scholarly journals Phylogenetic relationships of the Helmeted Woodpecker (Dryocopus galeatus): A case of interspecific mimicry?

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett W. Benz ◽  
Mark B. Robbins ◽  
Kevin J. Zimmer
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Evolutionary Game ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Plumage Coloration ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Social Costs And Benefits ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Behavioral Mimicry

Examples of phenotypic convergence in plumage coloration have been reported in a wide diversity of avian taxonomic groups, yet the underlying evolutionary mechanisms driving this phenomenon have received little scientific inquiry. Herein, we document a striking new case of plumage convergence in the Helmeted Woodpecker (Dryocopus galeatus) and explore the possibility of visual mimicry among Atlantic Forest woodpeckers. Our multi-locus phylogenetic analyses unequivocally placeD. galeatuswithinCeleus, indicating the former has subsequently converged in appearance upon the distantly related and syntopicDryocopus lineatus, to which it bears a remarkable resemblance in plumage coloration and pattern. Although details of the Helmeted Woodpecker’s ecology and natural history are only now beginning to emerge, its smaller size and submissive behavior are consistent with predictions derived from evolutionary game theory models and the interspecific social dominance mimicry hypothesis (ISDM). Moreover, estimates of avian visual acuity suggest that size-related mimetic deception is plausible at distances ecologically relevant toCeleusandDryocopusforaging behavior. In light of our results, we recommend taxonomic transfer ofD. galeatustoCeleusand emphasize the need for detailed behavioral studies that examine the social costs and benefits of plumage convergence to explicitly test for ISDM and other forms of mimicry in these Atlantic Forest woodpecker communities. Future field studies examining potential cases of competitive mimicry should also take into account the mimic’s acoustic behavior, particularly in the presence of putative model species and other heterospecific competitors, as any discontinuity between morphological and behavioral mimicry would likely preclude the possibility of deception.

scholarly journals Origin and Evolution of Fusidane-Type Antibiotics Biosynthetic Pathway through Multiple Horizontal Gene Transfers

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1830-1840
Author(s):  
Xiangchen Li ◽  
Jian Cheng ◽  
Xiaonan Liu ◽  
Xiaoxian Guo ◽  
Yuqian Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fusidic Acid ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene Clusters ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
Evolutionary Trajectory ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Helvolic Acid ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Abstract Fusidane-type antibiotics represented by fusidic acid, helvolic acid, and cephalosporin P1 have very similar core structures, but they are produced by fungi belonging to different taxonomic groups. The origin and evolution of fusidane-type antibiotics biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in different antibiotics producing strains remained an enigma. In this study, we investigated the distribution and evolution of the fusidane BGCs in 1,284 fungal genomes. We identified 12 helvolic acid BGCs, 4 fusidic acid BGCs, and 1 cephalosporin P1 BGC in Pezizomycotina fungi. Phylogenetic analyses indicated six horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events in the evolutionary trajectory of the BGCs, including 1) three transfers across Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes classes; 2) one transfer between genera under Sordariomycetes class; and 3) two transfers within Aspergillus genus under Eurotiomycetes classes. Finally, we proposed that the ancestor of fusidane BGCs would be originated from the Zoopagomycota by ancient HGT events according to the phylogenetic trees of key enzymes in fusidane BGCs (OSC and P450 genes). Our results extensively clarify the evolutionary trajectory of fusidane BGCs by HGT among distantly related fungi and provide new insights into the evolutionary mechanisms of metabolic pathways in fungi.

scholarly journals Survey of entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi in agricultural areas

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 214-225
Author(s):  
Magdalena Dzięgielewska ◽  
Iwona Adamska
Keyword(s):  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Natural Resistance ◽  
Steinernema Feltiae ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
The Right ◽  
Biological Methods

In 2016-2018, in north-western Poland, field studies were carried out on the coexistence of various taxonomic groups, such as soil nematodes and fungi, including beneficial species that comprise the environment’s natural resistance to pests in agrocenoses. The research aimed to find a connection between select biotic and abiotic factors in the chosen crops which could have practical applications in plant protection. Entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae Filipiev, 1934 and entomopathogenic fungi Cordyceps fumosorosea and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin were found to be present in all studied agrocenoses; however, they showed clear preferences for some types of crops or soil. The research shows that the effectiveness of the biological methods of plant protection depends on the selection of the right biopreparations, which strengthen the local populations of the beneficial organisms present in specific agriculture areas.

Integrative approach reveals two new species of Obama (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) from the South-Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4455 (1) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALESSANDRO MARQUES ◽  
ILANA ROSSI ◽  
VICTOR HUGO VALIATI ◽  
ANA MARIA LEAL-ZANCHET
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Species Differentiation ◽  
Araucaria Forest ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
Gene Coi

The genus Obama Carbayo et al., 2013 includes 38 species, being the most species-rich within Geoplaninae. Species of this genus show a similar anatomy regarding their copulatory apparatus, which may hinder species differentiation. In this study, we describe two new species, presenting a marbled colour pattern, found in two different phytophysionomies of the Atlantic Forest, namely Semi-deciduous Forest and Araucaria Forest. Both species can be distinguished from their congeners, as well from each other, by colour pattern and eye arrangement combined with characteristics of the pharynx, penis papilla and prostatic vesicle, confirmed by molecular analyses from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). Phylogenetic analyses suggest that both species herein studied are closely related to another species that occurs in areas of Araucaria Forest (O. maculipunctata). Results also indicate the need to use at least 600 bp of the gene COI in the definitions of interspecific divergences and for species delineation, at least for the genus Obama.

The rediscovery and conservation status of the Bahian giant tree rat Phyllomys unicolor (Mammalia: Rodentia: Echimyidae) in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1638 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
YURI L.R. LEITE ◽  
SIMONE LÓSS ◽  
RENAN P. REGO ◽  
LEONORA P. COSTA ◽  
CIBELE R. BONVICINO
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Single Specimen ◽  
Species List ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochrome B ◽  
Nineteeth Century ◽  
High Level

The Bahian giant tree rat Phyllomys unicolor (Wagner) was described from a single specimen collected in the early nineteeth century, and it has not been recorded since. It was included on the Brazilian endangered species list, and considered extinct by some. Here we report the rediscovery of P. unicolor around the type locality in the Atlantic forest of southeastern Bahia, eastern Brazil. We trapped only one young individual during seven expeditions to ten localities in the area. The phylogenetic distinctiveness of this taxon based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene is clear, in spite of uncertainties regarding clade support. The evolutionary uniqueness of P. unicolor was confirmed by a high level of sequence divergence from congeneric species. We propose that the Bahian giant tree rat should be globally listed as Critically Endangered by the World Conservation Union. Phyllomys unicolor seems to be restricted to swamp forests and it does not occur in any protected area. Intensive field studies should be carried out in the region to locate populations and to study ecological attributes of this species. The rediscovery of P. unicolor draws attention to the biological importance and the lack of protected areas in this region of the Atlantic forest.

scholarly journals Novelty and Uniqueness Patterns of Rare Members of the Soil Biosphere

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (17) ◽  
pp. 5422-5428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa S. Elshahed ◽  
Noha H. Youssef ◽  
Anne M. Spain ◽  
Cody Sheik ◽  
Fares Z. Najar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Tall Grass ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Bacterial Phyla ◽  
Rare Biosphere ◽  
Soil Bacterial ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

ABSTRACT Soil bacterial communities typically exhibit a distribution pattern in which most bacterial species are present in low abundance. Due to the relatively small size of most culture-independent sequencing surveys, a detailed phylogenetic analysis of rare members of the community is lacking. To gain access to the rarely sampled soil biosphere, we analyzed a data set of 13,001 near-full-length 16S rRNA gene clones derived from an undisturbed tall grass prairie soil in central Oklahoma. Rare members of the soil bacterial community (empirically defined at two different abundance cutoffs) represented 18.1 to 37.1% of the total number of clones in the data set and were, on average, less similar to their closest relatives in public databases when compared to more abundant members of the community. Detailed phylogenetic analyses indicated that members of the soil rare biosphere either belonged to novel bacterial lineages (members of five novel bacterial phyla identified in the data set, as well as members of multiple novel lineages within previously described phyla or candidate phyla), to lineages that are prevalent in other environments but rarely encountered in soil, or were close relatives to more abundant taxa in the data set. While a fraction of the rare community was closely related to more abundant taxonomic groups in the data set, a significant portion of the rare biosphere represented evolutionarily distinct lineages at various taxonomic cutoffs. We reason that these novelty and uniqueness patterns provide clues regarding the origins and potential ecological roles of members of the soil's rare biosphere.

scholarly journals Two NLR immune receptors acquired high-affinity binding to a fungal effector through convergent evolution of their integrated domain

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Białas ◽  
Thorsten Langner ◽  
Adeline Harant ◽  
Mauricio P Contreras ◽  
Clare EM Stevenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Domain Architecture ◽  
Affinity Binding ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
High Affinity Binding ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Immune Receptors

A subset of plant NLR immune receptors carry unconventional integrated domains in addition to their canonical domain architecture. One example is rice Pik-1 that comprises an integrated heavy metal-associated (HMA) domain. Here, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of Pik-1 and its NLR partner, Pik-2, and tested hypotheses about adaptive evolution of the HMA domain. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the HMA domain integrated into Pik-1 before Oryzinae speciation over 15 million years ago and has been under diversifying selection. Ancestral sequence reconstruction coupled with functional studies showed that two Pik-1 allelic variants independently evolved from a weakly binding ancestral state to high-affinity binding of the blast fungus effector AVR-PikD. We conclude that for most of its evolutionary history the Pik-1 HMA domain did not sense AVR-PikD, and that different Pik-1 receptors have recently evolved through distinct biochemical paths to produce similar phenotypic outcomes. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of the evolutionary mechanisms underpinning NLR adaptation to plant pathogens.

scholarly journals Co-occurrence of ecologically equivalent cryptic species of spider wasps

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 160119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Kurushima ◽  
Jin Yoshimura ◽  
Jeong-Kyu Kim ◽  
Jong-Kuk Kim ◽  
Yutaka Nishimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Competitive Exclusion ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Exclusion Principle ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Larval Food ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Many cryptic species have been discovered in various taxonomic groups based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments. Some sympatric cryptic species share equivalent resources, which contradicts the competitive exclusion principle. Two major theories have been proposed to explain the apparent lack of competitive exclusion, i.e. niche-based coexistence and neutral model, but a conclusive explanation is lacking. Here, we report the co-occurrence of cryptic spider wasp species appearing to be ecologically equivalent. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments revealed that three phylogenetically closely related species are found sympatrically in Japan. These species share the same resources for larval food, and two of the species have the same niche for nesting sites, indicating a lack of competitive exclusion. This evidence may suggest that ecologically equivalent species can co-occur stably if their shared resources are sufficiently abundant that they cannot be over-exploited.

Discovery of a new species of Anolis lizards from Brazil and its implications for the historical biogeography of montane Atlantic Forest endemics

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Prates ◽  
Paulo Roberto Melo-Sampaio ◽  
Kevin de Queiroz ◽  
Ana Carolina Carnaval ◽  
Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Divergence Time ◽  
Time Estimation ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Divergence Time Estimation ◽  
The City

Abstract Recent biological discoveries have changed our understanding of the distribution and evolution of neotropical biotas. In the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the discovery of closely related species isolated on distant mountains has led to the hypothesis that the ancestors of montane species occupied and dispersed through lowland regions during colder periods. This process may explain the distribution of an undescribed Anolis lizard species that we recently discovered at a montane site in the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, a popular tourist destination close to the city of Rio de Janeiro. To investigate whether this species is closely related to other Atlantic Forest montane anoles, we implement phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimation based on molecular data. We infer the new species nested within the Dactyloa clade of Anolis, forming a clade with A. nasofrontalis and A. pseudotigrinus, two species restricted to montane sites about 400 km northeast of Serra dos Órgãos. The new species diverged from its sister A. nasofrontalis around 5.24 mya, suggesting a cold-adapted lowland ancestor during the early Pliocene. Based on the phylogenetic results, we emend the definitions of the series taxa within Dactyloa, recognizing a clade containing the new species and several of its relatives as the nasofrontalis series. Lastly, we provide morphological data supporting the recognition of the new species and give it a formal scientific name. Future studies are necessary to assess how park visitors, pollutants, and shrinking montane habitats due to climate change will affect this previously overlooked anole species.

scholarly journals Pollinators drive floral evolution in an Atlantic Forest genus

AoB Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Neves ◽  
Igor M Kessous ◽  
Ricardo L Moura ◽  
Dayvid R Couto ◽  
Camila M Zanella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Incomplete Lineage Sorting ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Lineage Sorting ◽  
Pollination Syndromes ◽  
Angiosperm Diversification ◽  
Species Complexes ◽  
As Species

Abstract Pollinators are important drivers of angiosperm diversification at both micro- and macroevolutionary scales. Both hummingbirds and bats pollinate the species-rich and morphologically diverse genus Vriesea across its distribution in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Here, we (i) determine if floral traits predict functional groups of pollinators as documented, confirming the pollination syndromes in Vriesea and (ii) test if genetic structure in Vriesea is driven by geography (latitudinal and altitudinal heterogeneity) or ecology (pollination syndromes). We analysed 11 floral traits of 58 Vriesea species and performed a literature survey of Vriesea pollination biology. The genealogy of haplotypes was inferred and phylogenetic analyses were performed using chloroplast (rps16-trnk and matK) and nuclear (PHYC) molecular markers. Floral traits accurately predict functional groups of pollinators in Vriesea. Genetic groupings match the different pollination syndromes. Species with intermediate position were found between the groups, which share haplotypes and differ morphologically from the typical hummingbird- and bat-pollinated flowers of Vriesea. The phylogeny revealed moderately to well-supported clades which may be interpreted as species complexes. Our results suggest a role of pollinators driving ecological isolation in Vriesea clades. Incipient speciation and incomplete lineage sorting may explain the overall low genetic divergence within and among morphologically defined species, precluding the identification of clear species boundaries. The intermediate species with mixed floral types likely represent a window into shifts between pollinator syndromes. This study reports the morphological-genetic continuum that may be typical of ongoing pollinator-driven speciation in biodiversity hotspots.

Morphology and molecular description of Wilmottia koreana sp. nov. (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) isolated from the Republic of Korea

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 447 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-251
Author(s):  
NAM-JU LEE ◽  
YOSEPH SEO ◽  
JANG-SEU KI ◽  
OK-MIN LEE
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Republic Of Korea ◽  
Tree Bark ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Monophyletic Lineage ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
A New Species

Two types of Wilmottia (Cyanobacteria) were collected from the tree-bark of a tree on Mt. Gwanggyo in Suwon City, Gyeonggi-do and a rock wall of Haje Port, Geum River in Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea. Morphological observations using light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that one species was Wilmottia murrayi (Coleofasciculaceae, Oscillatoriales) and the other had similar morphology to W. murrayi, with considerable genetic variations, and thus, it was described as a new species named Wilmottia koreana. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA revealed that the family Coleofasciculaceae was clearly separated into taxonomic groups of each genus, and in them, Wilmottia forms a monophyletic lineage. W. koreana diverged the earliest, forming a unique clade separate from the others. Statistical analyses showed that the inter-species genetic distances of Wilmottia were significantly different from the intra-species distances (t-test, P < 0.001). Additionally, the secondary structures of D1–D1’, Box-B, and the V3 helices were different among the Wilmottia species. These results demonstrated that the proposed new Wilmottia species was unique in molecular traits. Therefore, we propose this to be a new species belonging to the genus Wilmottia with the name Wilmottia koreana sp. nov.

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