Latest Articles from Zoosystematics and Evolution Latest 18 Articles from Zoosystematics and Evolution https://zse.pensoft.net/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 19:39:51 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://zse.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from Zoosystematics and Evolution https://zse.pensoft.net/ Taxonomic revision of Phoxinus minnows (Leuciscidae) from Caucasus, with description of a new narrow-ranged endemic species https://zse.pensoft.net/article/115696/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 291-308

DOI: 10.3897/zse.100.115696

Authors: Oleg N. Artaev, Ilya S. Turbanov, Aleksey A. Bolotovskiy, Aleksandr A. Gandlin, Boris A. Levin

Abstract: Taxonomic revision of Phoxinus from the Caucasus revealed two distinct species. One species, P. colchicus, was known from eastern drainage of Black Sea, but was recorded also in the middle reach of the Kuban (Sea of Azov basin), for the first time. The Kuban population represents a genetically unique sub-lineage of P. colchicus. Its ancestors might have colonized the Kuban system through the event of ancient river capture. Another species inhabits only the Adagum River basin in the lower Kuban and represents a new narrow-ranged endemic species – Phoxinus adagumicus sp. nov. According to mtDNA phylogeny (COI and cytb), P. adagumicus sp. nov. represents deeply divergent and one of the two early branched lineages of the genus Phoxinus being distant to other species (min. p-distance = 0.074) including geographical neighbors – P. chrysoprasius from Crimean Peninsula and P. colchicus from the Caucasus. The new species differs from most Phoxinus species by frequently occurring single-row pharyngeal teeth (modal formula 5–4). The narrow geographic range (ca. 55 km in length and 15–20 km in width) and high anthropogenic load on local water systems suggests the new species is under threat and needs protection.

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Research Article Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:02:22 +0200
Two new Oxynoemacheilus species in western Anatolia (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae) https://zse.pensoft.net/article/102575/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(2): 439-455

DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.102575

Authors: Davut Turan, Sadi Aksu, Gökhan Kalayci

Abstract: Oxynoemacheilus sakaryaensis sp. nov., is restricted to the Sakarya River basin, and O. melenicus sp. nov., is distributed in both the Sakarya River and Büyükmelen Stream. Oxynoemacheilus sakaryaensis is distinguished by having a flank plain or with numerous irregularly shaped pale brownish bars and a caudal-peduncle depth 2.8–3.2 times in its length. Oxynoemacheilus melenicus is distinguished by having a flank with 10–13 irregular shaped brownish bars or blotches and the caudal peduncle depth 1.9–2.8 times in its length. Oxynoemacheilus banarescui, O. samanticus, O. simavicus, O. fatsaensis, O. sakaryaensis, and O. melenicus are valid, which belong to the O. bergianus species group. O. melenicus and O. sakaryaensis were differentiated from all other Oxynoemacheilus species in western Anatolia by two diagnostic and unique nucleotide substitution sites in the COI barcoding region. Also, species delineation tests (ABGD, GMYC, ASAP) and phylogenetic analyses support the validity of O. melenicus and O. sakaryaensis as distinct species.

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Research Article Wed, 4 Oct 2023 19:06:47 +0300
Diversity of Sand Snakes (Psammophiidae, Psammophis) in the Horn of Africa, with the description of a new species from Somalia https://zse.pensoft.net/article/101943/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(2): 345-361

DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.101943

Authors: Jiří Šmíd, Sergio Matilla Fernández, Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi, Tomáš Mazuch

Abstract: The biological diversity of the Horn of Africa is one of the least studied in the world. Yet the Horn supports rich communities of species that are mostly endemic to the region. Here we study the diversity of Sand Snakes (Psammophis) in East Africa, their phylogeny and systematics. Previous studies have unveiled several cryptic and potentially undescribed species of Psammophis that occur in the Horn and their taxonomic status has remained unclear to this day. We used sequence data from two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes to reconstruct the phylogeny of the genus, in which we included newly obtained samples of six different Psammophis species from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt. Our aim was to assess the status of some of the undescribed species, examine the level of intraspecific genetic variation within individual species, improve our understanding of the species distributions, and contribute to the taxonomy of the genus. Our results confirm the existence of two undescribed species, one in eastern Somalia, which we formally describe as new, and one in southern Ethiopia that we refer to as Psammophis cf. sudanensis in accordance with previous studies. Further, we provide first genetic data for the nominotypical subspecies of P. punctulatus and confirm the species status for its subspecies P. trivirgatus. In addition, we provide new genetic data for P. tanganicus from Ethiopia and Somalia, and range extension records for P. rukwae from Eritrea and Ethiopia and for P. aegyptius from Somalia. Our findings contribute considerably to our understanding of the diversity and distribution of Psammophis in East Africa.

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Research Article Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:04:45 +0300
DNA barcoding of the genus Alburnoides Jeitteles, 1861 (Actinopterygii, Cyprinidae) from Anatolia, Turkey https://zse.pensoft.net/article/94333/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(1): 185-194

DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.94333

Authors: Halim Canoglu, Ismail Aksu, Davut Turan, Yusuf Bektas

Abstract: The present study investigated the ability of DNA barcoding to reliably identify the endemic freshwater species in Turkey, known as biodiversity hotspots. The barcode region (652 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) was used to barcode 153 individuals from 13 morphologically identified species of the genus Alburnoides. Based on the Kimura two-parameter (K2P) evolution model, the average interspecific distance (0.0595) was 31-fold higher than the average intraspecific distance (0.0019). There was a clear-cut barcode gap (0.0158–0.0187) between maximum intraspecific distance (A. tzanevi and A. velioglui) and minimum nearest-neighbour distance (A. freyhofi and A. kurui) for Anatolian Alburnoides species and a common genetic threshold of 0.0158 sequence divergence was defined for species delimitation. The multiple species delimitation methods (ABGD, ASAP, GMYC and bPTP) revealed a total of 11 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) for 13 morphospecies. Neighbour-joining (NJ), Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) tree analysis indicated that all haplotypes were clustered into two major clades, which corresponded to eleven Alburnoides species clusters, with strong bootstrap support. Furthermore, all the specimens clustered in concurrence with the morpho-taxonomic status of the species, except for two species (A. coskuncelebii and A. emineae) that were morphologically differentiated, but showed overlap in variation for COI-based DNA barcode data with other species. Overall, present results identified that COI-based DNA barcoding is effective for species identification and cataloguing of genus Alburnoides in Turkey.

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Research Article Mon, 6 Mar 2023 17:36:00 +0200
Species delimitation, molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of the sweetlips fish (Perciformes, Haemulidae) https://zse.pensoft.net/article/96386/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(1): 135-147

DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.96386

Authors: Ehsan Damadi, Faezeh Yazdani Moghaddam, Mehdi Ghanbarifardi

Abstract: The subfamily Plectorhinchinae (sweetlips) is composed of poorly-known species with high commercially and ecologically values that exhibit phenotypic plasticity and various morphologies. Few studies have assessed the validity of sweetlips, intergeneric relationships and evolutionary survey in this subfamily, which have not yet been resolved. This study investigated the DNA sequences of (1) the mitochondrial COI gene to delimit species, and (2) two mitochondrial (COI and Cyt b), and one nuclear (RAG1) markers to infer phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary and biogeographic history. The molecular results could differentiate Diagramma punctatum from the other species, but failed to distinguish D. labiosum as a distinct species with considerably lower genetic distances for the COI (0.53%) and Cyt b (0.51%) markers. However, additional taxonomic investigations are required to shed light on this issue. All previously described nominal species of sweetlips in the northwest Indian Ocean were found to be well supported. The monophyly of Plectorhinchus is not supported and Diagramma pictum and D. punctatum should be assigned to the genus Plectorhinchus. The biogeographic history of Plectorhinchinae likely originated in the Indo-Pacific ca. 34 Ma (30–39 Ma; late Eocene/ middle Oligocene) and subsequently colonised the Western Indian Ocean and the Central Indo-Pacific. Maximum diversification within the subfamily occurred from the middle Miocene to Pliocene, coinciding with dispersal and vicariance events. Diversification was probably driven by both biological and geographical factors.

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Research Article Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:15:02 +0200
First molecular identification of the trematode Maritrema bonaerense Etchegoin & Martorelli, 1997 (Plagiorchiida, Microphallidae) from its intermediate hosts, the gastropod Heleobia australis (d’Orbigny, 1835) (Littorinimorpha, Cochliopidae) and the crab Neohelice granulata (Dana, 1851) (Decapoda, Varunidae) in Argentina https://zse.pensoft.net/article/91381/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(1): 117-121

DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.91381

Authors: Lorena Martinez, Carmen Gilardoni, Cintia Medina, Juan José Lauthier, Florencia Cremonte, Jorge Etchegoin

Abstract: The genus Maritrema Nicoll, 1907 (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Plagiorchiida, Microphallidae) comprises cosmopolitan species that predominantly parasitize birds. Although approximately 65 species have been described worldwide, including 6 for Argentina, molecular data referring to Maritrema species are still scarce worldwide, especially in South America. Unfortunately, this lack of references for nucleotide sequences is an obstacle to understanding the taxonomy and life cycles of trematodes, and impedes advancing our studies on the phylogeny and geographical distribution of these parasites. For that reason, we performed the molecular study of developmental stages of Maritrema bonaerense: cercariae (collected from the snail first intermediate host Heleobia australis, inhabiting Mar Chiquita lagoon) and metacercariae (collected from the crab second intermediate host Neohelice granulata, inhabiting Mar Chiquita lagoon and San Antonio Oeste, Argentina). The accordance between the ITS2 sequence of M. bonaerense cercaria from the snail H. australis and the sequences of metacercariae from the crab N. granulata was 100%, supporting previous findings of the life cycle of M. bonaerense based on morphological data. All Maritrema species are included in a monophyletic and well-supported clade. Maritrema bonaerense grouped more closely with Maritrema gratiosum. These findings contribute to the knowledge of digeneans in coastal marine ecosystems.

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Short Communication Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:14:39 +0200
Possible causes of amphi-Atlantic distribution of Orchestia gammarellus (Pallas, 1776) (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Talitridae) in the North Atlantic: a review https://zse.pensoft.net/article/95980/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(1): 55-62

DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.95980

Authors: David J. Wildish, John H. McDonald

Abstract: Hypotheses concerning the modern distribution of Orchestia gammarellus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Talitridae) and its causes in the North Atlantic are discussed. The synanthropic dispersal hypothesis of Henzler and Ingólfsson (2008) considers O. gammarellus as originating on the eastern shore of the North Atlantic and being transported by humans to Iceland and the western Atlantic shore (Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces of Canada). The Eocene and natural dispersal hypothesis of Myers and Lowry (2020) proposes a geologically earlier origin of O. gammarellus when the west and east shores of the North Atlantic were still connected. Present day amphi-Atlantic distribution was explained by vicariance, with the vicariant event causing separation of O. gammarellus being continental drift drawing apart the west and east shores of the North Atlantic. A post-glacial natural dispersal hypothesis proposed herein, involves transport on ice floes or in driftwood from European shores to Iceland and the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. The small genetic distances amongst populations found by Henzler and Ingólfsson (2008) at the COI gene are inconsistent with the Eocene vicariance hypothesis. On evolutionary grounds, we question Myers and Lowry’s (2020) designation of the Icelandic and Canadian populations as a new species of Orchestia. Existing molecular and morphological data are insufficient to distinguish between human-aided dispersal and natural rafting.

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Review Article Mon, 9 Jan 2023 09:45:13 +0200
A new species of crayfish of the genus Cherax from Indonesian New Guinea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Parastacidae) https://zse.pensoft.net/article/94753/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 98(2): 411-425

DOI: 10.3897/zse.98.94753

Authors: Christian Lukhaup, Rury Eprilurahman

Abstract: A new species of the genus Cherax is described and illustrated. Cherax wagenknechtae sp. nov., endemic to the Beraur and Klasabun River drainages in the western part of the Kepala Burung (Vogelkop) peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia, is described, figured and compared with its closest relatives, Cherax pulcher Lukhaup, 2015. The new species may be easily distinguished from Cherax pulcher by the shape of the chelae, rostrum and body, and coloration.

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Research Article Mon, 24 Oct 2022 10:16:59 +0300
Multigene phylogeny of the Indo–West Pacific genus Enosteoides (Crustacea, Decapoda, Porcellanidae) with description of a new species from Australia https://zse.pensoft.net/article/90540/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 98(2): 387-397

DOI: 10.3897/zse.98.90540

Authors: Alexandra Hiller, Bernd Werding

Abstract: The porcellanid genus Enosteoides Johnson, 1970, currently containing six species, was raised in the 1970s to contain aberrant Indo–West Pacific forms of the diverse and cosmopolitan genus Porcellana Lamarck, 1801. Here, we describe the most aberrant form as Enosteoides spinosus sp. nov., from the northeast and northwest coasts of Australia and present results on phylogenetic reconstructions of the genus, based on an 1,870 bp alignment of concatenated DNA sequences of three mitochondrial and one nuclear gene. The new species is peculiarly spiny and has a higher morphological affinity to the type species of the genus, E. ornatus (Stimpson, 1858), than to the other congeneric species. Our molecular results indicate that Enosteoides is not monophyletic. The new species and E. ornatus are encompassed in a clade, which does not share immediate common ancestry with the clade containing the other species of Enosteoides. This clade is more closely related to species of Porcellana and Pisidia. Relatively large interspecific genetic distances between and within the two clades, as compared to distances estimated in American pairs of species on each side of the Panama Isthmus, suggest ancient divergence, probably followed by extinction events or low speciation rate. Relatively large intraspecific distances between Australian populations of the new species of Enosteoides from geographically distant locations suggest some level of phylogeographic structure.

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Research Article Tue, 4 Oct 2022 17:53:13 +0300
Paracapoeta, a new genus of the Cyprinidae from Mesopotamia, Cilicia and Levant (Teleostei, Cypriniformes) https://zse.pensoft.net/article/81463/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 98(2): 201-212

DOI: 10.3897/zse.98.81463

Authors: Davut Turan, Cüneyt Kaya, İsmail Aksu, Yusuf Bektaş

Abstract: The molecular and morphological studies carried out within the scope of this study revealed that the scrapers, known as the Mesopotamian group, belong to a different genus. The Paracapoeta gen. nov., from the Mesopotomia and Levant, is distinguished from Capoeta and Luciobarbus species by the presence of a strong ligament between the base of the last simple and the first branched rays of the dorsal-fin (vs. no or a very weak ligament). The Paracapoeta further differs from Capoeta by the last simple dorsal-fin ray strongly ossified in adult specimens (more than 75%, vs. less than 75%). The Paracapoeta further differs from Luciobarbus by the lower lip with horny layer (vs. fleshy lips). The molecular phylogeny based on the combined dataset (COI + Cytb, 1312 bp.) showed that the genus Paracapoeta was recovered from the other groups in the subfamily Barbinae with high bootstrap and posterior probability values (BP: 94%, PP: 0.96). Also, Paracapoeta and Capoeta are well differentiated by an average genetic distance of 8.02±0.78%. The morphological and molecular findings have largely overlapped each other. Besides, Capoeta turani is treated as a synonym of Capoeta erhani.

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Research Article Tue, 21 Jun 2022 17:02:35 +0300
A new genus name for pygmy lorises, Xanthonycticebus gen. nov. (Mammalia, primates) https://zse.pensoft.net/article/81942/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 98(1): 87-92

DOI: 10.3897/zse.98.81942

Authors: K. Anne-Isola Nekaris, Vincent Nijman

Abstract: Lorisiformes are nocturnal primates from Africa and Asia with four genera, with two (Arctocebus and Loris), three (Perodicticus) and nine (Nycticebus) recognised species. Their cryptic lifestyle and lack of study have resulted in an underappreciation of the variation at the species and genus level. There are marked differences between the pygmy slow loris Nycticebus pygmaeus and the other Nycticebus species and, in the past, several authors have suggested that these may warrant recognition at the generic level. We here combine morphological, behavioural, karyotypical and genetic data to show that these contrasts are, indeed, significantly large and consistent. We propose Xanthonycticebus gen. nov. as a new genus name for the pygmy slow lorises and suggest a common name of pygmy lorises. Based on analysis of complete mitochondrial DNA sequences, we calculate the divergence of pygmy from slow lorises at 9.9–10.0%. The median date, calculated for the divergence between Xanthonycticebus and Nycticebus, is 10.5 Mya (range 4.9–21.0 Mya). Xanthonycticebus differs from Nycticebus by showing sympatry with other slow loris species, by habitually giving birth to twins, by showing seasonal body mass and whole body coat colour changes (absent in other species living at similar latitudes) and a multi-male, multi-female social system. Pygmy lorises are easily recognisable by the absence of hair on their ears and more protruding premaxilla. Xanthonycticebus is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trade despite legal protection across their range and all slow lorises are listed on appendix 1 of CITES. The suggested nomenclatural changes should not affect their legal status.

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Short Communication Wed, 23 Mar 2022 17:19:04 +0200
Genetic evidence for the recognition of two allopatric species of Asian bronze featherback Notopterus (Teleostei, Osteoglossomorpha, Notopteridae) https://zse.pensoft.net/article/51350/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(2): 449-454

DOI: 10.3897/zse.96.51350

Authors: Sébastien Lavoué, Siti Zafirah Ghazali, Jamsari Amirul Firdaus Jamaluddin, Siti Azizah Mohd Nor, Khaironizam Md. Zain

Abstract: The fish genus Notopterus Lacepède, 1800 (Notopteridae) currently includes only one species, the Asian bronze featherback Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769). This common freshwater species is widely distributed in the Oriental region, from the Indus basin in the west, the Mekong basin in the east and Java Island in the south. To examine the phylogeographic structure of N. notopterus across its range, we analysed 74 publicly available cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequences, 72 of them determined from known-origin specimens, along with four newly-determined sequences from Peninsular Malaysian specimens. We found that N. notopterus is a complex of two allopatric species that diverge from each other by 7.5% mean p-distance. The first species is endemic to South Asia (from Indus basin to Ganga-Brahmaputra system), whereas the distribution of the second species is restricted to Southeast Asia. The exact limit between the distributions of these two species is not known, but it should fall somewhere between the Ganga-Brahmaputra and Salween basins, a region already identified as a major faunal boundary in the Oriental region. The name N. notopterus is retained for the Southeast Asian species, while the name Notopterus synurus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) should be applied to the South Asian species. A comparative morphological study is needed to reveal the degree of morphological differentiation between the two species.

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Short Communication Wed, 1 Jul 2020 16:18:03 +0300
Frogs of the genus Platypelis from the Sorata massif in northern Madagascar: description of a new species and reports of range extensions https://zse.pensoft.net/article/47088/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 263-274

DOI: 10.3897/zse.96.47088

Authors: Andolalao Rakotoarison, Mark D. Scherz, Jörn Köhler, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina, Oliver Hawlitschek, Steven Megson, Miguel Vences, Frank Glaw

Abstract: We describe a new species of arboreal microhylid frog, genus Platypelis, from northeastern Madagascar and report the expansion of distribution ranges of two other species. Platypelis laetus sp. nov. is small to medium-sized (24.3–25.6 mm snout-vent length) compared to other Platypelis, exhibits a greenish colored throat and was found in bamboo forest of the Sorata Massif. Its advertisement call consists of a single short tonal note repeated at regular intervals in long call series. Based on DNA sequences of a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, the new species was placed in a clade with Platypelis olgae from the Tsaratanana Massif, and with two other, unconfirmed candidate species from the Sorata Massif and from Andravory, herein named Platypelis sp. Ca12 and Ca13. Molecular divergences among these lineages were substantial, amounting to 7.6‒8.1% uncorrected 16S p-distance to the closest nominal species, P. olgae, from which the new species is also distinguished by a lack of allele sharing in the nuclear RAG-1 gene. We also provide new records of Platypelis alticola and P. tsaratananaensis from the Sorata Massif, supported by molecular analysis. This confirms a wider distribution of these two species that previously were considered to be endemic to the Tsaratanana Massif. However, their populations in Sorata were characterized by a certain degree of genetic differentiation from Tsaratanana populations suggesting they require more detailed taxonomic assessment.

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Research Article Fri, 5 Jun 2020 16:58:35 +0300
Mitochondrial discordance in closely related Theridion spiders (Araneae, Theridiidae), with description of a new species of the T. melanurum group https://zse.pensoft.net/article/49946/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 159-173

DOI: 10.3897/zse.96.49946

Authors: Marc Domènech, Luís C. Crespo, Alba Enguídanos, Miquel A. Arnedo

Abstract: The incorporation of molecular data into current taxonomic practise has unravelled instances of incongruence among different data sets. Here we report a case of mitochondrial discordance in cobweb spiders of the genus Theridion Walckenaer, 1805 from the Iberian Peninsula. Morphological examination of samples from a country-wide bioinventory initiative revealed the existence of a putative new species and two nominal species belonging to the Theridion melanurum species group. The morphological delineation was supported by the molecular analysis of a nuclear marker but was at odds with the groups circumscribed by a mitochondrial marker. The causes of this discordance remained uncertain, once sample and sequencing errors and the existence of pseudogenes were discarded. The full sorting observed in the alleles of the more slowly evolving nuclear marker ruled out incomplete lineage sorting, while the geographic patterns recovered were difficult to reconciliate with ongoing hybridization. We propose that the apparent incongruence observed is most likely the result of old introgression events in a group with high dispersal abilities. We further speculate that endosymbiont-driven cytoplasmatic incompatibility could be involved in the fixation of mitochondrial haplotypes across species barriers. Additionally, we describe the new species T. promiscuum sp. nov., based on the presence of diagnostic morphological traits, backed up by the nuclear data delimitation. Our study contributes yet another example of the perils of relying on single methods or data sources to summarise the variation generated by multiple processes acting through thousands of years of evolution and supports the key role of biological inventories in improving our knowledge of invertebrate biodiversity.

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Research Article Mon, 4 May 2020 10:06:51 +0300
Guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on taxonomy https://zse.pensoft.net/article/49225/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 139-158

DOI: 10.3897/zse.96.49225

Authors: Marcus Bevilaqua

Abstract: Figures for scientific publications go through various stages from the planning, to the capturing of images, to the production of finished figures for publication. This guide is meant to familiarise the reader with the main image-editing software used by professional photographers. The guide’s focus is on digital photo editing and the production of figures using Adobe Photoshop to produce publication-quality figures for scientific publications. This guide will be of fundamental use for the academic public, especially taxonomists and others who work with images. Besides, it should be useful for anyone interested in becoming familiar with the basic tools of image editing.

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Research Article Mon, 4 May 2020 08:13:35 +0300
Deciphering conserved identical sequences of mature miRNAs among six members of great apes https://zse.pensoft.net/article/28099/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 94(2): 401-408

DOI: 10.3897/zse.94.28099

Authors: Aftab Ali Shah, Mushtaq Ahmad, Taqweem Ul-Haq

Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small RNA molecules which act as negative regulators of gene expression by controlling post-transcriptional regulation through binding to their corresponding mRNAs. Due to their small size, their nucleotide compositions are expected to be similar, but until now, the extent of similarity has not been reported in humans and their six phylogenetically closely related members of hominids. The present study allows direct comparison among six members of hominid species (Homo sapiens, Gorilla gorilla, Pan paniscus, Pongo pygmaeus, Pan troglodytes and Symphalangus syndactylus) in terms of their miRNA repertoire, their evolutionary distance to human, as well as, the categorization of identical species-specific miRNAs. For this purpose, a total of 2694, 370, 157, 673, 590 and 10 mature miRNA sequences of Homo sapiens, Gorilla gorilla, Pan paniscus, Pongo pygmaeus, Pan troglodytes and Symphalangus syndactylus respectively were retrieved from miRbase 22. A total of 12, 4, 4 and 3 conserved clusters with identical miRNA sequences that belong to the same gene families were found in Homo sapiens, Gorilla gorilla, Pongo pygmaeus, Pan troglodytes respectively by neighbor-joining method using MEGA7 software. Interestingly, cross-species comparison has also shown a set of conserved identical miRNA sequences. Homologs of human mature miRNAs with 100% sequence identity are expected to have similar functions in the studied primates. Further in-vitro study is required to investigate common targets for identical miRNAs in the studied primates.

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Research Article Wed, 22 Aug 2018 14:56:45 +0300
Description of a new species of Homonota (Reptilia, Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) from the central region of northern Paraguay https://zse.pensoft.net/article/21754/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 94(1): 147-161

DOI: 10.3897/zse.94.21754

Authors: Pier Cacciali, Mariana Morando, Luciano Javier Avila, Gunther Koehler

Abstract: Homonota is a gecko distributed in central and southern South America with 12 species allocated in three groups. In this work, we performed molecular and morphological analyses of samples of Homonota from the central region of northern Paraguay, comparing the data with those of related species of the group: H. horrida and H. septentrionalis. We found strong molecular evidence (based on 16S, Cyt-b, and PRLR gene sequences) to distinguish this lineage as a new species. Morphological statistical analysis showed that females of the three species are different in metric characters (SVL and TL as the most contributing variables), whereas males are less differentiated. No robust differences were found in meristic characters. The most remarkable trait for the diagnosis of the new species is the presence of well-developed keeled tubercles on the sides of the neck, and lack of a white band (crescent-shaped) in the occipital area, which is present in H. horrida and H. septentrionalis. Nevertheless, in our sample, we found three specimens (one juvenile and two young adults) that exhibit the white occipital band. Thus, this character seems only reliable in adults of the new species. The new species is parapatric to H. septentrionalis, both inhabiting the Dry Chaco of Paraguay.

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Research Article Wed, 28 Feb 2018 16:18:50 +0200
Genetic structuring in the Pyramid Elimia, Elimia potosiensis (Gastropoda, Pleuroceridae), with implications for pleurocerid conservation https://zse.pensoft.net/article/14856/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 93(2): 437-449

DOI: 10.3897/zse.93.14856

Authors: Russell Minton, Bethany McGregor, David Hayes, Christopher Paight, Kentaro Inoue

Abstract: The Interior Highlands, in southern North America, possesses a distinct fauna with numerous endemic species. Many freshwater taxa from this area exhibit genetic structuring consistent with biogeography, but this notion has not been explored in freshwater snails. Using mitochondrial 16S DNA sequences and ISSRs, we aimed to examine genetic structuring in the Pyramid Elimia, Elimia potosiensis, at various geographic scales. On a broad scale, maximum likelihood and network analyses of 16S data revealed a high diversity of mitotypes lacking biogeographic patterns across the range of E. potosiensis. On smaller geographic scales, ISSRs revealed significant population structure, even over the distance of a few hundred meters. Unlike other freshwater mollusks like mussels, E. potosiensis showed no evolutionary patterns relating to biogeography. The species does show population-level genetic structure, which may have implications in conservation efforts.

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Research Article Wed, 15 Nov 2017 10:10:31 +0200