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The Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe, including the nominate and the two subspecies O. o. leucorhoa and O. o. libanotica) and the Seebohm's Wheatear (Oenanthe seebohmi) are today regarded as two distinct species. Before, all four taxa were regarded as four subspecies of the Northern Wheatear. Their classification has exclusively been based on ecological and morphological traits, while their molecular characterization is still missing. With this study, we used next-generation sequencing to assemble 117 complete mitochondrial genomes covering O. o. oenanthe, O. o. leucorhoa and O. seebohmi. We compared the resolution power of each individual mitochondrial marker and concatenated marker sets to reconstruct the phylogeny and estimate speciation times of three taxa. Moreover, we tried to identify the origin of migratory wheatears caught on Helgoland (Germany) and on Crete (Greece). Mitogenome analysis revealed two different ancient lineages that separated around 400,000 years ago. Both lineages consisted of a mix of subspecies and species. The phylogenetic trees, as well as haplotype networks are incongruent with the present morphology-based classification. Mitogenome could not distinguish these presumed species. The genetic panmixia among present populations and taxa might be the consequence of mitochondrial introgression between ancient wheatear populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Trapelus agilis consists of different morphotypes with restricted distributions in the Iranian Plateau. The phylogeny of the species complex has not been resolved so far, but recently Trapelus sanguinolentus were elevated from this complex into a full species. Other populations of the species complex need to be evaluated taxonomically. Methods. In the present study, several populations of this species complex along with specimens of its closely related taxa in Iran, T. sanguinolentus, T. ruderatus and T. persicus, were examined using partial nucleotide sequences of two mitochondrial genes (cytb and ND2) (total length 1,322 bp). Result. Populations of T. sanguinolentus clustered within the T. agilis species complex, thus indicating its paraphyly, but T. sanguinolentus was previously determined to be a species based on morphological features. The T. agilis species complex forms two distinct major clades, each of which is represented by several local populations on the Iranian Plateau. At least five distinct taxa can be identified within this traditional group. Our biogeographic evaluation of the molecular dataset suggested that the Trapelus complex originated in the Late Oligocene (30 mya) and subsequently diversified during the early to middle Miocene (22-13 mya). At first, the predominantly western clade of Trapelus ruderatus diverged from the other clades (22 mya). Afterward, Trapelus persicus diverged around 18 mya ago. The broader T. agilis complex started to diverge about 16 mya, forming several clades on the Iranian Plateau and in Central Asia. The different lineages within this species complex appear to be the result of vicariance events and dispersal waives. The corresponding vicariance events are the formation of the Zagros and Kopet Dagh basins (16-14 mya), and consequently, the aridification of the Iranian Plateau in the late Miocene (11-6 Mya). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under different environmental conditions, hybridization between the same species might result in different patterns of genetic admixture. Particularly, species pairs with large distribution ranges and long evolutionary history may have experienced several independent hybridization events over time in different zones of overlap. In birds, the diverse hybrid populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and the Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) provide a striking example. Throughout their range of sympatry, these two species do not regularly interbreed; however, a stabilized hybrid form (Passer italiae) exists on the Italian Peninsula and on several Mediterranean islands. The spatial distribution pattern on the Eurasian continent strongly contrasts the situation in North Africa, where house sparrows and Spanish sparrows occur in close vicinity of phenotypically intermediate populations across a broad mosaic hybrid zone. In this study, we investigate patterns of divergence and admixture among the two parental species, stabilized and nonstabilized hybrid populations in Italy and Algeria based on a mitochondrial marker, a sex chromosomal marker, and 12 microsatellite loci. In Algeria, despite strong spatial and temporal separation of urban early‐breeding house sparrows and hybrids and rural late‐breeding Spanish sparrows, we found strong genetic admixture of mitochondrial and nuclear markers across all study populations and phenotypes. That pattern of admixture in the North African hybrid zone is strikingly different from i) the Iberian area of sympatry where we observed only weak asymmetrical introgression of Spanish sparrow nuclear alleles into local house sparrow populations and ii) the very homogenous Italian sparrow population where the mitogenome of one parent (P. domesticus) and the Z‐chromosomal marker of the other parent (P. hispaniolensis) are fixed. The North African sparrow hybrids provide a further example of enhanced hybridization along with recent urbanization and anthropogenic land‐use changes in a mosaic landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many animal and plant species in the Middle East and northern Africa have a predominantly longitudinal distribution, extending from Iran and Turkey along the eastern Mediterranean coast into northern Africa. These species are potentially characterized by longitudinal patterns of biological diversity, but little is known about the underlying biogeographic mechanisms and evolutionary timescales. We examined these questions in the striped skink, Heremites vittatus, one such species with a roughly longitudinal distribution across the Middle East and northern Africa, by analyzing range-wide patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence and multi-trait morphological variation. Results: The striped skink exhibits a basic longitudinal organization of mtDNA diversity, with three major mitochondrial lineages inhabiting northern Africa, the eastern Mediterranean coast, and Turkey/Iran. Remarkably, these lineages are of pre-Quaternary origin, and are characterized by p-distances of 9-10%. In addition, within each of these lineages a more recent Quaternary genetic diversification was observed, as evidenced by deep subclades and high haplotype diversity especially in the Turkish/Iranian and eastern Mediterranean lineages. Consistent with the genetic variation, our morphological analysis revealed that the majority of morphological traits show significant mean differences between specimens from northern Africa, the eastern Mediterranean coast, and Turkey/Iran, suggesting lineage-specific trait evolution. In addition, a subset of traits exhibits clinal variation along the eastern Mediterranean coast, potentially indicating selection gradients at the geographic transition from northern Africa to Anatolia. The existence of allopatric, morphologically and genetically divergent lineages suggests that Heremites vittatus might represent a complex with several taxa. Conclusions: Our work demonstrates that early divergence events in the Pliocene, likely driven by both climatic and geological factors, established the longitudinal patterns and distribution of Heremites vittatus. Subsequent radiation during the Pleistocene generated the genetic and morphological diversity observed today. Our study provides further evidence that longitudinal diversity patterns and species distributions in the Middle East and northern Africa were shaped by complex evolutionary processes, involving the region's intricate geological history, climatic oscillations, and the presence of the Sahara. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogeography and evolutionary history of the long-distance migratory Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus were analysed using sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA COI gene of 405 individuals and cyt b sequences from a subset of those individuals from 20 breeding, migrating and wintering populations over its wide geographical range. Median-joining network and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses recovered three lineages corresponding to three subspecies of A. scirpaceus that started to diverge approximately 480 000 years ago: one spanning Asia ( Acrocephalus scirpaceus fuscus), one encompassing Europe and Northern Africa ( Acrocephalus scirpaceus scirpaceus) and a third that included Eastern Africa and Southwestern Asia ( Acrocephalus scirpaceus avicenniae). Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the third clade is basal and diverged from its sister species, the African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus, around 700 000 years ago. This earliest subspecies ( avicenniae) may have survived the Last Glacial Maximum in one of the African refugia, probably the low forest refugium of the Ethiopian Highlands. Sequences of 348 samples from Germany, which were captured for ringing, showed that one bird was genetically assigned to the subspecies fuscus, the first genetic evidence of this Asian subspecies in Central Europe. According to our DNA sequences, 6.8% of Eurasian Reed Warblers were misidentified at the species level, Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris accounting for most of these misidentified specimens. At the subspecies level, of 22 fuscus identified by genetic analyses, only six had been correctly named by the ringers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To investigate the role of historical processes in the evolution of the spot-backed antbird species complex Hylophylax naevius/Hylophylax naevioides (Aves, Thamnophilidae). Location Throughout the Amazon Basin and across the Andes in Central and northern South America. Methods We investigated the evolutionary history of the H. naevius/ H. naevioides complex based on a total of 100 individuals from opposite banks of the major Amazonian rivers and both sides of the Andes. Nucleotide sequences from two mitochondrial DNA genes [1015 bp of cytochrome b (cyt b) and 1023 bp of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 ( ND2)] and one nuclear marker [539 bp of intron 5 of the β-fibrinogen ( BF5)] were obtained. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. We used Bayesian coalescent-based approaches to evaluate demographic changes through time, and to estimate the timing of the diversification events. Results Well-supported allopatric and parapatric lineages were recovered within the H. naevius/H. naevioides complex, with high levels of genetic differentiation, both on opposite sides of rivers (0.6-7.1%) and across the Andes (6.9%). Molecular dating and population demography suggest cladogenesis in various periods, associated with distinct vicariance and dispersal events. Main conclusions Our data support the hypothesis that the uplift of the northern Andes and the consolidation of the modern Amazon drainage system were key to promoting the diversification of forest-dwelling bird lineages in the northern Neotropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the genetic variability and population structure of the halophilic zooplankter Artemia urmiana from 15 different geographical locations of Lake Urmia using nucleotide sequences of COI (mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and genomic fingerprinting by ISSR-PCR (inter-simple sequence repeats). According to sequence data, A. urmiana exhibits a high level of haplotype diversity with a low level of nucleotide diversity. The haplotype spanning network recognized 36 closely related unique haplotypes. ISSR profiles confirmed a substantial amount of genomic diversity with a low level of population structure. No apparent genetic structure was recognized in Lake Urmia but rather a random geographic distribution of genotypes indicating a high degree of panmixia. The population genetic data indicate the possibility of an individual’s relationship, implying that differentiation of individuals is not affected by ecological factors. Therefore, the A. urmiana population from Lake Urmia should be considered as a single management unit for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ornithology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pet and food trade are among the major threats for many chelonians species worldwide. We investigate the impact of the present and past trade in European pond turtles ( Emys orbicularis, E. trinacris) on their extant distribution pattern. Using a comprehensive mtDNA dataset of cytochrome b haplotypes derived from more than 1,550 individuals, we assigned wild-caught allochthonous and captive turtles from six European countries to their native regions across the entire distribution range. We found allochthonous haplotypes in all countries surveyed, providing evidence of long-distance translocations owing to past and present trade, illegal poaching or collection by tourists. In summary, we identify source regions of allochthonous turtles and past and present trade routes. Moreover, we point out future directions which would contribute to conservation and management of these threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zoological Systematics & Evolutionary Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1063 bp) of Sylvia species from Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores), Europe, and North Africa revealed new insights into the phylogeography of these taxa. Subspecific distinctiveness for Sardinian warblers ( Sylvia melanocephala) from the Canary Islands was rejected on the basis of very low genetic divergence, distribution of haplotypes, and high variation in morphometrics. Furthermore, blackcaps ( Sylvia atricapilla) from Madeira, Canary Islands, and the Azores were not genetically distinct, whereas morphometrics were highly variable. Differences in morphometrics in both Sardinian warbler and blackcap are caused rather by migratory behaviour and ecological traits than by phylogeny. Tentative data obtained in a small sample of spectacled warblers ( Sylvia conspicillata) also suggest a low degree of differentiation between Sylvia conspicillata orbitalis (Canary Islands) and Sylvia conspicillata conspicillata (Mediterranean basin). At least for the Sardinian warbler and blackcap, the genetic data suggest a recent range expansion and chronologically different colonization events to the Atlantic islands. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95, 157–174. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on more than 1100 samples of Emys orbicularis and E. trinacris, data on mtDNA diversity and distribution of haplotypes are provided, including for the first time data for Armenia, Georgia, Iran, and the Volga, Ural and Turgay River Basins of Russia and Kazakhstan. Eight mitochondrial lineages comprising 51 individual haplotypes occur in E. orbicularis, a ninth lineage with five haplotypes corresponds to E. trinacris. A high diversity of distinct mtDNA lineages and haplotypes occurs in the south, in the regions where putative glacial refuges were located. More northerly parts of Europe and adjacent Asia, which were recolonized by E. orbicularis in the Holocene, display distinctly less variation; most refuges did not contribute to northern recolonizations. Also in certain southern European lineages a decrease of haplotype diversity is observed with increasing latitude, suggestive of Holocene range expansions on a smaller scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microsatellite as well as sequence analysis of the mitochondrial control region were applied to infer phylogeography and population genetic structure of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug). Furthermore, we compared the patterns of mitochondrial haplotypes with the variation of microsatellite alleles among the species of the hierofalcon complex ( F. cherrug, Falco rusticolus, Falco biarmicus, Falco jugger) to test hypotheses on population history. Historical samples from museum specimens of F. cherrug were analysed together with samples from contemporary populations to investigate possible influences of hybrid falcons escaped from falconry on the genetic composition. In the mitochondrial DNA analysis, none of the four species represents a monophyletic group. Moreover, there are no clearly defined groups of haplotypes corresponding to taxonomic entities. In the microsatellite analysis most of the variation is shared between species and no clear differentiation by private alleles is found. Yet, with a Bayesian clustering method based on allele frequencies, a differentiation of F. cherrug, F. rusticolus and two geographic groups of F. biarmicus was detected. Results from both nuclear and mitochondrial markers are compatible with the previously postulated ‘Out of Africa’ hypothesis assuming an African origin of the hierofalcons. From an ancestral African population, F. cherrug, F. rusticolus and F. jugger split off in separate waves of immigration into Eurasia and South Asia. A combination of evolutionary processes, including incomplete lineage sorting as well as hybridization, may be responsible for the currently observed genetic patterns in hierofalcons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The evolutionary history of the Hyles euphorbiae complex (HEC) was studied using mitochondrial DNA sequences comprising about 2300bp derived from the genes cytochrome c oxidase subunits I (COX I) and II (COX II) and tRNA-leucine. In addition, we collected genomic fingerprinting data by ISSR-PCR to assess if and how the bi-parentally inherited nucleome may have diverged differently to the maternally inherited mitochondria. The COX sequences revealed a clear geographical pattern of genetic differentiation of the HEC into two main lineages, H. euphorbiae and H. tithymali. Our results provide no evidence that H. dahlii falls within a HEC s. str., although a sister-group relationship cannot be ruled out. The sequence data indicated intraspecific subdivisions and gene flow patterns, and possibly detected both introgression and a major contact zone on Mediterranean islands between these two evolutionary lineages. Hyles tithymali is hypothesized to have been able to retain ancient polymorphisms until the present, whereas H. euphorbiae appears to have (re)colonized its current distribution range after the Ice Ages from a few (or even only one) refugial populations by leptokurtic dispersal, resulting in low diversity. The ISSR-PCR data showed much higher variability among individuals of the HEC than did mtDNA sequence data. They provided insights into the genomic distribution of the simple sequence repeat (GACA)4 and appear to describe a more complex pattern of introgression in the HEC. Our data revealed the HEC as a very young species complex, in which we have detected two distinct mitochondrial lineages, corresponding to H. tithymali (including the deserticola, mauretanica and himyarensis lineages) and H. euphorbiae (including H. robertsi), respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis, is a wide ranging species, distributed from Northwest Africa over a large part of Europe and Asia Minor to the Caspian and Aral Seas. For 106 pond turtles from France mtDNA sequence variation has been assessed, using a 1031 bp portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Three of nine haploclades currently known from the entire species' range were found in France. One clade (II) is represented with four very similar haplotypes, differing by one mutation, and the two other clades (V, VI) are represented with one haplotype each. A syntopic occurrence of clades II and V is reported for the first time for the Camargue. Besides, clade II occurs in the French regions Aquitaine, Centre-Val de Loire, and Rhône-Alpes. Outside of France, it is found mainly in the catchment areas of the Danube and Oder rivers and in the Balkans. Haploclade V, which is also known from the Apennine peninsula, Sardinia, and the northern Mediterranean coast of Spain, is restricted in France to Corsica and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. A single individual bearing a haplotype of an Iberian and North African clade (VI) was found in Aquitaine near Pau. This could indicate gene flow between the Iberian peninsula and West France, if the specimen is native. The distribution of the distinct haploclades in France probably reflects Holocene range expansions, especially of haploclade II turtles. In the postglacial, haploclade II terrapins arrived from the east and spread over the Rhône corridor to the Mediterranean coast. In the southern Rhône area they met and hybridized with haploclade V turtles. Further research is needed to clarify whether this hybridization is a locally restricted phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two sibling bare-backed bat species (Pteronotus fulvus and P. gymnonotus) have been traditionally differentiated by their size. However, intermediate specimens between the two species have been found in sympatric populations along southern Mexico and it has been suggested that they may be the outcome of a hybridization process between the two species. We used one mitochondrial (COI), three nuclear markers (PRKCL, STAT5A and RAG2) and 13 microsatellites to explore the evolutionary relationships between these two species and elucidate whether the intermediate morphotypes correspond to hybrid individuals. These markers have been analyzed in sympatric and allopatric populations of the two species plus the closely related species Pteronotus davyi. We confirmed the species-level differentiation of the three lineages (P. fulvus, P. davyi and P. gymnonotus), but the phylogenetic hypotheses suggested by the nuclear and mitochondrial markers were discordant. We confirm that the discordance between markers is due to genetic introgression through the mitochondrial capture of P. fulvus in P. gymnonotus populations. Such introgression was found in all P. gymnonotus specimens across its sympatric distribution range (Mexico to Costa Rica) and is related to expansion/retraction species distribution pulses associated with changes in forest distribution during the Quaternary climate cycles. Microsatellite analyses showed contemporary genetic contact between the two sympatric species and 3.0% of the samples studied were identified as hybrids. In conclusion, we found a historical and asymmetric genetic introgression (through mitochondrial capture) of P. fulvus into P. gymnonotus in Mexico and Central America and a limited contemporary gene exchange between the two species. However, no relationship was found between hybridization and the intermediate-sized specimens from southern Mexico, which might likely result from a clinal variation with latitude. These results confirm the need for caution when using forearm size to identify these species in the field and when differentiating them in the laboratory based on mitochondrial DNA alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid developments in the aquaculture industry, Artemia franciscana, originally an American species, has been introduced to Eurasia, Africa and Australia. In the present study, we used a partial sequence of the mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (mt-DNA COI) gene and genomic fingerprinting by Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs) to determine the genetic variability and population structure of Artemia populations (indigenous and introduced) from 14 different geographical locations in Western Asia. Based on the haplotype spanning network, Artemia urmiana has exhibited higher genetic variation than native parthenogenetic populations. Although A. urmiana represented a completely private haplotype distribution, no apparent genetic structure was recognized among the native parthenogenetic and invasive A. franciscana populations. Our ISSR findings have documented that despite that invasive populations have lower variation than the source population in Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA), they have significantly revealed higher genetic variability compared to the native populations in Western Asia. According to the ISSR results, the native populations were not fully differentiated by the PCoA analysis, but the exotic A. franciscana populations were geographically divided into four genetic groups. We believe that during the colonization, invasive populations have experienced substantial genetic divergences, under new ecological conditions in the non-indigenous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the genetic population structure in abundant avian species is crucial for understanding speciation, conservation, and evolutionary history. The Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, an iconic songbird renowned for impaling its prey, is widely distributed as a breeder across much of Europe, Asia Minor and western Asia. However, in recent decades, many populations have declined significantly, as a result of habitat loss, hunting along migration routes, decrease of arthropod food, and climate change e.g., severe droughts in Africa. Within this context, gene flow among different breeding populations becomes critical to ensure the survival of the species, but we still lack an overview on the genetic diversity of the species. In this paper, we analyzed the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (mtDNA) and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (mtDNA) of 132 breeding Red-backed Shrikes from across the entire breeding range to address this knowledge gap. Our results revealed consistent genetic diversity and 76 haplotypes among the Eurasian populations. Birds are clustered in two major groups, with no clear geographical separation, as a direct consequence of Pleistocene glaciations and apparent lineage mixing in refugia. This has led to genetic panmixia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oscillations of periods with low and high temperatures during the Quaternary in the northern hemisphere have influenced the genetic composition of birds of the Palearctic. During the last glaciation, ending about 12,000 years ago, a wide area of the northern Palearctic was under lasting ice and, consequently, breeding sites for most bird species were not available. At the same time, a high diversity of habitats was accessible in the subtropical and tropical zones providing breeding grounds and refugia for birds. As a result of long-term climatic oscillations, the migration systems of birds developed. When populations of birds concentrated in refugia during ice ages, genetic differentiation and gene flow between populations from distinct areas was favored. In the present study, we explored the current genetic status of populations of the migratory European bee-eater. We included samples from the entire Palearctic-African distribution range and analyzed them via mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers. DNA data indicated high genetic connectivity and panmixia between populations from Europe, Asia and Africa. Negative outcomes of Fu's Fs and Tajima's D tests point to recent expansion events of the European bee-eater. Speciation of Merops apiaster started during the Pliocene around three million years ago (Mya), with the establishment of haplotype lineages dated to the Middle Pleistocene period circa 0.7 Mya. M. apiaster, which breed in Southern Africa are not distinguished from their European counterparts, indicating a recent separation event. The diversification process of the European bee-eater was influenced by climatic variation during the late Tertiary and Quaternary. Bee-eaters must have repeatedly retracted to refugia in the Mediterranean and subtropical Africa and Asia during ice ages and expanded northwards during warm periods. These processes favored genetic differentiation and repeated lineage mixings, leading to a genetic panmixia, which we still observe today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zoological Systematics & Evolutionary Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Amazonian rivers function as important barriers to dispersal of Amazonian birds. Studying population genetics of lineages separated by rivers may help us to uncover the dynamics of biological diversification in the Amazon. We reconstructed the phylogeography of the Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Glyphorynchus spirurus (Furnariidae) in the Amazon basin. Sampling included 134 individuals from 63 sites distributed in eight Amazonian areas of endemism separated by major Amazonian rivers. Nucleotide sequences were generated for five genes: two mtDNA genes (1047bp for cyt b and 1002bp for ND2) and three nuclear genes (647bp from the sex-linked gene ACO, 319bp from the intron of G3PDH, and 619bp from intron 2 of MYO). In addition, 37 individuals were randomly selected from the Rondônia and Inambari areas of endemism for genomic fingerprinting, using five ISSR primers. Our results reveal allopatric and well-supported lineages within G. spirurus with high levels of genetic differentiation (p-distances 0.9–6.3%) across opposite banks of major Amazonian rivers. The multilocus phylogenetic reconstructions obtained reveal several incongruences with current subspecies taxonomy. Within currently recognized subspecies, we found high levels of both paraphyly and genetic differentiation, indicating deep divergences and strong isolation consistent with species-level differences. ISSR fingerprinting supports the existence of genetically differentiated populations on opposite sides of the Madeira River. Molecular dating suggests an initial vicariation event isolating populations from the Guiana center of endemism during the Late Miocene/Early Pliocene, while more recent events subdivided Brazilian Shield populations during the Lower Pleistocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Hoopoe ( Upupa epops epops ) breeds widely in Eurasia and most populations migrate to Africa during the boreal winter. To date, data regarding its phylogeography in Europe are missing. In this study, we investigated the phylogeography and population genetics of Hoopoes by means of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing as well as microsatellite genotyping. Our analyses revealed 32 haplotypes in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) (269 individuals) and 50 haplotypes in cytochrome b (cyt b ) (233 individuals). Analyses of mtDNA clearly demonstrated that the bulk of variance (98.23%) could be attributed to inner-population variance. Thus, the low frequency single nucleotide substitutions resulted in “star-like” haplotype networks without define geographical structure. Hoopoes clearly experienced a bottleneck followed by sudden expansion, as was also apparent from tests on the unimodal mismatch, Bayesian skyline plot, significant negative neutrality tests as well as bottleneck signals. These tests pointed to strong demographic fluctuations in the hoopoe populations. GENELAND, DAPC and STRUCTURE analyses of microsatellites along with their corresponding Fst values suggested that current genetic restriction separates birds from Armenia from the remaining populations. Except for hoopoes from Armenia, all the European populations exhibited an admixed phylogeographic pattern. We conclude that this genetic panmixia might be a consequence of a combination of historical events (e.g. repeated colonizations and retreatments from northern habitats during the Pleistocene and a sudden postglacial expansion) and current processes (e.g. long-distance migration, immigration or population recruitments). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia harbors a diverse group of sexual and asexual Artemia species, including the invasive Artemia franciscana , which is native to the Americas. The phylogeny of Asian Artemia species and the phylogeography of the introduced A. franciscana from 81 sampling localities in Eurasia, Africa and America were elucidated using mitochondrial ( COI ) and nuclear DNA ( ITS1 ) sequences. According to a COI phylogeny, 6 distinctive genetic groups were recognized, with a complex phylogeographic structure among Asian Artemia . A haplotype complex which includes parthenogenetic lineages is distributed in 39 inland geographical localities in Asia, illustrating a wide distribution with a narrow genetic structure on this continent. The invasive A. franciscana was discovered in 31 geographical localities along the southern and eastern coastal regions of Asia. Three sexual species ( A. sinica , A. tibetiana and A. urmiana ) have a restricted distribution in certain geographical localities in Asia. In contrast to COI phylogeny reconstruction, ITS1 sequences showed inconsistency with the COI tree, indicating incomplete lineage sorting which provided the low genetic divergence in the Asian clade. Asian A. franciscana showed higher haplotype diversity as compared to the source population from the Great Salt Lake (USA), which could be attributed to multiple introductions by mass dispersal in Asia via human activities. The invasive success of A. franciscana in Asia could lead to a long-term biodiversity disturbance of the autochthonous Artemia species on the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The hawkmoth genus Hyles comprises some 29 species with a global distribution. In this study, we augment the previous taxon sampling with more species and add sequences from a nuclear gene to produce a refined phylogenetic hypothesis. A total evidence reconstruction based on Bayesian analysis of the combined mitochondrial (COI, t-RNA-Leu, COII; 2284bp) and nuclear (EF1α; 773bp) sequences is discussed and compared with the results from separate analyses of the two genes. The total evidence phylogeny corroborates many of the phylogenetic relationships previously postulated within the genus. In addition, the hitherto unsampled enigmatic species Hyles biguttata from Madagascar appears as sister group to Hyles livornicoides from Australia, although support for the relationship is relatively weak. The high level of differentiation of Hyles perkinsi from H. calida (both Hawaii), and the status of these two as sister species, is corroborated by both sources of sequence data. However, their phylogenetic position when mt DNA sequences alone are considered differs markedly from that under total evidence. The previously postulated relationships within the Hyles euphorbiae complex (HEC) s.s. are largely corroborated, but H. dahlii is now more closely related and the HEC s.l. is redefined to include H. zygophylli and H. stroehlei (two species that had not been studied previously using molecular data) and to exclude H. siehei and H. hippophaes. The nuclear sequences alone are insufficiently variable to fully resolve all lineages and the phylogeny suggests that nuclear gene swapping and incomplete lineage sorting have occurred implying recent divergence. The results from the total evidence analysis provide a phylogenetic hypothesis that both corroborates and complements the previous biogeographic scenario, and provides new insights into the origins of several of the included taxa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We explored variation in mitochondrial ND2 gene sequences from 171 stonechats (Saxicola torquata complex) collected from 27 Eurasian and 3 African localities. We found that two widespread neighboring Eurasian subspecies of Siberian stonechat, Saxicola maura maura and S. m. stejnegeri, although very similar in appearance, are not each other’s closest relatives. Eastern Asian S. m. stejnegeri appears to have split from other Palearctic, African, and island stonechats well before differentiation occurred among the latter taxa. Our data indicate that European (S. t. rubicola), central Palearctic (S. m. maura) and eastern Palearctic (S. m. stejnegeri) are independently evolving, and could each warrant separate species status, as assumed earlier for S. rubicola, S. maura and S. torquata. However, we found three localities at which individuals from different major groups occurred. Thus, although these are likely phylogenetic species it is unclear whether they are biological species. There was little phylogeographic structure within the three major Palearctic clades, although samples from Spain might be showing incipient divergence. We maintain that the topology of a mtDNA gene tree is a valid means to discern taxonomic limits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We examine the evolutionary relationships of the five traditionally recognized species of the western Palearctic tortoise genus Testudo (T. graeca, T. hermanni, T. horsfieldii, T. kleinmanni, and T. marginata) and the newly described dwarfed species T. weissingeri by using sequence data of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and nuclear genomic fingerprints with inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR). Testudo weissingeri differs from T. marginata mainly by its smaller size and some color-pattern characteristics. T. weissingeri lives in the driest, poorest and hottest part of the distributional range of T. marginata. While both data sets demonstrated phylogenetic distinctness of the five traditionally recognized species of Testudo, some subspecies and even some local populations, we detected no differentiation between T. marginata and T. weissingeri. We conclude that T. weissingeri is not a distinct evolutionary unit. We suggest that its small size is the result of suboptimal environmental conditions with limited resources and synonymize it with T. marginata. T. marginata and T. kleinmanni form a clade that is supported both by our mtDNA and nuclear genomic data sets. According to mtDNA data, this clade is the sister taxon to the T. graeca complex. A sister group relationship of T. hermanni and ((T. marginata + T. kleinmanni)+ T. graeca) is moderately to weakly supported by mtDNA data; T. horsfieldii is the sister taxon to a clade comprising all other Testudo species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]