn L. Jensen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven CT USA
| | | | | | - Scott Glaberman
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University Fairfax VA USA
| | - Jeffrey Boore
- Providence St. Joseph Health and Institute for Systems Biology Seattle WA USA
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven CT USA
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7
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Colston TJ, Kulkarni P, Jetz W, Pyron RA. Phylogenetic and spatial distribution of evolutionary diversification, isolation, and threat in turtles and crocodilians (non-avian archosauromorphs). BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:81. [PMID: 32650718 PMCID: PMC7350713 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01642-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The origin of turtles and crocodiles and their easily recognized body forms dates to the Triassic and Jurassic. Despite their long-term success, extant species diversity is low, and endangerment is extremely high compared to other terrestrial vertebrate groups, with ~ 65% of ~ 25 crocodilian and ~ 360 turtle species now threatened by exploitation and habitat loss. Here, we combine available molecular and morphological evidence with statistical and machine learning algorithms to present a phylogenetically informed, comprehensive assessment of diversification, threat status, and evolutionary distinctiveness of all extant species. Results In contrast to other terrestrial vertebrates and their own diversity in the fossil record, the recent extant lineages of turtles and crocodilians have not experienced any global mass extinctions or lineage-wide shifts in diversification rate or body-size evolution over time. We predict threat statuses for 114 as-yet unassessed or data-deficient species and identify a concentration of threatened turtles and crocodilians in South and Southeast Asia, western Africa, and the eastern Amazon. We find that unlike other terrestrial vertebrate groups, extinction risk increases with evolutionary distinctiveness: a disproportionate amount of phylogenetic diversity is concentrated in evolutionarily isolated, at-risk taxa, particularly those with small geographic ranges. Our findings highlight the important role of geographic determinants of extinction risk, particularly those resulting from anthropogenic habitat-disturbance, which affect species across body sizes and ecologies. Conclusions Extant turtles and crocodilians maintain unique, conserved morphologies which make them globally recognizable. Many species are threatened due to exploitation and global change. We use taxonomically complete, dated molecular phylogenies and various approaches to produce a comprehensive assessment of threat status and evolutionary distinctiveness of both groups. Neither group exhibits significant overall shifts in diversification rate or body-size evolution, or any signature of global mass extinctions in recent, extant lineages. However, the most evolutionarily distinct species tend to be the most threatened, and species richness and extinction risk are centered in areas of high anthropogenic disturbance, particularly South and Southeast Asia. Range size is the strongest predictor of threat, and a disproportionate amount of evolutionary diversity is at risk of imminent extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Colston
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA. .,Present address: Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA.
| | | | - Walter Jetz
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - R Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
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8
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Hedrick PW. Galapagos Islands Endemic Vertebrates: A Population Genetics Perspective. J Hered 2020; 110:137-157. [PMID: 30541084 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esy066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The organisms of the Galapagos Islands played a central role in the development of the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin. Examination of the population genetics factors of many of these organisms with modern molecular methods has expanded our understanding of their evolution. Here, I provide a perspective on how selection, gene flow, genetic drift, mutation, and inbreeding have contributed to the evolution of 6 iconic Galapagos species: flightless cormorant, pink iguana, marine iguana, Galapagos hawk, giant tortoises, and Darwin's finches. Because of the inherent biological differences among these species that have colonized the Galapagos, different population genetic factors appear to be more or less important in these different species. For example, the Galapagos provided novel environments in which strong selection took place and the Darwin's finches diversified to produce new species and the cormorant adapted to the nutrient-rich western shores of the Galapagos by losing its ability to fly and genomic data have now identified candidate genes. In both the pink iguana, which exists in one small population, and the Galapagos hawk, which has small population sizes, genetic drift has been potentially quite important. There appears to be very limited interisland gene flow in the flightless cormorant and the Galapagos hawk. On the other hand, both the marine iguana and some of the Darwin's finches appear to have significant interisland gene flow. Hybridization between species and subspecies has also introduced new adaptive variation, and in some cases, hybridization might have resulted in despeciation. Overall, new population genetics and genomics research has provided additional insight into the evolution of vertebrate species in the Galapagos.
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9
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Álvarez-Varas R, Véliz D, Vélez-Rubio GM, Fallabrino A, Zárate P, Heidemeyer M, Godoy DA, Benítez HA. Identifying genetic lineages through shape: An example in a cosmopolitan marine turtle species using geometric morphometrics. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223587. [PMID: 31589640 PMCID: PMC6779254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a globally distributed marine species whose evolutionary history has been molded by geological events and oceanographic and climate changes. Divergence between Atlantic and Pacific clades has been associated with the uplift of the Panama Isthmus, and inside the Pacific region, a biogeographic barrier located west of Hawaii has restricted the gene flow between Central/Eastern and Western Pacific populations. We investigated the carapace shape of C. mydas from individuals of Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Western Pacific genetic lineages using geometric morphometrics to evaluate congruence between external morphology and species' phylogeography. Furthermore, we assessed the variation of carapace shape according to foraging grounds. Three morphologically distinctive groups were observed which aligned with predictions based on the species' lineages, suggesting a substantial genetic influence on carapace shape. Based on the relationship between this trait and genetic lineages, we propose the existence of at least three distinct morphotypes of C. mydas. Well-defined groups in some foraging grounds (Galapagos, Costa Rica and New Zealand) may suggest that ecological or environmental conditions in these sites could also be influencing carapace shape in C. mydas. Geometric morphometrics is a suitable tool to differentiate genetic lineages in this cosmopolitan marine species. Consequently, this study opens new possibilities to explore and test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses in species with wide morphological variation and broad geographic distribution range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Álvarez-Varas
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Núcleo Milenio de Ecología y Manejo Sustentable de Islas Oceánicas (ESMOI), Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - David Véliz
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Núcleo Milenio de Ecología y Manejo Sustentable de Islas Oceánicas (ESMOI), Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Gabriela M. Vélez-Rubio
- Karumbé NGO, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Sede Rocha, Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay
| | | | - Patricia Zárate
- Departamento de Oceanografía y Medio Ambiente, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Maike Heidemeyer
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica
- Asociación para la Conservación Integral de Recursos Naturales Equipo Tora Carey (ETC), El Jobo, La Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
| | - Daniel A. Godoy
- Coastal-Marine Research Group, Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Hugo A. Benítez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
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10
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Miller JM, Quinzin MC, Edwards DL, Eaton DAR, Jensen EL, Russello MA, Gibbs JP, Tapia W, Rueda D, Caccone A. Genome-Wide Assessment of Diversity and Divergence Among Extant Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species. J Hered 2019; 109:611-619. [PMID: 29986032 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esy031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide assessments allow for fuller characterization of genetic diversity, finer-scale population delineation, and better detection of demographically significant units to guide conservation compared with those based on "traditional" markers. Galapagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) have long provided a case study for how evolutionary genetics may be applied to advance species conservation. Ongoing efforts to bolster tortoise populations, which have declined by 90%, have been informed by analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence and microsatellite genotypic data, but could benefit from genome-wide markers. Taking this next step, we used double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to collect genotypic data at >26000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for 117 individuals representing all recognized extant Galapagos giant tortoise species. We then quantified genetic diversity, population structure, and compared results to estimates from mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite loci. Our analyses detected 12 genetic lineages concordant with the 11 named species as well as previously described structure within one species, C. becki. Furthermore, the SNPs provided increased resolution, detecting admixture in 4 individuals. SNP-based estimates of diversity and differentiation were significantly correlated with those derived from nuclear microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences. The SNP toolkit presented here will serve as a resource for advancing efforts to understand tortoise evolution, species radiations, and aid conservation of the Galapagos tortoise species complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Maud C Quinzin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Danielle L Edwards
- Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA
| | - Deren A R Eaton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Evelyn L Jensen
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - James P Gibbs
- College of Environmental Science & Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY
| | - Washington Tapia
- Galapagos Conservancy, Fairfax, VA.,Galápagos National Park Directorate, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Danny Rueda
- Galápagos National Park Directorate, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
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11
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Wollenberg Valero KC, Marshall JC, Bastiaans E, Caccone A, Camargo A, Morando M, Niemiller ML, Pabijan M, Russello MA, Sinervo B, Werneck FP, Sites JW, Wiens JJ, Steinfartz S. Patterns, Mechanisms and Genetics of Speciation in Reptiles and Amphibians. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10090646. [PMID: 31455040 PMCID: PMC6769790 DOI: 10.3390/genes10090646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, the aspects of reptile and amphibian speciation that emerged from research performed over the past decade are reviewed. First, this study assesses how patterns and processes of speciation depend on knowing the taxonomy of the group in question, and discuss how integrative taxonomy has contributed to speciation research in these groups. This study then reviews the research on different aspects of speciation in reptiles and amphibians, including biogeography and climatic niches, ecological speciation, the relationship between speciation rates and phenotypic traits, and genetics and genomics. Further, several case studies of speciation in reptiles and amphibians that exemplify many of these themes are discussed. These include studies of integrative taxonomy and biogeography in South American lizards, ecological speciation in European salamanders, speciation and phenotypic evolution in frogs and lizards. The final case study combines genomics and biogeography in tortoises. The field of amphibian and reptile speciation research has steadily moved forward from the assessment of geographic and ecological aspects, to incorporating other dimensions of speciation, such as genetic mechanisms and evolutionary forces. A higher degree of integration among all these dimensions emerges as a goal for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathon C Marshall
- Department of Zoology, Weber State University, 1415 Edvalson Street, Dept. 2505, Ogden, UT 84401, USA
| | - Elizabeth Bastiaans
- Department of Biology, State University of New York, College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820, USA
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Arley Camargo
- Centro Universitario de Rivera, Universidad de la República, Ituzaingó 667, Rivera 40000, Uruguay
| | - Mariana Morando
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC, CENPAT-CONICET) Bv. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn U9120ACD, Argentina
| | - Matthew L Niemiller
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA
| | - Maciej Pabijan
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Fernanda P Werneck
- Programa de Coleções Científicas Biológicas, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus 69060-000, Brazil
| | - Jack W Sites
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - John J Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Sebastian Steinfartz
- Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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12
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Two Divergent Genetic Lineages within the Horned Passalus Beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus (Coleoptera: Passalidae): An Emerging Model for Insect Behavior, Physiology, and Microbiome Research. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10060159. [PMID: 31167431 PMCID: PMC6628224 DOI: 10.3390/insects10060159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The horned passalus (Odontotaenius disjunctus) is one of the most extensively studied saproxylic beetles in the eastern United States. For several decades this species has been the subject of investigations into the behaviors associated with subsociality as well as physiological responses to stress, and, most recently, the composition of its gut microbiome has been closely examined. However, no published study to date has characterized this beetle's broad-scale population genetic structure. Here, we conducted intensive geographic sampling throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains and surrounding areas and then assessed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation among individuals. Unexpectedly, we discovered two divergent, yet broadly sympatric, mtDNA clades. Indeed, the magnitude of divergence between- vs. within-clades ranged from 5.9 to 7.5×, depending on the dataset under consideration, and members of the two lineages were often syntopic (i.e., found in the same rotting log). Given the potential implications for past and future studies on behavior, physiology, and the gut microbiome, we developed a simple cost-efficient molecular assay (i.e., polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism; PCR-RFLP) to rapidly determine mtDNA clade membership of O. disjunctus individuals. We suggest that the evolutionary processes that gave rise to the emergence and persistence of divergent sympatric lineages reported here warrant investigation, as this type of spatial-genetic pattern appears to be rare among southern Appalachian forest invertebrates.
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13
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Galtier N. Delineating species in the speciation continuum: A proposal. Evol Appl 2019; 12:657-663. [PMID: 30976300 PMCID: PMC6439491 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Delineating species is a difficult and seemingly uninteresting issue that is still essential to address. Taxonomic methodology is heterogeneous according to the taxa and scientists involved due to the disparate data quality and quantity and disagreements over the species concept. This has negative impacts on basic and applied research. Genomic data substantially enhance our understanding of the speciation process but do not provide a ubiquitous solution to the species problem. The relevance of comparative approaches in speciation research has nevertheless recently been demonstrated. I suggest moving towards a more unified taxonomic classification through a reference-based decision procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Galtier
- UMR 5554 – Institut des Sciences de l'EvolutionCNRS – University of Montpellier – IRD – EPHEMontpellierFrance
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14
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Bittencourt PS, Campos Z, Muniz FDL, Marioni B, Souza BC, Da Silveira R, de Thoisy B, Hrbek T, Farias IP. Evidence of cryptic lineages within a small South American crocodilian: the Schneider's dwarf caiman Paleosuchus trigonatus (Alligatoridae: Caimaninae). PeerJ 2019; 7:e6580. [PMID: 30931177 PMCID: PMC6433001 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Schneider’s dwarf caiman Paleosuchus trigonatus is one of the smallest living crocodilians. Due to its broad distribution, cryptic behavior, and small home range, the species is well suited for the study of phylogeographic patterns on a continental scale. Additionally, this species is under threat due to habitat loss, trade and harvest, but is considered at low conservation risk by the IUCN. In the present study we test the hypothesis that P. trigonatus is comprised of geographically structured lineages. Phylogenetic reconstructions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and single locus species discovery methods revealed the existence of two well-supported lineages within P. trigonatus—an Amazonian and Guianan lineage. Fossil calibrated divergence of these lineages was estimated to have occurred in the Late Miocene (7.5 Ma). The hypothesis that the Atlantic coast drainages might have been colonized from the southeast or central Amazon is supported by demographic metrics and relatively low genetic diversity of the Coastal and upper Branco populations when compared to the Amazon basin populations. The Amazon basin lineage is structured along an east-west gradient, with a sharp transition in haplotype frequencies to the east and west of the Negro and Madeira rivers. These lineages are already under anthropogenic threat and, therefore, are conservation dependent. Recognition of these lineages will foster discussion of conservation future of P. trigonatus and these lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Senna Bittencourt
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Evolution (LEGAL), Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Genetics, Conservation, and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Zilca Campos
- Wildlife Laboratory, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) Pantanal, Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Fábio de Lima Muniz
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Evolution (LEGAL), Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Genetics, Conservation, and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Boris Marioni
- Graduate Program in Freshwater Biology and Inland Fisheries, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Bruno Campos Souza
- Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil
| | - Ronis Da Silveira
- Laboratory of Zoology Applied to Conservation, Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Benoit de Thoisy
- Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana.,Association Kwata, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Tomas Hrbek
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Evolution (LEGAL), Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Izeni Pires Farias
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Evolution (LEGAL), Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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15
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Iwata E, Tohmine K, Jumonji H, Yoshida T, Saito Y, Okuno T, Morino Y, Wada H. Genetic Origin of the Two Galápagos Tortoises in the Ueno Zoo, Japan Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequences. CURRENT HERPETOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.5358/hsj.38.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Iwata
- 1Seisin Gakuen High School, 4448–5 Miyanaka, Kashima, Ibaraki 314–0031, JAPAN
| | - Kaoru Tohmine
- 1Seisin Gakuen High School, 4448–5 Miyanaka, Kashima, Ibaraki 314–0031, JAPAN
| | - Hideyuki Jumonji
- 1Seisin Gakuen High School, 4448–5 Miyanaka, Kashima, Ibaraki 314–0031, JAPAN
| | - Tetsuya Yoshida
- 2Vivarium, Ueno Zoological Gardens, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110–8711, JAPAN
| | - Yusuke Saito
- 2Vivarium, Ueno Zoological Gardens, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110–8711, JAPAN
| | - Tamaki Okuno
- 3The Japan Association for Galápagos, 2–2–15 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107–0062, JAPAN
| | - Yoshiaki Morino
- 4Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8572, JAPAN
| | - Hiroshi Wada
- 4Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8572, JAPAN
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16
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Winston JE. Twenty-First Century Biological Nomenclature—The Enduring Power of Names. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 58:1122-1131. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Judith E Winston
- Smithsonian Marine Station, 701 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34949, USA
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17
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Benitez-Capistros F, Camperio G, Hugé J, Dahdouh-Guebas F, Koedam N. Emergent conservation conflicts in the Galapagos Islands: Human-giant tortoise interactions in the rural area of Santa Cruz Island. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202268. [PMID: 30208033 PMCID: PMC6135374 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The conservation of biodiverse areas around the world has contributed to the protection and recovery of endangered species. This has been the case for 11 species of Galapagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) that today are successfully maintained over six islands: Española, Santiago, Pinzon, Isabela, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. A favourable state of conservation will depend however on future development in the islands. In Santa Cruz Island the development of the agricultural areas has encroached on the migratory routes of the southwestern species C. porteri and may be an emergent conflict for tortoise conservation. We investigated the social and ecological inter-linkages using two methods framed under a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approach: semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to study farmers’ perceptions and attitudinal factors regarding giant tortoises; as well as the associated socio-economic impacts of the conflict. Moreover, we coupled the PRA approach with an ecological assessment of giant tortoises’ population density by performing transect counts during the two yearly phases of giant tortoises’ migration to the lowlands (January to June) and back to the highlands (July to December). Our results indicate that farmers reporting damage and cultivating crops have higher odds of taking actions (fencing and physical actions) towards giant tortoises; regardless of having (or not) a negative perception towards the species. The economic losses for crops and fences averaged 2.8 USD/m2 and 13USD/m, respectively, and provide an initial step to further analyse and characterise the direct and indirect damage costs. Finally, we estimated a density of 76 and 185 individuals of giant tortoises per km2 in the rural area for the lowland and highland migratory phases, respectively. Our approach provides grounded scientific social and ecological information to effectively inform and aid managers, policy and decision makers in the selection of adequate social and ecological criteria to implement the best available options in the resolution of this emergent conservation conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Benitez-Capistros
- Central University of Ecuador, Biomedicine Research Institute (INBIOMED), Quito, Ecuador
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Ecology & Biodiversity, Brussels, Belgium
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Organism Biology, Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management (SERM), Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail: (FBC); (GC)
| | - Giorgia Camperio
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Organism Biology, Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management (SERM), Brussels, Belgium
- ETH Zürich, Department of Earth Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland
- Eawag, Department of Surface Waters Research & Management, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (FBC); (GC)
| | - Jean Hugé
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Ecology & Biodiversity, Brussels, Belgium
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Organism Biology, Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management (SERM), Brussels, Belgium
- University of Hasselt, Centre for Environmental Science, Hasselt, Belgium
- University of Ghent, Centre for Sustainable Development, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Farid Dahdouh-Guebas
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Organism Biology, Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management (SERM), Brussels, Belgium
- ETH Zürich, Department of Earth Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nico Koedam
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Organism Biology, Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management (SERM), Brussels, Belgium
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18
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Albury NA, Franz R, Rimoli R, Lehman P, Rosenberger AL. Fossil Land Tortoises (Testudines: Testudinidae) from the Dominican Republic, West Indies, with a Description of a New Species. AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES 2018. [DOI: 10.1206/3904.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A. Albury
- National Museum of the Bahamas/Antiquities, Monuments and Museum Corporation, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, the Bahamas
| | - Richard Franz
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Renato Rimoli
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Ciudad Universitaria, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Museo del Hombre Dominicano, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
| | - Phillip Lehman
- Dominican Republic Speleological Society, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
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19
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Gaughran SJ, Quinzin MC, Miller JM, Garrick RC, Edwards DL, Russello MA, Poulakakis N, Ciofi C, Beheregaray LB, Caccone A. Theory, practice, and conservation in the age of genomics: The Galápagos giant tortoise as a case study. Evol Appl 2018; 11:1084-1093. [PMID: 30026799 PMCID: PMC6050186 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput DNA sequencing allows efficient discovery of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nonmodel species. Population genetic theory predicts that this large number of independent markers should provide detailed insights into population structure, even when only a few individuals are sampled. Still, sampling design can have a strong impact on such inferences. Here, we use simulations and empirical SNP data to investigate the impacts of sampling design on estimating genetic differentiation among populations that represent three species of Galápagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.). Though microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA analyses have supported the distinctiveness of these species, a recent study called into question how well these markers matched with data from genomic SNPs, thereby questioning decades of studies in nonmodel organisms. Using >20,000 genomewide SNPs from 30 individuals from three Galápagos giant tortoise species, we find distinct structure that matches the relationships described by the traditional genetic markers. Furthermore, we confirm that accurate estimates of genetic differentiation in highly structured natural populations can be obtained using thousands of SNPs and 2-5 individuals, or hundreds of SNPs and 10 individuals, but only if the units of analysis are delineated in a way that is consistent with evolutionary history. We show that the lack of structure in the recent SNP-based study was likely due to unnatural grouping of individuals and erroneous genotype filtering. Our study demonstrates that genomic data enable patterns of genetic differentiation among populations to be elucidated even with few samples per population, and underscores the importance of sampling design. These results have specific implications for studies of population structure in endangered species and subsequent management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maud C. Quinzin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
| | - Joshua M. Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
| | | | | | - Michael A. Russello
- Department of BiologyUniversity of British Columbia, Okanagan CampusKelownaBCCanada
| | - Nikos Poulakakis
- Department of BiologySchool of Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
- Natural History Museum of CreteSchool of Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
| | - Claudio Ciofi
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FlorenceSesto Fiorentino (FI)Italy
| | - Luciano B. Beheregaray
- Molecular Ecology LabSchool of Biological SciencesFlinders UniversityAdelaideSAAustralia
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
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20
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Lewbart GA, Griffioen JA, Savo A, Muñoz-Pérez JP, Ortega C, Loyola A, Roberts S, Schaaf G, Steinberg D, Osegueda SB, Levy MG, Páez-Rosas D. Biochemistry and hematology parameters of the San Cristóbal Galápagos tortoise ( Chelonoidis chathamensis). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:coy004. [PMID: 29479431 PMCID: PMC5815048 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coy004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
As part of a planned introduction of captive Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis chathamensis) to the San Cristóbal highland farms, our veterinary team performed thorough physical examinations and health assessments of 32 tortoises. Blood samples were collected for packed cell volume (PCV), total solids (TS), white blood cell count (WBC) differential, estimated WBC and a biochemistry panel including lactate. In some cases not all of the values were obtainable but most of the tortoises have full complements of results. Despite a small number of minor abnormalities this was a healthy group of mixed age and sex tortoises that had been maintained with appropriate husbandry. This work establishes part of a scientific and technical database to provide qualitative and quantitative information when establishing sustainable development strategies aimed at the conservation of Galapagos tortoises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Lewbart
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Corresponding author: College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA.
| | - John A Griffioen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - Alison Savo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez
- Galápagos Science Center, University San Francisco de Quito, Av. Alsacio Northia, Isla San Cristobal, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Carlos Ortega
- Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, Galapagos, Ecuador
| | - Andrea Loyola
- Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, Galapagos, Ecuador
| | - Sarah Roberts
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - George Schaaf
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - David Steinberg
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Steven B Osegueda
- Galápagos Science Center, University San Francisco de Quito, Av. Alsacio Northia, Isla San Cristobal, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Michael G Levy
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Galápagos Science Center, University San Francisco de Quito, Av. Alsacio Northia, Isla San Cristobal, Galápagos, Ecuador
- Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, Galapagos, Ecuador
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21
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Thomson S, Lambertz M. On the Nomenclatural Status of the Recently Described Snail-eating Turtle from Southeast Asia (Testudines, Geoemydidae):Malayemys khoratensisvs.Malayemys isan. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1260.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Thomson
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Divisão de Vertebrados (Herpetologia), Ipiranga, 04263-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil []
- Chelonian Research Institute, 402 South Central Avenue, Oviedo, Florida 32765 USA
| | - Markus Lambertz
- Institut für Zoologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Poppelsdorfer Schloss, 53115 Bonn, Germany []
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22
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Self-righting potential and the evolution of shell shape in Galápagos tortoises. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15828. [PMID: 29192279 PMCID: PMC5709378 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15787-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-righting, the capacity of an animal to self-turn after falling on its back, is a fitness-related trait. Delayed self-righting can result in loss of mating opportunities or death. Traits involved in self-righting may therefore be under selection. Galápagos giant tortoises have two main shell morphologies - saddleback and domed – that have been proposed to be adaptive. The more sloped shape on the sides of the shell and the longer extension of neck and legs of the saddlebacks could have evolved to optimize self-righting. The drier environments with more uneven surfaces where the saddleback tortoises occur increases their risk to fall on their back while walking. The ability to fast overturn could reduce the danger of dying. To test this hypothesis, we used 3D shell reconstructions of 89 Galápagos giant tortoises from three domed and two saddleback species to compare self-righting potential of the two shell morphotypes. Our results indicate that saddleback shells require higher energy input to self-right than domed ones. This suggests that several traits associated with the saddleback shell morphology could have evolved to facilitate self-righting. Studying the functional performances of fitness-related traits, as in this work, could provide important insight into the adaptive value of traits.
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23
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Miller JM, Quinzin MC, Poulakakis N, Gibbs JP, Beheregaray LB, Garrick RC, Russello MA, Ciofi C, Edwards DL, Hunter EA, Tapia W, Rueda D, Carrión J, Valdivieso AA, Caccone A. Identification of Genetically Important Individuals of the Rediscovered Floreana Galápagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis elephantopus) Provide Founders for Species Restoration Program. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11471. [PMID: 28904401 PMCID: PMC5597637 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11516-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Species are being lost at an unprecedented rate due to human-driven environmental changes. The cases in which species declared extinct can be revived are rare. However, here we report that a remote volcano in the Galápagos Islands hosts many giant tortoises with high ancestry from a species previously declared as extinct: Chelonoidis elephantopus or the Floreana tortoise. Of 150 individuals with distinctive morphology sampled from the volcano, genetic analyses revealed that 65 had C. elephantopus ancestry and thirty-two were translocated from the volcano's slopes to a captive breeding center. A genetically informed captive breeding program now being initiated will, over the next decades, return C. elephantopus tortoises to Floreana Island to serve as engineers of the island's ecosystems. Ironically, it was the haphazard translocations by mariners killing tortoises for food centuries ago that created the unique opportunity to revive this "lost" species today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St. New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States of America.
| | - Maud C Quinzin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St. New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States of America
| | - Nikos Poulakakis
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vasilika Vouton, Gr-71300, Heraklio, Crete, Greece.,Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Av., GR-71409, Heraklio, Crete, Greece
| | - James P Gibbs
- College of Environmental Science & Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, 13210, United States of America
| | - Luciano B Beheregaray
- Molecular Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Ryan C Garrick
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, 38677, United States of America
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Claudio Ciofi
- Department Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Danielle L Edwards
- Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 N Lake Rd, Merced, California, 95343, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A Hunter
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada - Reno, Max Fleischmann Agricultural Building, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Washington Tapia
- Galapagos Conservancy, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States of America.,Galápagos National Park Directorate, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Danny Rueda
- Galápagos National Park Directorate, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Jorge Carrión
- Galápagos National Park Directorate, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Andrés A Valdivieso
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St. New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States of America
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St. New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States of America.
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24
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Ellis-Soto D, Blake S, Soultan A, Guézou A, Cabrera F, Lötters S. Plant species dispersed by Galapagos tortoises surf the wave of habitat suitability under anthropogenic climate change. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181333. [PMID: 28727747 PMCID: PMC5519159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Native biodiversity on the Galapagos Archipelago is severely threatened by invasive alien species. On Santa Cruz Island, the abundance of introduced plant species is low in the arid lowlands of the Galapagos National Park, but increases with elevation into unprotected humid highlands. Two common alien plant species, guava (Psidium guajava) and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) occur at higher elevations yet their seeds are dispersed into the lowlands by migrating Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.). Tortoises transport large quantities of seeds over long distances into environments in which they have little or no chance of germination and survival under current climate conditions. However, climate change is projected to modify environmental conditions on Galapagos with unknown consequences for the distribution of native and introduced biodiversity. We quantified seed dispersal of guava and passion fruit in tortoise dung piles and the distribution of adult plants along two elevation gradients on Santa Cruz to assess current levels of 'wasted' seed dispersal. We computed species distribution models for both taxa under current and predicted future climate conditions. Assuming that tortoise migratory behaviour continues, current levels of "wasted" seed dispersal in lowlands were projected to decline dramatically in the future for guava but not for passion fruit. Tortoises will facilitate rapid range expansion for guava into lowland areas within the Galapagos National Park where this species is currently absent. Coupled with putative reduction in arid habitat for native species caused by climate change, tortoise driven guava invasion will pose a serious threat to local plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Ellis-Soto
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany
| | - Stephen Blake
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- WildCare Institute, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador
| | - Alaaeldin Soultan
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anne Guézou
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador
| | - Fredy Cabrera
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador
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Miralles A, Macleod A, Rodríguez A, Ibáñez A, Jiménez-Uzcategui G, Quezada G, Vences M, Steinfartz S. Shedding light on the Imps of Darkness: an integrative taxonomic revision of the Galápagos marine iguanas (genus Amblyrhynchus). Zool J Linn Soc 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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26
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Bastille-Rousseau G, Gibbs JP, Yackulic CB, Frair JL, Cabrera F, Rousseau LP, Wikelski M, Kümmeth F, Blake S. Animal movement in the absence of predation: environmental drivers of movement strategies in a partial migration system. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- Dept of Environmental and Forest Biology; State Univ. of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Syracuse, NY 13210 USA
| | - James P. Gibbs
- Dept of Environmental and Forest Biology; State Univ. of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Syracuse, NY 13210 USA
| | - Charles B. Yackulic
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center; Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- Dept of Environmental and Forest Biology; State Univ. of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Syracuse, NY 13210 USA
- Roosevelt Wild Life Station, State Univ. of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Syracuse NY USA
| | - Fredy Cabrera
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora; Gal pagos Ecuador
| | | | | | | | - Stephen Blake
- Max Planck Inst. for Ornithology; Radolfzell Germany
- Wildcare Inst.; Saint Louis Zoo Saint Louis MO USA
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Benitez-Capistros F, Hugé J, Dahdouh-Guebas F, Koedam N. Exploring conservation discourses in the Galapagos Islands: A case study of the Galapagos giant tortoises. AMBIO 2016; 45:706-24. [PMID: 27010556 PMCID: PMC5012995 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-016-0774-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 12/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Conservation discourses change rapidly both at global and local scales. To be able to capture these shifts and the relationships between humans and nature, we focused on a local and iconic conservation case: the Galapagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.). We used the Q methodology to contextualize conservation for science and decision making and to explore the multidimensionality of the conservation concept in Galapagos. The results indicate four prevailing discourses: (1) Multi-actor governance; (2) giant tortoise and ecosystems conservation; (3) community governance; and (4) market and tourism centred. These findings allow us to identify foreseeable points of disagreement, as well as areas of consensus, and to discuss the implication of the findings to address socio-ecological conservation and sustainability challenges. This can help the different involved stakeholders (managers, scientists and local communities) to the design and apply contextualized conservation actions and policies to contribute to a better sustainable management of the archipelago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Benitez-Capistros
- Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Faculty of Sciences and Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean Hugé
- Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Farid Dahdouh-Guebas
- Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Faculty of Sciences and Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management, Department of Organism Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nico Koedam
- Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Faculty of Sciences and Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Jensen EL, Mooers AØ, Caccone A, Russello MA. I-HEDGE: determining the optimum complementary sets of taxa for conservation using evolutionary isolation. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2350. [PMID: 27635324 PMCID: PMC5012326 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the midst of the current biodiversity crisis, conservation efforts might profitably be directed towards ensuring that extinctions do not result in inordinate losses of evolutionary history. Numerous methods have been developed to evaluate the importance of species based on their contribution to total phylogenetic diversity on trees and networks, but existing methods fail to take complementarity into account, and thus cannot identify the best order or subset of taxa to protect. Here, we develop a novel iterative calculation of the heightened evolutionary distinctiveness and globally endangered metric (I-HEDGE) that produces the optimal ranked list for conservation prioritization, taking into account complementarity and based on both phylogenetic diversity and extinction probability. We applied this metric to a phylogenetic network based on mitochondrial control region data from extant and recently extinct giant Galápagos tortoises, a highly endangered group of closely related species. We found that the restoration of two extinct species (a project currently underway) will contribute the greatest gain in phylogenetic diversity, and present an ordered list of rankings that is the optimum complementarity set for conservation prioritization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn L Jensen
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus , Kelowna , BC , Canada
| | - Arne Ø Mooers
- Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , BC , Canada
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven , CT , United States
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus , Kelowna , BC , Canada
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Kleindorfer S, Dudaniec RY. Host-parasite ecology, behavior and genetics: a review of the introduced fly parasite Philornis downsi and its Darwin’s finch hosts. BMC ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-016-0003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
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Bastille-Rousseau G, Yackulic CB, Frair JL, Cabrera F, Blake S. Allometric and temporal scaling of movement characteristics in Galapagos tortoises. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1171-81. [PMID: 27336221 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how individual movement scales with body size is of fundamental importance in predicting ecological relationships for diverse species. One-dimensional movement metrics scale consistently with body size yet vary over different temporal scales. Knowing how temporal scale influences the relationship between animal body size and movement would better inform hypotheses about the efficiency of foraging behaviour, the ontogeny of energy budgets, and numerous life-history trade-offs. We investigated how the temporal scaling of allometric patterns in movement varies over the course of a year, specifically during periods of motivated (directional and fast movement) and unmotivated (stationary and tortuous movement) behaviour. We focused on a recently diverged group of species that displays wide variation in movement behaviour - giant Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) - to test how movement metrics estimated on a monthly basis scaled with body size. We used state-space modelling to estimate seven different movement metrics of Galapagos tortoises. We used log-log regression of the power law to evaluate allometric scaling for these movement metrics and contrasted relationships by species and sex. Allometric scaling of movement was more apparent during motivated periods of movement. During this period, allometry was revealed at multiple temporal intervals (hourly, daily and monthly), with values observed at daily and monthly intervals corresponding most closely to the expected one-fourth scaling coefficient, albeit with wide credible intervals. We further detected differences in the magnitude of scaling among taxa uncoupled from observed differences in the temporal structuring of their movement rates. Our results indicate that the definition of temporal scales is fundamental to the detection of allometry of movement and should be given more attention in movement studies. Our approach not only provides new conceptual insights into temporal attributes in one-dimensional scaling of movement, but also generates valuable insights into the movement ecology of iconic yet poorly understood Galapagos giant tortoises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.,Roosevelt Wild Life Station, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Charles B Yackulic
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, USA
| | - Jacqueline L Frair
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.,Roosevelt Wild Life Station, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Freddy Cabrera
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Stephen Blake
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.,Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Whitney Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
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Bastille-Rousseau G, Potts JR, Yackulic CB, Frair JL, Ellington EH, Blake S. Flexible characterization of animal movement pattern using net squared displacement and a latent state model. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2016; 4:15. [PMID: 27252856 PMCID: PMC4888472 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0080-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characterizing the movement patterns of animals is an important step in understanding their ecology. Various methods have been developed for classifying animal movement at both coarse (e.g., migratory vs. sedentary behavior) and fine (e.g., resting vs. foraging) scales. A popular approach for classifying movements at coarse resolutions involves fitting time series of net-squared displacement (NSD) to models representing different conceptualizations of coarse movement strategies (i.e., migration, nomadism, sedentarism, etc.). However, the performance of this method in classifying actual (as opposed to simulated) animal movements has been mixed. Here, we develop a more flexible method that uses the same NSD input, but relies on an underlying discrete latent state model. Using simulated data, we first assess how well patterns in the number of transitions between modes of movement and the duration of time spent in a mode classify movement strategies. We then apply our approach to elucidate variability in the movement strategies of eight giant tortoises (Chelonoidis sp.) using a multi-year (2009-2014) GPS dataset from three different Galapagos Islands. RESULTS With respect to patterns of time spent and the number of transitions between modes, our approach out-performed previous efforts to distinguish among migration, dispersal, and sedentary behavior. We documented marked inter-individual variation in giant tortoise movement strategies, with behaviors indicating migration, dispersal, nomadism and sedentarism, as well as hybrid behaviors such as "exploratory residence". CONCLUSIONS Distilling complex animal movement into discrete modes remains a fundamental challenge in movement ecology, a problem made more complex by the ever-longer duration, ever-finer resolution, and gap-ridden trajectories recorded by GPS devices. By clustering into modes, we derived information on the time spent within one mode and the number of transitions between modes which enabled finer differentiation of movement strategies over previous methods. Ultimately, the techniques developed here address limitations of previous approaches and provide greater insights with respect to characterization of movement strategies across scales by more fully utilizing long-term GPS telemetry datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- />Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, 13210 NY USA
- />Roosevelt Wild Life Station, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, 13210 NY USA
| | - Jonathan R. Potts
- />School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield, S3 7RH UK
| | - Charles B. Yackulic
- />U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, 86001 AZ USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- />Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, 13210 NY USA
- />Roosevelt Wild Life Station, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, 13210 NY USA
| | - E. Hance Ellington
- />School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210 OH USA
| | - Stephen Blake
- />Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, 13210 NY USA
- />Saint Louis Zoo, WildCare Institute, 1 Government Drive, St. Louis, 63110 MO USA
- />Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- />Whitney Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, 63121 MO USA
- />Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, 63130 MO USA
- />Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Ecuador
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Genetics probe identifies new Galapagos tortoise species. Nature 2015. [DOI: 10.1038/nature.2015.18611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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