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Nguyen AT, Le M, Tilker A. First record of a mixed species association between Hatinh langur ( Trachypithecus hatinhensis) and red-shanked douc ( Pygathrix nemaeus). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70122. [PMID: 39100208 PMCID: PMC11294418 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70122] [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: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In primates, mixed species associations are not common occurrences, and have been linked to both ecological and anthropogenic factors. We present camera-trapping records of a mixed association between two primates, the Hatinh langur (Trachypithecus hatinhensis) and red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus) and discuss possible hypotheses for this occurrence. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of such an association in the wild of these two threatened primates, and thus contributes to our limited ecological knowledge of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Tuan Nguyen
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesUniversity of Science, Vietnam National UniversityHanoiVietnam
| | - Minh Le
- Faculty of Environmental SciencesUniversity of Science, Vietnam National UniversityHanoiVietnam
- Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental StudiesVietnam National UniversityHanoiVietnam
| | - Andrew Tilker
- Re:WildAustinTexasUSA
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
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Gong S, Suwannapoom C, Le M, Nguyen TQ, Ge Y, Wei Y, Gao Y. Genomic analyses reveal three phylogenetic species and their evolutionary histories in the big-headed turtle. iScience 2023; 26:107343. [PMID: 37539035 PMCID: PMC10393795 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The critically endangered big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) is currently classified into three subspecies. However, the classification is still controversial and their evolutionary histories are still unclear. Here, multiple genetic analyses consistently revealed three phylogenetic groups with substantial genetic divergences and distinct demographic histories, suggesting three phylogenetic species (P. megacephalum, P. peguense, and Baise clade). Phylogeographical analyses revealed that the Red River plains and Guangxi basins are largely coincident with the boundaries between the three phylogenetic species, highlighting the key role of lowland areas in driving speciation in the big-headed turtle. The Baise clade is characterized by high-linkage disequilibrium but the lowest effective population size, indicating that the cryptic phylogenetic species is more vulnerable to human activities and environmental disturbance, and urgently needs more protection. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the taxonomy and scientific conservation of the family Platysternidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiping Gong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, 105 Xingang Road West, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | | | - Minh Le
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Science & Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES), Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Truong Quang Nguyen
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
| | - Yan Ge
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, 105 Xingang Road West, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yufeng Wei
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, 105 Xingang Road West, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yangchun Gao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, 105 Xingang Road West, Guangzhou 510260, China
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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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Hughes LJ, Morton O, Scheffers BR, Edwards DP. The ecological drivers and consequences of wildlife trade. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 98:775-791. [PMID: 36572536 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife trade is a key driver of extinction risk, affecting at least 24% of terrestrial vertebrates. The persistent removal of species can have profound impacts on species extinction risk and selection within populations. We draw together the first review of characteristics known to drive species use - identifying species with larger body sizes, greater abundance, increased rarity or certain morphological traits valued by consumers as being particularly prevalent in trade. We then review the ecological implications of this trade-driven selection, revealing direct effects of trade on natural selection and populations for traded species, which includes selection against desirable traits. Additionally, there exists a positive feedback loop between rarity and trade and depleted populations tend to have easy human access points, which can result in species being harvested to extinction and has the potential to alter source-sink dynamics. Wider cascading ecosystem repercussions from trade-induced declines include altered seed dispersal networks, trophic cascades, long-term compositional changes in plant communities, altered forest carbon stocks, and the introduction of harmful invasive species. Because it occurs across multiple scales with diverse drivers, wildlife trade requires multi-faceted conservation actions to maintain biodiversity and ecological function, including regulatory and enforcement approaches, bottom-up and community-based interventions, captive breeding or wildlife farming, and conservation translocations and trophic rewilding. We highlight three emergent research themes at the intersection of trade and community ecology: (1) functional impacts of trade; (2) altered provisioning of ecosystem services; and (3) prevalence of trade-dispersed diseases. Outside of the primary objective that exploitation is sustainable for traded species, we must urgently incorporate consideration of the broader consequences for other species and ecosystem processes when quantifying sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J. Hughes
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
| | - Oscar Morton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
| | - Brett R. Scheffers
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - David P. Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
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Lin L, Chen H, Gaillard D, Shi H, Luo S. Phylogeography of the endangered "eyed" turtles (genus Sacalia) and the discovery of a lineage derived from natural interspecific hybridization. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9545. [PMID: 36568866 PMCID: PMC9772493 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9545] [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: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The herpetofauna of the Indomalayan bioregion of Asia suffers from severe habitat loss, unsustainable harvesting, and lack of research and conservation. Here, we investigated the range-wide phylogeography of the endangered "eyed" turtles (genus Sacalia, including the Beale's Eyed Turtle S. bealei and the Four-eyed Turtle S. quadriocellata) and discovered a natural interspecific hybrid turtle population in China. Based on phylogeny of the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene of 101 samples in this study and public data, three major clades and six subclades were identified: S. bealei (SBE) in eastern-southern China, east S. quadriocellata in South China (northern east [SQUen] and southern east [SQUes] subclades), and west S. quadriocellata mainly in Vietnam (northern west [SQUwn], central west [SQUwc], and southern west [SQUws] subclades). We sequenced 16 nuclear DNA loci of 87 samples from SBE, SQUen, SQUes, and SQUwn subclades. Population genetic clustering analysis suggested a structure similar to the mitochondrial phylogeny, where most samples were classified into four genetic clusters corresponding to the four mtDNA subclades. However, a proportion of samples carrying SQUen mtDNA haplotypes formed an additional distinct cluster SHY. Those samples are found in the contact zone of the two species bearing mosaic and intermediate morphological characteristics. We detected an admixed ancestry in SHY from SBE and SQUen that conformed to an intrapopulation breeding scenario for at least hundreds of generations after the initial hybrid event, leading to a conclusion that SHY is a distinct and near-panmictic population derived from natural interspecific hybridization. In addition, SQUes (Hainan Island endemic) is of special concern due to significant isolation and low genetic diversity. We suggest that seven evolutionarily significant units should be recognized to facilitate appropriate conservation actions. These findings also highlight the urgent need for further herpetological research and conservation in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Lin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Huai‐Qing Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina,Center for Nature and Society, School of Life SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Daniel Gaillard
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina,School of Science, Technology, and MathematicsDalton State CollegeDaltonGeorgiaUSA
| | - Hai‐Tao Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Shu‐Jin Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
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Wahle A, Rödder D, Chapple DG, Meiri S, Rauhaus A, Ziegler T. Skinks in Zoos: A global approach on distribution patterns of threatened Scincidae in zoological institutions. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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