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Dufresnes C, Poyarkov N, Jablonski D. Acknowledging more biodiversity without more species. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302424120. [PMID: 37748058 PMCID: PMC10556632 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302424120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Delimiting and naming biodiversity is a vital step toward wildlife conservation and research. However, species delimitation must be consistent across biota so that the limited resources available for nature protection can be spent effectively and objectively. To date, newly discovered lineages typically are either left undescribed and thus remain unprotected or are being erroneously proposed as new species despite mixed evidence for completed speciation, in turn contributing to the emerging problem of taxonomic inflation. Inspired by recent conceptual and methodological progress, we propose a standardized workflow for species delimitation that combines phylogenetic and hybrid zone analyses of genomic datasets ("genomic taxonomy"), in which phylogeographic lineages that do not freely admix are ranked as species, while those that have remained fully genetically compatible are ranked as subspecies. In both cases, we encourage their formal taxonomic naming, diagnosis, and description to promote social awareness toward biodiversity. The use of loci throughout the genome overcomes the unreliability of widely used barcoding genes when phylogeographic patterns are complex, while the evaluation of divergence and reproductive isolation unifies the long-opposed concepts of lineage species and biological species. We suggest that a shift in conservation assessments from a single level (species) toward a two-level hierarchy (species and subspecies) will lead to a more balanced perception of biodiversity in which both intraspecific and interspecific diversity are valued and more adequately protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- Laboratory of Amphibian Systematics and Evolutionary Research, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing210037, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nikolay Poyarkov
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi122000, Vietnam
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow119234, Russia
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava84215, Slovakia
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Bashinskiy IW, Dgebuadze YY, Sushchik NN, Osipov VV, Gladyshev MI. Spadefoot Pelobates vespertinus (Amphibia, Pelobatidae) as a transmitter of fatty acids from water to land in a forest-steppe floodplain. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 877:162819. [PMID: 36931523 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The transfer of biomass and polyunsaturated fatty acids by the spadefoot P. vespertinus (previously subspecies of P. fuscus) from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems was studied for five years in small floodplain water bodies of a forest-steppe zone. Average emergence of metamorphs from unit of water area, wet mass was 6.7 g m-2 year-1. A ratio of the emergence to biomass was calculated and represented as E/B coefficient (an analog of P/B production/biomass coefficient). The average E/B was found to be 0.038 year-1. The introduced coefficient can be used for a coarse estimation of the emergence on the basis of tadpole biomass measurements. A considerable partitioning of tadpoles and metamorphs in the composition of fatty acids in their biomass was revealed. Tadpoles had significantly higher mean levels (percent of total fatty acids) of 16:0, 16:1n-9, 18:0, 20:5n-3 and 22:5n-3, while metamorphs had significantly higher levels of 14:0, 15:0, 17:0, 17:1n-8, 18:2n-6, 20:2n-6, 20:4n-6 and 22:5n-6, likely due to the shifting to terrestrial food. Metamorphs had significantly higher content of total fatty acids, mg g-1 of wet weight, and, in spite of lower level, they had significantly higher content of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) than tadpoles. Metamorphs also had significantly higher content of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) and sum of EPA + DHA than tadpoles. Average flux of EPA + DHA from unit of water area with metamorphs was 3.27 mg m-2 year-1. The metamorphs appeared to be qualitatively and quantitatively prominent prey for a number of terrestrial consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan W Bashinskiy
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Yury Yu Dgebuadze
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezhda N Sushchik
- Institute of Biophysics, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center" of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Siberian Federal University, Svobodny av. 79, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia
| | - Vitaly V Osipov
- State Nature Reserve Privolzhskaya, Lesostep, 440031, Penza, Okruzhnaya 12A, Russia; Saratov Branch of Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Chernyshevskogo 152, Saratov 410002, Russia
| | - Michail I Gladyshev
- Institute of Biophysics, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center" of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Siberian Federal University, Svobodny av. 79, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia
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3
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Safaei-Mahroo B, Ghaffari H, Niamir A. A synoptic review of the Amphibians of Iran: bibliography, taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, conservation status, and identification key to the eggs, larvae, and adults. Zootaxa 2023; 5279:1-112. [PMID: 37518755 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5279.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
This study provides an illustrated account, a comprehensive update of the systematics, and a bibliography of the 15 species of anurans in five families, eight genera; and of the six species of urodeles in two families, four genera in Iran. Bufonidae, with eight species, is the most diverse family; Salamandridae has five species and Ranidae has four species. This study also presents updated identification keys for the eggs, larvae, and metamorphosed amphibians of Iran. We designated specimen NMW 19855.1 as neotype of Pelophylax persicus (Schneider, 1799) comb. nov.. Along with distribution maps obtained from all the reliable localities and museum specimens known at this time, the modelled habitat of species, and for the first time, the National Red List of amphibians based on the IUCN red list categories and criteria. Based on our evaluation we propose to categorize Bufo eichwaldi, Paradactylodon persicus, Neurergus derjugini, and N. kaiseri as Vulnerable at National Red List, and to move Bufotes (Calliopersa) luristanicus, B. (C.) surdus, Firouzophrynus olivaceus, and Rana pseudodalmatina from the category of Least Concern (LC) to Near Threatened (NT). The National Red List of amphibians that we propose has significant implications for endangered species management and conservation. Forty-one percent of amphibian species in Iran are endemic to the country, and more than forty percent of the Iranian amphibians are at risk of extinction. Zagros Mountain forest and Hyrcaniain forests have more than 80% (i.e. 18 species) of the diversity of Iranian amphibians. A considerable amount of scientific literature published on Iranian amphibians in Persian language is not easily accessible to researchers outside Iran. This monograph attempts to remedy the situation and provides broader access to international herpetology. We recognize that taxonomy is always in a state of flux, and the names and synonymies used here reflect our current view.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanyeh Ghaffari
- Department of Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Natural Resources; University of Kurdistan; Sanandaj; Iran.
| | - Aidin Niamir
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre; Frankfurt am Main; Germany.
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Ambu J, Martínez-Solano Í, Suchan T, Hernandez A, Wielstra B, Crochet PA, Dufresnes C. Genomic phylogeography illuminates deep cyto-nuclear discordances in midwife toads (Alytes). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 183:107783. [PMID: 37044190 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The advent of genomic methods allows us to revisit the evolutionary history of organismal groups for which robust phylogenies are still lacking, particularly in species complexes that frequently hybridize. In this study, we conduct RAD-sequencing (RAD-seq) analyses of midwife toads (genus Alytes), an iconic group of western Mediterranean amphibians famous for their parental care behavior, but equally infamous for the difficulties to reconstruct their evolutionary history. Through admixture and phylogenetic analyses of thousands of loci, we provide the most comprehensive phylogeographic framework for the A. obstetricans complex to date, as well as the first fully resolved phylogeny for the entire genus. As part of this effort, we carefully explore the influence of different sampling schemes and data filtering thresholds on tree reconstruction, showing that several, slightly different, yet robust topologies may be retrieved with small datasets obtained by stringent SNP calling parameters, especially when admixed individuals are included. In contrast, analyses of incomplete but larger datasets converged on the same phylogeny, irrespective of the reconstruction method used or the proportion of missing data. The Alytes tree features three Miocene-diverged clades corresponding to the proposed subgenera Ammoryctis (A. cisternasii), Baleaphryne (A. maurus, A. dickhilleni and A. muletensis), and Alytes (A. obstetricans complex). The latter consists of six evolutionary lineages, grouped into three clades of Pliocene origin, and currently delimited as two species: (1) A. almogavarii almogavarii and A. a. inigoi; (2) A. obstetricans obstetricans and A. o. pertinax; (3) A. o. boscai and an undescribed taxon (A. o. cf. boscai). These results contradict the mitochondrial tree, due to past mitochondrial captures in A. a. almogavarii (central Pyrenees) and A. o. boscai (central Iberia) by A. obstetricans ancestors during the Pleistocene. Patterns of admixture between subspecies appear far more extensive than previously assumed from microsatellites, causing nomenclatural uncertainties, and even underlying the reticulate evolution of one taxon (A. o. pertinax). All Ammoryctis and Baleaphryne species form shallow clades, so their taxonomy should remain stable. Amid the prevalence of cyto-nuclear discordance among terrestrial vertebrates and the usual lack of resolution of conventional nuclear markers, our study advocates for phylogeography based on next-generation sequencing, but also encourages properly exploring parameter space and sampling schemes when building and analyzing genomic datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Ambu
- LASER, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Íñigo Martínez-Solano
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomasz Suchan
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Axel Hernandez
- LASER, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Christophe Dufresnes
- LASER, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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Strachinis I, Marschang RE, Lymberakis P, Karagianni KM, Azmanis P. Infectious disease threats to amphibians in Greece: new localities positive for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2022; 152:127-138. [PMID: 36519684 DOI: 10.3354/dao03712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the early 2000s, numerous cases of European amphibian population declines and mass die-offs started to emerge. Investigating those events led to the discovery that wild European amphibians were confronted with grave disease threats caused by introduced pathogens, namely the amphibian and the salamander chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal) and ranaviruses. In Greece, Bd was previously documented among wild amphibian populations in 2 different locations and 3 different species. However, no disease-related mass declines or mortality events have been reported. In this work, we build upon previous findings with new, subsequently obtained data, resulting in a 225-sample dataset of 14 species from 17 different locations throughout Greece, in order to examine the occurrence status of all 3 pathogens responsible for emerging infectious diseases in European amphibians. No positive samples for Bsal or ranavirus were recorded in any location. We confirmed the presence of Bd in 4 more localities and in 4 more species, including 1 urodelan (Macedonian crested newt Triturus macedonicus) and 1 introduced anuran (American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus). All insular localities were negative for Bd, except for Crete, where Bd was identified in 2 different locations. Again, no mass declines or die-offs were recorded in any Bd-positive area or elsewhere. However, given the persistence of Bd across Greece over the past ~20 yr, monitoring efforts should continue, and ideally be further expanded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Strachinis
- Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636, Greece
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Yermokhin MV, Tabachishin VG. False Spring in the Spawning Migrations of Spadefoot Toads (Pelobates, Anura): Distribution in European Russia and the Phenomenon Scale in 2020. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022100235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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7
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Natchev N, Koynova T, Tachev K, Doichev D, Marinova P, Velkova V, Jablonski D. Temperature regulation in the Balkan spadefoot ( Pelobates balcanicus Karaman, 1928) at the beginning of nocturnal activity. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13647. [PMID: 35860047 PMCID: PMC9291013 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
On land, the amphibians interact with the environment in a complex way-even small changes in the physiological conditions may significantly impact the behaviour and vice versa. In ectothermic tetrapods, the transition from inactive to active phase may be related to important changes in their thermal status. We studied the thermal ecology of adult Balkan spadefoots (Pelobates balcanicus Karaman, 1928) in northeastern Bulgaria. These toads spend the daytime buried between 10 and 15 cm in sandy substrates, and emerge after sunset. On the substrate, their thermal energy exchange is defined by the absence of heat flow from the sun. Secondary heat sources, like stored heat and infrared radiation from the soil play an important role for the thermal balance of the active spadefoot toads. At the beginning of their daily activity, we measured substrate temperature (at a depth of 11-12 cm), toad's surface body temperature, and also provided thermal profiles of the animals and the substrate surface in their microhabitats. In animals which recently emerged from the substrate, the temperature was comparatively higher and was closer to that of the subsoil on the spot. After that, body temperature decreased rapidly and continued to change slowly, in correlation with air temperature. We detected a temperature gradient on the dorsal surface of the toads. On the basis of our measurements and additional data, we discuss the eventual role of air humidity and the effects of surface and skin water evaporation on the water balance and activity of the investigated toads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Natchev
- Shumen University, Shumen, Bulgaria
- University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Hidden in plain sight: novel molecular data reveal unexpected genetic diversity among paramphistome parasites (Digenea: Paramphistomoidea) of European water frogs. Parasitology 2022; 149:1425-1438. [PMID: 35711137 PMCID: PMC10090778 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202200083x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Parasites might represent a helpful tool in understanding the historical dispersion and phylogeography of their hosts. In order to reveal whether the migration routes and diversification of hosts can be traceable in the genetic structures of their parasites, we investigated the diversity of paramphistomoid trematodes of Pelophylax frogs in 2 geographically distant European regions. Water frogs belonging to the genus Pelophylax represent a striking example of a species with a high variety of ecological adaptations and a rich evolutionary history. The parasites were collected from 2 Balkan endemic species, P. epeiroticus and P. kurtmuelleri, and 2 species in Slovakia, P. esculentus and P. ridibundus. While in Slovakia, Pelophylax frogs harboured 2 species, the diplodiscid Diplodiscus subclavatus and the cladorchiid Opisthodiscus diplodiscoides, only the former was recorded in the south-western Balkans. Remarkably high genetic diversity (16 unique mitochondrial cox1 haplotypes, recognized among 60 novel sequences) was observed in D. subclavatus, and subsequent phylogenetic analyses revealed a strong population-genetic structure associated with geographical distribution. We also evidenced the existence of 2 divergent D. subclavatus cox1 haplogroups in the south-western Balkans, which might be associated with the historical diversification of endemic water frogs in the regional glacial microrefugia.
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9
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Liedtke HC, Cruz F, Gómez-Garrido J, Fuentes Palacios D, Marcet-Houben M, Gut M, Alioto T, Gabaldón T, Gomez-Mestre I. Chromosome-level assembly, annotation and phylome of Pelobates cultripes, the western spadefoot toad. DNA Res 2022; 29:6588074. [PMID: 35583263 PMCID: PMC9164646 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsac013] [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: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Genomic resources for amphibians are still hugely under-represented in vertebrate genomic research, despite being a group of major interest for ecology, evolution and conservation. Amphibians constitute a highly threatened group of vertebrates, present a vast diversity in reproductive modes, are extremely diverse in morphology, occupy most ecoregions of the world, and present the widest range in genome sizes of any major group of vertebrates. We combined Illumina, Nanopore and Hi-C sequencing technologies to assemble a chromosome-level genome sequence for an anuran with a moderate genome size (assembly span 3.09 Gb); Pelobates cultripes, the western spadefoot toad. The genome has an N50 length of 330 Mb with 98.6% of the total sequence length assembled into 14 super scaffolds, and 87.7% complete BUSCO genes. We use published transcriptomic data to provide annotations, identifying 32,684 protein-coding genes. We also reconstruct the P. cultripes phylome and identify 2,527 gene expansions. We contribute the first draft of the genome of the western spadefoot toad, P. cultripes. This species represents a relatively basal lineage in the anuran tree with an interesting ecology and a high degree of developmental plasticity, and thus is an important resource for amphibian genomic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Christoph Liedtke
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) , 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando Cruz
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) , 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jèssica Gómez-Garrido
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) , 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Fuentes Palacios
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS) , 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) , 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Marcet-Houben
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS) , 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) , 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) , 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tyler Alioto
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) , 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS) , 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) , 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) , 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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10
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A decharming metamorphosis: The larval and adult morphology of the common spadefoot toad, Pelobates fuscus. ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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11
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Dufresnes C, Litvinchuk SN. Diversity, distribution and molecular species delimitation in frogs and toads from the Eastern Palaearctic. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Biodiversity analyses can greatly benefit from coherent species delimitation schemes and up-to-date distribution data. In this article, we have made the daring attempt to delimit and map described and undescribed lineages of anuran amphibians in the Eastern Palaearctic (EP) region in its broad sense. Through a literature review, we have evaluated the species status considering reproductive isolation and genetic divergence, combined with an extensive occurrence dataset (nearly 85k localities). Altogether 274 native species from 46 genera and ten families were retrieved, plus eight additional species introduced from other realms. Independent hotspots of species richness were concentrated in southern Tibet (Medog County), the circum-Sichuan Basin region, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and the main Japanese islands. Phylogeographic breaks responsible for recent in situ speciation events were shared around the Sichuan Mountains, across Honshu and between the Ryukyu Island groups, but not across shallow water bodies like the Yellow Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Anuran compositions suggested to restrict the zoogeographical limits of the EP to East Asia. In a rapidly evolving field, our study provides a checkpoint to appreciate patterns of species diversity in the EP under a single, spatially explicit, species delimitation framework that integrates phylogeographic data in taxonomic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- LASER, College of Biology & Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Spartak N Litvinchuk
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Biology, Dagestan State University, Makhachkala, Russia
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Cogălniceanu D, Stănescu F, Székely D, Topliceanu TS, Iosif R, Székely P. Age, size and body condition do not equally reflect population response to habitat change in the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11678. [PMID: 34316392 PMCID: PMC8286710 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization impacts biodiversity both directly through physical expansion over land, and indirectly due to land use conversion and human behaviors associated with urban areas. We assessed the response of a common spadefoot toad population (Pelobates fuscus) to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from urban development by studying changes in size, body condition and age parameters. We compared samples collected in the early 2000s (sample A) and later on during 2012-2014 (sample B). The terrestrial habitats in the study area were severely reduced and fragmented due to the expansion of the human settlement. We found no significant differences in the age parameters between the two sampling periods; the median lifespan shortened from 3.5 (sample A) to 3.0 years (sample B), while the other age parameters were similar in both samples. In contrast, snout-vent length, body mass and body condition experienced a significant decrease over time. Our results suggest that changes in body size and body condition, rather than age parameters, better reflect the response of the common spadefoot toad population to declining habitat quality. Therefore, body measurements can provide reliable estimates of the impact of habitat degradation in amphibian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Cogălniceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florina Stănescu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Black Sea Institute for Development and Security Studies, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,CEDMOG-Center for Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania
| | - Diana Székely
- Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs Lab), Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Theodor-Sebastian Topliceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Black Sea Institute for Development and Security Studies, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,CEDMOG-Center for Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania
| | - Ruben Iosif
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Paul Székely
- Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs Lab), Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
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13
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Strachinis I, Poulakakis N, Karaiskou N, Patronidis P, Patramanis I, Poursanidis D, Jablonski D, Triantafyllidis A. Phylogeography and systematics of
Algyroides
(Sauria: Lacertidae) of the Balkan Peninsula. ZOOL SCR 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Strachinis
- Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology School of Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Nikos Poulakakis
- Department of Biology University of Crete Irakleio Greece
- Natural History Museum of CreteUniversity of Crete Irakleio Greece
| | - Nikoleta Karaiskou
- Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology School of Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Politis Patronidis
- Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology School of Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece
| | | | - Dimitris Poursanidis
- Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics Iraklion Greece
| | | | - Alexandros Triantafyllidis
- Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology School of Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece
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Landler L, Stefke K. Long-term monitoring of common spadefoot toad activity in a European steppe using barn owl pellets. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH-THESSALONIKI 2021; 28:4. [PMID: 33579379 PMCID: PMC7879639 DOI: 10.1186/s40709-021-00133-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Background One third of the worldwide amphibian species are threatened, therefore, efficient monitoring efforts are needed. Amphibians which adopt a hidden lifestyle, such as the common spadefoot toad, are often missed with standard surveying efforts. Spadefoot toads can be identified in regurgitated pellets of the barn owl, which provides an effective way to estimate toad activity. In our study we analyzed frequency of spadefoot toad remains from 2004 to 2016 in a steppe landscape in eastern Austria. Methods We used an automated model selection procedure together with a GLM analysis using a zero inflated error Poisson distribution, to analyze the presence of Pelobates fuscus in barn owl pellets. All analyses were done in the statistical software R, and the scripts to reproduce our results are available within this publication. Our approach may provide a template for other researchers to use for their own pellet data. Conclusions Our analysis suggested that activity of the common spadefoot toad is mainly influenced by rainfalls, while time of the year and temperature had small but significant effects. Interestingly, our data confirmed the possibility of a second breeding period in summer, triggered by heavy rainfalls. There were no indications for a population decrease in the observed years and locations. Our study shows that barn owl pellets can be used effectivley to assess pelobatid activity in an area. This might constitute a useful monitoring tool for conservation management for amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Landler
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33/I, Vienna, 1180, Austria.
| | - Katharina Stefke
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Mammal Collection, Burgring 7, Wien, 1010, Austria
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Dufresnes C, Mazepa G, Jablonski D, Oliveira RC, Wenseleers T, Shabanov DA, Auer M, Ernst R, Koch C, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Mulder KP, Simonov E, Tiutenko A, Kryvokhyzha D, Wennekes PL, Zinenko OI, Korshunov OV, Al-Johany AM, Peregontsev EA, Masroor R, Betto-Colliard C, Denoël M, Borkin LJ, Skorinov DV, Pasynkova RA, Mazanaeva LF, Rosanov JM, Dubey S, Litvinchuk S. Fifteen shades of green: The evolution of Bufotes toads revisited. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 141:106615. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Dufresnes C, Strachinis I, Suriadna N, Mykytynets G, Cogălniceanu D, Székely P, Vukov T, Arntzen JW, Wielstra B, Lymberakis P, Geffen E, Gafny S, Kumlutaş Y, Ilgaz Ç, Candan K, Mizsei E, Szabolcs M, Kolenda K, Smirnov N, Géniez P, Lukanov S, Crochet PA, Dubey S, Perrin N, Litvinchuk SN, Denoël M. Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates). Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3257-3270. [PMID: 31254307 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cryptic phylogeographic diversifications provide unique models to examine the role of phylogenetic divergence on the evolution of reproductive isolation, without extrinsic factors such as ecological and behavioural differentiation. Yet, to date very few comparative studies have been attempted within such radiations. Here, we characterize a new speciation continuum in a group of widespread Eurasian amphibians, the Pelobates spadefoot toads, by conducting multilocus (restriction site associated DNA sequencing and mitochondrial DNA) phylogenetic, phylogeographic and hybrid zone analyses. Within the P. syriacus complex, we discovered species-level cryptic divergences (>5 million years ago [My]) between populations distributed in the Near-East (hereafter P. syriacus sensu stricto [s.s.]) and southeastern Europe (hereafter P. balcanicus), each featuring deep intraspecific lineages. Altogether, we could scale hybridizability to divergence time along six different stages, spanning from sympatry without gene flow (P. fuscus and P. balcanicus, >10 My), parapatry with highly restricted hybridization (P. balcanicus and P. syriacus s.s., >5 My), narrow hybrid zones (~15 km) consistent with partial reproductive isolation (P. fuscus and P. vespertinus, ~3 My), to extensive admixture between Pleistocene and refugial lineages (≤2 My). This full spectrum empirically supports a gradual build up of reproductive barriers through time, reversible up until a threshold that we estimate at ~3 My. Hence, cryptic phylogeographic lineages may fade away or become reproductively isolated species simply depending on the time they persist in allopatry, and without definite ecomorphological divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Hintermann & Weber SA, Montreux, Switzerland.,Laboratory for Conservation Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ilias Strachinis
- School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nataliia Suriadna
- Melitopol Insitute of Ecology and Social Technologies of University "Ukraine", Melitopol, Zaporizhia, Ukraine
| | | | - Dan Cogălniceanu
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Agricultural Sciences, University Ovidius Constanţa, Constanţa, Romania
| | - Paul Székely
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, EcoSs Lab, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Tanja Vukov
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jan W Arntzen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Petros Lymberakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete, University of Crete, Irakleio, Crete, Greece
| | - Eli Geffen
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sarig Gafny
- School of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret, Israel
| | - Yusuf Kumlutaş
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, İzmir, Turkey.,Research and Application Center for Fauna and Flora, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Çetin Ilgaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, İzmir, Turkey.,Research and Application Center for Fauna and Flora, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Kamil Candan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, İzmir, Turkey.,Research and Application Center for Fauna and Flora, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Edvárd Mizsei
- Department of Tisza River Research, Danube Research Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Márton Szabolcs
- Department of Tisza River Research, Danube Research Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Krzysztof Kolenda
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, Institute of Environmental Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Nazar Smirnov
- Department of Nature, Chernivtsi Regional Museum, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
| | - Philippe Géniez
- CEFE, EPHE-PSL, CNRS, University of Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Simeon Lukanov
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Pierre-André Crochet
- CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Dubey
- Hintermann & Weber SA, Montreux, Switzerland.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Agrosustain SA, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Perrin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Spartak N Litvinchuk
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Department of Zoology and Physiology, Dagestan State University, Makhachkala, Russia
| | - Mathieu Denoël
- Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Behavioural Biology Group, Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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