Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic range evolution in cat-eyed snakes, Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L Weinell ◽  
Anthony J Barley ◽  
Cameron D Siler ◽  
Nikolai L Orlov ◽  
Natalia B Ananjeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Boiga Irregularis ◽  
Brown Tree Snake ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dispersal Events

Abstract The genus Boiga includes 35, primarily arboreal snake species distributed from the Middle East to Australia and many islands in the western Pacific, with particularly high species diversity in South-East Asia. Despite including the iconic mangrove snakes (Boiga dendrophila complex) and the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis; infamous for avian extinctions on small islands of the Pacific), species-level phylogenetic relationships and the biogeographic history of this ecologically and morphologically distinct clade are poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for 24 Boiga species and used these data to estimate a robust phylogenetic inference, in order to (1) test the hypothesis that Boiga is monophyletic, (2) evaluate the validity of current species-level taxonomy and (3) examine whether geographic range evolution in Boiga is consistent with expectations concerning dispersal and colonization of vertebrates between continents and islands. Our results support the prevailing view that most dispersal events are downstream – from continents to oceanic islands – but we also identify a role for upstream dispersal from oceanic islands to continents. Additionally, the novel phylogeny of Boiga presented here is informative for updating species-level taxonomy within the genus.

scholarly journals Out of Arabia: A Complex Biogeographic History of Multiple Vicariance and Dispersal Events in the Gecko Genus Hemidactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. e64018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Šmíd ◽  
Salvador Carranza ◽  
Lukáš Kratochvíl ◽  
Václav Gvoždík ◽  
Abdul Karim Nasher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biogeographic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dispersal Events

scholarly journals Phylogenetic diversity as a window into the evolutionary and biogeographic histories of present-day richness gradients for mammals

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1576) ◽  
pp. 2414-2425 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Jonathan Davies ◽  
Lauren B. Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Environmental Predictors ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Shared Ancestry ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dispersal Events

Phylogenetic diversity (PD) captures the shared ancestry of species, and is increasingly being recognized as a valuable conservation currency. Regionally, PD frequently covaries closely with species richness; however, variation in speciation and extinction rates and/or the biogeographic history of lineages can result in significant deviation. Locally, these differences may be pronounced. Rapid recent speciation or high temporal turnover of lineages can result in low PD but high richness. In contrast, rare dispersal events, for example, between biomes, can elevate PD but have only small impact on richness. To date, environmental predictors of species richness have been well studied but global models explaining variation in PD are lacking. Here, we contrast the global distribution of PD versus species richness for terrestrial mammals. We show that an environmental model of lineage diversification can predict well the discrepancy in the distribution of these two variables in some places, for example, South America and Africa but not others, such as Southeast Asia. When we have information on multiple diversity indices, conservation efforts directed towards maximizing one currency or another (e.g. species richness versus PD) should also consider the underlying processes that have shaped their distributions.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of the unique Saxifraga sect. Irregulares (Saxifragaceae) from eastern Asia

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 958-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng‐Hua Zhang ◽  
Chao‐Yong Wang ◽  
Cheng Zhang ◽  
Dai‐Gui Zhang ◽  
Ke‐Gang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Mitochondrial genomes and thousands of ultraconserved elements resolve the taxonomy and historical biogeography of the Euphonia and Chlorophonia finches (Passeriformes: Fringillidae)

The Auk ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler S Imfeld ◽  
F Keith Barker ◽  
Robb T Brumfield
Keyword(s):  
Divergence Time ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Mitochondrial Genomes ◽  
South American ◽  
Isthmus Of Panama ◽  
Eastern Hemisphere ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Dispersal Events ◽  
South American Origin

Abstract Relationships of the Neotropical finches in the genera Euphonia and Chlorophonia (Fringillidae: Euphoniinae) have been clarified by recent molecular studies, but species-level relationships within this group have not been thoroughly addressed. In this study, we sampled specimens representing every recognized species of these genera, in addition to 2 outgroup taxa, and used target enrichment to sequence thousands of ultraconserved element (UCE) loci, as well as mitochondrial DNA reconstructed from off-target reads, from each specimen to infer these relationships. We constructed both concatenation and coalescent-based estimates of phylogeny from this dataset using matrices of varying levels of completeness, and we generated a time-scaled ultrametric tree using a recently published fossil-based external calibration. We found uniformly strong support for a monophyletic subfamily Euphoniinae and genus Chlorophonia, but a paraphyletic Euphonia across UCEs and mitochondrial genomes. Otherwise, our inferred relationships were largely concordant with previous studies. Our time-tree indicated a stem divergence time of 13.8 million years ago for this lineage, followed by a relatively young crown age of only 7.1 myr. Reconstructions of biogeographic history based on this tree suggest a South American origin for crown Euphoniinae, possibly resulting from a transoceanic dispersal event from the Eastern Hemisphere, followed by 2 dispersal events into the Caribbean and as many as 6 invasions of North America coinciding with recent estimates of the age at which the Isthmus of Panama had completely formed. We recommend splitting Euphonia and resurrecting the genus Cyanophonia for the 3 blue-hooded species more closely related to Chlorophonia. Based on our results, we suspect that there is undescribed species-level diversity in at least one, possibly many, widespread and phenotypically diverse species.

scholarly journals A Molecular Phylogeny of Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) With Insights Into Early Biogeographic History

The Auk ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 487-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Moyle
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Nuclear Data ◽  
Australian Region ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Species Analysis ◽  
The Family ◽  
Dispersal Events ◽  
Natural Groups

Abstract The phylogeny of kingfishers was reconstructed by comparing mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences representing 38 ingroup species. Analysis of the combined data and the nuclear data alone recovered the Alcedininae as the basal lineage in the family. This basal arrangement, and support for many relationships within the three subfamilies, allows discussion of biogeographic issues. The Australian region and Pacific islands display the highest diversity of kingfishers, but this diversity is not a reflection of a long history in the region. Rather, high diversity and endemism in the Australian region is inferred to result from relatively recent radiations from southern Asia. The most parsimonious explanation for the origin of New World taxa is two dispersal events from the Old World. Within the large Halcyon radiation, the phylogeny is well resolved and allows evaluation of generic assignments. The phylogeny supports splitting Todiramphus from Halcyon. Todiramphus and Syma are sister taxa, as are Halcyon and Pelargopsis. Thus, merging or retaining those genera is a more subjective decision. Although not fully resolved, relationships within the alcedinines indicate that Ceyx and Alcedo, as currently delimited, are not natural groups. Phylogénie Moléculaire des Alcedinidae avec un Aperçu de l'Histoire Biogéographique Ancienne

The “Cobra-preta” of São Tomé Island, Gulf of Guinea, is a new species of Naja Laurenti, 1768 (Squamata: Elapidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4324 (1) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUIS M. P. CERÍACO ◽  
MARIANA P. MARQUES ◽  
ANDREAS SCHMITZ ◽  
AARON M. BAUER
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Gulf Of Guinea ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Morphological And Molecular Data ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
A New Species

The Cobra-Preta (black snake in Portuguese) of Sao Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea has historically been referred to as Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca (Squamata: Elapidae). Its presence on the island has been traditionally explained as an introduction from the mainland by Portuguese settlers, supposedly to control the rat population. This explanation has been widely accepted by local authorities and even international conservation agencies. The taxonomic identity of this snake has remained undisputed by all taxonomists who have published about it, with the exception of L. Capocaccia in 1961. Arguments supporting the human introduction hypothesis are weak and are contradicted by historical, morphological and molecular data. Further, the biogeographic history of the Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands and recent insights on the taxonomic identity and evolutionary history of other taxonomic groups occurring there suggest that the Cobra-Preta, in fact, represents a distinct lineage of the melanoleuca group, endemic to São Tomé. We here describe the Cobra Preta as a new species. The new species differs from N. (B.) melanoleuca, its sister species, by a distinct coloration ventral pattern and the type of contact of the sublingual scales. Data on the toxicology, distribution, ecology, folklore and conservation status of the new species are presented. 

Evolutionary biogeography and tectonic history of the ghost moth families Hepialidae, Mnesarchaeidae, and Palaeosetidae in the Southwest Pacific (Lepidoptera: Exoporia)

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4415 (2) ◽  
pp. 243 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN R. GREHAN ◽  
CARLOS G.C. MIELKE
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Fault Zone ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Lateral Displacement ◽  
Southwest Pacific ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
History Of

The biogeographic history of Exoporia (Lepidoptera) in the Southwest Pacific is reconstructed for genera and species that show distributional boundaries corresponding to tectonic structures in the region. Correlations with tectonic formations of Mesozoic origin such as the Whitsunday Volcanic Province and Otway-Bass-Gippsland Basin system in Australia, the Vitiaz Fracture Zone in northern Melanesia, and the Western Province-Eastern Province boundary, Waitaki Fault Zone, and Waihemo Fault Zone of New Zealand are presented as evidence of an East Gondwana origin for genera and species before the geological separation of Australia and New Zealand. The correlated boundaries also suggest that many extant species retain at least parts of their original East Gondwana distribution ranges. The presence of Exoporia on the northern Melanesian Arc, New Caledonia, and New Zealand is attributed to the tectonic isolation of these areas when East Gondwana expanded into the Pacific following retreat of the Pacific Plate subduction zone. Local endemism of Mnesarchaeidae in New Zealand is interpreted as the result of an original vicariance from a widespread ancestor (‘Exoporia’) resulting in two allopatric descendants —a narrowly distributed Mnesarchoidea and a widely distributed Hepialoidea. The current overlap of these two groups in New Zealand is explained as the result of subsequent range expansion by the Hepialoidea prior to geological fragmentation of East Gondwana. The potential impact of Cretaceous geography on modern distributions is also considered for Exoporia in southern Africa and northern America. Along with lateral displacement of Exoporia, tectonic processes also contributed to the origin of high elevation endemics through a process of passive tectonic uplift. 

scholarly journals Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical history of the large extinct European testudinids

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Vlachos ◽  
Adán Pérez-García ◽  
Márton Rabi
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
History Of ◽  
In The Beginning

Background. Large-sized testudinids had a long evolutionary history in Europe during the last 50 million years before becoming extinct in the beginning of the Pleistocene. Despite a 150-year long history in research and a decent fossil record, the European large testudinids have received limited attention so far. Methods. New excavations, descriptions of new specimens from Greece, Spain and Germany, revisions of previously published European taxa and comparative studies with extant testudinids now provide a major advancement in understanding the anatomy and evolutionary history of these turtles. This contribution aims to provide an updated summary of the accumulated knowledge on European large tortoises and to explore in detail their phylogenetic relationships in a global context (including small-sized extinct and extant taxa). The phylogenetic analysis is based on a new character/taxon matrix of morphological characters. Parsimony analysis was performed both with and without molecular backbone constraints. Results. We describe new material of large testudinids from Greece, Spain and Germany and revise most of the available material that has been previously published. Our morphology-based results are promising since they are consistent with recent molecular studies in identifying large testudinids traditionally referred to the Geochelone complex as polyphyletic. Furthermore, we were able to reproduce the molecular phylogeny of Mediterranean tortoises (Testudona). Discussion. The phylogenetic framework presented here allows addressing several open questions of the history of testudinids. First of all, it hints to a more complex biogeographic history of European testudinids than previously recognized. Although the early Paleogene history of testudinids cannot be accurately traced at the moment it seems probable that, besides Asia and North America, Europe also played a major role in the early diversification of Testudinidae. We demonstrate that large European testudinids do not form a monophyletic lineage. The widely recognized genus Cheirogaster should only include the Eocene type species, and exclude other large Paleogene or giant Neogene taxa so far known. Our analysis reveals that large size evolved independently in several clades and in several continents during warmer parts of the Cenozoic. Besides this general scheme other factors might have played a role regionally (e.g. changes in vegetation, island isolation).

scholarly journals Phylogeny of the Hawkmoth Tribe Ambulycini (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae): Mitogenomes from Museum Specimens Resolve Major Relationships

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martijn J T N Timmermans ◽  
Sainab M Daghmoumi ◽  
Deborah Glass ◽  
Chris A Hamilton ◽  
Akito Y Kawahara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Tropical Asia ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Dispersal Events

Abstract Ambulycini are a cosmopolitan tribe of the moth family Sphingidae, comprised of 10 genera, 3 of which are found in tropical Asia, 4 in the Neotropics, 1 in Africa, 1 in the Middle East, and 1 restricted to the islands of New Caledonia. Recent phylogenetic analyses of the tribe have yielded conflicting results, and some have suggested a close relationship of the monobasic New Caledonian genus CompsulyxHolloway, 1979 to the Neotropical ones, despite being found on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. Here, we investigate relationships within the tribe using full mitochondrial genomes, mainly derived from dry-pinned museum collections material. Mitogenomic data were obtained for 19 species representing nine of the 10 Ambulycini genera. Phylogenetic trees are in agreement with a tropical Asian origin for the tribe. Furthermore, results indicate that the Neotropical genus Adhemarius Oiticica Filho, 1939 is paraphyletic and support the notion that OrectaRothschild & Jordan 1903 and TrogolegnumRothschild & Jordan, 1903 may need to be synonymized. Finally, in our analysis the Neotropical genera do not collectively form a monophyletic group, due to a clade comprising the New Caledonian genus Compsulyx and the African genus BatocnemaRothschild & Jordan, 1903 being placed as sister to the Neotropical genus ProtambulyxRothschild & Jordan, 1903. This finding implies a complex biogeographic history and suggests the evolution of the tribe involved at least two long-distance dispersal events.

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