Search results for " Speciation"
showing 10 items of 272 documents
The Leiobunum rupestre species group: resolving the taxonomy of four widespread European taxa (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae)
2016
Within the central European opilionid fauna the widely used species names Leiobunum rupestre Herbst, 1799 and Leiobunum tisciae Avram, 1968 pose taxonomic and distributional problems. In addition, Nelima apenninica Martens, 1969 is close to L. tisciae in terms of external and genital morphology, but is specifically distinct. While coxal denticulation is largely lacking in N. apenninica, the validity of the genus Nelima Roewer, 1910 is questioned again. In addition, Leiobunum subalpinum Komposch, 1998, a recently described novelty from the eastern Alps, is closely related to L. rupestre. The four species are combined as the morphologically defined Leiobunum rupestre species group. Except for…
Revision of the pentacrinid stalked crinoids of the genus Endoxocrinus (Echinodermata, Crinoidea), with a study of environmental control of character…
2006
A revision of the stalked crinoid species attributed to the genus Endoxocrinus A.H. Clark, 1908 (Diplocrininae, Pentacrinitidae, Crinoidea, Echinodermata) is conducted using studies on phenotype variation and its relation with environment. Specimens collected via submersible at five sites in the Bahamas exhibit distinct phenotypes that correlate with different apparent ecological niches and serve as references for interpreting specimens dredged in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where detailed information on their benthic environment is unknown. Documentation of ecophenotypic convergences or divergences allows us to distinguish between adaptive characters and those revealing genetic affinities,…
Revision of the Afrotropical genus Leiodontocercus (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae) with a description of four new species
2020
Specimens belonging to the genus Leiodontocercus are rare or even absent in natural history museum collections; this is likely due to at least two reasons, notably, their relatively small size, and, the sheer difficulty in finding them in dense Afrotropical forests. Until recently, three species from less than fifteen specimens were known from this genus, whose identification relied on a singular diagnostic character, that is, the shape of the male cerci. The present contribution is based on the examination of thirty specimens collected from various countries, ranging from central to west Africa; apart from the male cerci, a second diagnostic character – the stridulatory file – is used to d…
Patterns of genetic variability and habitat occupancy in Crepis triasii (Asteraceae) at different spatial scales: insights on evolutionary processes …
2012
International audience; Background and Aims Archipelagos are unique systems for studying evolutionary processes promoting diversification and speciation. The islands of the Mediterranean basin are major areas of plant richness, including a high proportion of narrow endemics. Many endemic plants are currently found in rocky habitats, showing varying patterns of habitat occupancy at different spatial scales throughout their range. The aim of the present study was to understand the impact of varying patterns of population distribution on genetic diversity and structure to shed light on demographic and evolutionary processes leading to population diversification in Crepis triasii, an endemic pl…
Interspecific interactions influence contrasting spatial genetic structures in two closely related damselfly species
2014
Spatial genetic structure (SGS) is largely determined by colonization history, landscape and ecological characteristics of the species. Therefore, sympatric and ecologically similar species are expected to exhibit similar SGSs, potentially enabling prediction of the SGS of one species from that of another. On the other hand, due to interspecific interactions, ecologically similar species could have different SGSs. We explored the SGSs of the closely related Calopteryx splendens and Calopteryx virgo within Finland and related the genetic patterns to characteristics of the sampling localities. We observed different SGSs for the two species. Genetic differentiation even within short distances …
Improving the conservation of Mediterranean Chondrichthyans : the ELASMOMED DNA barcode reference library
2017
Cartilaginous fish are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors and environmental change because of their K-selected reproductive strategy. Accurate data from scientific surveys and landings are essential to assess conservation status and to develop robust protection and management plans. Currently available data are often incomplete or incorrect as a result of inaccurate species identifications, due to a high level of morphological stasis, especially among closely related taxa. Moreover, several diagnostic characters clearly visible in adult specimens are less evident in juveniles. Here we present results generated by the ELASMOMED Consortium, a regional network aiming to sample …
Three endemic Aphaenogaster from the Siculo-Maltese archipelago and the Italian Peninsula: part of a hitherto unrecognized species group from the Mag…
2019
Abstract More than 100 years ago, the Italian myrmecologist Carlo Emery described two endemic Sicilian ants: Aphaenogaster sicula Emery, 1908, which he originally considered a subspecies of A. crocea André, 1881, and A. fiorii Emery, 1915 stat. nov., which he believed was a subspecies of A. gibbosa (Latreille, 1798). Males of the two species and the queen of A. fiorii were never described. The scarcity of information contained in the original description led to several misunderstandings by subsequent authors: for example, A. sicula was later elevated to species-rank on the basis of misidentified material of A. fiorii stat. nov. We redescribe the two species, adding the descriptions of their…
High-speed duetting-latency times of the female acoustic response within the bush-cricket genera Leptophyes and Andreiniimon (Orthoptera, Phaneropter…
2018
To find a mate, male and female bush-crickets of the family Phaneropteridae typically engage in duets. The male sings and the female responds. For mutual recognition, the amplitude pattern of the male song and the species-specific timing of the female response have been shown to be very important. In the seven studied species, belonging to the generaLeptophyesandAndreiniimon, these duets are extremely fast and nearly completely in the ultrasonic range. The females produce very short sounds by fast closing movements of the tegmina. They respond with species-specific delays of 20 to 150 ms after the beginning of the male song. The different latency times are probably not important for species…
Postcopulatory sexual selection generates speciation phenotypes in Drosophila.
2013
Background: Identifying traits that reproductively isolate species and the selective forces underlying their divergence is a central goal of evolutionary biology and speciation research. There is growing recognition that postcopulatory sexual selection which can drive rapid diversification of interacting ejaculate and female reproductive tract traits that mediate sperm competition may be an engine of speciation. Conspecific sperm precedence (CSP) is a taxonomically widespread form of reproductive isolation but the selective causes and divergent traits responsible for CSP are poorly understood. Results: To test the hypothesis that postcopulatory sexual selection can generate reproductive iso…
Phenology of Emergence by Mediterranean Sympatric Cave-Dwelling Bats During Their Breeding Period
2017
The emergence of cave-dwelling bats can be influenced by multiple variables, such as diurnal predator evasion, energetic requirements, and prey abundance. This work aimed to determine emergence patterns of cave-dwelling bat species from roosts over the April–July 2013 period in the Valencian Community (East Spain) by infrared camera and acoustic recordings. We observed that Miniopterus schreibersii left earliest followed by the Myotis myotis/blythii group and Myotis capaccinii and finally Myotis escalerai. This pattern of emergence was observed in four roosts with no significant differences. Miniopterus schreibersii tended to display quicker flight in open areas, compared to the Myotis genu…