Search results for "Paraphyly"

2020

The Mediterranean Basin represents a Global Biodiversity Hotspot where many organisms show high inter- and intraspecific differentiation. Extant phylogeographic patterns of terrestrial circum-Mediterranean faunas were mainly shaped through Pleistocene range shifts and range fragmentations due to retreat into different glacial refugia. Thus, several extant Mediterranean bird species have diversified by surviving glaciations in different hospitable refugia and subsequently expanded their distribution ranges during the Holocene. Such a scenario was also suggested for the Eurasian Wren (Nannus troglodytes) despite the lack of genetic data for most Mediterranean subspecies. Our phylogenetic mult…

Megaphylogenetic Specimen-level Approaches to the <I>Carex</I> (Cyperaceae) Phylogeny Using ITS, ETS, and <I>matK</I> Sequenc…

2016

Abstract We present the first large-scale phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus Carex based on 996 of the 1983 accepted species (50.23%). We used a supermatrix approach using three DNA regions: ETS, ITS and matK. Every concatenated sequence was derived from a single specimen. The topology of our phylogenetic reconstruction largely agreed with previous studies. We also gained new insights into the early divergence structure of the two largest clades, core Carex and Vignea clades, challenging some previous evolutionary hypotheses about inflorescence structure. Most sections were recovered as non-monophyletic. Homoplasy of characters traditionally selected as relevant for classification, histo…

A large-scale, higher-level, molecular phylogenetic study of the insect order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).

2013

Background Higher-level relationships within the Lepidoptera, and particularly within the species-rich subclade Ditrysia, are generally not well understood, although recent studies have yielded progress. We present the most comprehensive molecular analysis of lepidopteran phylogeny to date, focusing on relationships among superfamilies. Methodology / Principal Findings 483 taxa spanning 115 of 124 families were sampled for 19 protein-coding nuclear genes, from which maximum likelihood tree estimates and bootstrap percentages were obtained using GARLI. Assessment of heuristic search effectiveness showed that better trees and higher bootstrap percentages probably remain to be discovered even …

The concept of genus within the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Parasitiformes): historical review and phylogenetic analyses of the genus Neoseiulus Hugh…

2012

Systematic studies on the family Phytoseiidae were first conducted at the beginning of the 20th century but increased greatly after the Second World War. Various classifications have been proposed based on different characters such as: dorsal, ventral, and leg chaetotaxy; the shape of ventrianal and sternal shields; the shape of the insemination apparatus (spermatheca) and spermatodactylus; the number of teeth on the movable digit of chelicera; and dorsal and ventral adenotaxy. The genus concepts developed over the last five decades can be divided into two main categories or hypotheses. The first, supported mainly by Chant and McMurtry, focuses on dorsal and ventral chaetotaxy, and the gene…

The DNA barcoding of Mediterranean combtooth blennies suggests the paraphyly of some taxa (Perciformes, Blenniidae)

2019

A dataset including novel and publicly available mtDNA COI sequences of 14 Mediterranean combtooth blenny species belonging to nine genera was assembled in order to provide a reference dataset for DNA barcoding studies. Some inconsistencies in the current taxonomy of some genera were observed. In particular, the monophyly of the genera Parablennius and Salaria is not supported by the present dataset and the absence of reciprocal monophyly between the morphospecies Salaria basilisca and S. pavo questions their status and stresses the need of a revision of the genus Salaria.

The tangled cases of Deinogalerix (Late Miocene endemic erinaceid of Gargano) and Galericini (Eulipotyphla, Erinaceidae): a cladistic perspective.

2018

The Late Miocene giant erinaceid Deinogalerix from Scontrone and Gargano (Italy) is associated with many other vertebrates in deposits of a past island, the “Abruzzo-Apulia Platform”. At Gargano, Deinogalerix is accompanied by the moderately endemized Galericini Apulogalerix. This first extensive cladistic analysis is aimed at defining the relationships of Deinogalerix with characteristic members of the tribe Galericini. The analysis was performed on a matrix of 30 characters and 19 taxa and identified some smaller clades, nested within three major ones. The latter include: (i) a pentatomy of Galerix species, (ii) a polytomy of “transitional” Galerix–Parasorex species and (iii) a large clad…

Resolving the systematics of Richtersiidae by multilocus phylogeny and an integrative redescription of the nominal species for the genus Crenubiotus …

2020

AbstractThe family Richtersiidae, although established recently with the use of phylogenetic methods, was considered potentially paraphyletic at the time of its erection. Until now, the family comprised four genera, Richtersius, Diaforobiotus, Adorybiotus and a newly erected genus Crenubiotus. However, the genetic characterisation for the latter two genera was very limited or absent. To address concerns about the phylogenetic affinity of these two genera, we present a multilocus phylogeny of the families Richtersiidae and Murrayidae based on four molecular markers (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS-2 and COI). Our results show a distinct evolutionary lineage composed of Adorybiotus and Crenubiotus, w…

Fauna Europaea: Diptera – Brachycera

2015

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including important synonyms) of all extant multicellular European terrestrial and freshwater animals and their geographical distribution at the level of countries and major islands (east of the Urals and excluding the Caucasus region). The Fauna Europaea project comprises about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. Fauna Europaea represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing taxonomic specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many user c…

Exploring the potential of life-history key innovation: brook breeding in the radiation of the Malagasy treefrog genus Boophis

2002

The treefrog genus Boophis is one of the most species-rich endemic amphibian groups of Madagascar. It consists of species specialized to breeding in brooks (48 species) and ponds (10 species). We reconstructed the phylogeny of Boophis using 16S ribosomal DNA sequences (558 bp) from 27 species. Brook-breeders were monophyletic and probably derived from an ancestral pond-breeding lineage. Pond-breeders were paraphyletic. The disparity in diversification among pond-breeders and brook-breeders was notable among endemic Malagasy frogs, although it was not significant when considering Boophis alone. Sibling species which have different advertisement calls but are virtually indistinguishable by mo…

Eukaryotes Are a Holophyletic Group of Polyphyletic Origin.

2020

Because of the polyphyletic origin of the eukaryotic monophylum, eukaryogenesis within prokaryotes is not comparable with mammal origin within paraphyletic reptiles. Both synapomorphies and plesiomorphies represent apomorphies and are indeed suitable for defining monophyletic (holophyletic and paraphyletic) groups. Alphaproteobacteria (Bacteria) and Asgard (Archaea) are the ancestors of LECA (the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor). The presence of ESPs in Asgard does not dispute the polyphyletic origin of eukaryotes ; it only further corroborates it. “Candidatus Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum” is the closest relative to eukaryotes and the only Asgard with available microscopy data. This newly…