| 1. |
- Johansson, Ulf S, et al.
(author)
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A re-evaluation of basal phylogenetic relationships within trogons (Aves: Trogonidae) based on nuclear DNA sequences
- 2005
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 43:2, s. 166-173
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The avian clade Trogonidae (trogons) consists of approximately 40 species distributed pantropically in the Neotropical, Afrotropical and Indomalayan zoogeographical regions. In this study, we evaluate the basal phylogenetic relationships within the trogons based on DNA sequences from three nuclear introns [myoglobin intron 2, β-fibrinogen intron 7 and glyceraldehydes-3-phosphodehydrogenase (G3PDH) intron 11]. In addition, previously published cytochrome b and 12S sequences were re-analysed and combined with the nuclear data set. The analysis of the three nuclear genes combined suggests a sister group relationship between the Afrotropical (Apaloderma) and Indomalayan (Harpactes) clades, whereas the Neotropical taxa (Trogon, Pharomachrus, and Priotelus) form an unresolved polytomy basal to these two groups. In addition, two of the three individual gene trees also support a sister group relationship between the Afrotropical and Indomalayan trogons. This is at odds with previously published studies based on mitochondrial sequence data and DNA–DNA hybridization. The third nuclear intron (G3PDH), however, suggests that the Afrotropical trogons are basal relative the other trogons. This was also suggested by the mitochondrial data set, as well as the analysis of the combined nuclear and mitochondrial data. Both of these conflicting hypotheses are supported by high posterior probabilities. An insertion in β-fibrinogen further supports a basal position of the Afrotropical clade. Analyses of the myoglobin intron with additional outgroups place the root differently and strongly support monophyly of each of the zoogeographical regions (including the Neotropics), and these three clades form a basal trichotomy. This suggests that that rooting is a serious problem in resolving basal phylogenetic relationships among the trogons.
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| 2. |
- Achatz, Johannes Georg, et al.
(author)
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Systematic revision of acoels with 9+0 sperm ultrastructure (Convolutida) and the influence of sexual conflict on morphology
- 2010
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 48:1, s. 9-32
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have used newly discerned morphological characters as well as molecular-sequence data from 18S and 28S rDNA to revise the families recently designated as the '9+0' acoels - what we call Convolutida. Characters from the ultrastructure of sperm, with their '9+0' axonemes, are useful in delineating the Convolutida, but are either species-specific or too conserved within the group to be used to infer relationships within it. Male genital organs, prostatoid organs, and sagittocysts, on the other hand, give a good phylogenetic signal for reconstructing relationships of such genera as Conaperta, Anaperus, and Achoerus; some features of the reproductive organs correlate with habitat and show how the Convolutida probably originated as epiphytic predators and radiated into the mesopsammon, pelagic, and coral-associated realms. In this revision of the Convolutida we provide revised synopses of its families - which we restrict to the Anaperidae, Convolutidae, and Sagittiferidae - and describe a new species, Polychoerus gordoni, from New Zealand. We transfer the genus Adenopea from the Antroposthiidae to the Convolutidae; Conaperta, Neochildia, and Oxyposthia from the Convolutidae to the Anaperidae; Paranaperus and Praeanaperus from the Anaperidae to the Haploposthiidae. Convoluta aegyptica is synonymized with Convoluta boehmigi, Convoluta lacazii with Convoluta sordida, and the genus Picola (Convolutidae) with Deuterogonaria (Haploposthiidae). Amphiscolops blumi, A. carvalhoi, and A. langerhansi, all of which possess a cellular seminal bursa, are transferred to the genus Heterochaerus. Convoluta elegans and Pseudanaperus tinctus are classified as nomina nuda. We use our findings on the ultrastructure of female genital organs and spermatozoa to show that sexual conflict plays a major role in the evolution of diversity of these structures and that the phylogeny of the Acoela would comprise early forms without female genital organs and hyper- or hypodermal transfer of sperm through advanced forms with ever longer and narrower bursal nozzles and sperm with axial microtubules. Moreover, our results show that the acquisition of endosymbiotic algae happened at least twice within the Acoela.
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| 3. |
- Liao, Te-Yu, et al.
(author)
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Phylogenetic position of rasborin cyprinids and monophyly of major lineages among the Danioninae, based on morphological characters (Cypriniformes : Cyprinidae)
- 2011
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 49:3, s. 224-232
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The cyprinid subfamily Danioninae is one of the most important fish groups due to its inclusion of the model fish, Danio rerio. Molecular investigations have shown that species traditionally placed in the Danioninae are non-monophyletic, divided into two groups corresponding to the Danioninae and Opsariichthyinae. The Danioninae are further divided into three lineages, i.e. chedrins, danionins and rasborins. However, morphological characters determining the foregoing groups are unknown. To investigate the interrelationships among major lineages within the Danioninae, a phylogenetic analysis based on 43 morphological characters from 34 taxa was conducted. Parsimony analysis recovers the Danioninae and Opsariichthyinae to be distinguished by the Y-shaped ligament, absent in the Danioninae while present in the Opsariichthyinae. The Danioninae are divided into two tribes, Danionini and Rasborini. The Rasborini, including Boraras, Brevibora, Horadandia, Kottelatia, Rasbora, Rasboroides, Rasbosoma, Trigonopoma and Trigonostigma, are diagnosed by presence of dark supra-anal pigment and subpeduncular streak as well as presence of the rasborin process on epibranchial 4. The Danionini are composed of two subtribes, Danionina and Chedrina, the Danionina including Chela, Danio, Devario, Microdevario and Microrasbora, and the Chedrina comprising Chelaethiops, Esomus, Luciosoma, Megarasbora, Mesobola, Nematabramis, Opsarius, Raiamas and Salmophasia. The Danionina are diagnosed by the unossified interhyal and presence of the danionin foramen in the horizontal limb of the cleithrum while the Chedrina are characterized by the postcleithrum absent or greatly reduced and approximately normal to abdominal ribs when present.
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| 4. |
- Litvinchuk, Spartak N., et al.
(author)
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Influence of environmental conditions on the distribution of Central Asian green toads with three ploidy levels
- 2011
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 49:3, s. 233-239
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We studied the distribution of Palearctic green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup), an anuran species group with three ploidy levels, inhabiting the Central Asian Amudarya River drainage. Various approaches (one-way, multivariate, components variance analyses and maximum entropy modelling) were used to estimate the effect of altitude, precipitation, temperature and land vegetation covers on the distribution of toads. It is usually assumed that polyploid species occur in regions with harsher climatic conditions (higher latitudes, elevations, etc.), but for the green toads complex, we revealed a more intricate situation. The diploid species (Bufo shaartusiensis and Bufo turanensis) inhabit the arid lowlands (from 44 to 789 m a.s.l.), while tetraploid Bufo pewzowi were recorded in mountainous regions (340-3492 m a.s.l.) with usually lower temperatures and higher precipitation rates than in the region inhabited by diploid species. The triploid species Bufo baturae was found in the Pamirs (Tajikistan) at the highest altitudes (2503-3859 m a.s.l.) under the harshest climatic conditions.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Nygren, Arne, 1971, et al.
(author)
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Genetic relationships between Nereimyra punctata and N-woodsholea (Hesionidae, Polychaeta)
- 2005
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 43:4, s. 273-276
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a COI-based parsimony analysis of the relationships between the shallow water, pigmented hesionid polychaete Nereimyra punctata, and a deep-water, unpigmented form with sympatric distribution in Norway and Sweden. Apart from the pigmentation differences, the two forms exhibit no observed morphological differences. The terminals are represented by four specimens each of the two forms from the Trondheimsfjord in Norway, and four each of the two forms from northern Bohuslan in Sweden, plus members of the two hesionids Heteropodarke and Ophiodromus as outgroups. In addition, the analysis includes a topotype of the morphologically similar and unpigmented Nereimyra woodsholea from the Middle Atlantic Bight off the US east coast. The equally weighted matrix includes 132 informative characters. All most-parsimonious trees unequivocally indicate that specimens belonging to the same form (pigmented or unpigmented) from different areas are cladistically closer related to each other than different forms from the same areas. Nereimyra woodsholea is nested within the unpigmented deeper group of the Norwegian and Swedish specimens, thus indicating that this name should be applied to the deep-water form in Norway and Sweden.
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| 7. |
- Schill, Ralph O., et al.
(author)
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Food of tardigrades : a case study to understand food choice, intake and digestion
- 2011
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 49:Suppl. 1, s. 66-70
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mosses are an excellent habitat for tardigrades because of their ability to ensure a high humidity and to provide a rich food supply for both carnivorous and herbivorous species. Food choice can be correlated with the morphology of the buccal apparatus, and consequentially, their distribution is sometimes linked to food availability (nematodes, rotifers, plant cells, algae, yeast and bacteria). In many species, material containing chlorophyll is often observed in the midgut. However, little information has been available until now on the actual food preference of tardigrades. Since trophic interactions within soil food webs are difficult to study, here we use a polymerase chain reaction–based approach as a highly sensitive detection method. The study was carried out to investigate the presence of chlorophyll matter in the gut of active specimens, based on sequence analyses of the chloroplast ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) gene from mosses and algae. The sequences found in the gut of Macrobiotus sapiens were derived from the moss families Pottiaceae and Erpodiaceae, in Macrobiotus persimilis and Echiniscus granulatus from the moss family Grimmiaceae, and in Richtersius coronifer from the green algae genus Trebouxia. Furthermore, we show the emission of green autofluorescence from the chloroplasts in the algae within the gut of tardigrades and followed the progress of digestion over a 48-h period. The autofluorescent emission level declined significantly, and after 2 days, the signal level was similar to the level of the starved control.
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| 8. |
- Schill, Ralph O., et al.
(author)
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Food of tardigrades : a case study to understand food choice, intake and digestion
- 2011
-
In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 49:Suppl. 1, s. 66-70
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mosses are an excellent habitat for tardigrades because of their ability to ensure a high humidity and to provide a rich food supply for both carnivorous and herbivorous species. Food choice can be correlated with the morphology of the buccal apparatus, and consequentially, their distribution is sometimes linked to food availability (nematodes, rotifers, plant cells, algae, yeast and bacteria). In many species, material containing chlorophyll is often observed in the midgut. However, little information has been available until now on the actual food preference of tardigrades. Since trophic interactions within soil food webs are difficult to study, here we use a polymerase chain reaction–based approach as a highly sensitive detection method. The study was carried out to investigate the presence of chlorophyll matter in the gut of active specimens, based on sequence analyses of the chloroplast ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) gene from mosses and algae. The sequences found inthe gut of Macrobiotus sapiens were derived from the moss families Pottiaceae and Erpodiaceae, in Macrobiotus persimilis and Echiniscus granulatus from the moss family Grimmiaceae, and in Richtersius coronifer from the green algae genus Trebouxia. Furthermore, we show the emission of green autofluorescence from the chloroplasts in the algae within the gut of tardigrades and followed the progress of digestion over a 48-h period. The autofluorescent emission level declined significantly, and after 2 days, the signal level was similar to the level of the starved control.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Baur, Julian, et al.
(author)
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Exaggerated male forelegs are not more differentiated than wing morphology in two widespread sister species of black scavenger flies
- 2020
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 58:1, s. 159-173
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sexual selection represents a potent force that can drive rapid population differentiation in traits related to reproductive success. Hence, sexual traits are expected to show greater population divergence than non‐sexual traits. We test this prediction by exploring patterns of morphological differentiation of the exaggerated fore femur (a male‐specific sexual trait) and the wing (a non‐sexual trait) among allopatric and sympatric populations of the widespread sister dung fly species Sepsis neocynipsea and Sepsis cynipsea (Diptera: Sepsidae). While both species occur in Eurasia, S. neocynipsea also abounds in North America, albeit previous studies suggest strong differentiation in morphology, behavior, and mating systems. To evaluate the degree of differentiation expected under neutrality between S. cynipsea, European S. neocynipsea, and North American S. neocynipsea, we genotyped 30 populations at nine microsatellite markers, revealing almost equal differentiation between and minor differentiation among geographic populations within the three lineages. Landmark‐based analysis of 18 populations reared at constant 18 and 24°C in a laboratory common garden revealed moderate temperature‐dependent phenotypic plasticity and significant heritable differentiation in size and shape of male forelegs and wings among iso‐female lines of the three lineages. Following the biological species concept, there was weaker differentiation between cross‐continental populations of S. neocynipsea relative to S. cynipsea, and more fore femur differentiation between the two species in sympatry versus allopatry (presumably due to character displacement). Contrary to expectation, wing morphology showed as much shape differentiation between evolutionary independent lineages as fore femora, providing no evidence for faster diversification of traits primarily engaged in mating.
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