Article
Veterinary Sciences
Christoph Leineweber, Elisabeth Mueller, Rachel E. Marschang
Summary: This study investigated herpesviruses in captive chelonians in Europe and found that differences in host species, virus strains, sampling years, seasons, and countries may lead to varying rates of herpesvirus positivity. The highest positivity rates were observed in Horsfield's tortoises and radiated tortoises, and Italy had the highest rate of positivity in samples, indicating international dispersal of herpesviruses through trade.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Uwe Fritz, Christian Kehlmaier, Rodney J. Scott, Raul Fournier, James R. McCranie, Natalia Gallego-Garcia
Summary: By analyzing mtDNA sequences and nuclear loci, this study examines the genetic differentiation and relationships of Central American slider turtles. The results show distinct genetic clusters among different species, but conflicting placements in certain cases. The study also suggests that the taxonomic diversity of certain species may be overestimated. Additionally, evidence of the occurrence of a specific species in a new location is provided for the first time.
VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yue Wang, Silvia Pineda-Munoz, Jenny L. McGuire
Summary: This study examines the responses of plant taxa to changing climates over the past 18,000 years and finds that 75% of plant taxa consistently exhibit climate fidelity. However, there are also four plant taxa that do not consistently exhibit climate fidelity. The study also suggests that plant populations that migrate longer distances better maintain consistent climatic niches during times of extreme climate change.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
H. Gregory McDonald
Summary: Late Pleistocene sloths had a wide distribution and inhabited various habitats in South, Central, and North America and some Caribbean Islands. They were classified into 27 genera in four families, but the number of valid species remains uncertain. The paleoecology and natural history of sloths vary greatly depending on their relative abundance, resulting in different sloth faunas with distinct taxonomic compositions in different geographic regions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Silvia Pineda-Munoz, Yue Wang, S. Kathleen Lyons, Aniko B. Toth, Jenny L. McGuire
Summary: Human activities have significantly altered the climate environments of many mammal species, leading to extirpation of large-bodied dietary specialists from human-impacted areas and colonization of smaller, generalist mammals. This trend is likely to continue in the Anthropocene, resulting in a biodiversity dominated by small, generalist mammals.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Georgios L. Georgalis, Loredana Macaluso, Massimo Delfino
Summary: Turtles of the clade Testudinoidea in Afro-Arabia have a scarce fossil record, with most fossils belonging to the family Testudinidae and fewer to Geoemydidae. The majority of named taxa are within Testudinidae, with a high species diversity during the Neogene. The fossil record also shows broader distribution of several extant genera during the Neogene and Quaternary periods in the region.
BULLETIN OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jaehong Park, Jae- Moon, Yun-Ju Song, Seung-Min Park, Seungju Cheon, Ha-Cheol Sung, Dong-Hyun Lee
Summary: The complete mitochondrial genome of Trachemys scripta elegans in Korea was sequenced and analyzed. The phylogenetic analysis showed a closer relationship between T. s. elegans in Korea and T. scripta in Canada than with T. s. elegans in China. This study provides valuable information for biogeographical studies and management plans for invasive species.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Abdullah S. Gohar, Mohammed S. Antar, Robert W. Boessenecker, Dalia A. Sabry, Sanaa El-Sayed, Erik R. Seiffert, Iyad S. Zalmout, Hesham M. Sallam
Summary: This study reports a new medium-sized protocetid, Phiomicetus anubis gen. et sp. nov., discovered in the middle Eocene (Lutetian) of the Fayum Depression in Egypt. The unique features of its skull and mandible suggest a more efficient oral mechanical processing capacity. Phylogenetic analysis places Phiomicetus as the most basal known protocetid from Africa.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jeferson Carneiro, Iracilda Sampaio, Jose de S. e Silva, Antonio Martins, Izeni Farias, Tomas Hrbek, Jean Boubli, Horacio Schneider
Summary: Pitheciines have unique dental adaptations that allow them to eat fruits with hard pericarps, making them important seed predators. A review of the Chiropotes genus reveals that there are five species which likely originated in the Rondonia and Tapajos regions of the Amazon. The speciation events within Chiropotes were likely influenced by the radiation and founder effects associated with the formation of the Amazonian basins.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lian-Sheng Xu, You-Sheng Chen
Summary: Dubyaea DC. is a small genus of Asteraceae endemic to the Pan-Himalayan region, with poorly understood phylogenetic relationships. Results showed Dubyaea can be divided into three major clades, with biogeographic analyses indicating its late Miocene origin in the Hengduan Mountains and subsequent diversification in situ as well as spread to the Himalayas.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Julian Brown, Saul A. Cunningham
Summary: This study examines the dependency of native bee species on ancient Australian plant lineages in the Yarra Valley landscapes of Australia. The results show that bee species that have spent more evolutionary history in Australia are more negatively impacted by the decline of ancient Australian plants, confirming the hypothesis that species with longer evolutionary history in a region are more dependent on native plants.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Josefin Stiller, Graham Short, Healy Hamilton, Norah Saarman, Sarah Longo, Peter Wainwright, Greg W. Rouse, W. Brian Simison
Summary: By sampling ultraconserved elements and taxon, we reconstructed the phylogeny of syngnathids and discovered previously overlooked species diversity and significant biogeographic patterns. The changes in diversification rates suggest possible links to declining global temperatures, the separation of the Atlantic and Pacific faunas, and associated environmental changes.
Review
Zoology
Zhe Zhao, Zhong-E Hou, Shu-Qiang Li
Summary: This study reviews the influence of tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region on the evolution and diversity patterns of Eurasian animals. The tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region directly impacts the composition and spatial distribution of Eurasian animal diversity, as well as animal origin, dispersal, preservation, diversification, and extinction. The Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Tethyan region plays a significant role in shaping the changes in Eurasian animal distribution.
ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erica Fonseca, Camila Both, Sonia Zanini Cechin, Gisele Winck
Summary: The study assessed the invasive potential of the South American turtle Trachemys dorbigni in the Americas using climatic and human activity variables. Results indicate that human activities enable the species to establish populations outside its original climatic niche, highlighting the importance of considering human activity in prevention measures.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Scott A. Hartman, David M. Lovelace, Benjamin J. Linzmeier, Paul D. Mathewson, Warren P. Porter
Summary: Thermal tolerance is a key factor influencing the biogeography of Late Triassic tetrapods, with small mammaliamorphs able to survive at high latitudes while large pseudosuchians are excluded due to their inability to regulate body temperature effectively. Physiological modeling is a useful tool for testing hypotheses regarding the impact of temperature on tetrapods in ancient times.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Evangelos Vlachos
Article
Paleontology
Evangelos Vlachos, Georgios L. Georgalis, Socrates Roussiakis, Madelaine Boehme, George Theodorou
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Paleontology
Adan Perez-Garcia, Evangelos Vlachos, Xabier Murelaga
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Evangelos Vlachos
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Paleontology
Evangelos Vlachos, Adan Perez-Garcia, Socrates Roussiakis, Georgios L. Georgalis, Benjamin P. Kear
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biology
Marta S. Fernandez, Evangelos Vlachos, Monica R. Buono, Lucia Alzugaray, Lisandro Campos, Juliana Sterli, Yanina Herrera, Florencia Paolucci
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Evangelos Vlachos
Summary: By transforming a complex text into a network, this study further explores the structure of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and identifies different conceptual communities. Results show that the current structure of the Code aligns well with recovered conceptual modules in most chapters, but conflicts exist in certain chapters. Potential re-organization of the Code could improve reader experience and applicability.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Gerardo A. Cordero, Evangelos Vlachos
Summary: This study used anatomical network analysis to show that the organization and composition of the turtle's shell underwent numerical simplification in the course of evolution, with a decrease in potential connections in shell networks in modern turtles. Network system descriptors were found to be correlated with the number of network components, which has remained evolutionarily stable. Furthermore, the shell structure in modern turtles has simplified, but shell reorganization may still be feasible within modular subdivisions.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Maria Saltsidou, Anthi Paschalidou, Ioanna Sylvestrou, Evangelos Vlachos
Summary: The fossil turtle fauna in the Makrygialos area of Northern Greece is diverse and includes the oldest known specimens of the Chersine hermanni species in Europe. The composition of the small turtle species in this region during the Neogene is different from that on the east and west sides of the Thermaikos Gulf.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Pietro Valenti, Evangelos Vlachos, Christian Kehlmaier, Uwe Fritz, Georgios L. Georgalis, Angel Hernandez Lujan, Roberto Micciche, Luca Sineo, Massimo Delfino
Summary: Archaeological investigations in the cave Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro in Sicily revealed skeletal remains of a large-sized tortoise dating back to the Copper/Bronze Age, pre-dating the funerary activities. The morphology of the tortoise differs from the native Testudo hermanni in Sicily, suggesting a new taxon called Solitudo sicula. This discovery represents the youngest large-sized tortoise in the Mediterranean area.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Evangelos Vlachos, Marcelo S. de la Fuente, Juliana Sterli
Summary: In this article, a new large Testudinidae species named Chelonoidis meridiana sp. nov. is described. It differs from other large species in the southern South American fossil record and provides important insights into the diversity and evolution of turtles in the region. The discovery also establishes the presence of large-sized tortoises since the Middle Miocene, and marks the southernmost occurrence of a large testudinid in the world.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Anatomy & Morphology
Juliana Sterli, Evangelos Vlachos
Summary: The Turtle Evolution Symposium, held in 2021, brought together scientists from 25 countries who presented their latest research on turtle evolution. This Special Volume of The Anatomical Record features some of the advancements discussed during the symposium.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Irena Pappa, Evangelos Vlachos, Markus Moser
Summary: We describe a new species of giant tortoise named Titanochelon schleichi sp. nov. from Sandelzhausen in south Germany, which includes at least two different individuals. This discovery allows us to reconstruct an important diversity and expansion of titanochelones in the Western Palaearctic during the earlier parts of the Neogene.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Adan Perez-Garcia, Marcos Martin-Jimenez, Evangelos Vlachos, Vlad Codrea
Summary: The genus Testudo has been reclassified to include only three extant species and some extinct ones. A new finding of abundant turtle fossil material provides important insights, with well-preserved specimens allowing for detailed studies of cranial anatomy and neuroanatomy of an extinct member of Testudo.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Evangelos Vlachos, Juliana Sterli, Katerina Vasileiadou, George Syrides
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2019)