Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shannon E. Keating, Madison Blumer, L. Lee Grismer, Aung Lin, Stuart V. Nielsen, Myint Kyaw Thura, Perry L. Wood Jr, Evan S. H. Quah, Tony Gamble
Summary: Sex chromosome turnover appears to be common within geckos, particularly within the genus Cyrtodactylus, highlighting their exceptional diversity in sex determination systems within a group already known for diverse sex chromosomes.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alexander Kostmann, Lukas Kratochvil, Michail Rovatsos
Summary: Scincoidea is a reptilian clade with diversity in sex-determining systems. It has been debated whether skinks have sex chromosomes variations or even lack of sex chromosomes. While ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes have been identified in some scincoidean lizards, they are poorly differentiated and often undetectable by cytogenetic methods. However, this study reports the presence of ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes in the plated lizard Zonosaurus madagascariensis, suggesting a different pattern of sex chromosome evolution in this species.
Article
Plant Sciences
Florence Ngo Ngwe, Sonja Siljak-Yakovlev
Summary: We studied the sex chromosomes of Dioscorea dumetorum in Cameroon and found that one pair of chromosomes is sex chromosomes. This research contributes to our understanding of the sex determination mechanism in D. dumetorum (standard sex-determining XX/XY system).
Article
Cell Biology
Eleonora Pensabene, Alona Yurchenko, Lukas Kratochvil, Michail Rovatsos
Summary: Geckos, especially the Madagascar leaf-tail geckos of the Uroplatus genus, provide a great model for studying the evolution of sex determination. Our research reveals the presence of highly heterochromatic W chromosomes in these geckos, with a specific region on the Z chromosome shared with chicken chromosomes. Despite differences in their W chromosomes, all tested species of leaf-tail geckos share homologous sex chromosomes. This finding highlights the importance of studying the convergence of sex chromosomes from the same genomic region.
Article
Ecology
Shannon E. Keating, Eli Greenbaum, Jerry D. Johnson, Tony Gamble
Summary: This study used RADseq to identify male-specific markers in the banded gecko Coleonyx brevis, indicating that this species has a XX/XY sex-determination system. Furthermore, the study found that these sex-linked regions are not homologous to the XX/XY sex chromosomes of two related Coleonyx species, suggesting a cis-sex chromosome turnover within the genus.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Haojie Tong, Gang Shao, Leijie Wang, Jiasheng Li, Tao Wang, Lun Zhang, Yudie Lv, Fei Ye, Caiyun Fu, Yuanting Jin
Summary: The MC1R gene is associated with intraspecific color variation in the lizard Phrynocephalus erythrurus. A single amino acid replacement at residue Glu183Lys in the MC1R protein leads to functional changes, resulting in differences in dorsal pigmentation between populations from different environments in the Qiangtang plateau. The SQP allele exhibits higher MC1R-α-MSH binding and increased melanin synthesis compared to the NQP allele.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anthony J. Barley, James E. Cordes, James M. Walker, Robert C. Thomson
Summary: Unisexual vertebrates typically form through hybridization events between sexual species, which can have important ecological consequences. Studying the genetic diversity in unisexual lineages has proven challenging, especially in understanding the contribution of historical hybridization events versus post formational mutation. This study on a diploid unisexual lizard species in Texas and Mexico highlights the genetic variation and historical patterns of hybridization, providing insights into the mechanisms that generate and maintain lineage diversity in unisexual species.
Article
Biology
Aundrea K. Westfall, Rory S. Telemeco, Mariana B. Grizante, Damien S. Waits, Amanda D. Clark, Dasia Y. Simpson, Randy L. Klabacka, Alexis P. Sullivan, George H. Perry, Michael W. Sears, Christian L. Cox, Robert M. Cox, Matthew E. Gifford, Henry B. John-Alder, Tracy Langkilde, Michael J. Angilletta, Adam D. Leache, Marc Tollis, Kenro Kusumi, Tonia S. Schwartz
Summary: The study presents a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome assembly for the eastern fence lizard and offers improved reference-based genome assemblies for 34 additional Sceloporus species. By comparing different assembly methods with increasing levels of cost and effort, the researchers found that each had its own advantages, with some being suitable for RNAseq and single-nucleotide polymorphism calling, while others were more suitable for synteny and whole-genome association mapping analyses.
Article
Biology
Kailah M. Thorn, Diana A. Fusco, Mark N. Hutchinson, Michael G. Gardner, Jessica L. Clayton, Gavin J. Prideaux, Michael S. Y. Lee
Summary: This article describes a gigantic Pleistocene skink from Australia, based on extensive material, which expands the knowledge of the ecomorphological diversity of squamates. With its broad skull, squat limbs, and heavy body armor, Tiliqua frangens was more than double the mass of any living skink. It likely occupied the armored herbivore niche that land tortoises occupy on other continents.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Laia Marin-Gual, Laura Gonzalez-Rodelas, Maria M. Garcias, Lukas Kratochvil, Nicole Valenzuela, Arthur Georges, Paul D. Waters, Aurora Ruiz-Herrera
Summary: This study compares the regulation of meiotic prophase I in reptiles by examining four species. The results show that meiosis progression is highly conserved in reptiles, with telomeres clustering forming the bouquet, promoting homologous pairing and synapsis. Low levels of meiotic double strand breaks were also detected in all taxa, providing new insights into reptile meiosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lukas Kubicka, Adam Turecek, Tomas Kucera, Lukas Kratochvil
Summary: Unlike mammals and birds, reptiles are considered indeterminate growers, with their growth reflecting differential allocation of resources. This study monitored the growth and bone growth plates activity, hormonal profiles, and reproductive activity in the male-larger gecko Paroedura picta. The findings suggest that some lizards are determinate growers, driven by ovarian hormones, and the major difference in growth between endothermic and ectothermic amniotes is the magnitude of growth before and after the first reproduction.
Article
Biology
L. J. Fitzpatrick, M. Olsson, A. Pauliny, G. M. While, E. Wapstra
Summary: The study found that adult telomere length across populations is mainly determined by telomere length at birth, with age and growth having population-specific effects. Reproductive effort has no direct effect on telomere length, while maternal factors influence telomere length at birth.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zhong-Wen Jiang, Liang Ma, Chun-Rong Mi, Shi-Ang Tao, Fengyi Guo, Wei-Guo Du
Summary: This study used mechanistic niche models and incorporated species traits to predict the ecophysiological responses of lizard populations at high-elevation and extra-high-elevation under recent and future climates. The results showed that lizards from extra-high-elevation are predicted to experience a greater increase in activity time and oxygen consumption compared to their high-elevation counterparts. By integrating these responses into hybrid species distribution models, the study predicted that lizards at both elevations will shift upslope by 2081-2100, with extra-high-elevation lizards gaining more and losing less habitat than high-elevation lizards. The study highlights the importance of conserving high-elevation species and considering intraspecific variation and local adaptation in physiological traits when predicting species' future distributions under climate change.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Virnaliz Cruz, Omar Cruz-Pantoja, Raymond Tremblay, Miguel Acevedo
Summary: High levels of within-individual variation (WIV) in reiterative components have been shown to increase individual fitness in plants, but it is unknown whether this relationship exists in animals. This study found that infected lizards had higher levels of erythrocyte size variation, but this variation was not associated with infection status or lizard body condition. These results suggest that erythrocyte size variation in infected lizards is likely a consequence of the host response to infection rather than an adaptive trait.
Article
Ecology
Anna F. Senior, David G. Chapple, Zak S. Atkins, Nick Clemann, Michael G. Gardner, Geoffrey M. While, Bob B. M. Wong
Summary: This study investigated aggressive behavior in response to simulated intruders in two sister species of temperate montane lizards, revealing asymmetric agonistic responses between the two species. The findings suggest that biological interactions and behavior, in addition to thermo-physiological data, play a significant role in mediating landscape scale distribution patterns of montane species both currently and in the future. The results challenge the idea that lower elevation species will inevitably displace higher elevation species due to global warming.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Brendan J. Pinto, Jerome J. Weis, Tony Gamble, Paul J. Ode, Ryan Paul, Jennifer M. Zaspel
Summary: This study presents a high-quality genome assembly for the parasitoid wasp Cotesia glomerata, which provides valuable research resources for this important but understudied group of insects. The assembly, generated using multiple sequencing technologies, represents one of the most contiguous, complete, and publicly available hymenopteran genomes, aiding genomics research in this hyperdiverse but understudied order of insects.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2021)
Review
Biology
Matthias Stoeck, Lukas Kratochvil, Heiner Kuhl, Michail Rovatsos, Ben J. Evans, Alexander Suh, Nicole Valenzuela, Frederic Veyrunes, Qi Zhou, Tony Gamble, Blanche Capel, Manfred Schartl, Yann Guiguen
Summary: The article reviews the evolution of sex in vertebrates, covering sex determination mechanisms, sexual development, and reproductive modes across different clades. With the latest research data, it demonstrates the diversity and complexity of vertebrate sex genomes, as well as the research prospects for the evolution of sex determination.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Aaron H. Griffing, Tony Gamble, Martin J. Cohn, Thomas J. Sanger
Summary: Through a high-resolution comparison of plantar scale development in 14 lizard species in Anolis and geckos, it was found that despite substantial evolutionary divergence between the two clades, they both underwent similar developmental modifications to generate their adhesive toe pads. This suggests that developmental constraints played a key role in governing the diversification of the adhesive toe pad in lizards.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Scott Jarvie, Travis Ingram, David G. Chapple, Rodney A. Hitchmough, Stuart Nielsen, Joanne M. Monks
Summary: This study assessed the vulnerability of New Zealand lizards to climate change based on their taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships. The research found that most lizard species' ranges will decrease under future climate change, highlighting the importance of prioritizing protection for these vulnerable species. Managed relocation could be considered for species that will lose suitable climatic space within their current range.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Brendan J. Pinto, Shannon E. Keating, Stuart Nielsen, Daniel P. Scantlebury, Juan D. Daza, Tony Gamble
Summary: Sex determination is a critical aspect of vertebrate development, and the stability of sex chromosome systems across different lineages is of evolutionary importance. While mammals and birds have conserved sex chromosome systems, reptiles such as gecko lizards have undergone frequent sex chromosome transitions, making their phylogenetic understanding incomplete. In this study, researchers assembled a chromosome-level genome for a gecko species and used various genomic techniques to investigate sex chromosomes in closely related species. The results revealed multiple sex chromosome transitions and identified previously unknown sex chromosome systems. This study highlights the flexibility of sex chromosome evolution in gecko lizards and adds to our understanding of the evolutionary processes involved.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Marcos J. M. Dubeux, Ubiratan Goncalves, Cristiane N. S. Palmeira, Pedro M. S. Nunes, Jose Cassimiro, Tony Gamble, Fernanda P. Werneck, Miguel T. Rodrigues, Tami Mott
Summary: Two new species of Brazilian geckos belonging to the genus Phyllopezus are described in this study, based on morphological and molecular data. These two species are found in different regions of Bahia state in Brazil and display distinct morphological and genetic characteristics from their closely related species.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Aaron H. Griffing, Tony Gamble, Aaron M. Bauer, Anthony P. Russell
Summary: The study investigated the development of digital structures in Hemidactylus lizards and found that the derived antepenultimate phalanges are products of paedomorphosis. Additionally, divergent developmental patterns were found in convergently evolved paraphalanges.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Shannon E. Keating, Eli Greenbaum, Jerry D. Johnson, Tony Gamble
Summary: This study used RADseq to identify male-specific markers in the banded gecko Coleonyx brevis, indicating that this species has a XX/XY sex-determination system. Furthermore, the study found that these sex-linked regions are not homologous to the XX/XY sex chromosomes of two related Coleonyx species, suggesting a cis-sex chromosome turnover within the genus.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Anatomy & Morphology
Juan D. Daza, Emma C. Krakoski, Tony Gamble, Aaron M. Bauer
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Brendan J. Pinto, Tony Gamble, Chase H. Smith, Melissa A. Wilson
Summary: The first high-quality genome assembly of a squamate reptile, the green anole, was published in 2011. However, subsequent genome assemblies were largely inadequate until 2018, when an exponential increase in high-quality genome assemblies for squamates occurred. This systematic review evaluates the currently available genome assemblies, highlights their usefulness in understanding genome evolution in squamates, and explains the historical lag in squamate genomics compared to other taxa.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Brendan J. Pinto, Tony Gamble, Chase H. Smith, Shannon E. Keating, Justin C. Havird, Ylenia Chiari
Summary: The study successfully generated one of the highest-quality squamate genomes to date for the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) using the latest advances in genome sequencing and assembly methods. The new genome assembly is more complete compared to the previous reference genome, signaling a new age for squamate genomics.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew P. Heinicke, Stuart V. Nielsen, Aaron M. Bauer, Ryan Kelly, Anthony J. Geneva, Juan D. Daza, Shannon E. Keating, Tony Gamble
Summary: Hoplodactylus delcourti is a presumably extinct species of gecko, known only from a single specimen. It is the largest known gekkotan, and based on external features, it was thought to belong to the New Zealand genus Hoplodactylus. However, DNA analysis revealed that it is actually related to a clade of geckos endemic to New Caledonia. The convergence in form between H. delcourti and New Zealand Hoplodactylus can be partially explained by repeated changes in toe pad structure.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Aaron H. Griffing, Shannon E. Keating, Brendan J. Pinto, Stuart V. Nielsen, Tony Gamble
Summary: Many species of sphaerodactyl gecko exhibit sexual dichromatism, including a regional male color morph of S. macrolepis from St. Croix. The distinct color morph of yellow/orange head likely contributed to the taxonomic history of the S. macrolepis species group. Due to the documented diversity of color patterns in this group and the rapid evolution of sexual signals, S. macrolepis is suggested as an excellent group to study the ecological and evolutionary consequences of dichromatism and polymorphism.
