Article
Plant Sciences
Jeong Chan Kang, Showe-Mei Lin, Kathy Ann Miller, Myung Sook Kim
Summary: The cosmopolitan species of Acrosorium with hook-forming thalli have been merged under the name of Acrosorium ciliolatum after a long and complicated nomenclatural history. Specimens from various locations show intraspecific variation and can be separated into four clades based on rbcL phylogeny. The taxon A. flabellatum exhibits extreme variations in external blade morphology, with the absence or presence of terminal hook-like structures as a distinguishing feature. Further study is needed on European and southern hemisphere specimens and the ambiguous position of California specimens.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shlomo Cain, Stephanie F. Loria, Rachel Ben-Shlomo, Lorenzo Prendini, Eran Gefen
Summary: This study investigated the phylogeny and biogeography of Buthacus species in the Levant, supporting a revised classification and revealing two geographically-separated clades. The divergence between these clades occurred in the Early Miocene in the Levant, coinciding with the existence of two land bridges allowing fauna exchange between Africa and Asia.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marion A. Wolf, Katia Sciuto, Christine A. Maggs, Antonella Petrocelli, Ester Cecere, Alessandro Buosi, Adriano Sfriso
Summary: This study identified genetic and morphological differences between Radicilingua specimens from the Mediterranean and previously known species, leading to the description of a new species R. mediterranea. Additionally, the study suggested transferring Calonitophyllum medium to Radicilingua based on phylogenetic analysis.
Article
Zoology
John R. Grehan, Carlos G. C. Mielke, Joel Minet, Nikolai Ignatev, Ulf Buchsbaum, Dayong Xue
Summary: The genus Magnificus Yan, 2000 includes multiple species, with M. bouvieri, M. dirschi, M. miniatus, M. regius, and M. roseus being added in this study. The monophyly of this genus is supported by unique anatomical features in the tergosternal sclerite and male genitalia. Additionally, evidence suggests that Magnificus and other northern Eurasian genera form a larger monophyletic group based on shared structural characteristics in the male genitalia.
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
Zoology
Gustavo Silva De Miranda, Alessandro P. L. Giupponi, Nikolaj Scharff, Lorenzo Prendini
Summary: This study investigates the phylogeny and biogeography of the pantropical whip spider family Charinidae using morphology and multilocus DNA sequences. Charinidae are monophyletic, with Weygoldtia as the sister group to a monophyletic group comprising Charinus and Sarax. The divergence of Charinus and Sarax coincides with the fragmentation of Pangaea.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Fernandez Marchan, Alejandro Martinez Navarro, Sergio Jimenez Pinadero, Sylvain Gerard, Mickael Hedde, Jorge Dominguez, Thibaud Decaen, Marta Novo
Summary: This study used molecular phylogenetics to identify and reclassify species in the genus Aporrectodea. The results indicate that Ap. giardi voconca and Ap. longa ripicola are species-level entities not closely related to Ap. giardi or Ap. longa, and thus have been redescribed. Ancestral area reconstruction revealed that Aporrectodea originated in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region in Southeastern France. The study also provided insights into the evolution of functional traits in this genus.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Alexey A. Kotov, Petr G. Garibian, Eugeniya Bekker, Derek J. Taylor, Dmitry P. Karabanov
Summary: This study investigated the phylogeography, rates of evolution, and taxonomic status of different clades within the Daphnia curvirostris complex, revealing an eastern Palaearctic clade with at least four species having diagnostic morphological characters. Convergent morphological characters were also detected within the complex, providing insights into species boundaries. Divergence time estimates suggested an ancient origin for the Daphnia korovchinskyi group, but were complicated by the limited number of calibration points.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
P. De Wet van der Merwe, Fenton P. D. Cotterill, Martha Kandziora, Brian R. Watters, Bela Nagy, Tyrone Genade, Tyrel J. Flugel, David S. Svendsen, Dirk U. Bellstedt
Summary: This paper presents a phylogeny of African killifishes, revealing the origin, radiations, ancestral areas, and the relationship with the East African Rift System of the genus Nothobranchius. The study demonstrates that the evolution of Nothobranchius is closely related to tectonic activities and shows a coevolutionary relationship with wetlands.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ana Laura Almeida, Tiago Mauricio Francoy, Marta Alvarez-Presas, Fernando Carbayo
Summary: The monotypic genus of land planarians Timyma is suggested to be a relict reflecting a pre-Tertiary connection between South America and Australia and New Zealand, with unique morphological characteristics. Research indicates that Timyma is more closely related to the Neotropical Geoplaninae subfamily and distantly related to the Bipaliinae subfamily in terms of phylogenetic relationships.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Chung-Chi Hwang, Mang-Jye Ger, Shu-Ping Wu
Summary: This study revised the systematics of the land snail genus Formosana from Taiwan using molecular, morphological, and anatomical data. A total of 12 valid and endemic species and subspecies were recognized, and the variability in morphological characteristics and their taxonomic implications were discussed. The biogeography and diversification of Formosana in Taiwan were also examined.
Article
Plant Sciences
Maggie M. M. Reddy, Jamie du Plessis, Rouvay Roodt-Wilding, Robert J. J. Anderson, John J. J. Bolton
Summary: The taxonomy of the red algal genus Plocamium remains problematic, and a study on this genus in South Africa has identified several species using morphological and molecular approaches. Plocamium robertiae is reinstated as a distinct species, while Plocamium raphelisianum is placed in synonymy with P. suhrii. Additional species were also identified, but further morphological assessment is needed.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jantana Saengkaew, Narongrit Muangmai, Jakaphan Bulan, Giuseppe C. Zuccarello
Summary: This study reveals a new species, G. khanjanapajiae, in Thailand through morphological and genetic analyses. The species can be distinguished by its dentate blade margin, deep spermatangial conceptacles, and abundant nutritive filaments. Phylogenetically, it is closely related to G. spinulosa from Taiwan. The research highlights the ongoing discovery of Gracilaria diversity and distribution in the tropical Indo-Pacific.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Carlos E. E. Santibanez-Lopez, Andres A. Ojanguren-Affilastro, Matthew R. R. Graham, Prashant P. P. Sharma
Summary: Phylogenomic analyses of scorpion data from transcriptomes and genomes show similar results, but some nodes are difficult to resolve. The family Chactidae is found to be non-monophyletic, and a new family, Anuroctonidae, is established to accommodate the genus Anuroctonus.
Article
Zoology
Javier Lobon-Rovira, Aaron M. Bauer, Pedro Vaz Pinto, Jean-Francois Trape, Werner Conradie, Chifundera Kusamba, Timoteo Julio, Garin Cael, Edward L. Stanley, Daniel F. Hughes, Mathias Behangana, Franck M. Masudi, Olivier S. G. Pauwels, Eli Greenbaum
Summary: This study provides a systematic revision of the L. gutturalis species complex in Africa using various approaches, revealing nine well-differentiated species within the complex as well as elevating a subspecies and describing five new species. The study also revisits the L. angularis group and recognizes two subspecies as full species. The diversification of the L. gutturalis subgroup is likely the result of multiple vicariant events driven by the expansion of African savannahs and climate changes.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Conxi Rodriguez-Prieto, Olivier De Clerck, Michael D. Guiry, Showe-Mei Lin
Summary: The classification of the genera Grateloupia, Phyllymenia, and Prionitis remains controversial and relies on the anatomy of female reproductive structures and phylogenetic reconstructions. A new species of Prionitis was discovered in Taiwan, revealing common characteristics of female reproductive structures among related species and supporting a monophyletic relationship based on combined rbcL and LSU rDNA sequence analyses. Further reinvestigation into the female reproductive structures of Grateloupia sensu lato species closely related to Prionitis and Phyllymenia is needed for resolving the systematics of the Halymeniaceae.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Douglas Bearham, Joanna Strzelecki, Ana Hara, Andrew Hosie, Lisa Kirkendale, Zoe Richards, John M. Huisman, Dongyan Liu, James McLaughlin, Kate M. Naughton, Timothy D. O'Hara, P. Mark O'Loughlin, Glenn Moore, Jane Fromont, Corey Whisson, Monika Bryce, Sue Morrison, Oliver Gomez, Zoe Snedden, John K. Keesing
Summary: The Kimberley coast in north-western Australia is considered one of the least human-impacted coastal areas in the world. A biodiversity and habitat survey conducted in areas like the King George River revealed several new species and records, indicating the region's rich biodiversity.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
John M. Huisman, Gary W. Saunders
Summary: Three new species of the red algal genus Asteromenia were described in this study, with one being a previously misidentified undescribed species and the other two from different islands. These new species showed morphological overlap and required accurate species recognition through DNA sequencing. The study highlights the importance of sequence analysis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luna M. van der Loos, Sofie D'hondt, Aschwin H. Engelen, Henrik Pavia, Gunilla B. Toth, Anne Willems, Florian Weinberger, Olivier De Clerck, Sophie Steinhagen
Summary: This study investigated the stability and variability of seaweed-associated bacteria across the Atlantic-Baltic Sea salinity gradient. Results showed that bacterial composition was strongly influenced by salinity and host species, with distinct communities in low and high salinity regions. A small taxonomic core community was identified, contributing to 14% of reads per sample, and core taxa followed a gradient model, facilitating host adaptation across the environmental gradient.
Article
Plant Sciences
Christophe Vieira, Tom Schils, Hiroshi Kawai, Sofie D'hondt, Monica O. Paiano, Alison R. Sherwood, Olivier De Clerck, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: The calcified encrusting brown algal genus Newhousia is reported from three new archipelagos in the Pacific, with five distinct evolutionary lineages identified. The lineage from Guam, showing genetic variation from previously known species, is described as a new species.
Review
Plant Sciences
Kenny Arthur Bogaert, Jonas Blomme, Tom Beeckman, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: Auxin plays a crucial role in the development of land plants and brown seaweeds, and the PIN and PILS transporter families may have evolved prior to the canonical auxin response pathway. The conservation of PILS-mediated auxin transport and the existence of auxin function in unicellular algae suggest that auxin function predates multicellularity.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Christophe Vieira, Olivier De Clerck, Antoine De Ramon N'Yeurt, Sofie D'hondt, Laurent Millet, Myung Sook Kim, Claude Payri, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: In this study, we used an integrative taxonomic approach to re-evaluate the diversity of Lobophora. Our findings show that French Polynesia has at least 37 Lobophora species, with over half of them being endemic. French Polynesia shares a high biogeographic affinity with the Melanesian Islands and has connections to the western Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. We propose that Lobophora species in French Polynesia mainly evolved from colonizers originating from the Central Indo-Pacific, resulting in high endemism in remote archipelagos.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Razy Hoffman, Olivier De Clerck, Frederik Leliaert
Summary: We provide an account of two newly recorded non-indigenous tropical seaweed species, Siphonocladus tropicus and Caulerpa integerrima, found in the Levantine Mediterranean Sea. Morphological and molecular evidence supports the reports, which also indicate the possible origin and pathways of introduction for these species.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lan-Anh T Tran, Frederik Leliaert, Christophe Vieira, Tien V Tran, Tu V Nguyen, Tien D Dam, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: The species diversity of Ulva in Vietnam was investigated using genetic markers, resulting in the identification of 19 species. Seven species were recorded for the first time in Vietnam, and some genetic clusters could not be matched with species names. The study also found that the species composition in Vietnam is similar to adjacent countries and highlights the importance of molecular data in assessing Ulva diversity. Additionally, the research suggests that there may be undiscovered diversity in tropical regions.
PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Quinten Bafort, Tian Wu, Annelore Natran, Olivier De Clerck, Yves Van de Peer
Summary: The immediate effects of plant polyploidization contribute to polyploid establishment through morphological, physiological, developmental, and phenological changes. However, studies on the relationship between the immediate effects of whole-genome duplication and the environment are limited but suggest that stressful conditions can alter these effects. In this study, a common garden experiment on the greater duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza was conducted to test whether the immediate effects of WGD can facilitate tetraploid duckweed establishment under two environmental stressors. The results indicate that WGD can confer a fitness advantage under stressful conditions, and the effects of the environment on ploidy-induced changes are strain-specific.
Article
Plant Sciences
Soria Delva, Camino Fernandez de la Hoz, Quinten Bafort, Sofie D'hondt, Soha Shabaka, Sarah Hamdy Rashedy, Alison R. Sherwood, Tamar Guy-Haim, Alvaro Israel, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: In this study, we investigate the introduction of Dictyota acutiloba in the Mediterranean Sea and provided an updated distribution of this species, which was believed to be limited to the Pacific Ocean. Genetic analysis and ecological niche models confirmed the presence of D. acutiloba in Indo-Pacific regions and along the Israeli coastline in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. The close genetic relationship between introduced specimens and those from the Red Sea suggests an introduction through the Suez Canal. The further spread of D. acutiloba in the eastern Mediterranean is likely, with possible extension into the western Mediterranean Sea, depending on climate change scenarios.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jonas Blomme, Thomas Wichard, Thomas B. Jacobs, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: Green seaweeds, particularly Ulva species, have various morphologies and ecological roles, making them important for research in carbon assimilation, bacteria interactions, life cycle, and economic benefits. Ulva mutabilis/compressa is suggested as a model species and the article highlights available molecular data and tools for further research. Exciting developments in other Ulva species are also discussed.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Soria Delva, Bernard De Baets, Jan M. Baetens, Olivier De Clerck, Willem Stock
Summary: This study investigated whether the thermal tolerance of the brown seaweed Dictyota dichotoma can be enhanced by adding bacteria from its natural environment. The results showed that bacterial supplementation did not affect the growth of the seaweed over the full thermal gradient, suggesting that ecological bacterial rescue may not play a role in mitigating the effects of ocean warming on this brown seaweed.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesco Paolo Mancuso, Kathryn Lee Morrissey, Olivier De Clerck, Laura Airoldi
Summary: Warming and nutrient enrichment have significant effects on the physiology and survival of foundation species in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects and the role of microbial communities have been overlooked in experiments. This study examined the impacts of air warming and nutrient enrichment on a seaweed species and its associated bacterial communities. The results showed that the two stressors had additive, antagonistic, and synergistic interactions on the abundance of bacterial taxa, and they mainly affected metabolic pathways associated with seaweed disease, degradation of cell-wall polymers, and algicidal processes. These findings highlight the dysregulation of seaweed microbiomes by warming and nutrient enrichment, providing a potential mechanism for their ongoing loss.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Christophe Vieira, Myung Sook Kim, Antoine De Ramon N'Yeurt, Claude Payri, Sofie D'Hondt, Olivier De Clerck, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: This study utilized DNA barcoding to revise the species diversity of French Polynesian marine flora, resulting in the identification of a total of 702 species, including 119 Chlorophyta, 169 Cyanobacteria, 92 Ochrophyta, 320 Rhodophyta, and 2 seagrass species. This research also provides a valuable DNA barcode reference library for identification purposes and future taxonomic and conservation studies.