Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew J. Christmas, Julia C. Jones, Anna Olsson, Ola Wallerman, Ignas Bunikis, Marcin Kierczak, Valentina Peona, Kaitlyn M. Whitley, Tuuli Larva, Alexander Suh, Nicole E. Miller-Struttmann, Jennifer C. Geib, Matthew T. Webster
Summary: Evidence suggests that gene flow commonly occurs between recently diverged species, despite barriers to gene flow. Genetic barriers to gene flow often accumulate in regions of low recombination and near centromeres.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jake Goodall, Kristen Marie Westfall, Hildur Magnusdottir, Snaebjorn Palsson, Erla Bjork Ornolfsdottir, Zophonias O. Jonsson
Summary: Buccinum undatum, a subtidal gastropod in the North Atlantic, shows clear spatial genetic structure with high differentiation between Canadian and European populations, and weak but significant genetic structuring within Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and England. Genetic structure in Iceland is correlated with shell shape and color frequency, making this species a promising model for future genome-wide association studies.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Ashley D. Walters, Andrew G. Cannizzaro, Daniel A. Trujillo, David J. Berg
Summary: Research suggests that genetic distinct populations geographically isolated from each other in desert springs are likely to have independent evolution and separate species status. Additionally, subtle interspecific morphological variation has been observed among putative species. Multiple lines of evidence were used to formally describe four new species endemic to the northern Chihuahuan Desert.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Frida Feijen, Natalia Zajac, Christoph Vorburger, Isabel Blasco-Costa, Jukka Jokela
Summary: The phylogeographic patterns of many taxa on New Zealand's South Island show disjunct distributions, which may be attributed to Pleistocene climatic cycles and the formation of the Southern Alps. Through studying the parasitic trematode of the aquatic snail, it was found that there is evidence of a barrier to gene-flow in sympatry, and these species may have diverged during the Pleistocene. In the central part of the South Island, a boundary between these disjunct distributions was found, and it is reinforced by low cross-alpine migration. Nuclear and mitochondrial population differentiation patterns are concordant, except for populations in a potential secondary contact zone.
Article
Microbiology
Jiao Wang, Yisong Li, Adrian A. Pinto-Tomas, Kun Cheng, Ying Huang
Summary: This study reveals the genetic isolation and divergent evolution of Streptomyces olivaceus strains into habitat-associated lineages, highlighting the significant role of habitat adaptation in microbial diversification. Physiological assays showed fitness trade-offs and substrate utilization differences between free-living and insect-associated isolates.
Article
Ecology
Antonio J. Perez-Delgado, Paula Arribas, Carles Hernando, Heriberto Lopez, Yurena Arjona, Daniel Suarez-Ramos, Brent C. Emerson, Carmelo Andujar
Summary: The study reveals the diversification process within a beetle species adapted to the soil environment. Through molecular phylogenetics, population genomics, and morphometric analysis, it was found that the species consists of at least seven lineages, suggesting the presence of a cryptic species complex.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jimmy A. Mcguire, Xiaoting Huang, Sean B. Reilly, Djoko T. Iskandar, Cynthia Y. Wang-Claypool, Sarah Werning, Rebecca A. Chong, Shobi Z. S. Lawalata, Alexander L. Stubbs, Jeffrey H. Frederick, Rafe M. Brown, Ben J. Evans, Umilaela Arifin, Awal Riyanto, Amir Hamidy, Evy Arida, Michelle S. Koo, Jatna Supriatna, Noviar Andayani, Robert Hall
Summary: The biota of Sulawesi is known for its unique species and diversification. In this study, the diversification history of Sulawesi flying lizards, an endemic group to Sulawesi, was explored using a geological framework. The analysis revealed that there are more Draco species in Sulawesi than previously thought, with cryptic and arrested speciation events and ancient hybridization affecting the phylogenetic analyses. The colonization of Sulawesi by the common ancestor of the Draco lineatus Group occurred around 11 million years ago, followed by radiations and dynamic species interactions.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
George Sangster, Jolanda A. Luksenburg, Martin Packert, Cees S. Roselaar, Martin Irestedt, Per G. P. Ericson
Summary: The European Robin Erithacus rubecula is currently considered as a single species with eight subspecies. However, new evidence from molecular, morphometric and bioacoustic data supports the recognition of three separate species within this complex: E. rubecula, E. superbus, and E. marionae. The differences in territorial songs, calls, and wing length between the taxa on Tenerife and Gran Canaria and E. rubecula further support their classification as distinct species. The recognition of the Gran Canaria and Tenerife Robins as separate species adds two single-island endemics to the avifauna of the Canary Islands.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aleksandra Walczynska, Manuel Serra
Summary: The body size response to temperature is a common ecological phenomenon, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Our study found that oxygen plays a crucial role in determining the size-to-temperature patterns observed in the field.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cinnamon S. Mittan-Moreau, Crystal Kelehear, Luis Felipe Toledo, Jamie Bacon, Juan M. Guayasamin, Andrew Snyder, Kelly R. Zamudio
Summary: This study investigated the establishment success of cane toads across their introduced range by examining the roles of introduction history and genetic diversity. The researchers found that Florida populations were more closely related to native Central American lineages, and there were high levels of diversity and population structure in the native range, supporting the idea that cane toads are a species complex. The study also revealed that introduced populations have slightly lower genetic diversity compared to native populations.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aleksandra Jaszczynska, Andrzej Falniowski, Simona Prevorcnik, Artur Osikowski, Sebastian Hofman
Summary: The Western Balkans is home to the richest subterranean aquatic gastropod fauna in the world. In this study, the genetic diversity of Belgrandiella populations from caves, springs, and interstitial aquifers was assessed using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, histone 3, and RAPD analysis. The results suggest that these snails form a metapopulation with low gene flow between populations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel J. MacGuigan, Oliver D. Orr, Thomas J. Near
Summary: The history of riverine fish diversification is largely driven by geographic isolation, where physical barriers and genetic drift lead to speciation. The Johnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum) species complex, which includes E. olmstedi, E. perlongum, and E. susanae, exhibits gene flow and conflicting species diversity inferences. By using genomic data and population genetic approaches, this study identifies and validates several evolutionary lineages within the complex, emphasizing the need for further research to describe its diversity. The phylogeographic structure within the complex is influenced by major geologic events and river basin rearrangements, making it a hotspot of freshwater biodiversity in eastern North America.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth Christina Miller, Christopher M. Martinez, Sarah T. Friedman, Peter C. Wainwright, Samantha A. Price, Luke Tornabene
Summary: The disparity in species richness between shallow water and deep sea fish can be explained by alternating phases of shallow water diversification and deep-sea colonization and speciation. Shallow marine fish became highly diverse 100 million years ago during a period of warm temperatures and high sea level, while deep-sea colonization and speciation were favored during brief periods when cooling temperatures increased the efficiency of the ocean's carbon pump. Time-variable ecological filters limited the colonization from shallow to deep sea, maintaining higher species richness in shallow water.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sonal Singhal, Guarino R. Colli, Maggie R. Grundler, Gabriel C. Costa, Ivan Prates, Daniel L. Rabosky
Summary: The rates of species formation vary across different taxa and are affected by both microevolutionary processes and macroevolutionary patterns. This study demonstrates that population isolation has little influence on speciation rates in lizards and snakes, suggesting that other stages of speciation may play larger roles.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guilherme Wagner G. Atencio, Rebeca Zanini, Marindia Depra, Helena P. Romanowski
Summary: Euryades corethrus is an endemic Troidini butterfly species found in grasslands of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. Due to habitat loss caused by conversion to crops and pastures, it is now endangered in these areas. Genetic analysis using the COI marker revealed low genetic variability and gene flow between populations, indicating a lack of population structure. The loss of habitat poses a significant threat to E. corethrus, potentially leading to isolation, loss of genetic diversity, and ultimately extinction if conservation measures are not implemented.
ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS
(2023)