Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yanping Li, Christopher P. Burridge, Yunyun Lv, Zuogang Peng
Summary: The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau led to substantial changes in the environmental conditions of the local area. A comprehensive investigation using morphometrics, population genomics, and climatic factors revealed phenotypic and genome-level variations in Chimarrichthys catfish endemic to the Plateau, with differences in both phenotype and genetic structure observed between rivers at different elevations. The study identified genomic regions associated with various biological functions that showed marked divergence among localities, potentially influenced by altitude differences.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jairo Arroyave, Christopher M. Martinez, Fausto H. Martinez-Oriol, Erick Sosa, S. Elizabeth Alter
Summary: The Yucatan Peninsula houses a spectacular karstic aquifer supporting a wide array of aquatic fauna, with genetic and morphological variations observed among Neotropical catfish populations in different cenotes. However, these differences do not correspond to discernible geographic patterns. The study lays the groundwork for future research on the evolutionary history of aquatic stygofauna in the region and emphasizes the need for further exploration of genetic differentiation in other species within the Yucatan Peninsula aquifer.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Laura A. Nunes, Christopher J. Raxworthy, Richard G. Pearson
Summary: The study demonstrates that biogeographic and ecological processes play crucial roles in driving speciation, rather than solely relying on geographic isolation. Strong bimodal peaks along a niche divergence-conservation spectrum were observed, with most sister pairs exhibiting either niche conservation or divergence.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jesus Antonio Rocamontes-Morales, Carla Gutierrez-Rodriguez, Oscar Rios-Cardenas, Pablo C. Hernandez-Romero
Summary: Genetic and morphological variation within Xiphophorus hellerii populations are influenced by geographic and environmental factors, with body shape variations possibly linked to temperature. The study suggests that X. hellerii from different basins and hydrological regions have followed independent evolutionary routes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jocelyn P. Colella, Lindsey M. Frederick, Sandra L. Talbot, Joseph A. Cook
Summary: The study reveals the presence of at least three species within the Holarctic ermine complex, corresponding to three of four genetic clades associated with diversification in separate glacial refugia. Significant geographic variation was found within each species, with geometric morphometric results largely consistent with historical infraspecific taxonomy.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Caio S. Nogueira, Alexandre R. da Silva, Alexandre Palaoro
Summary: Animal weapons are complex systems composed of multiple structures. By comparing the shape and size of fighting and non-fighting claws, it was shown that they differ in certain aspects but exhibit similar levels of integration.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Bianca L. Zimmermann, Ivanice Buzatto, Sandro Santos, Federico Giri, Franco Teixeira de Mello, Keith A. Crandall, Marcos Perez-Losada, Marlise L. Bartholomei-Santos
Summary: Cryptic species pose a challenge for morphologically based species identification, but molecular approaches can provide valuable taxonomic hypotheses. Research on South American freshwater crabs of the genus Aegla suggests that morphological similarity does not always indicate genetic relatedness, and there may be cryptic species present. The diversity of these crustaceans seems to be influenced by factors such as habitat fragmentation, morphological stasis, and recent divergence.
Article
Zoology
Ellen R. Cassidy, Kurt E. Galbreath
Summary: We tested if skull morphology follows genetic phylogroup identities in Blarina brevicauda across contact zones in the Great Lakes Region. We found that genetically similar individuals were morphologically similar to each other, indicating gene flow. The broad range overlap and incongruence between genetic and morphological traits suggest that hybridization has occurred between historically isolated populations of B. brevicauda, leading to the origin of a novel skull phenotype.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Caroline Parins-Fukuchi
Summary: Parametric phylogenetic approaches have gained popularity among comparative biologists for delineating different modes of speciation in fossil taxa. This study extended a maximum-likelihood approach to examine ancestor-descendant relationships, focusing on budding speciation in fossil hominins. The results highlight the importance of spatial dynamics in understanding speciation patterns and suggest that inferences of speciation mode are primarily influenced by stratigraphic data.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kory M. Evans, Olivier Larouche, Sara-Jane Watson, Stacy Farina, Maria Laura Habegger, Matt Friedman
Summary: Evolutionary innovations are essential for organisms to adapt to new environments, and the evolution of cranial asymmetry in flatfishes was a rapid process that led to the colonization of novel trait space. Strong integration in skull shape changes played a major role in the evolution of this innovation by synchronizing responses to selective pressures.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Romain Pintore, Raphael Cornette, Alexandra Houssaye, Ronan Allain
Summary: This study uses 3D geometric morphometrics and Gaussian mixture modeling to investigate hindlimb variation in the best-preserved specimens from a herd of ornithomimosaurs. The results reveal evidence of sexual dimorphism, which is important for a better understanding of intraspecific variation in fossil dinosaurs and addressing taxonomical and ecological questions related to dinosaur evolution.
Article
Entomology
Angela Maria Garcia-Sanchez, Antonio Zurita, Cristina Cutillas
Summary: This article investigates the classification and taxonomic diversity of fleas, specifically the cat flea and dog flea. By conducting a geometric morphometrics analysis, the researchers were able to differentiate between specimens of both species. This study provides useful complementary data for the identification of flea species and has the potential to assist in the identification of historically difficult species.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Carlynne C. Simoes, Pablo Vieira Cerqueira, Pedro Peloso, Alexandre Aleixo
Summary: Integrative taxonomic studies revealed taxonomic inconsistencies within Rhynchocyclus olivaceus, with evidence supporting its paraphyletic nature. The study identified at least four morphologically cryptic lineages within R. olivaceus, prompting the proposal to split these groups into separate species, including an undescribed species named Rhynchocyclus cryptus, sp. nov.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Joseph D. Manthey, John Klicka, Garth M. Spellman
Summary: The genomic signature of allopatric speciation is largely shaped by genomic architecture, with gene density and recombination rate variation regionally explaining a large portion of variance in genomic diversity, differentiation, and divergence.chromosome size has a significant impact on genetic differentiation, divergence, lineage sorting, neutral evolution, genetic diversity, and recombination rate.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Le Qin Choo, Thijs M. P. Bal, Erica Goetze, Katja T. C. A. Peijnenburg
Summary: The study of genetic diversity in pteropods across a latitudinal transect in the Atlantic Ocean revealed high levels of variability and strong spatial structuring, with primary dispersal barriers identified in the southern Atlantic subtropical gyre and a secondary barrier in the equatorial upwelling region. These findings suggest that low abundance areas indicate suboptimal habitats and play a role in limiting gene flow among widely distributed zooplankton species.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew L. Bendall, Keylie M. Gibson, Margaret C. Steiner, Uzma Rentia, Marcos Perez-Losada, Keith A. Crandall
Summary: Deep sequencing of viral populations using NGS provides insights into evolution, transmission dynamics, and population genetics, but current practices may overlook valuable information. HAPHPIPE offers a comprehensive pipeline for assembling viral consensus sequences and haplotypes, allowing for rapid analysis and quality output suitable for evolutionary studies.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Benny K. K. Chan, Niklas Dreyer, Andy S. Gale, Henrik Glenner, Christine Ewers-Saucedo, Marcos Perez-Losada, Gregory A. Kolbasov, Keith A. Crandall, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive revision and synthesis of the higher-level classification of barnacles to the genus level, with updated insights from recent phylogenetic studies. The resulting classification divides barnacles into three subclasses, containing a total of 2116 species within 14 orders, 65 families, and 367 genera. The taxonomy is accompanied by a discussion of major morphological events in barnacle evolution and justifications for the proposed rearrangements.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
M. Florencia Viozzi, Juan M. Cabrera, Federico Giri, Debora de Azevedo Carvalho, Veronica Williner
Summary: The study on whether ontogenetic diet change in Aegla uruguayana Schmitt, 1942 is related to morphological changes in chelae and mandibles reveals significant differences between juvenile and adult specimens in terms of cuticle and morphology specializations. SEM and geometric morphometric tools were used to analyze the differences, showing that the diet change correlates with the morphological variations. Additionally, the species exhibited two trophic strategies, with more predatory traits in younger stages and mostly detritivorous behavior in adulthood.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Bianca L. Zimmermann, Ivanice Buzatto, Sandro Santos, Federico Giri, Franco Teixeira de Mello, Keith A. Crandall, Marcos Perez-Losada, Marlise L. Bartholomei-Santos
Summary: Cryptic species pose a challenge for morphologically based species identification, but molecular approaches can provide valuable taxonomic hypotheses. Research on South American freshwater crabs of the genus Aegla suggests that morphological similarity does not always indicate genetic relatedness, and there may be cryptic species present. The diversity of these crustaceans seems to be influenced by factors such as habitat fragmentation, morphological stasis, and recent divergence.
Article
Immunology
Nathaniel Stearrett, Tyson Dawson, Ali Rahnavard, Prathyusha Bachali, Matthew L. Bendall, Chen Zeng, Roberto Caricchio, Marcos Perez-Losada, Amrie C. Grammer, Peter E. Lipsky, Keith A. Crandall
Summary: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with remarkable heterogeneity in different individuals, involving various organs and disease severity due to ancestral variations. The study focuses on exploring the expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) as a potential contributor to disease heterogeneity and a source of immunoreactive nucleic acids in SLE. By analyzing RNA-Seq data from whole blood studies, the research identified differential expression of HERVs between SLE cases and controls, and examined their association with SLE features and biochemical pathways, particularly the interferon gene signature (IGS).
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Daniela Rosado, Marcos Perez-Losada, Ricardo Severino, Raquel Xavier
Summary: In fish aquaculture, disease outbreaks during early-life stages and antibiotic treatments have significant impacts on the skin microbiota, leading to changes in bacterial diversity, core microbial communities, and microbiome structure.
Article
Respiratory System
Yoshihiko Raita, Marcos Perez-Losada, Robert J. Freishtat, Andrea Hahn, Eduardo Castro-Nallar, Ignacio Ramos-Tapia, Nathaniel Stearrett, Yury A. Bochkov, James E. Gern, Jonathan M. Mansbach, Zhaozhong Zhu, Carlos A. Camargo, Kohei Hasegawa
Summary: Through transcriptome and clustering analysis, we identified biologically distinct metatranscriptome profiles with differential risks of asthma in infant bronchiolitis.
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Daniela Rosado, Marcos Perez-Losada, Manuel Aira, Jorge Dominguez
Summary: Vermicomposting is a process that uses earthworms and microbes to degrade organic waste, producing a nutrient-rich soil biofertilizer. This study investigated the bacterial succession during the vermicomposting of the invasive plant species, silver wattle, utilizing the earthworm species Eisenia andrei. The researchers observed significant changes in bacterial diversity and community composition during the first 28 days of vermicomposting, while the community seemed more stable between days 28 and 56. The study also identified a core microbiome and found significant changes in predicted functional profiles of genes involved in cellulose metabolism, nitrification, and salicylic acid.
Article
Microbiology
Manuel Aira, Marcos Perez-Losada, Keith A. Crandall, Jorge Dominguez
Summary: Earthworms heavily modify the soil microbiome as they pass through their guts, with unique bacterial populations present in the soil, gut, and casts. This study highlights the importance of understanding soil microbial communities and their dynamics in nutrient cycles.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Gisela Loretan, Federico Giri, Juan Manuel Cabrera, Florencia Coronel, Pablo Agustin Collins, Marcos Perez-Losada, Eva Carolina Rueda
Summary: Phylogeographic research reveals previously unrecognized units of biodiversity, as shown in the case of Aegla scamosa, a crab species inhabiting waterbodies in southern South America. This study characterized the phylogeography of A. scamosa in Argentina, identifying two independent evolutionarily units and a discrepancy between nuclear and mitochondrial markers. The findings highlight the importance of studying freshwater fauna for conservation purposes.
Article
Fisheries
Eva C. Rueda, Carolina B. Machado, Veronica Castro, Alline Braga-Silva, Guillermo Ojeda, Facundo Vargas, Gisela Loretan, Patricia D. Freitas, Pedro M. Galetti Jr, Guillermo Orti
Summary: In this study, the researchers analyzed the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of Pseudoplatystoma corruscans using microsatellite markers. They found two distinct genetic clusters, which correspond to a historical natural geographic barrier separating the Upper and Lower Parana regions. They also observed temporal variation in population genetic structure at a site in Lower Parana, likely due to the influx of migrant fishes during certain times of the year.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Marcos Perez-Losada, Eduardo Castro-Nallar, Jose Laerte Boechat, Luis Delgado, Tiago Azenha Rama, Valentin Berrios-Farias, Manuela Oliveira
Summary: Allergic rhinitis and asthma lead to dysbiosis of nasal bacteriome, which can be potential biomarkers for diagnostics and therapeutics. This study provides insights into the distinct bacteriota in the nose during health and respiratory diseases.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Daniela Rosado, Marta Lores, Ignacio Ramos-Tapia, Keith A. Crandall, Marcos Perez-Losada, Jorge Dominguez
Summary: Vermicompost derived from grape marc can improve the microbial communities in vineyards, resulting in increased grape production and improved wine quality. Comparing the microbiota of Mencia must and wine from treated and untreated grapevines, we found significant differences in taxonomic composition, microbial structure, and functional diversity. These changes in microbial abundance and metabolic processes during winemaking may enhance Mencia's organoleptic properties and productivity.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Daniela Rosado, Marcos Perez-Losada, Ana Pereira, Ricardo Severino, Raquel Xavier
Summary: Important microbial differences in composition and potential functionality were observed across different ages of farmed seabass and seabream. These differences may be related to somatic growth and the onset of sexual maturation. The water microbiota was significantly distinct from the fish microbiota across all age groups, with a high percentage of ASVs shared with the fish skin and gill microbiotas.
