Species diversity and genetic differentiation of stygofauna (Syncarida:Bathynellacea) across an alluvial aquifer in north-eastern Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Cook ◽  
K. M. Abrams ◽  
J. Marshall ◽  
C. N. Perna ◽  
S. Choy ◽  
...  

Recent research suggests that alluvial aquifers in southern and eastern Australia may contain a diverse subterranean aquatic fauna (i.e. stygofauna). However, to date only a limited number of alluvial aquifers have been studied and little molecular data are available to assess species-level diversity and spatial patterns of genetic variation within stygofaunal species. In this paper, we present the initial results of a stygofaunal survey of the Burdekin River alluvial aquifer in Queensland, extending the northern range of alluvial aquifers along the east coast of Australia that have been investigated. The survey resulted in the collection of bathynellid stygofauna (Syncarida: Bathynellacea) and genetic analyses were conducted to determine species level diversity using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. We further investigated the phylogenetic relationships of the species with bathynellids from western and southern Australia to assess the generic status of species. Four highly divergent COI lineages within the Parabathynellidae and one lineage within the Bathynellidae were found. These lineages did not group within any described genera, and phylogenetic analyses indicated that both local radiations and the retention of a lineage that was more apical in the genealogy account for the diversity within the Parabathynellidae in the Burdekin River alluvial aquifer. Most COI lineages were sampled from only a single bore, although one taxon within the Parabathynellidae was found to be more widespread in the aquifer. Haplotypes within this taxon were not shared among bores (ΦST = 0.603, P < 0.001). Overall, the high species diversity for bathynellaceans from an alluvial aquifer reported here, and surveys of bathynellaceans in several other alluvial systems in south-eastern Australia, suggests that groundwater ecosystems of eastern Australia may contain high stygofaunal diversity by Australian and world standards, particularly at the generic level for parabathynellids.

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4869 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-561
Author(s):  
ALAIN DE CHAMBRIER ◽  
JAN BRABEC ◽  
TOMÁŠ SCHOLZ

Species diversity and interrelationships of tapeworms of the genus Kapsulotaenia Freze, 1963 (Proteocephalidae: Acanthotaeniinae), parasites of lizards, especially monitors (Varanus spp.) in the Australasian region, were re-assessed using an interdisciplinary approach. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of newly characterized lsrDNA and cox1 sequences confirmed monophyly of the genus, which is typified by the presence of eggs in capsules, and also indicated a strict (oioxenous) level of host specificity of its species thus revealing unexpected species diversity. Diagnoses of insufficiently described species were amended based on a study of the types and freshly collected specimens and, in addition, three new species were described. A list of ten species of the genus recognized as valid is provided, including illustrations of taxonomically important structures of poorly known taxa. Kapsulotaenia beveridgei n. sp. from V. rosenbergi in Australia differs from all other species of Kapsulotaenia but K. frezei and K. saccifera by having a lower number of testes and an absence of banana-shaped clusters of eggs. Kapsulotaenia cannoni n. sp. from V. gouldii can be distinguished from all species but K. chisholmae by a smaller scolex diameter and from all remaining species by its bigger cirrus-sac ratio and a bigger Mehlis’ gland/proglottid width ratio. Kapsulotaenia cannoni n. sp. differs from K. chisholmae, by the presence of an armed cirrus and a lower number of eggs in cluster (3–7 versus 8–13). Kapsulotaenia nybelini n. sp., which also occurs in V. gouldii, differs from K. tidswelli, K. frezei and K. beveridgei by having a greater number of testes, and it differs from K. varia by having a smaller relative size of the ovary. It differs from K. saccifera by the absence of banana-shaped cluster, and from K. pythonis by the number of eggs in clusters. Identification keys for all species of Kapsulotaenia and genera of the Acanthotaeniinae are also provided, together with SEM micrographs of three species, including two newly described species. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomislav Karanovic ◽  
Seunghan Lee ◽  
Wonchoel Lee

The lack of university funding is one of the major impediments to taxonomy, partly because traditional taxonomic training takes longer than a PhD course. Understanding ranges of phenotypic variability for different morphological structures, and their use as characters for delimitation and description of taxa, is a tedious task. We argue that the advent of molecular barcoding and quantitative shape analysis makes it unnecessary. As an example, we tackle a problematic species-complex of marine copepods from Korea and Japan, approaching it as a starting taxonomist might. Samples were collected from 14 locations and the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced from 42 specimens. Our phylogenetic analyses reveal four distinct clades in Korea and Japan, and an additional nine belonging to a closely related complex from other parts of the Northern Pacific. Twenty different morphological structures were analysed for one Japanese and two Korean clades using landmark-based two-dimensional geometric morphometrics. Although there is no single morphological character that can distinguish with absolute certainty all three cryptic species, most show statistically significant interspecific differences in shape and size. We use five characters to describe two new species from Korea and to re-describe Tigriopus japonicus Mori, 1938 from near its type locality.


Author(s):  
Seher Güven ◽  
Serdar Makbul ◽  
Kamil Coşkunçelebì

We report chromosome counts for ten taxa of Vincetoxicum sensu stricto (s. str.) (Apocynaceae) from Turkey (of which two are endemic), including the first chromosome counts for V. canescens subsp. pedunculata, V. funebre, V. fuscatum subsp. boissieri, V. parviflorum and V. tmoleum. Two taxa of V. fuscatum proved to be tetraploid (2n=44) and the remaining eight taxa diploid (2n=22). Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nrDNA (ITS) and cpDNA (trnT-trnL) (including 31 newly generated sequences) confirm the position of the Turkish Vincetoxicum in the Vincetoxicum s. str. clade. Vincetoxicum fuscatum, V. parviflorum, V. speciosum, as well as the Turkish endemic V. fuscatum subsp. boissieri, were clearly resolved as species-level clades, whereas the delimitation of the rest of the Turkish taxa was less clear based on molecular data.


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatsuko Noda ◽  
John Everett Parkinson ◽  
Sung-Yin Yang ◽  
James Davis Reimer

Symbiotic dinoflagellates (genus Symbiodinium) shape the responses of their host reef organisms to environmental variability and climate change. To date, the biogeography of Symbiodinium has been investigated primarily through phylogenetic analyses of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 region. Although the marker can approximate species-level diversity, recent work has demonstrated that faster-evolving genes can resolve otherwise hidden species and population lineages, and that this diversity is often distributed over much finer geographical and environmental scales than previously recognized. Here, we use the noncoding region of the chloroplast psbA gene (psbAncr) to examine genetic diversity among clade C Symbiodinium associating with the common reef zoantharian Palythoa tuberculosa on Okinawa-jima Island, Japan. We identify four closely related Symbiodinium psbAncr lineages including one common generalist and two potential specialists that appear to be associated with particular microhabitats. The sea surface temperature differences that distinguish these habitats are smaller than those usually investigated, suggesting that future biogeographic surveys of Symbiodinium should incorporate fine scale environmental information as well as fine scale molecular data to accurately determine species diversity and their distributions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn B. McGregor ◽  
Barbara C. Sendall

A new subaerophytic cyanobacterium, Ewamiania thermalis gen. et sp. nov., was isolated from a thermal spring complex in tropical, north-eastern Australia and characterised using combined morphological and phylogenetic attributes. It formed blackish-green hemispherical caespitose mats that began as small circular tufts, maturing to form dense mats up to several metres long. It grew along the crests of the minidams just above the thermal waters as well as along some of the shallow unconfined areas of vent-discharge aprons. Morphologically, Ewamiania is most similar to members of the Scytonemataceae. Filaments were isopolar, cylindrical, straight or flexuous, densely arranged and erect, often parallely fasciculate, with tolypotrichoid false-branching, rarely with scytonematoid false-branching. Vegetative cells were short barrel-shaped or isodiametric, slightly constricted at the cross-walls, with granulated contents. Sheaths were firm, thick, lamellated, uncoloured to yellowish or darkly yellow–brown in colour, cylindrical and closed at the apex. Heterocytes were spherical or ovoid in shape, and occurred in both basal and intercalary positions, generally solitary, but sometimes up to two or three in a series, developing particularly at the base of branches. Reproduction occurred by the production of hormogonia by the formation of necridic cells; hormogonia were not constricted at cross-walls and often included terminal heterocytes. Phylogenetic analyses using partial 16S rRNA sequences obtained from a strain of E. thermalis showed that it formed a well supported monophyletic clade, sharing less than 94.3% nucleotide similarity with other cyanobacterial sequences, including putatively related taxa within the Scytonemataceae. It also formed a novel clade in the nifH phylogeny, which was associated with members of the genus Brasilonema M.F.Fiore, Sant’Anna, M.T.P.Azevedo, Komárek, Kastovsky, Sulek & Lorenzi.


2021 ◽  
Vol 944 (1) ◽  
pp. 012033
Author(s):  
I G W D Dharmawan ◽  
D G Bengen ◽  
I Setyobudiandi ◽  
B Subhan ◽  
I Verawati ◽  
...  

Abstract Nudibranch has high species diversity with complex morphological characters and is challenging to identify at the species level. The lack of knowledge about nudibranchs makes it difficult to identify conventionally using morphological characters. This study aims to identify nudibranchs at the species level using the DNA barcoding method from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gen. The results of DNA barcoding using the Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene showed 18 species of 51 samples analyzed. The phylogenetic tree reconstruction revealed 11 main clades belonging to 11 genera. The genetic distance between and within species clearly shows the difference between individuals. Interspecific genetic distance shows the lowest value between species was found between Chromodoris annae and Chromodoris magnifica is 0.075, and the largest genetic distance observed between species Glossodoris rufomarginata and Tritonidae sp is 0.354. This study shows molecular analysis can be used to identify nudibranch up to species level, which will be a source of information in knowing the distribution and the genetic distance.


MycoKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 41-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shah Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Najam-ul-Sehar Afshan ◽  
Habib Ahmad ◽  
Junaid Khan ◽  
...  

Mushrooms with a thin-fleshed pileus that becomes plicate on opening, deliquescent lamellae and dark brown to blackish basidiospores are commonly called coprinoid mushrooms. The genusCoprinellusis one of the important lineages of coprinoid mushroom in the family Psathyrellaceae. Species-level taxonomy inCoprinellusis based mainly on the presence or absence and the structure of veil and cystidia on the pileus, of cystidia on the lamellae and on basidiospore morphology. In this study, four new species ofCoprinellus(Co.campanulatus,Co.disseminatus-similis,Co.pakistanicusandCo.tenuis) are described from Pakistan. Species descriptions are based on morphological and molecular data. Phylogenetic analyses based on nuc rDNA ITS region show that the new speciesCo.campanulatusandCo.disseminatus-similisare clustered in a clade including members of section Micacei;Co.tenuisfalls in a clade with members of section Domestici; andCo.pakistanicusrecovered in a separate clade adjacent to other recently described clades of genusCoprinellus. Morpho-anatomical descriptions of the new species and comparison with closely allied taxa are provided. With this study, the number of known species ofCoprinellusin Pakistan has reached eight.


Author(s):  
Pradya Somboon ◽  
Thanari Phanitchakun ◽  
Jassada Saingamsook ◽  
Rinzin Namgay ◽  
Ralph E Harbach

Abstract A new subgenus, Reinertia Somboon, Namgay & Harbach, of the genus Aedes Meigen and its type species, Ae. suffusus Edwards, are described from specimens reared from larvae and pupae found in a tree hole in Bhutan. The scutum of the adults is mostly covered with narrow pale falcate scales. The proboscis, maxillary palpus, tibiae, and tarsi are dark-scaled. The gonocoxite of the male genitalia bears a unique setose basomesal sclerite. The larva closely resembles larvae of the subgenus Downsiomyia Vargus in having setae 4–6-C with numerous branches and inserted more or less on level with seta 7-C, abdominal seta 12-I is present and the comb is composed of 6–10 spine-like scales arranged in an irregular row. Surprisingly, Reinertia shares features of the adult habitus, male genitalia, and larva with the Palearctic subgenus Dahliana Reinert, Harbach & Kitching. However, in phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial COI gene of species representing 38 subgenera of Aedes and six other genera of the tribe Aedini Neveu-Lemaire, Reinertia was not associated with Dahliana or Downsiomyia. In both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of the data, Ae. suffusus was recovered as the weakly supported sister of a clade composed of five species of the subgenus Protomacleaya Theobald. In the absence of strong support, and because Protomacleaya is an unnatural group of species that resemble each other phenetically by virtue of what they lack, Ae. suffusus cannot be placed in the subgenus Protomacleaya. Thus, the morphological and molecular data attest the uniqueness of Ae. suffusus and its recognition as a monobasic subgeneric lineage.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 387 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
GLENN B. MCGREGOR ◽  
BARBARA C. SENDALL

A new filamentous cyanobacterium, Potamosiphon australiensis gen. et sp. nov., was isolated from a small coastal stream in subtropical north-eastern Australia, and characterised using combined morphological and phylogenetic attributes. It was found growing on the benthos of Fat Hen Creek amongst cobbles, gravel and large woody debris, mostly as single straight or variously flexuous filaments amongst other algae, but occasionally formed loose aggregations amongst littoral vegetation. Morphologically, Potamosiphon is most similar to members of the genus Lyngbya. Filaments were isopolar, cylindrical, not or slightly constricted at the cross walls. Vegetative cells were discoid, broader than long with finely granular contents, aerotopes were not present. Apical cells were rounded, without calyptra or a thickened outer cell wall. Reproduction occurred via motile hormogonia, which formed often in series, after the occurrence of necridic cells. Trichome fragmentation also occurred following a diagonal division. Following this division trichomes often continued to grow past each other within a common sheath. Thylakoids were irregularly arranged throughout the whole cell volume. Phylogenetic analyses using partial 16S rRNA sequences obtained from three strains of P. australiensis showed that it formed a well supported monophyletic clade, sharing less than 94% nucleotide similarity with other cyanobacterial sequences, including putatively related taxa within the Oscillatoriaceae. It also formed a novel clade in the nifH phylogeny, which was associated with the genus Microseira G.B. McGregor & Sendall.


2016 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 767-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Eamsobhana ◽  
D. Wanachiwanawin ◽  
K. Roongruangchai ◽  
S.L. Song ◽  
H.S. Yong

AbstractHuman gnathostomiasis is a food-borne zoonosis caused by a tissue nematode of the genus Gnathostoma. The disease is highly endemic in Asia, including Thailand. The freshwater swamp eel (Monopterus albus), the second intermediate host of the gnathostome nematode, has an important role in transmitting the infection in Thailand. Surveys on the infective larvae of Gnathostoma spinigerum based on morphological features in freshwater swamp eels have been performed continuously and reported in Thailand. However, there is still limited molecular data on intra-species variations of the parasite. In this study, a total of 19 third-stage larvae of morphologically identified G. spinigerum were collected from 437 liver samples of freshwater swamp eels purchased from a large wholesale market in Bangkok, Thailand. Molecular characterization based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences was performed to elucidate their genetic variations and phylogenetic relationship. Among the 19 infective larvae recovered from these eels, 16 were sequenced successfully. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from the partial COI gene showed the presence of three distinct COI haplotypes. Our findings confirm the presence of G. spinigerum as the main species in Thailand.


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