Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ntwai A. Moiloa, Melilia Mesbah, Stephan Nylinder, John Manning, Felix Forest, Hugo J. de Boer, Christine D. Bacon, Beng Oxelman
Summary: Silene genus is predominantly distributed in the northern Hemisphere, with the most diversity around the Mediterranean Basin and also well represented in North Africa. In southern Africa, eight native species are classified into two sections, Elisanthe and Silene s.l. Despite recent taxonomic revisions, phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of these species remain unclear. Analysis of DNA sequences from southern African species revealed relationships with Eurasian and Central Asian species, with evidence of late Pleistocene dispersal events into southern Africa.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Tom Carruthers, Robert W. Scotland
Summary: Research using simulation and analysis has found that when substitution rates, speciation rates, and extinction rates vary, the benefits of increased character and taxon sampling on parameter estimation accuracy are limited. Methodological assumptions are more likely to be violated, and limitations in the information content of the data become more important in complex cases.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrew W. Gichira, Lingyun Chen, Zhizhong Li, Guangwan Hu, Josphat K. Saina, Robert W. Gituru, Qingfeng Wang, Jinming Chen
Summary: This study analyzed the phylogeny of giant senecios using whole chloroplast genome sequences and estimated their ancestral areas and predicted suitable habitats. Results suggest a recent divergence time and rapid radiation of the plant group from Northern Tanzania to Kenyan and Ugandan mountains within the past one million years.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Carme Blanco-Gavalda, Merce Galbany-Casals, Alfonso Susanna, Santiago Andres-Sanchez, Randall J. Bayer, Christian Brochmann, Glynis V. Cron, Nicola G. Bergh, Nuria Garcia-Jacas, Abel Gizaw, Martha Kandziora, Filip Kolar, Javier Lopez-Alvarado, Frederik Leliaert, Rokiman Letsara, Lucia D. Moreyra, Sylvain G. Razafimandimbison, Roswitha Schmickl, Cristina Roquet
Summary: The Afromontane and Afroalpine areas in Africa are important biodiversity hotspots with rich plant endemics. This study focused on the plant genus Helichrysum and revealed its southern African origin and repeated colonization of the Afromontane and Afroalpine areas. The timing of these events coincide with mountain uplift and glacial cycles, suggesting their role in speciation and gene flow in the evolution of the Afroalpine flora.
Article
Ecology
Aluoneswi C. Mashau, Gareth P. Hempson, Caroline E. R. Lehmann, Maria S. Vorontsova, Vernon Visser, Sally Archibald
Summary: The study aims to understand the distribution of grasses in sub-Saharan Africa by examining plant traits such as height and lifespan. It was found that taller and shorter-lived grass species tend to have larger range sizes, and these factors also influence the invasiveness of grass species introduced to other continents. The study also highlights the importance of plant height in driving grass biogeography and the potential for certain grass species to become invasive.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
David T. Bilton, Manfred A. Jaech, Ignacio Ribera, Emmanuel F. A. Toussaint
Summary: This article presents a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the diverse moss beetle genera in the family Hydraenidae. The research suggests that these beetles originated in Africa and Madagascar during the mid-Cretaceous, and their biogeographic history in the Southern Hemisphere was shaped by both vicariant and dispersal processes as well as extinctions. The study also reveals multiple shifts in habitat occupancy across the phylogeny, including the independent origins of terrestrial and humicolous taxa in different regions.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Claudia S. Maturana, Sebastian Rosenfeld, Elisabeth M. Biersma, Nicolas Segovia, Claudio A. Gonzalez-Wevar, Angie Diaz, Javier Naretto, Ian C. Duggan, Ian D. Hogg, Elie Poulin, Peter Convey, Jennifer A. Jackson
Summary: Boeckella originated on the Gondwanan supercontinent, diversifying and spreading to Australasia and South America. Populations in the Antarctic region descended from South American ancestors, indicating that original Antarctic Gondwanan lineages did not survive the Quaternary ice ages. The species accumulation rate of Boeckella has been decreasing since the early Eocene, possibly due to cooling trends during the Cenozoic era.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wojciech Majewski, Maria Holzmann, Andrew J. Gooday, Aneta Majda, Tomasz Mamos, Jan Pawlowski
Summary: The origin of the Antarctic coastal fauna could involve colonization from deep-sea areas or migration through the Drake Passage from sub-Antarctic areas. Genetic data suggest that differentiation of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic foraminifera populations began in the mid-Miocene and experienced multiple divergence events over the past 20 million years.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Laurent Bouby, Vincent Bonhomme, Manon Cabanis, Frederique Durand, Isabel Figueiral, Laurie Flottes, Philippe Marinval, Lucie Martin, Laure Paradis, Rachel Pinaud, Jerome Ros, Nuria Rovira, Margaux Tillier
Summary: This study investigates the changes in fruit use and the emergence, spread, and evolution of fruit cultivation from the Neolithic to the end of the Roman empire in Southern France. The research reveals that fruit cultivation in the Mediterranean area primarily occurred during the Iron Age and the beginning of the Roman period, with significant contributions from native fruits throughout the chronology.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sven Isaksson, Anders Hoegberg, Marlize Lombard, Justin Bradfield
Summary: The detection of complex poison recipes on ancient hunting weapons can provide important insights into traditional pharmacological knowledge systems. The analysis of poison samples collected from arrowheads and an archaeological bone point using ATR FTIR and GC-MS demonstrated the ability to identify different binder recipes and organic residues from the poisons. These results serve as a proof of concept for working with older materials and offer potential biomarkers for arrow poisons in residue analyses of archaeological artifacts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Noemie M. -C. Hevin, Gael. J. Kergoat, Anne-Laure Clamens, Bruno Le Ru, Mervyn W. Mansell, Bruno Michel
Summary: In this study, a molecular dataset was used to analyze the taxonomy and geographical distribution of 144 antlion species, revealing that many extant antlion genera are not monophyletic. Molecular dating analyses indicated that the most recent common ancestor of both groups originated about 92 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous. Historical biogeography analyses provided strong support for an origin in Southern Africa, which served as a cradle of diversification and a springboard for northern dispersals.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Abdulrokhman Kartonegoro, Sylvia Mota de Oliveira, Peter C. van Welzen
Summary: The study uses 58 plant samples of the Dissochaeteae tribe and molecular dating analysis indicates that the diversity of Dissochaeteae in Southeast Asia originated from a South American ancestor in the late Eocene, possibly migrating from South America to Southeast Asia via North America. The origin and early diversification of Dissochaeteae in Southeast Asia can be traced back to the middle Oligocene, with the majority of genera originating in the Miocene.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Renata Piwowarczyk, Adam C. Schneider, Grzegorz Goralski, Dagmara Kwolek, Magdalena Denysenko-Bennett, Anna Burda, Karolina Ruraz, Andrzej J. Joachimiak, Oscar Sanchez Pedraja
Summary: The extensive diversity of the tribe Orobancheae is concentrated in the Caucasus and Mediterranean regions, which are considered centers of origin for key lineages. Research indicates that within the last 6 million years, large clades of holoparasitic Orobancheae have originated in Western Asia (especially the Caucasus) and the Mediterranean. The diversity centers in the Caucasus include both long-branch taxa and recently diversified clades, while the Mediterranean diversity mainly represents recent diversification.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lydia K. Madika, Annah Ntsamaeeng Moteetee
Summary: The study aims to provide a revision of the genus Cynoglossum in southern Africa, focusing on the taxonomical issues within the Boraginaceae family. Eight species of Cynoglossum in the region are listed, with further investigation needed on the occurrence of one species. Diagnostic characters, correct nomenclature, synonyms, typification, distribution maps, as well as a key for identifying the studied species are provided in the study.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Gimo M. Daniel, Catherine L. Sole, Clarke H. Scholtz, Adrian L. Davis
Summary: This study investigates the diversification of endemic southern African dung beetles, Epirinus, by utilizing divergence-time-estimated phylogeny, macroevolutionary analyses, and ecological niche modeling under different climatic scenarios. Results suggest that the genus originated in forests and radiated into three geographical centers, with fluctuations in late Cenozoic climatic conditions impacting speciation and extinction rates.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anaswara Rani, Sneha Asha, Minsa Mini, Pooja P. Rajan, Merin Tomy, Ashita Jose, Xavier Ts, Praveen Kumar
Summary: This study focuses on the eco-friendly synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles using Centra-therum punctatum leaf extract. The synthesized nanoparticles showed potent antimicrobial activity and effectively inhibited biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These findings demonstrate the potential of copper oxide nanoparticles for environmentally friendly synthesis and applications.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2024)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bruno Fagundes dos Santos, Talita Oliveira de Arauja, Camilla Oliveira Rios, Advanio Inacio Siqueira-Silva, Eduardo Gusmao Pereira
Summary: This study investigated the interaction between iron excess and phosphorus deficiency in Paspalum densum. The results showed that iron excess decreased phosphorus concentration in roots, while phosphorus deficiency increased iron concentration in leaves. Stomatal limitation was the main cause of decreased photosynthesis due to iron excess. Phosphorus deficiency contributed to higher phosphorus use efficiency and biomass.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2024)
