Phylogenetic-Relationships Among Australian Tree Frogs (Anura, Hylidae, Pelodryadinae) - an Immunological Approach

1987 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
MN Hutchinson ◽  
LR Maxson

Phylogenetic relationships among hylid frogs of the Australian region were studied by micro-complement fixation comparisons of serum albumin. Although our data support current species-group arrangements, we do not find good agreement between our phylogenetic hypotheses and those derived from morphological and karyological studies. Immunological analyses provide data which allow the construction of a phylogeny for the Australian radiation of the speciose genus Litoria, and suggest dividing the species of Litoria examined into five major species-assemblages, each of which is probably monophyletic. The sister- group relationship between the Litoria aurea group and Cyclorana is confirmed, and the diphyletic origin of the terrestrial hylids is supported. The radiation of Australian hylids is monophyletic with respect to the outgroup taxon (Hyla) used in this study, and the origin of diversification within the genus correlates well with estimates of the final separation of Australia from Antarctica-South America. Preliminary data suggest that the endemic New Guinean taxa (Nyctimystes and the montane Litoria) are closely related to the Australian 'freycineti' assemblage within Litoria. Albumin from Litoria infrafrenata cross-reacted poorly with all available Australian antisera, suggesting that this species may have originated independently of the rest of the Australian hylids. Our data support the classification of Australian tree frogs as hylids, rather than as leptodactyloid offshoots.

2011 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
pp. 662-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Pollet ◽  
Christoph Germann ◽  
Marco Valerio Bernasconi

AbstractMedetera Fischer von Waldheim is the most speciose genus in the Medeterinae, with a nearly ubiquitous global distribution. Phylogenetic relationships within Medetera and between Medetera and four other medeterine genera were investigated using mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (18S) markers to test morphological hypotheses. Our results confirm most of Bickel's hypotheses. Thrypticus Gerstäcker shows a sister-group relationship with Medetera + Dolichophorus Lichtwardt. The Medetera species included here split into two clades. One clade corresponds to the M. diadema L. – veles Loew species group sensu Bickel. The second clade is largely composed of the M. apicalis (Zetterstedt) species group sensu Bickel and the M. aberrans Wheeler species group sensu Bickel + Dolichophorus. Although most Medeterinae are associated with plants (mainly trees), species in at least two separate lineages demonstrate a secondary return to terrestrial habitats. The implication of this evolutionary phenomenon is briefly discussed.


2004 ◽  
Vol 73 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 3-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald A. Jenner

This paper critically assesses all morphological cladistic analyses of the Metazoa that were published during the last one and a half decades. Molecular and total evidence analyses are also critically reviewed. This study focuses on evaluating alternative phylogenetic positions of the ‘acoelomate’ worms: Platyhelminthes, Nemertea, and Gnathostomulida. This paper consists of two parts. In Part I, all recently proposed sister group hypotheses and the supporting synapomorphies for these phyla are evaluated. Discrepancies in the treatment of corresponding characters in different cladistic analyses are identified, and where possible, resolved. In Part II, the overall phylogenetic significance across the Metazoa of all characters relevant for placing the ‘acoelomate’ worms is examined. The coding and scoring of these characters for other phyla are evaluated, and uncertainties in our understanding are pointed out in order to guide future research. The characters discussed in this paper are broadly categorized as follows: epidermis and cuticle, reproduction and sexual condition, development, larval forms, coeloms and mesoderm source, nervous system and sensory organs, nephridia, musculature, digestive system, and miscellaneous characters. Competing phylogenetic hypotheses are compared in terms of several criteria: 1) taxon sampling and the fulfillment of domain of definition for each character; 2) character sampling; 3) character coding; 4) character scoring and quality of primary homology; 5) quality of the proposed diagnostic synapomorphies as secondary homologies. On the basis of this study I conclude that a sister group for the Platyhelminthes has not yet been unambiguously established. A clade minimally composed of Neotrochozoa (Mollusca, Sipuncula, Echiura, Annelida) emerges as the most likely sister group of the Nemertea on the basis of morphological and total evidence analyses. Finally, morphological data currrently favor a sister group relationship of Gnathostomulida and Syndermata (probably plus Micrognathozoa). In contrast, molecular or total evidence analyses have not identified a reliable sister group of Gnathostomulida.Further progress in our understanding of metazoan phylogeny crucially depends on the improvement of the quality of currently adopted cladistic data matrices. A thorough reassessment of many of the more than 70 morphological characters discussed here is necessary. Despite the recent compilation of comprehensive data matrices, the power to test competing hypotheses of higher-level metazoan relationships is critically compromised due to uncritical data selection and poor character study in even the most recently published cladistic analyses.


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3150 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
XIAOMING GU ◽  
HUI WANG ◽  
RONGRONG CHEN ◽  
YINGZHOU TIAN ◽  
SONG LI

We examined phylogenetic relationships among newst of the genus Paramesotriton using partial mitochondrial gene se-quences, including the ND2-tRNATyr region (1415 bp) and the 12S rDNA-tRNAVal -16S rDNA region (1774 bp), from 42individuals of 10 recognized Paramesotriton species and outgroups by Bayesian inference (BI), Maximum likelihood(ML) and Maximum Parsimony (MP) methods. We found that, (1) Laotriton laoensis is the sister group of Paramesotri-ton, (2) the genus Paramesotriton is monophyletic, composed of either the P. caudopunctatus species group and the P.chinensis species group, or the subgenera Allomesotriton and Paramesotriton (3) P. longliensis and P. zhijinensis shouldbe placed in the P. caudopunctatus species group or subgenus Allomesotriton; (4) P. fuzhongensis is not a junior synonym of P. chinensis, and there is a close phylogenetic relationship between P. fuzhongensis and P. guangxiensis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-356
Author(s):  
DANY AZAR ◽  
SIBELLE MAKSOUD

Psychodidae Newman, 1834 is a large family of small, hairy nematoceran dipterans, comprising more than 2,600 described extant species. It is currently subdivided into seven subfamilies: Bruchomyiinae Alexander, 1920, Horaiellinae Enderlein, 1936, Phlebotominae Rondani, 1840, Psychodinae Newman, 1834, Sycoracinae Jung, 1954, Trichomyiinae Tonnoir, 1922, and the fossil subfamily Protopsychodinae Stebner et al., 2015. Some authors consider the group to consist of two families, i.e., Psychodidae and Phlebotomidae (Williams, 1993; Azar et al., 1999). This fact is founded only on the hematophagous and medically important aspects of the phlebotomines, nevertheless this arrangement is unfounded, because the phylogenetic relationships between the psychodid subfamilies remain unresolved, even if there is a possible sister-group relationship between the Phlebotominae and Psychodinae (Curler & Moulton, 2012). We consider recognizing phlebotomines as a separate family would necessitate also giving separate familial status to all the currently recognized subfamilies, which is not adopted here.


1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 556-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory W. Courtney

The cuticular structure of larval mountain midges (Diptera: Deuterophlebiidae) is described, with emphasis on cranial and mouthpart morphology. Homologies are suggested for musculature and external features of the head capsule. External morphology of the thorax and abdomen is described, and a system for deuterophlebiid larval chaetotaxy is presented. Also included is a discussion of the feeding behaviour of deuterophlebiid and blepharicerid larvae, and how differing morphological characteristics influence mechanisms of food acquisition. Larval morphology of the Deuterophlebiidae and other Nematocera provides support for (i) a sister-group relationship between the Deuterophlebiidae and Blephariceridae; (ii) a monophyletic Blephariceromorpha (sensu Wood and Borkent) composed of the Nymphomyiidae + (Deuterophlebiidae + Blephariceridae); and (iii) a sister-group relationship between the Blephariceromorpha and Psychodomorpha (sensu Wood and Borkent).


2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Oliver ◽  
Mark N. Hutchinson ◽  
Steven J. B. Cooper

Diplodactylid geckos offer a model system for investigating the biogeographic history of Australia and adaptive radiations in the arid zone, but there is considerable uncertainty in the systematics of several key genera. We used sequence data from mitochondrial DNA to carry out a comprehensive analysis of phylogenetic relationships of geckos in the genus Diplodactylus. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses were highly concordant and allocated all species to one of two monophyletic clades, one comprising the species placed in the vittatus and conspicillatus species groups, the other comprising species placed in the stenodactylus and steindachneri species groups, plus D. byrnei, formerly in the vittatus group. The distinctness of these two clades is supported by external morphology of the digits, body and limb proportions, and osteology of the bones in the orbital region, and we use these characters to formally define the two clades as genera. We revive and expand the genus Lucasium for D. byrnei, D. steindachneri and the stenodactylus group, with the other species staying in a redefined Diplodactylus. The monotypic Rhynchoedura is distinct from Lucasium, although the Bayesian mtDNA analysis (but not parsimony) gives some support for a sister-group relationship between Lucasium and Rhynchoedura. Molecular data suggest that each of these clades represents a distinct radiation into semiarid and arid terrestrial habitats during the mid-Tertiary, well before the hypothesised Pliocene onset of major aridification.


2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 455-498
Author(s):  
Kai Horst George

Uncovering the systematics of CopepodaHarpacticoida, the second-most abundant component of the meiobenthos after Nematoda, is of major importance for any further research dedicated especially to ecological and biogeographical approaches. Based on the evolution of the podogennontan first swimming leg, a new phylogenetic concept of the Ancorabolidae Sars and Cletodidae T. Scott sensu Por (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) is presented, using morphological characteristics. It confirms the polyphyletic status of the Ancorabolidae and its subfamily Ancorabolinae Sars and the paraphyletic status of the subfamily Laophontodinae Lang. Moreover, it clarifies the phylogenetic relationships of the so far assigned members of the family. An exhaustive phylogenetic analysis was undertaken using 150 morphological characters, resulting in the establishment of a now well-justified monophylum Ancorabolidae. In that context, the Ancorabolus-lineage sensu Conroy-Dalton and Huys is elevated to sub-family rank. Furthermore, the membership of Ancorabolina George in a rearranged monophylum Laophontodinae is confirmed. Conversely, the Ceratonotus-group sensu Conroy-Dalton is transferred from the hitherto Ancorabolinae to the Cletodidae. Within these, the Ceratonotus-group and its hypothesised sister-group Cletodes Brady are combined to form a monophyletic subfamily Cletodinae T. Scott, subfam. nov. Consequently, it was necessary to restructure the Ancorabolidae, Ancorabolinae and Laophontodinae and extend the Cletodidae to include the displacement and exclusion of certain taxa. Moreover, comparison of the Ancorabolidae, Cletodidae, Laophontoidea and other Podogennonta shows that the Ancorabolidae and Cletodidae form sister-groups in a monophylum Cletodoidea Bowman and Abele, which similarly has a sister-group-relationship with the Laophontoidea T. Scott. According to the present study, both taxa constitute a derived monophylum within the Podogennonta Lang.


Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1863 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
PATRICK S. DRUCKENMILLER ◽  
ANTHONY P. RUSSELL

Leptocleidus Andrews, 1922 is a poorly known plesiosaur genus from Lower Cretaceous successions of the UK, South Africa, and Australia. Historically, there has been little consensus regarding its phylogenetic position within Plesiosauria, largely because of its seemingly aberrant combination of a relatively small skull and short neck. As a result, a diverse array of potential sister groups have been posited for Leptocleidus, including long-necked Cretaceous elasmosaurids, Early Jurassic “rhomaleosaurs”, and Middle to Late Jurassic pliosaurids. A cladistic analysis including Leptocleidus, and a new, apparently morphologically similar specimen from Alberta, TMP 94.122.01, was undertaken to assess their phylogenetic position within Plesiosauria. A character-taxon matrix was assembled afresh, consisting of 33 operational taxonomic units sampled broadly among plesiosaurs. 185 cranial and postcranial characters used in plesiosaur phylogenetics were critically reanalyzed, of which 152 were employed in the parsimony analysis. The results indicate a basal dichotomous split into the traditionally recognized pliosauroid and plesiosauroid clades. Nested within Pliosauroidea, a monophyletic Leptocleididae was recovered, consisting of L. superstes Andrews, 1922 and L. capensis (Andrews, 1911a). In contrast to earlier suggestions, Leptocleidus neither clusters with Rhomaleosaurus, which was found to be paraphyletic, nor with large-skulled pliosaurid taxa, such as Simolestes. Rather, a sister group relationship between Cretaceous Polycotylidae and Leptocleididae was recovered, which is here named Leptocleidoidea. Although TMP 94.122.01 is superficially similar to Leptocleidus, several discrete characters of the skull nest this new taxon within Polycotylidae. Compared to other phylogenetic hypotheses of plesiosaurs, these results are more congruent with respect to the stratigraphic distribution of leptocleidoids. A classification for Plesiosauria is presented.


2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1895) ◽  
pp. 20182076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic A. Evangelista ◽  
Benjamin Wipfler ◽  
Olivier Béthoux ◽  
Alexander Donath ◽  
Mari Fujita ◽  
...  

Phylogenetic relationships among subgroups of cockroaches and termites are still matters of debate. Their divergence times and major phenotypic transitions during evolution are also not yet settled. We addressed these points by combining the first nuclear phylogenomic study of termites and cockroaches with a thorough approach to divergence time analysis, identification of endosymbionts, and reconstruction of ancestral morphological traits and behaviour. Analyses of the phylogenetic relationships within Blattodea robustly confirm previously uncertain hypotheses such as the sister-group relationship between Blaberoidea and remaining Blattodea, and Lamproblatta being the closest relative to the social and wood-feeding Cryptocercus and termites. Consequently, we propose new names for various clades in Blattodea: Cryptocercus + termites = Tutricablattae; Lamproblattidae + Tutricablattae = Kittrickea; and Blattoidea + Corydioidea = Solumblattodea. Our inferred divergence times contradict previous studies by showing that most subgroups of Blattodea evolved in the Cretaceous, reducing the gap between molecular estimates of divergence times and the fossil record. On a phenotypic level, the blattodean ground-plan is for egg packages to be laid directly in a hole while other forms of oviposition, including ovovivipary and vivipary, arose later. Finally, other changes in egg care strategy may have allowed for the adaptation of nest building and other novelties.


2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 590-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Chun Wu ◽  
Donald B. Brinkman

Albertosuchus knudsenii gen. et sp. nov. is described on the basis of an incomplete skeleton from the lower part (uppermost Cretaceous) of the Scollard Formation, southern Alberta, Canada. It is probably a crocodyloid, the only Canadian representative of the group and also the sole crocodylian known during the latest Cretaceous in Canada. Within the Crocodyloidea, A. knudsenii is one of the most basal forms and shares a sister-group relationship with the European genus Arenysuchus. However, it needs to be emphasized that because of its incompleteness, phylogenetic relationships proposed here for A. knudsenii may change when better-preserved specimens are found. Albertosuchus knudsenii differs from other crocodyloids in having no premaxilla-maxillary notch, a very short mandibular symphysis with the involvement of the splenial, and an extremely deep hypapophysis on the last cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae. The discovery of A. knudsenii may expand the geographical range of the Crocodyloidea into Canada during the Cretaceous. Crocodylians in the lower part of the Scollard Formation are of low diversity compared with that of the corresponding Hell Creek Formation of Montana and Lance Formation of Wyoming, both farther to the south in the USA.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document