The evolutionary origin of variation in song length and frequency in the avian family Cettiidae

International Allelopathy Society has redefined Allelopathy as any process involving secondary metabolities produced by plants, algae, bacteria, fungi and viruses that influences the growth and development of agricultural and biological system; a study of the functions of secondary metabolities, their significance in biological organization, their evolutionary origin and elucidation of the mechanisms involving plant-plant, plant-microorganisms, plant-virus, plant-insect, plant-soil-plant interactions.

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Molecular Species Delimitation of Larks (Aves: Alaudidae), and Integrative Taxonomy of the Genus Calandrella, with the Description of a Range-Restricted African Relic Taxon

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12110428 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 428

Author(s):

Martin Stervander ◽

Bengt Hansson ◽

Urban Olsson ◽

Mark F. Hulme ◽

Ulf Ottosson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Molecular Species ◽

Species Delimitation ◽

Integrative Taxonomy ◽

West African ◽

Northwest Africa ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Plateau State ◽

Avian Family ◽

Relic Population

Larks constitute an avian family of exceptional cryptic diversity and striking examples of convergent evolution. Therefore, traditional morphology-based taxonomy has recurrently failed to reflect evolutionary relationships. While taxonomy ideally should integrate morphology, vocalizations, behaviour, ecology, and genetics, this can be challenging for groups that span several continents including areas that are difficult to access. Here, we combine morphometrics and mitochondrial DNA to evaluate the taxonomy of Calandrella larks, with particular focus on the African C. cinerea and the Asian C. acutirostris complexes. We describe a new range-restricted West African taxon, Calandrella cinerea rufipecta ssp. nov. (type locality: Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria), with an isolated relic population 3000 km from its closest relative in the Rift Valley. We performed molecular species delimitation, employing coalescence-based multi-rate Poisson Tree Processes (mPTP) on cytochrome b sequences across 52 currently recognized lark species, including multiple taxa currently treated as subspecies. Three species-level splits were inferred within the genus Calandrella and another 13 across other genera, primarily among fragmented sub-Saharan taxa and taxa distributed from Northwest Africa to Arabia or East Africa. Previously unknown divergences date back as far as to the Miocene, indicating the presence of currently unrecognized species. However, we stress that taxonomic decisions should not be based on single datasets, such as mitochondrial DNA, although analyses of mitochondrial DNA can be a good indicator of taxa in need of further integrative taxonomic assessment.

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The Origin of Workerless Parasites inLeptothorax(S. Str.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Psyche A Journal of Entomology ◽

10.1155/1995/69812 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 102 (3-4) ◽

pp. 195-214 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jürgen Heinze

Keyword(s):

Chromosome Number ◽

Evolutionary Origin ◽

Social Parasites ◽

Leptothorax Acervorum ◽

Using Data

The evolutionary origin of workerless parasitic ants parasitizing colonies ofLeptothorax(s.str.) is investigated using data on morphology, chromosome number, and allozyme phenotype of both social parasites and their hosts. Of the three previously proposed pathways, the evolution of workerless parasites from guest ants or slave-makers is unlikely, at least according to a phenogram obtained by UPGMA clustering of Nei's similarities based on seven enzymes, lntraspecific evolution of the workerless parasitesDoronomyrmex goesswaldi, D. kutteri, andD. pacisfrom their common host,Leptothorax acervorumcannot be excluded with the present data. The workerless parasiteL. paraxenus, however, clearly differs from its host,L.cf.canadensis, in morphology and biochemistry, and most probably did not evolve from the latter species. It is proposed to synonymizeDoronomyrmexunderLeptothorax(s.str.).

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