Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research最新文献

Recent sampling efforts in the deep seas of southern and eastern Australia have generated a wealth of DNA-suitable material of neogastropods of the family Raphitomidae. Based on this material, a molecular phylogeny of the family has revealed a considerable amount of genus and species level lineages previously unknown to science. These taxa are now the focus of current integrative taxonomic research. As part of this ongoing investigation, this study focuses on the genera Austrobela, Austrotheta (both Criscione, Hallan, Puillandre & Fedosov, 2020), Spergo Dall, 1895 and Theta Clarke, 1959. We subjected a comprehensive mitochondrial DNA dataset of representative deep-sea raphitomids to Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, which recognized 24 primary species hypotheses (PSHs). Following additional evaluation of shell and radular features, as well as examination of geographic and bathymetric ranges, 18 of these PSHs were converted to secondary species hypotheses (SSHs). Based on the evidence available, the most likely speciation mechanisms involved were evaluated for each pair of sister SSHs, including niche partitioning. Eleven SSHs were recognized as new and their systematic descriptions are provided herein. Of these, four were attributed to Austrobela, one to Austrotheta, four to Spergo and two to Theta. While all new species are endemic to Australian waters, other species studied herein exhibit wide Indo-Pacific distributions, adding to the growing body of evidence suggesting that wide geographic ranges in deep-sea Raphitomidae are more common than previously assumed.

The first fossil representative of the cleroid family Trogossitidae is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Microtrogossita qizhihaoi Li & Cai gen. et sp. nov. is unique among Trogossitidae in the relatively widely separated procoxal and mesocoxal cavities, weakly asymmetrical antennal clubs, coarsely facetted eyes, coarse sculpture of dorsal and ventral surfaces of thorax in comparison with tiny body size, and the absence of spines along side margin of tibiae. Morphological characters of the fossil were analyzed together with representatives of 44 extant genera of Cleroidea (Peltidae, Lophocateridae, and Trogossitidae) in a matrix of 93 characters. Microtrogossita qizhihaoi was resolved as a member of Trogossitini within Trogossitidae. The tribal composition of Trogossitidae is discussed in light of our re-analysis of a previously published four-gene dataset under a site-heterogeneous model. The recently described lophocaterid Mesolophocateres pengweii Yu, Leschen & Ślipiński syn. nov. from Burmese amber is suggested to be a junior synonym of Burmacateres longicoxa Kolibáč & Peris.

The Stevardiinae are a high diverse subfamily of Characidae, the richest family of Neotropical fishes. Many species are inseminating (internal fertilization) and consequently display diverse morphology of reproductive organs and sperm cells. We test the monophyly and internal relationships of the Stevardiinae through a phylogenetic analysis based on a new set of morphological characters, including reproductive traits, combined with publicly available molecular data. We defined 176 characters from general morphology and primary and secondary sexual characters, coded for 54 species. Analyses were made under parsimony using a broad range of extended implied weighting parameters. Given the different morphological characters we use, this analysis provides additional synapomorphies and an independent test for previous hypotheses based on morphological and combined morphological and molecular datasets. Our final hypothesis is a single most parsimonious tree of 6341 steps obtained under three different weighting schemes. This recovers the monophyly of the tribes Creagrutini, Diapomini, Glandulocaudini, Hemibryconini, Landonini (including Eretmobryconini), Stevardiini, and Xenurobryconini. It also supports the recognition of the monotypic tribe Phenacobryconini. Insemination is ambiguously optimized as present in the common ancestor of Stevardiinae and in the common ancestor of all members of the subfamily except for Landonini. That reconstruction constitutes a novel hypothesis about the evolution of insemination within Characidae.

Generalist species are often characterized by low habitat specialization and reduced genetic structure in their populations. Here, we tested this common assumption on golden jackals in Iran, a wide country with a highly heterogeneous landscape where this carnivore is assumed to be widespread, although little is known about the ecology and population genetics of this species. We investigate distribution patterns, habitat requirements, and niche breadth of golden jackals by using GIS techniques and ecological modeling over a total of 452 presence records. We then assessed genetic diversity and population structure by analyzing 24 samples for 43 microsatellites. The observed distribution patterns show an extensive range across a wide climatic, ecological and altitudinal gradient, covering eight climate regions and 16 terrestrial ecoregions. Ecological modeling confirms high habitat plasticity of the golden jackal, with selection of mountainous areas with high slopes, moderate temperatures, and areas with low human population and activity while avoiding hyper-arid regions. Estimated values of niche breadth were high, indicating that is a generalist species in the study area. The observed genetic diversity was high, representing the highest value reported so far in this species. We found no signature of population structure, suggesting a single genetic cluster, as well as no evidence of hybridization with domestic dogs. Our results provide valuable ecological and genetic information on a widespread but poorly known carnivore, often disregarded in conservation strategies but under pressure from anthropogenic threats.

The islands of Trinidad and Tobago form a southern extension of the Lesser Antilles. Unlike the continental island of Trinidad, the more northerly Tobago formed as an older oceanic island volcanic arc. Their reptile biodiversity reflects colonization events from the South American mainland through land bridge connections at times of glacial maxima. Most of Tobago's herpetofauna has colonized through stepping-stone events from Trinidad. However, the enigmatic presence of a rare and poorly known fossorial snake in Tobago, Western Venezuela and Colombia, but absent in Trinidad and Eastern Venezuela, raises interesting questions regarding its biogeography, mode and timing of colonization of the island. Here, we sequence for the first time gene fragments from three individuals from Western Venezuela and one from Tobago and include them in the largest phylogeny of Atractus to date. We validate the monophyly of the species based on morphology and molecular data, with an unexpected low genetic divergence between island and mainland specimens. Despite more than 1000 km separating them, our time tree indicates a mean 550,000 year divergence. We examine alternative scenarios to explain the biogeography and conclude on an ancient corridor of coastal land bridges at times of very low (>100 m) sea-level falls that connected Venezuela to Tobago.

Levels of biodiversity are globally underestimated, especially in tropical ecosystems. This is particularly so for bats compared to other mammalian taxa, due to morphological conservatism. Here, we investigate West African bats of the Hipposideros caffer complex, an insectivorous bat group occurring throughout the Afrotropics. From samples collected in Ghana, we aim to resolve the cryptic diversity identified by mitochondrial (mt) DNA using nuclear genetic, acoustic, and external morphometric data. We confirmed the presence of four previously established mtDNA lineages within the H. caffer complex and found significant genetic divergence among lineages based on nuclear microsatellite data and significant differences in frequencies of echolocation calls and morphometric measures. From these new data, we conclude that H. caffer complex in West Africa consists of at least four distinct species. While the small-sized species from coastal savanna could be assigned to H. caffer tephrus, the taxonomic identity of the three sympatric, similarly sized species pertaining to H. ruber from the forest zone of Central Ghana is yet to be assessed.

Neotropical catfishes of the family Pseudopimelodidae comprise 53 species allocated to seven genera widely distributed in South America from northwestern Colombia and Venezuela to Argentina and Uruguay. Intergeneric relationships based on morphology-based phylogenies are conflicting, and the interspecific relationships remain incipient. We conducted the first molecular phylogeny of the family by analyzing sequence data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs) of the genome for 33 specimens of Pseudopimelodidae and 19 related taxa. Phylogenetic relationships were accessed by concatenated matrices using Bayesian inference and, maximum likelihood, and the coalescent approach by a species tree analysis. The phylogeny with 868 UCE loci and 906,689 bp strongly support the monophyly of Pseudopimelodidae, and the arrangement of two major subclades herein classified as subfamilies Pseudopimelodinae and the newly proposed Batrochoglaninae. Pseudopimelodinae is composed by Cruciglanis sister to Pseudopimelodus and Rhyacoglanis, whereas the new subfamily Batrochoglaninae is composed by Cephalosilurus and Lophiosilurus as sister to Batrochoglanis and Microglanis. Pseudopimelodinae is supported by five morphological synapomorphies and Batrochoglaninae supported by three such synapomorphies. The results of this study will surely guide future research aiming to delimit and describe species within the monophyletic groups.

Variation in landscape features plays an important role in shaping the distribution of species in natural populations. These can influence population connectivity, gene flow, genetic drift, and ultimately the genetic structure and diversity of isolated populations. In this study, we aimed to identify the impact of landscape heterogeneity on the dispersal patterns of the threatened Kaiser’s mountain newt, Neurergus kaiseri. We integrated population genetics and geospatial data to predict the rates and patterns of genetic differentiation as well as to identify potential movement corridors among populations. For this purpose, we used two mitochondrial DNA markers and combined data on genetic subdivision (θ_ST) and least-cost path (LCP) analyses from 15 fragmented highland streams and spring-ponds representing the entire species distribution area. Five possible dispersal routes used in this study were straight-line, stepping-stone, least cost slope, stream likelihood and combination least cost slope/stream likelihood. Genetic and LCP analyses indicated that two clades in the northern and southern distribution range have experienced two differing dispersal routes. The newts identified through the northern populations with high genetic diversity have dispersed with stepping-stone movements. In contrast, the southern populations are more isolated and dispersal might be facilitated by aquatic corridors in the least cost slope. We suggest that this study allows new implications for the conservation priorities of N. kaiseri by estimating the potential dispersal activity of the species in the face of climate change and ongoing habitat destruction relating to human activities in the southern Zagros mountains of Iran.

Felipe Donateli Gatti, Frederico Falcão Salles, Phillip John Suter, Yuri Luiz Reis Leite. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 59, 1028–1036, https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12477

First published: 27 April 2021.

The authors would like to thank Daniela M. Takiya and Eduardo A. B. de Almeida for pointing out the mistakes and they apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Interspecific variation in climatic niche breadth underlies many ecological phenomena, yet only recently have studies-focused explicitly on the evolution of climatic niche breadth. Here, we integrate data on geographical distributions, bioclimatic variables, and phylogenetic relationships of 18,404 terrestrial vertebrate species to investigate the evolution of climatic niche breadth. We demonstrate that the evolutionary rates of upper and lower climatic niche boundaries are largely uncoupled. For instance, the rate of evolution of low temperature limits was nearly twice that of high-temperature limits, whereas low- and high-precipitation limits remained relatively constant despite a considerable variation in average precipitation. These results suggest that the evolution of climatic niche breadth is fundamentally different between axes. Finally, we found no relationship between climatic niche breadth and speciation rates. The consistency of these patterns across taxa suggests that they represent general principles governing the evolution of climatic niche breadth.