Search

Research in Macaronesia has led to substantial advances in ecology, evolution and conservation biology. We review the scientific developments achieved in this region, and outline promising research avenues enhancing conservation. Some of these discoveries indicate that the Macaronesian flora and fauna are composed of rather young lineages, not Tertiary relicts, predominantly of European origin. Macaronesia also seems to be an important source region for back-colonisation of continental fringe regions on both sides of the Atlantic. This group of archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands, and Cabo Verde) has been crucial to learn about the particularities of macroecological patterns and interaction networks on islands, providing evidence for the development of the General Dynamic Model of oceanic island biogeography and subsequent updates. However, in addition to exceptionally high richness of endemic species, Macaronesia is also home to a growing number of threatened species, along with invasive alien plants and animals. Several innovative conservation and management actions are in place to protect its biodiversity from these and other drivers of global change. The Macaronesian Islands are a well-suited field of study for island ecology and evolution research, mostly due to its special geological layout with 40 islands grouped within five archipelagos differing in geological age, climate and isolation. A large amount of data is now available for several groups of organisms on and around many of these islands. However, continued efforts should be made toward compiling new information on their biodiversity, to pursue various fruitful research avenues and develop appropriate conservation management tools. The Island Biology Interest Group (IBIG, http://www.ibigbiology.com) is grateful to the organisers of the 2016 Island Biology Conference held in the Azores for promoting the symposium that led to this manuscript. We thank Joaquin Hortal for useful comments on an early version of the manuscript, and also Guido Jones for his language editing funded by the Cabildo de Tenerife, under the TFinnova Programme supported by MEDI and FDCAN funds. We are grateful to Salvador de la Cruz and Elena Morales for extracting updated information from the Biodiversity Data Bank of the Canary Islands. We also thank Ricardo Ramalho (Cardiff University) for fruitful discussions on the geological age of the Cabo Verde islands. This manuscript is a contribution by the INCT in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation funded by MCTIC/CNPq/FAPEG (grant 465610/2014-5).

[EN] A new species of gecko of the genus Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) is described from São Nicolau Island, Cabo Verde Archipelago, and the Sal and Boavista island populations of Hemidactylus boavistensis (i.e., Hemidactylus boavistensis boavistensis comb. nov. and Hemidactylus boavistensis chevalieri comb. nov.) are recognized as subspecies. Hemidactylus nicolauensis sp. nov. is genetically distinct from H. bouvieri, to which it has previously been referred, and from all other closely related endemic Hemidactylus from Cabo Verde Islands in mitochondrial (12S & cyt b) and nuclear (RAG2, MC1R) markers. It is characterized morphologically by its distinct colouration and a diagnostically different arrangement of digital lamellae. With the description of this new species, São Nicolau is now known to harbour three single-island endemic gecko species, and the documented reptile diversity in Cabo Verde is raised to 23 endemic species. As a result of our taxonomic changes, existing conservation regulations should be updated and the conservation status of these taxa should be re-evaluated., [PT] Uma nova espécie de osga do género Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) da ilha de São Nicolau, arquipélago de Cabo Verde, é descrita, e as populações de Hemidactylus boavistensis das ilhas do Sal e da Boavista (Hemidactylus boavistensis boavistensis comb. nov. e Hemidactylus boavistensis chevalieri comb. nov.) são reconhecidas como subespécies. A espécie Hemidactylus nicolauensis sp. nov. é geneticamente distinta de H. bouvieri, à qual foi anteriormente associada, e de todos os outros Hemidactylus endémicos muito aparentados das ilhas de Cabo Verde nos marcadores mitocondriais (12S & cyt b) e nucleares (RAG2, MC1R). Caracteriza-se morfologicamente pela coloração distinta e por um arranjo diferente e diagnóstico das lamelas digitais. Com a descrição desta nova espécie, São Nicolau alberga agora três espécies de osga endémicas de uma única ilha e a diversidade de répteis documentada em Cabo Verde aumenta para 23 espécies endémicas. Como resultado das nossas mudanças taxonómicas, os regulamentos de conservação existentes deverão ser actualizados e os estatutos de conservação desses taxa deverão ser reavaliados., RV was supported by a post-doctoral grant (SFRH⁄BPD⁄79913/2012) from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), I.P. under the ‘Programa Operacional Potencial Humano—Quadro de Referência Estratégico (POPH–QREN)’ and National funds from the European Social Fund and Portuguese ‘Ministério da Educação e Ciência’ and contract from FCT national funds from ‘Norma transitória’ (DL57/2016/CP1440/CT0002). Cabeólica S.A. financed the trip to Desertas, logistics and arranged permits with Direcção Nacional do Ambiente for São Vicente. Biosfera I arranged permits for Desertas and Isildo Gomes from INIDA for collecting the animals on São Nicolau.

The Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands and Cabo Verde are commonly united under the term “Macaronesia”. This study investigates the coherency and validity of Macaronesia as a biogeographic unit using six marine groups with very different dispersal abilities: coastal fishes, echinoderms, gastropod molluscs, brachyuran decapod crustaceans, polychaete annelids, and macroalgae. We found no support for the current concept of Macaronesia as a coherent marine biogeographic unit. All marine groups studied suggest the exclusion of Cabo Verde from the remaining Macaronesian archipelagos and thus, Cabo Verde should be given the status of a biogeographic subprovince within the West African Transition province. We propose to redefine the Lusitanian biogeographical province, in which we include four ecoregions: the South European Atlantic Shelf, the Saharan Upwelling, the Azores, and a new ecoregion herein named Webbnesia, which comprises the archipelagos of Madeira, Selvagens and the Canary Islands., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published