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Hofmann S, Podsiadlowski L, Andermann T, Matschiner M, Baniya CB, Litvinchuk SN, Martin S, Masroor R, Yang J, Zheng Y, Jablonski D, Schmidt J. The last of their kind: Is the genus Scutiger (Anura: Megophryidae) a relict element of the paleo-Transhimalaya biota? Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 201:108166. [PMID: 39127262 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
The orographic evolution of the Himalaya-Tibet Mountain system continues to be a subject of controversy, leading to considerable uncertainty regarding the environment and surface elevation of the Tibetan Plateau during the Cenozoic era. As many geoscientific (but not paleontological) studies suggest, elevations close to modern heights exist in vast areas of Tibet since at least the late Paleogene, implicating the presence of large-scale alpine environments for more than 30 million years. To explore a recently proposed alternative model that assumes a warm temperate environment across paleo-Tibet, we carried out a phylogeographic survey using genomic analyses of samples covering the range of endemic lazy toads (Scutiger) across the Himalaya-Tibet orogen. We identified two main clades, with several, geographically distinct subclades. The long temporal gap between the stem and crown age of Scutiger may suggest high extinction rates. Diversification within the crown group, depending on the calibration, occurred either from the Mid-Miocene or Late-Miocene and continued until the Holocene. The present-day Himalayan Scutiger fauna could have evolved from lineages that existed on the southern edges of the paleo-Tibetan area (the Transhimalaya = Gangdese Shan), while extant species living on the eastern edge of the Plateau originated probably from the eastern edges of northern parts of the ancestral Tibetan area (Hoh Xil, Tanggula Shan). Based on the Mid-Miocene divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction, we propose that uplift-associated aridification of a warm temperate Miocene-Tibet, coupled with high extirpation rates of ancestral populations, and species range shifts along drainage systems and epigenetic transverse valleys of the rising mountains, is a plausible scenario explaining the phylogenetic structure of Scutiger. This hypothesis aligns with the fossil record but conflicts with geoscientific concepts of high elevated Tibetan Plateau since the late Paleogene. Considering a Late-Miocene/Pliocene divergence time, an alternative scenario of dispersal from SE Asia into the East, Central, and West Himalaya cannot be excluded, although essential evolutionary and biogeographic aspects remain unresolved within this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Hofmann
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Lars Podsiadlowski
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Tobias Andermann
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Chitra B Baniya
- Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur 44618, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Spartak N Litvinchuk
- Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Peterburg 194064, Russia
| | - Sebastian Martin
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Rafaqat Masroor
- Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Jianhuan Yang
- Kadoorie Conservation China, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hongkong, China.
| | - Yuchi Zheng
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Joachim Schmidt
- General and Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Rostock, 18055 Rostock, Germany
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Lyu B, Liu Q, Wu Y, Nguyen TQ, Che J, Nguyen SN, Myers EA, Burbrink FT, Guo P, Wang J. Genomic analysis reveals deep population divergence in the water snake Trimerodytes percarinatus (Serpentes, Natricidae). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11278. [PMID: 38628918 PMCID: PMC11019134 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Although several phylogeographic studies of Asian snakes have been conducted, most have focused on pitvipers, with non-venomous snakes, such as colubrids or natricids, remaining poorly studied. The Chinese keelback water snake (Trimerodytes percarinatus Boulenger) is a widespread, semiaquatic, non-venomous species occurring in China and southeastern Asia. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, we explored the population genetic structure, genetic diversity, and evolutionary history of this species. MtDNA-based phylogenetic analysis showed that T. percarinatus was composed of five highly supported and geographically structured lineages. SNP-based phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis consistently revealed four distinct, geographically non-overlapping lineages, which was different from the mtDNA-based analysis in topology. Estimation of divergence dates and ancestral area of origin suggest that T. percarinatus originated ~12.68 million years ago (95% highest posterior density: 10.36-15.96 Mya) in a region covering southwestern China and Vietnam. Intraspecific divergence may have been triggered by the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau uplift. Population demographics and ecological niche modeling indicated that the effective population size fluctuated during 0.5 Mya and 0.002 Mya. Based on the data collected here, we also comment on the intraspecific taxonomy of T. percarinatus and question the validity of the subspecies T. p. suriki.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Lyu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
- Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Food EngineeringYibin UniversityYibinChina
| | - Qin Liu
- Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Food EngineeringYibin UniversityYibinChina
| | - Yayong Wu
- Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Food EngineeringYibin UniversityYibinChina
| | - Truong Q. Nguyen
- Institute of Ecology and Biological ResourcesVietnam Academy of Science and TechnologyHanoiVietnam
- Vietnam Academy of Science and TechnologyGraduate University of Science and TechnologyHanoiVietnam
| | - Jing Che
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Sang N. Nguyen
- Institute of Tropical BiologyVietnam Academy of Science and TechnologyHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - Edward A. Myers
- Department of HerpetologyCalifornia Academy of SciencesSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Frank T. Burbrink
- Department of HerpetologyAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Peng Guo
- Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Food EngineeringYibin UniversityYibinChina
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
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Shi SC, Sui LL, Ma S, Ji FR, Bu-Dian AY, Jiang JP. A new Asian lazy toad of the genus Scutiger Theobald, 1868 (Anura, Megophryidae) from southern Tibet, China. Zookeys 2023; 1187:31-62. [PMID: 38312231 PMCID: PMC10838179 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1187.107958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, a new species named Scutigerluozhaensissp. nov. is described from Luozha, southern Tibet, China. Genetic analysis based on two mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and COI and the nuclear gene RAG1 revealed that the new species belongs to an independent phylogenetic clade close to S.gongshanensis and S.nyingchiensis and shares no RAG1 haplotype with other species. Morphological comparisons based on examined specimens and literatures indicated that it can be diagnosed from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) body moderate, male body length 47.0-67.2 mm (n = 13), female body length 49.8-66.2 mm (n = 8); (2) maxillary teeth and budding absent; (3) numerous tiny dense nuptial spines present on dorsal surface of fingers I, II and inner surface of finger III of males in breeding condition with similar size; (4) spine patches on belly of males in breeding condition absent; (5) spines on inner surface of forearm and upper arm of males in breeding condition absent; (6) small patches of black spines present near armpit of males in breeding condition absent; (7) adult males without vocal sac; (8) some large warts and tubercles on dorsum gathered into short skin ridges with several spines present on top; (9) space between upper eyelids wider than upper eyelids; (10) spots or irregular cross bands on limbs absent; (11) webbing between toes rudimentary; (12) coloration of dorsal body olive brown to bronze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Chao Shi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Lu-Lu Sui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shun Ma
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Fei-Rong Ji
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - A-Yi Bu-Dian
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jian-Ping Jiang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, ChinaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Mangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Tibet Ecological Safety Monitor Network, Chengdu 854500, ChinaMangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Tibet Ecological Safety Monitor NetworkChengduChina
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