Article
Engineering, Marine
Michail Ragkousis, Markos Digenis, Marcelo Kovacic, Stelios Katsanevakis, Vasilis Gerovasileiou
Summary: This study reveals the scarcity of data on the distribution and ecology of cryptobenthic fish in marine caves of the Mediterranean Sea, and presents new records of eight rarely reported species. Complementary citizen science data and in situ observations were used to fill distribution gaps, demonstrating that cryptobenthic mobile species in understudied cryptic habitats are more common than previously thought in the Mediterranean Sea.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
William B. Ludt
Summary: Biogeographers have long been intrigued by the disjunct distributions of flora and fauna, particularly when species are present in temperate or polar regions of both hemispheres but absent near the equator. Researchers have proposed various hypotheses regarding the mechanisms responsible for this pattern and emphasized the importance of using an integrative approach in future studies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maximilian Wagner, Stamatis Zogaris, Patrick Berrebi, Joerg Freyhof, Stephan Koblmueller, Pierre Magnan, Martin Laporte
Summary: In the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, freshwater fishes, particularly the freshwater blenny species of the Salaria genus, are studied for their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships. The research shows that the freshwater blennies are a good model for studying phylogeographic structure in the Mediterranean basin, with differentiation dating back to major environmental changes in the Messinian salinity crisis and further during the Plio- and Pleistocene periods. Despite the wide distribution of Salaria fluviatilis, there are conservation concerns for some distinct populations within the species.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joshua E. Carter, Megan A. Sporre, Ron I. Eytan
Summary: Cryptobenthic reef fishes, as some of the smallest vertebrates and largest producers in reef ecosystems, play a significant role. However, their interrelationships remain poorly understood. This study focuses on Hypleurochilus, a genus with 11 species and a complex taxonomic history. Through various data analysis methods, the relationships between ten Hypleurochilus species were resolved, revealing insights into their biogeography and a potential transatlantic range expansion.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Veronica Marusso, Monica Targusi, Loretta Lattanzi, Benedetta Trabucco, Paolo Tomassetti
Summary: The aim of this paper is to share more information about the presence, biogeographical distribution, and preferred sediment type of cumacean crustaceans in the Italian Seas. A total of 29 species belonging to 5 families were collected and compared with existing fauna checklists and scientific literature.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pedro B. M. Carneiro, Antonio R. Ximenes Neto, Bruno Juca-Queiroz, Carlos E. P. Teixeira, Caroline Feitosa, Cristiane X. Barroso, Helena Matthews-Cascon, Jader O. de Morais, Joao E. P. Freitas, Jones Santander-Neto, Jorge T. de Araujo, Leonardo H. U. Monteiro, Lidriana S. Pinheiro, Marcus D. A. Braga, Ralf T. S. Cordeiro, Sergio Rossi, Sonia Bejarano, Sula Salani, Tatiane M. Garcia, Tito M. C. Lotufo, Tyler B. Smith, Vicente V. Faria, Marcelo O. Soares
Summary: Large gaps in reef distribution hindering biodiversity maintenance in eastern South America have been found to be filled with the presence of extensive reef habitats, creating one of the world's largest continuous tropical marine ecosystems.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kira Krumhansl, Wendy Gentleman, Katherine Lee, Patricia Ramey-Balci, Jace Goodwin, Zeliang Wang, Ben Lowen, Devin Lyons, Thomas W. Therriault, Claudio DiBacco
Summary: This study assesses the role of contemporary oceanography and species traits in shaping observed patterns of biogeography at broad spatial scales. The research area covers the east and west coasts of North America, and the results show that the location of suitable habitat and the season of particle release play a significant role in determining the permeability of biogeographic barriers.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Stephanie Sherpa, Daniele Salvi, Iolanda Silva-Rocha, Thibaut Capblancq, Josephine R. Paris, Miguel Angel Carretero, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: This study combines population genomics, demographic models, and paleogeographical reconstructions to investigate the colonization dynamics of wall lizards in Mediterranean archipelagos. The results reveal that many island populations were colonized long before human settlements, either through land bridges or over-sea rafting. However, islands further from the continent were often colonized more recently, coinciding with historical records of human arrival. Additionally, long-established island populations exhibit lower genetic diversity compared to recently colonized islands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
David Abecasis, Eliza Fragkopoulou, Bruno Claro, Jorge Assis
Summary: Connectivity is crucial for the functioning of marine protected area (MPA) networks, but it is often overlooked in marine spatial planning. This study used biophysical modeling and graph theory to identify key Mediterranean marine reserves that support connectivity between different ecoregions and contribute to recruitment and rescue effects. The results identified 19 reserves with distinct patterns of connectivity, providing important information for the implementation and management of an efficient MPA network in the Mediterranean.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jonathan P. Miller, Diana Delicado, Fernando Garcia-Guerrero, Marian A. Ramos
Summary: Dispersal and other biogeographic processes have played a significant role in shaping the diversity and distribution patterns of the Mercuria snail genus. Using molecular phylogenies and species delimitation methods, this study identified 14 putative species, nine of which were consistent with traditional taxonomy. Biogeographical modelling suggested that recurrent founder-event speciation in the Mediterranean and postglacial northward colonization from Iberian refugia in Atlantic lowlands are the probable processes explaining the species diversity and distribution.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ophelie Da Silva, Sakina-Dorothee Ayata, Enrico Ser-Giacomi, Jade Leconte, Eric Pelletier, Cecile Fauvelot, Mohammed-Amin Madoui, Lionel Guidi, Fabien Lombard, Lucie Bittner
Summary: High-throughput sequencing has revolutionized the study of marine planktonic communities, revealing the diversity of protists in these ecosystems. In this study, the researchers developed a pipeline to analyze the genomic differentiation of three protist species in the Mediterranean Sea. They found that the differentiation is influenced by both environmental and geographic factors. Despite the challenges in using metagenomics for accurate estimation of protist genomic differentiation, this study provides valuable insights into the ecological and evolutionary processes in marine populations.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael J. Landis, Ignacio Quintero, Martha M. Munoz, Felipe Zapata, Michael J. Donoghue
Summary: Geographical features have an impact on species dispersal, extinction, and speciation. This study uses a Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework to transform regional features into evolutionary rates. The results show that distance between regions affects dispersal rates and speciation rates.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caitlin M. Baker, Rebecca S. Buckman-Young, Cristiano S. Costa, Gonzalo Giribet
Summary: RNA sequencing and phylogenomic analysis were used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships within the phylum Onychophora, revealing a well-supported phylogeny for the family Peripatopsidae with signals of Gondwanan vicariance. However, the family Peripatidae in the Neotropical region showed unstable relationships largely due to amino acid-translated sequence data. Discordant phylogenetic signal between genes may indicate a rapid, mid-Cretaceous radiation in the group.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Blandine Trouche, Miriam Brandt, Caroline Belser, Covadonga Orejas, Stephane Pesant, Julie Poulain, Patrick Wincker, Jean-Christophe Auguet, Sophie Arnaud-Haond, Lois Maignien
Summary: The study found that the biogeographic patterns of seafloor microbial communities depend on scale and are influenced by environmental factors such as water depth, oceanic basin, water temperature, and sediment depth. Increasing sediment depth may lead to enhanced divergence of deeper horizon communities.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Huajie Zhang, Xu Zhang, Yanxia Sun, Jacob B. B. Landis, Lijuan Li, Guangwan Hu, Jiao Sun, Bashir B. B. Tiamiyu, Tianhui Kuang, Tao Deng, Hang Sun, Hengchang Wang
Summary: This study provides new evidence for the relationships within Polygonaceae by sequencing and analyzing the plastomes of multiple genera. The study reveals high conservation within Polygonoideae in terms of structure and gene order. Phylogenetic analysis identifies two major clades and seven tribes within Polygonoideae. Furthermore, the study suggests a Paleocene origin of Polygonoideae in Asia and the role of both ancient vicariance and long-distance dispersal events in shaping their current distribution pattern.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Thiony Simon, Hudson T. Pinheiro, Simoni Santos, Raphael M. Macieira, Yrlene S. S. Ferreira, Giacomo Bernardi, Luiz A. Rocha, Sergio R. Floeter, Carlos Eduardo L. Ferreira, Jean-Christophe Joyeux
Summary: Studies on oceanic island biodiversity lay the foundation for theoretical work, while seamounts are relatively underexplored. The research suggests that seamounts play a crucial role in supporting subpopulations that eventually lead to island colonization, diversification, and a biodiversity feedback process.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Harildon M. Ferreira, Rafael A. Magris, Sergio R. Floeter, Carlos E. L. Ferreira
Summary: This study aimed to quantify the ecological effects of Brazilian MPAs and identify factors associated with their performance. The results showed that MPAs increased species abundance, individual length, and community diversity by 17%, with fully-protected MPAs showing a 45% increase in biodiversity. Partially-protected MPAs had variable effects depending on taxonomic group and exploitation level of species.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Angela M. Canterle, Lucas T. Nunes, Luiz G. R. Oliveira-Santos, Sergio R. Floeter
Summary: The niche of a species is determined by ecological and evolutionary factors. Species that are closely related may either retain ancestral ecological characteristics or differentiate themselves to reduce niche overlap and facilitate coexistence. In this study, we investigated the niche of two closely related reef fish species in southern Brazil, finding differences in thermal distribution and abundance but not in microhabitat preferences. Despite considerable niche overlap, the two species are successfully coexisting, possibly due to their evolutionary history.
Article
Ecology
Caio Graco-Roza, Sonja Aarnio, Nerea Abrego, Alicia T. R. Acosta, Janne Alahuhta, Jan Altman, Claudia Angiolini, Jukka Aroviita, Fabio Attorre, Lars Baastrup-Spohr, Jose J. Barrera-Alba, Jonathan Belmaker, Idoia Biurrun, Gianmaria Bonari, Helge Bruelheide, Sabina Burrascano, Marta Carboni, Pedro Cardoso, Jose C. Carvalho, Giuseppe Castaldelli, Morten Christensen, Gilsineia Correa, Iwona Dembicz, Jurgen Dengler, Jiri Dolezal, Patricia Domingos, Tibor Eros, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Goffredo Filibeck, Sergio R. Floeter, Alan M. Friedlander, Johanna Gammal, Anna Gavioli, Martin M. Gossner, Itai Granot, Riccardo Guarino, Camilla Gustafsson, Brian Hayden, Siwen He, Jacob Heilmann-Clausen, Jani Heino, John T. Hunter, Vera L. M. Huszar, Monika Janisova, Jenny Jyrkankallio-Mikkola, Kimmo K. Kahilainen, Julia Kemppinen, Lukasz Kozub, Carla Kruk, Michel Kulbiki, Anna Kuzemko, Peter Christiaan le Roux, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Domenica Teixeira de Lima, Angel Lopez-Urrutia, Balazs A. Lukacs, Miska Luoto, Stefano Mammola, Marcelo M. Marinho, Luciana S. Menezes, Marco Milardi, Marcela Miranda, Gleyci A. O. Moser, Joerg Mueller, Pekka Niittynen, Alf Norkko, Arkadiusz Nowak, Jean P. Ometto, Otso Ovaskainen, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Felipe S. Pacheco, Virpi Pajunen, Salza Palpurina, Felix Picazo, Juan A. C. Prieto, Ivan F. Rodil, Francesco M. Sabatini, Shira Salingre, Michele De Sanctis, Angel M. Segura, Lucia H. S. da Silva, Zora D. Stevanovic, Grzegorz Swacha, Anette Teittinen, Kimmo T. Tolonen, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Leena Virta, Beixin Wang, Jianjun Wang, Wolfgang Weisser, Yuan Xu, Janne Soininen
Summary: This study provides the first global synthesis of taxonomic and functional distance decay along spatial and environmental distance. The results demonstrate that taxonomic distance decay is stronger than functional distance decay, with the fastest decay rates observed in datasets from mid-latitudes. Overall, taxonomic distance decay is a useful tool for biogeographical research, while functional distance decay may be a cost-effective option for investigating community changes in heterogeneous environments.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Melina F. Maxwell, Fabien Leprieur, Juan P. Quimbayo, Sergio R. Floeter, Mariana G. Bender
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the patterns and drivers of multiple facets of beta diversity and its components in reef fish assemblages. The results showed that past climate changes and historical contingency influenced the composition of tropical reef fish assemblages today.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gabriel S. Araujo, Luiz A. Rocha, Naomi S. Lastrucci, Osmar J. Luiz, Fabio Di Dario, Sergio R. Floeter
Summary: The Amazon-Orinoco plume plays a significant role in the diversification of Western Atlantic reef fishes, with a stronger impact on smaller species.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Isadora Cord, Lucas T. Nunes, Cristiane X. Barroso, Andrea S. Freire, Otto B. F. Gadig, Paula B. Gomes, Carlos F. D. Gurgel, Alberto Lindner, Fernando L. Mantelatto, Alessandra K. G. Targino, Sergio R. Floeter
Summary: The study investigates species distribution patterns in the Brazilian Marine Province (BMP) using a multi-taxa approach and environmental factors. The results show that environmental variables explain a significant portion of species clustering patterns, with sea surface temperature, water turbidity, and current velocity being important factors. The study also reveals a latitudinal gradient of species richness and identifies distinct areas in terms of environmental and biotic data.
Article
Ecology
Nina M. D. Schiettekatte, Simon J. Brandl, Jordan M. Casey, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Diego R. Barneche, Deron E. Burkepile, Jacob E. Allgeier, Jesus E. Arias-Gonzalez, Graham J. Edgar, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Sergio R. Floeter, Alan M. Friedlander, Alison L. Green, Michel Kulbicki, Yves Letourneur, Osmar J. Luiz, Alexandre Merciere, Fabien Morat, Katrina S. Munsterman, Enrico L. Rezende, Fabian A. Rodriguez-Zaragoza, Rick D. Stuart-Smith, Laurent Vigliola, Sebastien Villeger, Valeriano Parravicini
Summary: By integrating bioenergetic models and global coral reef fish community surveys, this study quantifies five key ecosystem functions mediated by coral reef fishes and reveals the critical trade-offs driven by varying community structures. The study also highlights the dominance of few species in local functions and the variation of dominant species at the global scale.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Juan P. Quimbayo, Lucas T. Nunes, Fernanda C. Silva, Antonio B. Anderson, Diego R. Barneche, Angela M. Canterle, Isadora Cord, Andrea Dalben, Debora S. Ferrari, Luisa Fontoura, Thiago M. J. Fiuza, Ana M. R. Liedke, Guilherme O. Longo, Renato A. Morais, Alexandre C. Siqueira, Sergio R. Floeter
Summary: The TimeFISH database is the first public time-series dataset on reef fish assemblages in the southwestern Atlantic, providing 15 years of data based on standardized Underwater Visual Censuses. The dataset covers rocky reefs influenced by seasonal ocean temperatures, resulting in a mix of tropical and subtropical species. The data was collected using nondestructive methods and has been used in various research studies.
Article
Ecology
Debora S. Ferrari, Sergio R. Floeter, Fabien Leprieur, Juan P. Quimbayo
Summary: This study evaluated the functional diversity of reef fishes on tropical oceanic islands and evaluated the predictions of island biogeography theories. The results showed that functional richness and functional divergence were higher on islands in the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic, while functional evenness and functional vulnerability were higher on Indo-Pacific islands. Functional diversity was positively correlated with species richness but negatively correlated with functional evenness and functional vulnerability. Past and present reef areas were the best predictors of functional diversity among islands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erika F. C. Santana, Miguel Mies, Guilherme O. Longo, Rafael Menezes, Anaide W. Aued, Andre Luis Luza, Mariana G. Bender, Barbara Segal, Sergio R. Floeter, Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho
Summary: The environmental driver of benthic reef communities in the southwestern Atlantic reefs in Brazil is primarily turbidity. Turbid areas have a higher abundance of scleractinian coral species, while clear-water areas are dominated by fleshy macroalgae.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Andre L. Luza, Anaide W. Aued, Diego R. Barneche, Murilo S. Dias, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Sergio R. Floeter, Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho, Guilherme O. Longo, Juan P. Quimbayo, Mariana G. Bender
Summary: This study investigated how similar responses of reef fish, corals, and algae to the environment produce spatially correlated functional diversity patterns. The results showed that sea surface temperature, species richness, and region played a major role in determining functional diversity across Brazilian reefs. However, different taxa responded differently to environmental variables, and the correlations between functional diversity metrics were low.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amanda R. Rodrigues, Sergio R. Floeter, Vicente Gomes, Debora S. Ferrari, Vinicius J. Giglio, Fernanda C. Silva, Ana M. R. Liedke, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Kerry Howell, Maria A. Gasalla
Summary: The South Mid Atlantic Ridge consists of three main oceanic islands in the equatorial and tropical portions of the Atlantic Ocean. These islands are isolated from each other and equidistant from the continental margins of South America and Africa. A pioneering integrated ecosystem assessment (IEA) process is constructed for the region among these islands. The study identifies the sectors and pressures that have the highest impact on the ecological components, highlighting the need for local conservation measures and international agreements.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Gabriel S. Araujo, Yan R. Kurtz, Ivan Sazima, Pedro Hollanda Carvalho, Sergio R. Floeter, Anderson Vilasboa, Matheus M. Rotundo, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Joao Pedro Barreiros, Diane E. Pitassy, Alfredo Carvalho-Filho
Summary: This study aims to understand the evolutionary history and biogeographic processes of Sphoeroides. By including samples from all biogeographic regions of its occurrence, we reconstructed a phylogenetic/biogeographic history hypothesis for the genus. Our results showed that Sphoeroides is a paraphyletic group comprising Colomesus; indicated the central role of the Atlantic Ocean barriers in the diversification of the genus; and identified a cryptic species in Brazilian waters, formally known as S. spengleri.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jeferson A. Duran-Fuentes, Flavio Mendes, Rogerio Caetano da Costa, Regis Augusto Pescinelli, Sergio R. Floeter, Sergio N. Stampar
Summary: This study aims to observe feeding habits and interspecific interactions of Actinostella flosculifera and describe the hunting strategy of Spurilla braziliana and the escape strategy of A. flosculifera in Brazil. The habitat of A. flosculifera is characterized by shallow pools that act as traps for organisms and biowaste. This is the first report of S. braziliana predating on A. flosculifera, and interspecific relationships with four species of crustaceans were also observed.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Markus Osaland Fjelde, Einar Timdal, Reidar Haugan, Mika Bendiksby
Summary: This study investigated the taxonomy of the crustose lichen genus Calvitimela using molecular phylogenetics and morphological observations. The results revealed evolutionarily old and deeply divergent lineages within Calvitimela, with overlapping morphological characters between different subgenera. Chemical characters were informative at the level of subgenera but often homoplastic at the species level. A practical taxonomy of Calvitimela was proposed based on these findings.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bo-Yang Shi, Da Pan, Kang-Qin Zhang, Tian-Yu Gu, Darren C. J. Yeo, Peter K. L. Ng, Neil Cumberlidge, Hong-Ying Sun
Summary: This study investigates the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of montane potamids in the Hengduan Mountains Region. The results suggest that the vicariance events of these crabs are correlated with the emergence of sky islands due to the uplift of the mountains. The mountain ridges provided corridors for their dispersal and past climatic conditions played a crucial role in their evolutionary history. The mechanisms isolating sky islands are reinforced by the climatic features of dry-hot valleys and continue to affect local diversification.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Attila Nemeth, Edvard Mizsei, Levente Laczko, David Czaban, Zsolt Hegyeli, Szabolcs Lengyel, Gabor Csorba, Gabor Sramko
Summary: Species delimitation of European blind mole rats is challenging due to their small morphological differences and complex chromosomal evolution. This study provides a comprehensive framework to improve understanding of their evolutionary history and revise their taxonomy. The results reveal the presence of multiple superspecies and species, with distinct geographic patterns and rapid chromosomal evolution.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying Qi, Zhaoyan Zhong, Xu Liu, Xing He, Yadong Zhou, Lili Zhang, Chong Chen, Katrin Linse, Jian-Wen Qiu, Jin Sun
Summary: This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships among patellogastropod families using mitochondrial and phylogenomic data. The results show that the mitochondrial phylogeny recovers monophyly of most families, but the relationships among families are still contentious. However, a more robust family-level topology consistent with morphology is achieved by phylogenomics. Additionally, the mainly deep-water families are found to be monophyletic, suggesting a single colonization of the deep water during the Jurassic.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Jie Shi, Jin -Liang Huang, Jia-Xuan Mi, Jing Li, Fan-Yu Meng, Yu Zhong, Fang He, Fei -Fei Tian, Fan Zhang, Liang-Hua Chen, Han-Bo Yang, Hong-Lin Hu, Xue-Qin Wan
Summary: Despite numerous studies on hybrid speciation, our understanding of this process remains limited. In this study, we conducted an 18-year systematic investigation on Populus taxa on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and discovered three new taxa that originated from distant hybridization between two different sections. These hybrid taxa demonstrate greater ecological adaptability than their ancestral species due to heterosis. We propose a hybrid speciation process model that can explain important evolutionary concerns.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Cho, Denis Tikhonenkov, Gordon Lax, Kristina I. Prokina, Patrick J. Keeling
Summary: Unlike conspicuous ochrophytes, many small and overlooked flagellates belonging to basally branching stramenopiles remain poorly characterized at the cellular or genomic level. This study describes four new species, including two new genera, of sediment-dwelling MAST-6 and provides updated phylogenomic tree of stramenopiles. The characterization of these flagellates is important due to their phylogenetic diversity and abundance in various environments.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tian-Tian Xue, Steven B. Janssens, Bin-Bin Liu, Sheng-Xiang Yu
Summary: Phylogenomic conflicts are widespread among genomic data, with most previous studies primarily focusing on nuclear datasets instead of organellar genomes. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic conflicts within and between plastid and mitochondrial genomes using Potentilla as a case study. We found that both plastid and mitochondrial genomes divided Potentilla into eight highly supported clades, with two newly identified clades. Our results demonstrate that mitochondrial genes can fully resolve phylogenetic relationships among major clades of Potentilla and are not always linked with plastomes in evolutionary history.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra A. Grossi, Chunpo Tian, Mengjiao Ren, Fasheng Zou, Daniel R. Gustafsson
Summary: This study suggests that the coevolutionary relationships between chewing lice, endosymbiotic bacteria, and birds are not independent, but the patterns vary depending on the analysis method used. Additionally, louse host-switching does not seem to affect bacterial strains.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ingrid Olivares, Sergio Tusso, Maria Jose Sanin, Marylaure de La Harpe, Oriane Loiseau, Jonathan Rolland, Nicolas Salamin, Michael Kessler, Kentaro K. Shimizu, Margot Paris
Summary: Traditionally, differences between species have been associated with morphological variation. However, the discovery of cryptic diversity suggests that the evolution of distinct lineages can occur without morphological differences. Through genetic analysis, we found that a tropical montane plant lineage is composed of numerous unrecognized genetic groups that are not morphologically distinct. Geographic distance and topography play a crucial role in determining the genetic divergence of these groups.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
