Electrophoretic characterization of Solomon Islands populations of Nyctimene and Rousettus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae).

2003 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Macaranas ◽  
D Colgan ◽  
S Ingleby

The taxonomic status of fruitbats belonging to the genera Nyctimene and Rousettus from the Solomon Islands was investigated using allozyme electrophoresis. Two populations from the Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea) were included as reference profiles. The allozyme data at 23 loci assigned all specimens into either Nyctimene albiventer or Nyctimene major. The N. albiventer specimens comprised two subspecies, N. a. papuanus from the Bismarck Archipelago and N. a. bougainville from the Solomon Islands. No support was evident for bougainville being a separate species, and indeed the data suggest that N. a. bougainville encompasses the previously described species N. malaita and subspecies N. a. minor. Genetic distances between populations of R. amplexicaudatus from the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands were generally low, supporting recent morphological assessments that the subspecies hedigeri, from the majority of the Solomon Islands, should be considered synonymous with subspecies brachyotis. An individual from Choiseul (Solomon Islands) with a distinctive allozyme profile is the only evidence of taxonomic complexity in R. amplexicaudatus.

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (10) ◽  
pp. 2261-2270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie L. Consaul ◽  
Suzanne I. Warwick ◽  
John McNeill

The Polygonum lapathifolium complex consists of populations that are widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and that have been classified at different taxonomic levels. Allozyme data were used to test the current North American taxonomic status of members of the complex (including P. lapathifolium var. lapathifolium, P. lapathifolium var. salicifolium, and P. scabrum) and to verify diploidy in the P. lapathifolium complex and polyploid origins of the morphologically similar P. persicaria and P. pensylvanicum. Of the 15 enzyme systems surveyed in 50 populations of the complex, only 3 of the 23 loci (Acon, Lap, and Skdh) were polymorphic in the North American populations and a total of 6 loci in European populations. Fifteen multilocus genotypes were evident in the complex. Four genotypes (all with Lap-10.67 were exclusive to North American populations of P. lapathifolium, providing support for a North American element of the complex. Nine genotypes (all with Lap-10.63) were found in North American and European populations of P. scabrum, all European populations of the P. lapathifolium complex, and three populations of North American P. lapathifolium var. lapathifolium. Lap-10.67 was also found in the native tetraploid P. pensylvanicum, whereas Lap-10.63 was found in the introduced tetraploid P. persicaria. Genetic distances among populations did not support the current taxonomic divisions within the complex, nor did it support separate species status of P. scabrum. Allozyme data provided support for the allotetraploid origins of P. pensylvanicum and P. persicaria, with members of the P. lapathifolium complex as one of the parents of each. Key words: Polygonum lapathifolium, Polygonum scabrum, Polygonum pensylvanicum, Polygonum persicaria, allozymes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Olga De Castro ◽  
Anna Geraci ◽  
Anna Maria Mannino ◽  
Nicolina Mormile ◽  
Annalisa Santangelo ◽  
...  

To elucidate the taxonomic status of Ruppia drepanensis Tineo ex Guss. (Alismatales, Ruppiaceae), we performed morphological analysis and DNA barcoding of historical materials (including the lectotype) and fresh samples (including those from a recently discovered population near the locus classicus in Sicily, Italy). We conclude that R. drepanensis is a separate species, closely related to R. spiralis L. ex Dumort., that occurs in temporary inland waters from the western to central sectors of the Mediterranean region. We also highlight the importance of vouchers and the need to link molecular investigations to field, ecological, and morphological investigations.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3000 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSÉ MANUEL TIERNO DE FIGUEROA ◽  
BRUNELLA GAETANI ◽  
JULIO MIGUEL LUZÓN-ORTEGA ◽  
MANUEL JESÚS LÓPEZ-RODRÍGUEZ ◽  
ROMOLO FOCHETTI

The identity of Isoperla curtata Navás, 1924, an Iberian endemic, has been questioned since its description. Marked variability in pigmentation, wing length, penial armature and ecology of populations have been noted. To clarify the taxonomic status of I. curtata we examined variation in mating calls and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences for two populations from north-central and southern Spain. Results of both approaches support the presence of two species. The north-central population corresponds to the nominal taxon, I. curtata, while southern populations represent a new species, Isoperla morenica, described herein.


1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 355 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Colgan ◽  
TF Flannery ◽  
J Trimble ◽  
KP Aplin

Three electrophoretically and morphologically distinct populations previously referred to Phalanger orientalis are recognised within Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands: Phalanger orientalis orientalis from northern Papua New Guinea and some nearby offshore islands, Phalanger orientalis breviceps from the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands, and Phalanger intercastellanus from eastern and southern Papua New Guinea and the islands of Milne Bay. P. o. orientalis is genetically and geographically relatively uniform. P. o. breviceps may have been introduced by humans over most of its range, and it is extremely variable, even within island populations. P. intercastellanus shows considerable intraspecific geographic variation, and is genetically divergent from P. o. orientalis (Nei's unbiased distance of 0.216) and P. o. breviceps (Nei's unbiased distance of 0.171). Indeed, this divergence is so marked that the previously recognised taxa Phalanger carmelitae and Phalanger vestitus are apparently genetically closer to P. orientalis than to P. intercastellanus.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2014
Author(s):  
Gabriela Certad ◽  
Alireza Zahedi ◽  
Nausicaa Gantois ◽  
Manasi Sawant ◽  
Colette Creusy ◽  
...  

Current knowledge of Cryptosporidium species/genotypes in marine fish is limited. Following phylogenetic analysis at the 18S rDNA locus, a recent study identified six new genotypes of Cryptosporidium colonizing edible fish found in European seas. Of these, five grouped in a clade together (#Cryptofish 1–5) and one grouped separately (#Cryptofish 7). In the present study, after phylogenetic analyses of #Cryptofish1, #Cryptofish2, #Cryptofish4, #Cryptofish5 and #Cryptofish7 at the actin locus, the presence of two major clades was confirmed. In addition, when possible, longer 18S amplicons were generated. In conclusion, the small genetic distances between these genotypes designated as a novel marine genotype I (#Cryptofish 1-5) suggest that they may be genetic variants of the same species, while the designated novel marine genotype 2 (#Cryptofish 7) is clearly representative of a separate species.


2020 ◽  
pp. 207-214
Author(s):  
Akbar Fattahi

The Iranian species of the phyllodactylid geckos of the genus Asaccus are found only in the valleys of the Zagros Mountains, a region which represents an important area of endemism in western Iran. Recently, many relict species have been described from the central and southern parts of the Zagros Mountains, which were previously known as A. elisae. The recent descriptions of species within this complex suggest that diversity within the genus may be higher than expected and that its taxonomy and systematics should be revised. In the present study, phylogenetic relationships within the genus Asaccus were evaluated using two mitochondrial and one nuclear gene. Genetically, the genus shows high levels of variability. The molecular phylogeny of the genus suggests the presence of three main clades along the Zagros Mountains with the southern population (from the Hormozgan province) and one clade (A. sp8 and A. sp9) being sister taxon to A. montanus from UAE. The remaining samples are separated into two reciprocally monophyletic groups: the northern (Kurdistan, Kermanshah and Ilam provinces) and the central (Lorestan, Khuzestan, Kohgilouye-Bouyer Ahmad and Fars provinces) Zagros groups. The results of the present study suggest that populations attributed to A. elisae in Iran correspond to distinct lineages with high genetic distances. In brief, our results suggest that the genus needs a major taxonomical revision The Arabian origin of the genus has not been confirmed, because two populations from Zagros were located within the A. montanus, A. gallagheri and A. platyrhynchus clade. Further morphological analyses are needed to systematically define each genetic lineage as a new taxon.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongru Su ◽  
Eri Onoda ◽  
Hitoshi Tai ◽  
Hiromi Fujita ◽  
Shigetoshi Sakabe ◽  
...  

AbstractEhrlichia species are obligatory intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropods, and some of these species cause febrile diseases in humans and livestock. Genome sequencing has only been performed with cultured Ehrlichia species, and the taxonomic status of such ehrlichiae has been estimated by core genome-based phylogenetic analysis. However, many uncultured ehrlichiae exist in nature throughout the world, including Japan. This study aimed to conduct a molecular-based taxonomic and ecological characterization of uncultured Ehrlichia species or genotypes from ticks in Japan. We first surveyed 616 Haemaphysalis ticks by p28-PCR screening and analyzed five additional housekeeping genes (16S rRNA, groEL, gltA, ftsZ, and rpoB) from 11 p28-PCR-positive ticks. Phylogenetic analyses of the respective genes showed similar trees but with some differences. Furthermore, we found that V1 in the V1–V9 regions of Ehrlichia 16S rRNA exhibited the greatest variability. From an ecological viewpoint, the amounts of ehrlichiae in a single tick were found to equal approx. 6.3E+3 to 2.0E+6. Subsequently, core-partial-RGGFR-based phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the five housekeeping loci revealed six Ehrlichia genotypes, which included potentially new Ehrlichia species. Thus, our approach contributes to the taxonomic profiling and ecological quantitative analysis of uncultured or unidentified Ehrlichia species or genotypes worldwide.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Vischi ◽  
Nicola Zorzin ◽  
Maria Bernhart ◽  
Johanna Winkler ◽  
Dipak Santra ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Global warming and issues in favour of a more sustainable agriculture suggest a reconsideration of minor cereals in European agrosystems. Compared to other summer crops, proso millet has a remarkable drought resistance and could be used to improve crop rotation and biodiversity. Proso millet is also increasingly sought by industry to produce novel foods such as those designed for coeliac patients. In this study, a thorough characterization of 11, commercially available, proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) varieties was carried out as a preliminary step for crop reintroduction and breeding in Western Europe. Methods The cultivars under evaluation were introduced from Austria, Poland, Russia, and the USA (University of Nebraska–Lincoln). Plants were grown at Udine (NE Italy) and Gleisdorf (Styria, Austria), under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. Yield components and a range of morphophysiological characters were recorded in both locations. In parallel, 85 SSR markers were tested on DNA samples extracted from randomly chosen plants of each variety and the 12 responsive markers used to genotype the whole variety set. Results Morphometric analyses showed that varieties have several diverging phenotypic traits and architectures. In all instances, yields recorded at field level were much lower than potential yields. In this respect, US selections were comparable to earlier developed European varieties, suggesting that breeding for an increased adaptation is the keystone for a stable reintroduction of millet in Western Europe. Molecular analyses uncovered remarkably low genetic differences and heterozygosity levels within cultivars, confirming millet as an essentially autogamous species; in contrast, large genetic distances were noted among cultivars selected in different environments. Results of SSR genotyping combined with those originating from phenotypic analyses indicated possible crosses to source the genetic variability necessary for selection. Conclusions This study enabled the identification of cultivars that could be used to revitalize the crop in Western Europe and to produce genetically variable hybrid progenies exploitable by breeding.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 482
Author(s):  
Alice Michie ◽  
John S. Mackenzie ◽  
David W. Smith ◽  
Allison Imrie

Ross River virus (RRV) is the most medically significant mosquito-borne virus of Australia, in terms of human morbidity. RRV cases, characterised by febrile illness and potentially persistent arthralgia, have been reported from all Australian states and territories. RRV was the cause of a large-scale epidemic of multiple Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) from 1979 to 1980, involving at least 50,000 cases. Historical evidence of RRV seropositivity beyond Australia, in populations of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Indonesia and the Solomon Islands, has been documented. We describe the genomic characterisation and timescale analysis of the first isolate of RRV to be sampled from PNG to date. Our analysis indicates that RRV has evolved locally within PNG, independent of Australian lineages, over an approximate 40 year period. The mean time to most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of the unique PNG clade coincides with the initiation of the PICTs epidemic in mid-1979. This may indicate that an ancestral variant of the PNG clade was seeded into the region during the epidemic, a period of high RRV transmission. Further epidemiological and molecular-based surveillance is required in PNG to better understand the molecular epidemiology of RRV in the general Australasian region.


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