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The Fusarium lateritium species complex (FLSC) currently comprises 11 phylogenetic species, including accepted names such as F. lateritium, F. sarcochroum, and F. stilboides, which have mostly been reported in association with citrus and coffee. Many varieties were documented by Wollenweber & Reinking (1935), which is indicative of a wider diversity of species within this group. The lack of type material in some cases, especially for the older names, means that definition by molecular phylogeny is very difficult. In the present study, we examined 179 strains related to F. lateritium from different countries and substrates. Historic reference material, including representative strains from the Wollenweber & Reinking (1935) varieties were included in this study, DNA sequences were generated for comparison, and the morphology correlated with original descriptions to enable the correct application of older names. Strains were characterized by multi-gene phylogenetic analyses based on fragments of the ß-tubulin (tub2), calmodulin (CaM), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) genes, evaluation of morphological characters and host-substrate preferences. The biological species concept was tested by crossings in vitro. Strains previously identified as F. lateritium, F. stilboides, or one of their varieties based on morphology, were found to belong to 16 species in the FLSC, but also to species from six other species complexes (SC), including the F. citricola SC, F. heterosporum SC, F. incarnatum-equiseti SC, F. redolens SC, F. sambucinum SC, and the F. tricinctum SC. Eleven new phylogenetic and two biological species are described in the FLSC, and emended descriptions are provided for four previously described species. An epitype is designated for F. lateritium, and F. lateritium var. longum, a former variety within the FLSC, is lecto- and epitypified, and elevated to species level with a replacement name. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The database of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group currently (December 2023) registers 218 species and subspecies of Neotropical primates in 24 genera and five families. In the early 1960s, the diversity of Neotropical primates was estimated to be around 200 species and subspecies. From then, through the 1970s to the mid-1990s, however, the perception of the region's primate diversity dropped, and reached an all-time low at 83 species and subspecies in 1980 (A World List of Mammalian Species, G. B. Corbet and J. E. Hill, British Museum (Natural History), Comstock Publishing, Cornell University Press, London and Ithaca). Interest in taxonomy and primate field research in the Neotropics was subdued up to the late 1970s. Change was sparked by the burgeoning capture of primates for biomedical research in the 1950s and 1960s, and the increasing destruction of the Amazon rainforests from the late 1970s. The numbers increased, at first slowly, but then, in 1995, they leapt back to the 200s in anticipation of a book by C. P. Groves (2001, Primate Taxonomy, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC). The species' counts (not including subspecies) rose due to the adoption of the Phylogenetic Species Concept over the Biological Species Concept, the former favoring the category of species over subspecies. In this article, we discuss the changes in species and subspecies numbers in the classification of the Neotropical primates, and report on the taxonomic changes resulting from taxonomic research ongoing since 2012. We emphasize the importance of taxonomic research for an understanding of the diversity of primates, and for conservation planning, not least in identifying the populations that are threatened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The database of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group currently (December 2023) registers 218 species and subspecies of Neotropical primates in 24 genera and five families. In the early 1960s, the diversity of Neotropical primates was estimated to be around 200 species and subspecies. From then, through the 1970s to the mid-1990s, however, the perception of the region’s primate diversity dropped, and reached an all-time low at 83 species and subspecies in 1980 (A World List of Mammalian Species, G. B. Corbet and J. E. Hill, British Museum (Natural History), Comstock Publishing, Cornell University Press, London and Ithaca). Interest in taxonomy and primate field research in the Neotropics was subdued up to the late 1970s. Change was sparked by the burgeoning capture of primates for biomedical research in the 1950s and 1960s, and the increasing destruction of the Amazon rainforests from the late 1970s. The numbers increased, at first slowly, but then, in 1995, they leapt back to the 200s in anticipation of a book by C. P. Groves (2001, Primate Taxonomy, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC). The species’ counts (not including subspecies) rose due to the adoption of the Phylogenetic Species Concept over the Biological Species Concept, the former favoring the category of species over subspecies. In this article, we discuss the changes in species and subspecies numbers in the classification of the Neotropical primates, and report on the taxonomic changes resulting from taxonomic research ongoing since 2012. We emphasize the importance of taxonomic research for an understanding of the diversity of primates, and for conservation planning, not least in identifying the populations that are threatened.

The genus Drosophila is an interesting biological model which shows extensive diversity at the level of species. About 50 years ago, Bock and Wheeler described a new species of Drosophila, D. pallidosa just on the basis of sexual isolation and differences in sex comb teeth number. However, there is similarity in male genitalia and absence of post mating reproductive isolation and it is considered sibling to D. ananassae, which is a domestic and cosmopolitan species. On the other hand, D. pallidosa is endemic to certain islands such as South Pacific Island of Samoa and Fijii where they are sympatric and remain reproductively isolated by sexual isolation. In these two sibling species, results of various investigations have been reported pertaining to taxonomic status, morphometric traits, metaphase karyotypes, etc. show similarities and differences which is basis of suggestion that D. pallidosa is in statu nascendi. However, its description as a new species fits well with the biological species concept and it provides interesting material for future studies in the area of speciation genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uneasy back-and-forth in regulations impacting the success of the gray wolves is discussed in detail. The intention of the institution of the Endangered Species Act and the means by which it has been reinterpreted and, in some cases, disregarded due to the impact of the gray wolves on other regional species as well as farming is debated. Lastly, possible solutions to a very troubling problem are put forth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species-level taxonomy is traditionally based on herbarium collections that typically include few, or even single, representatives per site. This can lead to underestimation of diversity when there are sympatric populations of superficially similar plants belonging to different lineages. Satyrium longicauda (Orchidaceae) represents a taxonomic challenge for the delimitation of species boundaries due to the high degree of morphological variation detected within and among populations. Currently, just two varieties are accepted based mainly on length differences of the lateral sepal and nectar spur. However, there is extensive morphological variation within South African populations and evidence for several pollination ecotypes, indicating that this taxon represents an actively diverging species complex. Here, we evaluate intraspecific morphological variation through uni- and multivariate morphometrics and analyse internal transcribed spacer sequences for individuals sampled from 36 sites, including 14 sites where divergent morphotypes occur sympatrically. Morphometric analyses of 1802 individuals revealed the presence of eight morphotypes based on vegetative and floral characters. Up to six morphologically and genetically distinct morphotypes can coexist in sympatry. Morphological and genetic distances among populations were significantly correlated. Phylogenetic analyses of 120 accessions indicated that neither of the two varieties nor S. longicauda as a species is monophyletic, and provided evidence for the monophyly of some of the morphotypes including the newly described S. cernuiflorum. The presence of distinct morphological and genetic sympatric variants, which in several cases scale up to distinct evolutionary lineages, is consistent with the existence of different taxa according to morphological and biological species concepts. Our results therefore confirm that taxonomy based mainly on herbarium collections can grossly under-estimate actual diversity of disparate lineages, although further work is required to finalize taxonomic decisions. These findings have implications for efforts to estimate species diversity in groups that are in the process of diversifying and for conservation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carl Leavitt Hubbs (1894-1979) was a prominent and internationally renowned American ichthyologist whose publications include taxonomic descriptions of several North American blindfishes including the Mexican Cave Characin. His archived personal papers reveal a wide-ranging interest in the biology and evolutionary origins of cave and blindfishes, and his discussions and disputes with colleagues about their taxonomy. He also took opportunities to collect other fauna from American caves during the inter-war decades. Drawing upon his unpublished archive and other relevant sources his biospeleological work is chronicled in detail and discussed in the context of his other work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brachionus calyciflorus is a species complex consisting of four recently described species. Although several lines of evidence support their species status, hybridization between two of the sibling species B. calyciflorus s.s. and B. elevatus has been inferred from both field and laboratory studies. In this study, we tested for the existence of prezygotic barriers between these species by performing two types of cross-fertilization experiments. In a 'mate competition' experiment we exposed mictic females to equal numbers of conspecific and allospecific males and demonstrate that intraspecific fertilizations occur at much higher frequencies than interspecific fertilizations, providing evidence for a strong prezygotic reproductive barrier. This result was consistent across numerous combinations of parental genotypes. In addition, by creating interspecific combinations of mictic females and males in a 'no choice' experiment, we found that interspecific fertilization success is independent of fertilization direction while it does seem to depend on maternal genotype. Our results demonstrate the existence of a strong prezygotic barrier that may play an important role in the maintenance of species boundaries. Yet, the observation of hybrids also shows a potential for gene flow between the species through hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of speciation remains poorly understood and hence definitions of species continue to be a focus of sharp debate. A key unresolved issue in speciation debates is whether local populations that are somewhat distinct from a parent population in morphology or genotype but that remain connected to the parent population via gene flow should be recognized as species. The species status of the Cassia crossbill Loxia sinesciuris, as well as other distinctive populations in the red crossbill Loxia curvirostra clade including the parrot crossbill L. pytyopsittacus and the Scottish crossbill L. scotica, are test cases for whether the hundreds of other avian ecomorphs should be taxonomically elevated to full species. We argue that these regional populations of red crossbills do not meet stated criteria for species designation under the Biological Species Concept and, regardless of species concept, fail as species simply following logic, parsimony, and consistency. There are no diagnostic morphological characteristics that definitively separate birds in the Cassia crossbill, parrot crossbill, or Scottish crossbill populations from birds in other sympatric crossbill populations. Call type, the behavioral characteristic that is proposed to distinguish Cassia crossbills, parrot crossbills and Scottish crossbills from other populations of crossbills, is learned and can change within the life of an individual. There is evidence of substantial on‐going gene flow between Cassia crossbills, parrot crossbills, and Scottish crossbill and other populations of red crossbills, and there is no divergence in mitochondrial genotype. Instead, there exist few fixed genetic differences in nuclear genotype between individuals from these local crossbill populations and individuals from other red crossbill populations. We propose that the recognition of the Cassia crossbill, parrot crossbill and Scottish crossbill as species sets a poor precedent in avian taxonomy and muddles understanding of the process of speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lichens are symbiotic associations resulting from interactions among fungi (primary and secondary mycobionts), algae and/or cyanobacteria (primary and secondary photobionts), and specific elements of the bacterial microbiome associated with the lichen thallus. The question of what is a species, both concerning the lichen as a whole and its main fungal component, the primary mycobiont, has faced many challenges throughout history and has reached new dimensions with the advent of molecular phylogenetics and phylogenomics. In this paper, we briefly revise the definition of lichens and the scientific and vernacular naming conventions, concluding that the scientific, Latinized name usually associated with lichens invariably refers to the primary mycobiont, whereas the vernacular name encompasses the entire lichen. Although the same lichen mycobiont may produce different phenotypes when associating with different photobionts or growing in axenic culture, this discrete variation does not warrant the application of different scientific names, but must follow the principle "one fungus = one name". Instead, broadly agreed informal designations should be used for such discrete morphologies, such as chloromorph and cyanomorph for lichens formed by the same mycobiont but with either green algae or cyanobacteria. The taxonomic recognition of species in lichen-forming fungi is not different from other fungi and conceptual and nomenclatural approaches follow the same principles. We identify a number of current challenges and provide recommendations to address these. Species delimitation in lichen-forming fungi should not be tailored to particular species concepts but instead be derived from empirical evidence, applying one or several of the following principles in what we call the LPR approach: lineage (L) coherence vs. divergence (phylogenetic component), phenotype (P) coherence vs. divergence (morphological component), and/or reproductive (R) compatibility vs. isolation (biological component). Species hypotheses can be established based on either L or P, then using either P or L (plus R) to corroborate them. The reliability of species hypotheses depends not only on the nature and number of characters but also on the context: the closer the relationship and/or similarity between species, the higher the number of characters and/or specimens that should be analyzed to provide reliable delimitations. Alpha taxonomy should follow scientific evidence and an evolutionary framework but should also offer alternative practical solutions, as long as these are scientifically defendable. Taxa that are delimited phylogenetically but not readily identifiable in the field, or are genuinely cryptic, should not be rejected due to the inaccessibility of proper tools. Instead, they can be provisionally treated as undifferentiated complexes for purposes that do not require precise determinations. The application of infraspecific (gamma) taxonomy should be restricted to cases where there is a biological rationale, i.e., lineages of a species complex that show limited phylogenetic divergence but no evidence of reproductive isolation. Gamma taxonomy should not be used to denote discrete phenotypical variation or ecotypes not warranting the distinction at species level. We revise the species pair concept in lichen-forming fungi, which recognizes sexually and asexually reproducing morphs with the same underlying phenotype as different species. We conclude that in most cases this concept does not hold, but the actual situation is complex and not necessarily correlated with reproductive strategy. In cases where no molecular data are available or where single or multi-marker approaches do not provide resolution, we recommend maintaining species pairs until molecular or phylogenomic data are available. This recommendation is based on the example of the species pair Usnea aurantiacoatra vs. U. antarctica, which can only be resolved with phylogenomic approaches, such as microsatellites or RADseq. Overall, we consider that species delimitation in lichen-forming fungi has advanced dramatically over the past three decades, resulting in a solid framework, but that empirical evidence is still missing for many taxa. Therefore, while phylogenomic approaches focusing on particular examples will be increasingly employed to resolve difficult species complexes, broad screening using single barcoding markers will aid in placing as many taxa as possible into a molecular matrix. We provide a practical protocol how to assess and formally treat taxonomic novelties. While this paper focuses on lichen fungi, many of the aspects discussed herein apply generally to fungal taxonomy. The new combination Arthonia minor (Lücking) Lücking comb. et stat. nov. (Bas.: Arthonia cyanea f. minor Lücking) is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species delimitation is one of the most fundamental processes in biology. Biodiversity undertakings, for instance, require explicit species concepts and criteria for species delimitation in order to be relevant and translatable. However, a perfect species concept does not exist for Fungi. Here, we review the species concepts commonly used in Basidiomycota, the second largest phylum of Fungi that contains some of the best known species of mushrooms, rusts, smuts, and jelly fungi. In general, best practice is to delimitate species, publish new taxa, and conduct taxonomic revisions based on as many independent lines of evidence as possible, that is, by applying a so-called unifying (or integrative) conceptual framework. However, the types of data used vary considerably from group to group. For this reason we discuss the different classes of Basidiomycota, and for each provide: (i) a general introduction with difficulties faced in species recognition, (ii) species concepts and methods for species delimitation, and (iii) community recommendations and conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As it has presently become evident, reproductive isolation can no longer be considered as the leading criterion for estimating the species limits, but it is still used for determining the status of the majority of morphs. The presence/absence of hybridization between individuals is not directly related to the degree of their evolutionary insularity. Hybridization can result in the origin of new morphs including those that have species status. The application of phylogenetic methods is justified in reconstructing the relation links within complex groups including the morphs of various evolutionary levels (from geographical races to "good" species), the relationships between which are exacerbated by hybridogenous polymorphism and/or the hybridization origins of their populations. Taking into account both new data and new conceptions, we suggest genuine interrelated definitions of concepts such as species, subspecies, and semispecies in birds. The definitions are based on two main criteria: biological, i.e., an evaluation of the reproductive relations of the particular morphs with each other, and phylogenetic, i.e., an evaluation of their evolutionary age and kinship. The main feature of a species as an evolutionary entity should be considered through its stability in time even when its reproductive isolation is periodically broken. Geographic intraspecies races show sustainable variations of different degrees, but they have no reproductive isolation; they breed upon contact and form intergradation zones. They are taxonomically denoted as subspecies. Descriptions of new subspecies are viable to the limits that reflect the species' natural geographic structure to the fullest extent. For the young morphs that have reached the level of species insularity in the course of evolution, it seems appropriate to restore a semispecies category. Semispecies show significant morphological differences and distinguished ecological particularities, as a rule, but they are connected to closely related morphs by gene flows in contact zones. Distinguishing this category is not regulated by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and, as splitter tendencies prevail in modern systematics, semispecies are more often equated to species; i.e., they have binominal names. We propose to denote the attribution of a semispecies to a particular species group (superspecies) in parentheses between genus and species names. Thus, it would become possible to outline natural complexes and avoid a groundless increase in the taxonomic statuses of morphs in the stage of development. Representatives of distant phylogenetic lines (morphs that separated historically long ago) are not to be considered as semispecies even in the cases of their reproductive isolation being broken and a steady hybridization existing between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incomplete descriptions of nominal taxa are one of the most significant obstacles in modern taxonomy, including the taxonomy of Tardigrada. Another major problem in tardigrade systematics is the lack of tests for the reliability of genetic markers in species delineation. Here, we employ an integrative taxonomy approach to redescribe the nominal taxon for the P. areolatus complex, Paramacrobiotus areolatus. Moreover, we obtained multilocus DNA sequences for another 16 populations representing 9–12 Paramacrobiotus species collected from Europe, North America, Africa and Australia, enabling us to reconstruct the most extensive phylogeny of the genus to date. The identification of a pair of potentially cryptic dioecious P. areolatus complex species with divergent genetic distances in ITS2 (1.4%) and COI (13.8%) provided an opportunity to test the biological species concept for the first time in the history of tardigrade taxonomy. Intra- and interpopulation crosses did not differ in reproductive success in terms of F1 offspring. However, because of the low F1 family sizes, we were unfortunately unable to test F1 hybrid fertility. Although our results are only partially conclusive, they offer a baseline not only for further taxonomic and phylogenetic research on the areolatus complex, but also for studies on species delineation in tardigrades in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an English translation of a paper published in Russian (but with proper Latin formulations at taxonomical novelties to make them validly published) on March 15, 2017 in Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Vol. 22 (2): 158-169. The Abyssinian pea (Pisum abyssinicum A. Br.), concerned in this review, is known from Ethiopia and Yemen, where it is cultivated along with the common pea (Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum). The continuously reproduced notion of its possible spontaneous occurrence in the wild ascends to suppositions made in the XIX century and is not based on any actual data. P. abyssinicum is of practical interest owing to its extra early ripening and resistance to bacterial blight. Morphologically it is very similar to P. sativum but its crossability with it is bad as either seed or pollen parent. Traditionally this reproductive barrier was associated with karyological differences. The Abyssinian pea karyotype is variable as 1–2 reciprocal translocations were reported. At the same time there are accessions not differing from the standard karyotype of P. sativum with respect to reciprocal translocations, yet their crossability with the latter is very low and the pollen fertility of F1 and F2 hybrids is lowered. Data were reported on influence of the region of Linkage Group III, containing a gene known to participate in the conflict of nucleus and plastids in remote crosses of peas, on the pollen fertility of hybrids with abyssinian pea. With their karyological variability, the known accessions of the Abyssinian pea are very close to each other genetically, as they diverged just about 4 000 years ago. The presence of alleles of molecular markers common with Pisum fulvum Sibth. et Smith on the one hand and with P. sativum L. subsp. elatius (Bieb.) Schmalh. on the other hand evidences in favour of an old hypotheses by L.I. Govorov that the Abyssinian pea originated from their spontaneous hybrid. This spontaneous cross may have taken place under cultivation, in Yemen or Afar Depression. A representative of P. sativum subsp. elatius was revealed, the F1 hybrids of which with the Abyssinian pea as a seed parent had fully fertile pollen. P. abyssinicum × P. fulvum crosses provide the best hybrid seed outcome among remote crosses conducted, so that P. abyssinicum can be used as a ‘bridge’ for gene introgression from P. fulvum to P. sativum. Rather a high level of reproductive isolation of the Abyssinian pea from other representatives of the genus conforms the biological species concept, however the disposition of P. abyssinicum accessions as a small cluster among accessions of P. sativum subsp. elatius on molecular phylogeny reconstructions violates the phylogenetic species concept. Most authors assume the Abyssinian pea as a species, Pisum abyssinicum, some as a subspecies, P. sativum subsp. abyssinicum (A. Br.) Berger. Perhaps it would be most correct to consider it as a hybridogenic species. Because of the recent subsuming of the genus Pisum L. into the genus Lathyrus and with respect to the existing name Lathyrus abyssinicus A. Br. (a synonym of L. sativus L.), the Abyssinian pea was given a new name Lathyrus schaeferi (A. Braun) Kosterin (Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding 21: 167. 2017) (pro Pisum abyssinicum A. Braun), in honour of Hanno Schaefer, who substantiated the revision of tribe Fabeae by molecular reconstruction of its phylogeny. The paper here translated contained new combinations of Lathyrus sectio Pisum (L.) Kosterin (Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding 21: 168. 2017) and Lathurus fulvus (Sibthrop et Smith) Kosterin (Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding 21: 168. 2017).

The Abyssinian pea (Pisum abyssinicum A. Br.), concerned in this review, is known from Ethiopia and Yemen, where it is cultivated along with the common pea (Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum). The continuously reproduced notion of its possible spontaneous occurrence in the wild ascends to suppositions made in the XIX century and is not based on any actual data. P. abyssinicum is of practical interest owing to its extra early ripening and resistance to bacterial blight. Morphologically it is very similar to P. sativum but its crossability with it is bad as either seed or pollen parent. Traditionally this reproductive barrier was associated with karyological differences. The Abyssinian pea karyotype is variable as 1–2 reciprocal translocations were reported. At the same time there are accessions not differing from the standard karyotype of P. sativum with respect to reciprocal translocations, yet their crossability with the latter is very low and the pollen fertility of F1 and F2 hybrids is lowered. Data were reported on influence of the region of Linkage Group III, containing a gene known to participate in the conflict of nucleus and plastids in remote crosses of peas, on the pollen fertility of hybrids with abyssinian pea. With their karyological variability, the known accessions of the Abyssinian pea are very close to each other genetically, as they diverged just about 4000 years ago. The presence of alleles of molecular markers common with Pisum fulvum Sibth. et Smith on the one hand and P. sativum L. subsp. elatius (Bieb.) Schmalh. on the other hand evidences in favour of an old hypotheses by L.I. Govorov that the Abyssinian pea originated from their spontaneous hybrid. This spontaneous cross may have taken place under cultivation, in Yemen or Afar Depression. A representative of P. sativum subsp. elatius was revealed, the F1 hybrids of which with the Abyssinian pea as a seed parent had fully fertile pollen. P. abyssinicum× P. fulvum crosses provide the best hybrid seed outcome among remote crosses conducted, so that P. abyssinicum can be used as a ‘bridge’ for gene introgression from P. fulvum to P. sativum. Rather a high evel of reproductive isolation of the Abyssinian pea from other representatives of the genus conforms the biological species concept, however the disposition of P. abyssinicum accessions as a small cluster among accessions of P. sativum subsp. elatius on molecular phylogeny reconstructions violates the phylogenetic species concept. Most authors assume the Abyssinian pea as a species, Pisum abyssinicum, some as a subspecies, P. sativum subsp. abyssinicum (A. Br.) Berger. Perhaps it would be most correct to consider it as a hybridogenic species. Because of the recent subsuming of the genus Pisum L. into the genus Lathyrus and with respect to the existing name Lathyrus abyssinicus A. Br. (a synonym of L. sativus L.), the Abyssinian pea is given a new name Lathyrus schaeferi (A. Braun) Kosterin nomen novum pro Pisum abyssinicum A. Braun), in honour of Hanno Schaefer, who substantiated the revision of tribe Fabeae by molecular reconstruction of its phylogeny. New combinations of Lathyrus sectio Pisum (L.) Kosterin combinatio nova and Lathurus fulvus (Sibthrop et Smith) Kosterin combinatio nova are proposed.

Taxonomy is partly a subjective matter, but it is instrumental for ecological, behavioural and especially conservation studies. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, goat‐antelopes (Bovidae: Rupicaprini tribe) number 13 species, 62% of which are 'Threatened' or 'Near Threatened' with extinction. During recent decades, the number of extant species of goat‐antelopes – especially in endemic Asian genera (goral: six species Naemorhedus spp.; serow: seven species Capricornis spp.) – has been inflated.We have revised the taxonomy and phylogeny of the gorals and serows, for the first time using the total mitochondrial genome of all taxa.We confirm the existence of three goral and four serow species. We can find no justification for the existence of Naemorhedus griseus (Chinese goral), Naemorhedus bedfordi (Himalayan goral) and Naemorhedus evansi (Burmese goral), which should be pooled together within Naemorhedus goral (brown goral). Two species of mainland serow are also recognised: Capricornis rubidus (red serow) and Capricornis sumatraensis (Sumatran serow). Capricornis rubidus and Naemorhedus baileyi (red goral) are the forms more closely related to the common Pliocenic, still‐unknown ancestor. Among serows, Capricornis crispus is sister to all remaining species. Capricornis rubidus and Capricornis swinhoei (Formosan serow) are sister species, probably the remnants of an older radiation of mainland serows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although extensively studied by different authors over the past 150 years, the taxonomy of Canthon Hoffmannsegg, 1817 and allied genera (which are here informally referred to as ‘Canthon sensu lato’) still remains problematic. With the aim of resolving some of the questions surrounding these taxa, the present work reviews the taxonomy of one of them, the genus Sylvicanthon Halffter & Martínez, 1977. As defined here, Sylvicanthon is distributed mainly throughout the vast areas of tropical rainforests in the Neotropical region and includes 15 species divided into two groups: the enkerlini group, with a single species, S. enkerlini (Martínez et al., 1964) comb. nov., and the candezei group, with five subgroups: the candezei subgroup, with S. candezei (Harold, 1869), S. genieri sp. nov. and S. foveiventris (Schmidt, 1920); the aequinoctialis subgroup, with S. aequinoctialis (Harold, 1868) comb. nov. and S. proseni (Martínez, 1949) stat. et comb. nov.; the bridarollii subgroup, with S. bridarollii (Martínez, 1949), S. seag sp. nov., S. edmondsi sp. nov. and S. attenboroughi sp. nov.; the furvus subgroup, with S. furvus (Schmidt, 1920), S. monnei sp. nov., S. mayri sp. nov. and S. obscurus (Schmidt, 1920); and the securus subgroup, with a single species, S. securus (Schmidt, 1920) comb. nov. Three species originally included in Sylvicanthon are here (re)transferred to Canthon: Canthon xanthopus Blanchard, 1846 and C. machadoi (Martínez & Pereira, 1967) comb. nov., as well as C. cobosi (Pereira & Martínez, 1960) stat. et comb. nov., which had been previously in synonymy under C. xanthopus. Descriptions, redescriptions, illustrations and comparative tables on the external morphology (including the genital capsule) of the genus and its species are presented, as well as a detailed discussion on their biogeography, comparative morphology, hypotheses on their phylogenetic relationships, data on natural history and a detailed historical revision of the classification of ‘Canthon sensu lato’. Finally, we also discuss the so-called ‘species problem’ (i.e., the definition of the scientific term ‘species’) and its consequences to dung beetle taxonomy and favour the solution offered by the Biological Species Concept.

Mating strategies contributing to a balance between inbreeding and outcrossing are understudied in all but a few model fungal pathogens. This study examined factors that influence the occurrence of the sexual state of Pyrenophora semeniperda. It was consistently found to have functional copies of the MAT1‐1 and MAT1‐2 idiomorphs essential for sexual reproduction, despite considerable polymorphism in both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and number of 18‐base minisatellite repeats. The two idiomorphs occurred at approximately equal frequencies across 25 populations on Bromus tectorum seeds in the western United States, suggesting maintenance of sexual reproduction. The putative mating system is described as facultative pseudohomothallism, with only one of the two MAT1 idiomorphs found in a nucleus. Unikaryotic strains of opposite mating type can potentially mate, as can nuclei of opposite mating type in a thallus that results from anastomosis between vegetatively compatible unikaryotic strains. Strains shown to be dikaryotic using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers may contain either or both MAT1 idiomorphs. Most populations consist of a mixture of MAT1‐1,MAT1‐2 and MAT1‐1/MAT1‐2 genotypes. A possible constraint on recombination is the presence of multiple strain groups characterized by ITS haplotype. These are apparently vegetatively incompatible, as even dikaryotic strains are invariably composed of a single ITS haplotype. Different ITS haplotypes also have unique combinations of MAT1‐1 and MAT1‐2 allelic variants, suggesting that perhaps these strain groups are also sexually incompatible. Phylogenetic analysis using both genome‐wide SNP/indel polymorphisms and SSR markers demonstrated genetic divergence among ITS haplotypes, supporting the hypothesis that these strain groups may represent cryptic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species delimitation is one of the most contested areas in modern biology, with widespread disagreement about almost every aspect of the definition and implementation of the "species" label. While this debate is intellectually stimulating, it also has real implications for conservation, where its impacts on taxonomic inflation or inertia can mean that specific populations receive adequate conservation measures or are ignored. Recently, the rise of next generation sequencing and phylogenomics has revolutionised phylogenetic understanding of many organismal groups but has simultaneously highlighted the porosity of genomes in terms of admixture across previously delineated species barriers. The extraordinary power of genomic data is increasingly being used to delineate species, and several publications in this domain have recently attracted significant attention and criticism. Here we revisit the question of species delimitation, but from a genomic context. We ask how and whether the large amounts of data provided by genomic methods can resolve the longstanding discussion on the validity and application of phylogenetic and allied species concepts, and how some recent examples can inform this debate. We argue that conserving adaptive potential is a priority for conservation, and no single species concept currently does that adequately on its own. Genomic data holds the potential to add unprecedented detail, but frequently falls short of this potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here I present the several models currently popular for understanding speciation in prokaryotes, in particular bacteria. I will argue that "speciation", as a process or collection of independent but interacting processes sometimes serving to form genotypic and/or phenotypic clusters, can be studied effectively without any definition of "species" or any requirement that all prokaryotic lineages match such a definition. This has always been so, but formal acknowledgement would have a freeing effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I argue that Devitt's thesis according to which the Biological Species Concept requires an essentialist answer to the problem of identity is inconsistent with current models of speciation. These models refute intrinsic biological essentialism (IBE), because they split the causal explanation of the structural properties of a species from the criterion of identity. IBE can also be empirically contrasted. There are cases of parallel speciation that refute the prediction that can be obtained from IBE according to which there should always be an inversely proportional relationship between genetic closeness and reproductive isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human activities exert stress on and create disturbances to ecosystems, decreasing their diversity, resilience and ultimately the health of ecosystems and their vegetation. In environments with rapid changes in vegetation health (VH), progress is needed when it comes to monitoring these changes and underlying causes. There are different approaches to monitoring VH such as in situ species approaches and the remote‐sensing approach. Here we provide an overview of in situ species approaches, that is, the biological, the phylogenetic, and the morphological species concept, as well as an overview of the remote‐sensing spectral trait/spectral trait variations concept to monitor the status of VH as well as processes of stress, disturbances, and resource limitations affecting VH. The approaches are compared with regard to their suitability for monitoring VH, and their advantages, disadvantages, potential, and requirements for being linked are discussed. No single approach is sufficient to monitor the complexity and multidimensionality of VH over the short to long term and on local to global scales. Rather, every approach has its pros and cons, making it all the more necessary to link approaches. In this paper, we present a framework and list crucial requirements for coupling approaches and integrating additional monitoring elements to form a multisource vegetation health monitoring network (MUSO‐VH‐MN). When it comes to linking the different approaches, data, information, models or platforms in a MUSO‐VH‐MN, big data with its complexity and syntactic and semantic heterogeneity and the lack of standardized approaches and VH protocols pose the greatest challenge. Therefore, Data Science with the elements of (a) digitalization, (b) semantification, (c) ontologization, (d) standardization, (e) Open Science, as well as (f) open and easy analyzing tools for assessing VH are important requirements for monitoring, linking, analyzing, and forecasting complex and multidimensional changes in VH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their dependence on cellular organisms for metabolism and replication, viruses are typically named and assigned to species according to their genome structure and the original host that they infect. But because viruses often infect multiple hosts and the numbers of distinct lineages within a host can be vast, their delineation into species is often dictated by arbitrary sequence thresholds, which are highly inconsistent across lineages. Here we apply an approach to determine the boundaries of viral species based on the detection of gene flow within populations, thereby defining viral species according to the biological species concept (BSC). Despite the potential for gene transfer between highly divergent genomes, viruses, like the cellular organisms they infect, assort into reproductively isolated groups and can be organized into biological species. This approach revealed that BSC-defined viral species are often congruent with the taxonomic partitioning based on shared gene contents and host tropism, and that bacteriophages can similarly be classified in biological species. These results open the possibility to use a single, universal definition of species that is applicable across cellular and acellular lifeforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA-based species delimitation methods often predict many putative cryptic species. Interpretation of these putative species (i.e. do they represent distinct species, or is this an erroneous estimate based on DNA variability?) is challenging because estimates of DNA-based delimitation are often difficult to verify using nongenetic data such as morphology or geographical distribution. In the present study, estimates of DNA-based delimitation methods were verified based on the biological species concept in Japanese populations of Scytosiphon lomentaria. Three DNA-based species delimitation methods (Generalised Mixed Yule Coalescent, Poisson Tree Processes and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery) were conducted using mitochondrial (cox1) and nuclear (second intron of centrin gene) DNA sequence datasets. In the S. lomentaria species complex, five putative cryptic species (Ia-Va) were well-supported by DNA-based species delimitation, and these putative species were often found in the same locality. To verify the estimates of DNA-based delimitation, crossing experiments were conducted among the putative species, using cultured isolates. Gametic incompatibility, which prevented hybrid zygote formation, was observed among them, except in the crosses between species IIa male and species IIIa female, in which hybrid zygotes successfully formed. These hybrid zygotes grew up to sporophytes and matured with unilocular sporangia in culture; however, the survival rate of their meiospores (zoospores) was significantly lower than that of meiospores from sporophytes derived from intraspecific crosses. In the S. lomentaria species complex in Japan, well-supported DNA-based species boundaries were concordant with biological species boundaries (intrinsic barriers to gene exchange). The five cryptic species are reproductively isolated from each other by gametic incompatibility (pre-zygotic barrier) and low survival rate of hybrid meiospores (post-zygotic barrier). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]