End of a mystery: Integrative approach reveals the phylogenetic position of an enigmatic Antarctic tardigrade genus Ramajendas (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada)

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of the centipede genus Ethmostigmus Pocock (Chilopoda : Scolopendromorpha) from peninsular India

Invertebrate Systematics ◽

10.1071/is18030 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (6) ◽

pp. 1316 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jahnavi Joshi ◽

Gregory D. Edgecombe

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequence ◽

Molecular Phylogenetics ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Indian Plate ◽

Eastern Ghats ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Ecological Data ◽

Peninsular India ◽

Dna Sequence Data

Integrative taxonomy assesses the congruence between different lines of evidence for delimiting species, such as morphological, molecular or ecological data. Herein molecular phylogenetics is used to test monophyly and determine the phylogenetic position of the Old World tropical centipede genus Ethmostigmus Pocock, 1898, and to define species boundaries for Ethmostigmus in peninsular India. A phylogeny of the family Scolopendridae based on DNA sequence data for three markers from 427 specimens sampling in all major lineages (144 individuals generated in this study) recovers Ethmostigmus as a monophyletic group, but relationships among the genera in its subfamily Otostigminae are poorly supported. Two species delimitation methods for DNA sequence data and phylogeny are integrated with morphology and geographic data to propose a well-supported species hypothesis for Ethmostigmus on the peninsular Indian plate. Five species of Ethmostigmus are recognised in peninsular India, of which E. coonooranus Chamberlin, 1920 and three new species, namely, E. agasthyamalaiensis, sp. nov., E. sahyadrensis, sp. nov. and E. praveeni, sp. nov., occur in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. The lesser-known Eastern Ghats harbour one species, E. tristis (Meinert, 1886), which has been nearly unreported for 130 years. This study highlights the value of an integrative approach to systematics, especially in underexplored, high biodiversity regions and where morphological variation is limited among closely related species.

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Two new species of marine flatworm from southern China facilitate determination of the phylogenetic position of the genus Nerpa Marcus, 1948 and the histochemical structure of the nervous system in the genus Paucumara Sluys, 1989 (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Maricola)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4568.1.9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4568 (1) ◽

pp. 149 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

JIA-JIA CHEN ◽

WEI-XUAN LI ◽

RONALD SLUYS ◽

MING-QI WU ◽

LEI WANG ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nervous System ◽

New Species ◽

Southern China ◽

Dorsal Side ◽

The Body ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Nerve Structure ◽

Two New Species ◽

Copulatory Position

Two new species of flatworm, collected from a beach at eastern Shenzhen, China, were studied through an integrative approach by combining morphological, histological, histochemical (acetylcholinesterase, AChE), and molecular (18S r- DNA) data. These species belong to two genera of marine triclads, previously unrecorded from China, viz. Nerpa Marcus, 1948 and Paucumara Sluys, 1989. Nerpa fistulata Wang & Chen, sp. nov. is characterized by: transparent body; principally pentamerous intestine with three distinct commissures; two very large, prepharyngeal testis follicles; a semi-circular lens in each eye cup; a penis papilla provided with a chitinized, pointed stylet; lateral bursae communicating with the oviduct and opening ventrally to the exterior via a duct. Phylogenetically N. fistulata groups with one member of the family Bdellouridae. This new, Chinese species of Nerpa introduces a major geographic disjunction, as the type species N. evelinae was described from the bay of Santos, Brazil, so that the genus is now known from both Atlantic as well as Pacific coasts. The species Paucumara falcata Wang & Li, sp. nov. is characterized by: three distinct pale yellow transverse pigmentation bands on its dorsal side, between which some snowflake-like specks are randomly distributed, and a brown transverse band anteriorly to the eyes; 8–11 testicular follicles on either side of the body, the follicles extending from immediately behind the ovaries to half-way along the pharyngeal pocket; a musculo-parenchymatic organ with a sclerotic, curved tip projecting from the anterior wall of the male atrium, ventrally to the root of the penis papilla. Phylogenetically P. falcata groups with its congener P. trigonocephala, with the genus Paucumara forming the sister taxon of the genus Ectoplana. Comparison of the nerve structure of P. falcata, as revealed by AChE histochemistry, with that of eight other species of triclad suggested that the nervous system of marine planarians is simpler than that of species of freshwater planarians, but revealed also that the nerve structure is rather variable among species. The copulatory position exhibited by two partners in Paucumara falcata is remarkable in that they intertwine, with their heads pointing downwards and the tails pointing upwards, the entire process lasting about 10 min. Such a copulatory position has never before been reported for triclad flatworms.

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A REASSESSMENT OF THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE ASIAN RANID FROG Hylorana nicobariensis STOLICZKA, 1870 (AMPHIBIA : ANURA) WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GENUS

TAPROBANICA The Journal of Asian Biodiversity ◽

10.47605/tapro.v9i1.226 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 121-132

Author(s):

S.R. Chandramouli ◽

Amir Hamidy ◽

A.A. Thasun Amarasinghe ◽

Keyword(s):

New Genus ◽

Systematic Position ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Morphological Characterisation ◽

Nicobar Islands

We reassessed the systematic position of the ranid frog Hylorana (=Hylarana) nicobariensis that, owing to its uncertain phylogenetic position and lack of clear morphological characterisation, has lately been allocated to various Asian and African frog genera such as Rana, Sylvirana, Hylarana, Amnirana, and most recently to Indosylvirana. Based on an integrative approach of both phylogenetic and morphological affinities, we describe a new genus to accommodate Hylorana (=Hylarana) nicobariensis and redescribe the species based on new topotypic material from the Nicobar Islands.

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Molecular characterisation and phylogenetic position of Hemicycliophora labiata Colbran, 1960, from turfgrass in Korea, with comments on its morphology

Nematology ◽

10.1163/15685411-bja10002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 927-938

Author(s):

Abraham Okki Mwamula ◽

Yeong Ho Kim ◽

Heebeen Na ◽

Hyeon Jeong An ◽

Young Ho Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Poa Pratensis ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Morphological Plasticity ◽

Original Description ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

28S Rrna ◽

Molecular Characterisation ◽

Species Complexes

Summary Hemicycliophora labiata was reported from the rhizosphere of Poa pratensis and for the first time in Korea. Females and juveniles are molecularly characterised and morphological and morphometric descriptions supplied. Species identification was made using an integrative approach considering morphological characteristics and the results of the analyses of the D2-D3 expansion segment of 28S rRNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 of rRNA and the partial COI gene sequences. The phylogenetic position of H. labiata is resolved after recent misidentifications due to the existence of a wide morphological plasticity within the genus. Females and juveniles from Korea conform to the original description and also to subsequent species descriptions from Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and India. Despite the close morphological similarities with H. typica de Man, 1921, the two species can be adequately differentiated based on molecular data. This is the first molecular characterisation of H. labiata. The use of molecular markers in species delimitation continues to explore the existence of species complexes, thus providing a better understanding of the unresolved species biodiversity within this speciose genus.

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A REASSESSMENT OF THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE ASIAN RANID FROG Hylorana nicobariensis STOLICZKA, 1870 (AMPHIBIA: ANURA) WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GENUS

TAPROBANICA The Journal of Asian Biodiversity ◽

10.47605/tapro.v9i1.13 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 121-132

Author(s):

S.R. Chandramouli ◽

◽

Amir Hamidy ◽

A. A. Thasun Amarasinghe ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Genus ◽

Systematic Position ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Morphological Characterisation ◽

Nicobar Islands

We reassessed the systematic position of the ranid frog Hylorana (=Hylarana) nicobariensis that, owing to its uncertain phylogenetic position and lack of clear morphological characterisation, has lately been allocated to various Asian and African frog genera such as Rana, Sylvirana, Hylarana, Amnirana, and most recently to Indosylvirana. Based on an integrative approach of both phylogenetic and morphological affinities, we describe a new genus to accommodate Hylorana (=Hylarana) nicobariensis and redescribe the species based on new topotypic material from the Nicobar Islands.

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An integrative systematic revision and biogeography ofRhynchocalamussnakes (Reptilia, Colubridae) with a description of a new species from Israel

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.2769 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. e2769 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Karin Tamar ◽

Jiří Šmíd ◽

Bayram Göçmen ◽

Shai Meiri ◽

Salvador Carranza

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Phylogenetic Relationships ◽

Phylogenetic Trees ◽

Middle Miocene ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Mountain Area ◽

Systematic Revision ◽

Sea Level Fluctuations ◽

A New Species

BackgroundThe colubrid snakes of the genusRhynchocalamusare seldom studied and knowledge of their ecology and life history is scarce. Three species ofRhynchocalamusare currently recognized,R. satunini(from Turkey eastwards to Iran),R. arabicus(Yemen and Oman), andR. melanocephalus(from the Sinai Peninsula northwards to Turkey). All are slender, secretive, mainly nocturnal and rare fossorial snakes. This comprehensive study is the first to sample all knownRhynchocalamusspecies in order to review the intra-generic phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography of the genus.MethodsWe revised the systematics ofRhynchocalamususing an integrative approach and evaluated its phylogeography. The phylogenetic position within the Colubridae and the phylogenetic relationships within the genus were inferred using 29 individuals belonging to the three known species, with additional sampling of two other closely-related genera,MuhtarophisandLytorhynchus. We analysed three mitochondrial (12S,16S, cytb) and one nuclear (c-mos) gene fragments. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods; the latter method also used to provide the first time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of the genus. We generated a nuclear network and carried out a topology test and species delimitation analysis. Morphological comparisons were used to differentiate among species and to describe a new species from Israel. The studied material was comprised of 108 alcohol-preserved specimens, 15 photographs, and data from the literature for the examination of 17 mensural, 14 meristic, and two categorical characters.ResultsThe molecular results supportRhynchocalamusas monophyletic, and as having split from its sister genusLytorhynchusduring the Late Oligocene. The three recognized species ofRhynchocalamuscomprise four independently evolving groups. The molecular results reveal that the genus began to diverge during the Middle Miocene. We revealed that the best-studied species,R. melanocephalus,is paraphyletic. A population, formally ascribed to this species, from the Negev Mountain area in southern Israel is phylogenetically closer toR. arabicusfrom Oman than to the northern populations of the species from Israel, Syria and Turkey. Herein we describe this population as a new species:Rhynchocalamus dayanaesp. nov.DiscussionWe identify four species withinRhynchocalamus:R. satunini, R. arabicus, R. melanocephalus, andR. dayanaesp. nov., the latter, to the best of our knowledge, is endemic to southern Israel. The onset ofRhynchocalamusdiversification is very old and estimated to have occurred during the Middle Miocene, possibly originating in the Levant region. Radiation probably resulted from vicariance and dispersal events caused by continuous geological instability, sea-level fluctuations and climatic changes within the Levant region.

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Perceptions of a Collaborative Professional Learning Program: Seeing the “Bigger Picture”

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00041 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 290-303

Author(s):

P. Charlie Buckley ◽

Kimberly A. Murza ◽

Tami Cassel

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Social Communication ◽

Special Educators ◽

Service Providers ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Theory Approach ◽

Learning Program ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Related Service

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of special education practitioners (i.e., speech-language pathologists, special educators, para-educators, and other related service providers) on their role as communication partners after participation in the Social Communication and Engagement Triad (Buckley et al., 2015 ) yearlong professional learning program. Method A qualitative approach using interviews and purposeful sampling was used. A total of 22 participants who completed participation in either Year 1 or Year 2 of the program were interviewed. Participants were speech-language pathologists, special educators, para-educators, and other related service providers. Using a grounded theory approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967 ) to data analysis, open, axial, and selective coding procedures were followed. Results Three themes emerged from the data analysis and included engagement as the goal, role as a communication partner, and importance of collaboration. Conclusions Findings supported the notion that educators see the value of an integrative approach to service delivery, supporting students' social communication and engagement across the school day but also recognizing the challenges they face in making this a reality.

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