cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16447400.v1
title: Subspecies limits and hidden <i>Wolbachia</i> diversity in <i>Actinote pellenea</i> butterflies

description: <i>Actinote pellenea</i> is the most widespread species within the genus <i>Actinote</i> (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae: Acraeini). The species has several generations per year (multivoltine) and is also the most diversified, with 18 formally recognized subspecies, most of them morphologically distinct and geographically segregated. In the present study we investigated lineage limits of 12 subspecies of <i>A. pellenea</i> using sequences of one mitochondrial (COI) and one nuclear gene (EF-1 α) to test if nominal geographic lineages are recovered as genetically differentiated. We also surveyed for the presence of <i>Wolbachia</i> in all field-collected individuals of <i>A. pellenea</i> and characterized these bacteria using sequences of <i>wsp</i> and <i>gatB.</i> The analysis of the COI alignment failed to recover all subspecies as monophyletic and only the clade composed for <i>A. pellenea diaguita</i> from Tucumán, Argentina and <i>A. pellenea pellenea</i> from the coastal Atlantic Forest in the states of São Paulo and Bahia, Brazil, was differentiated as a separate lineage. We found a <i>Wolbachia</i>-infection frequency of 68%, in both males and females, and we propose that the presence of these endosymbionts may explain why the mitochondrial gene COI failed to delimit the subspecies of <i>A. pellenea</i> as monophyletic groups. We showed for the first time that these butterflies have an intermediate prevalence of <i>Wolbachia</i> infection. However, several aspects of this infection are still unknown and we concluded the present study with several open questions relative to the interaction between <i>Wolbachia</i> and <i>A. pellenea</i> butterflies.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16583645
title: Investigation of the spongillid <i>Spongilla alba</i> Carter, 1849 reveals a new group of brackish-water sponges

description: Freshwater sponges are widely distributed throughout the world, but their taxonomy and phylogenetics remain obscure. Studying distantly located specimens of the cosmopolitan spongillid <i>Spongilla alba</i> Carter, 1849, we revealed that these sponges differ from the rest of the studied <i>Spongilla</i> specimens by <i>ITS1</i>, <i>ITS2</i>, and <i>COI</i> sequences. Morphotraits of the sponges have a remarkable peculiarity compared with <i>Spongilla</i> genus: slightly fusiform slender microscleres with complex spines arranged in a pedunculate rosette at the middle and simple spines at the tips. Given both genetic and morphological differences, these sponges deserve being assigned to a new genus, <i>Rosulaspongilla</i> gen. nov. We found this genus to comprise two species that significantly differ in <i>ITS</i> sequences and have peculiarities in morphotraits. These sponges clearly prefer slightly brackish water, which highlights their independent status. Our result stresses the need to use an integrative approach in the investigation of freshwater sponges. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank:org:pub:2B0A7FC0-35D7-474C-819E-2FE8D49B9B21
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16583645.v1
title: Investigation of the spongillid <i>Spongilla alba</i> Carter, 1849 reveals a new group of brackish-water sponges

description: Freshwater sponges are widely distributed throughout the world, but their taxonomy and phylogenetics remain obscure. Studying distantly located specimens of the cosmopolitan spongillid <i>Spongilla alba</i> Carter, 1849, we revealed that these sponges differ from the rest of the studied <i>Spongilla</i> specimens by <i>ITS1</i>, <i>ITS2</i>, and <i>COI</i> sequences. Morphotraits of the sponges have a remarkable peculiarity compared with <i>Spongilla</i> genus: slightly fusiform slender microscleres with complex spines arranged in a pedunculate rosette at the middle and simple spines at the tips. Given both genetic and morphological differences, these sponges deserve being assigned to a new genus, <i>Rosulaspongilla</i> gen. nov. We found this genus to comprise two species that significantly differ in <i>ITS</i> sequences and have peculiarities in morphotraits. These sponges clearly prefer slightly brackish water, which highlights their independent status. Our result stresses the need to use an integrative approach in the investigation of freshwater sponges. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank:org:pub:2B0A7FC0-35D7-474C-819E-2FE8D49B9B21
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17033023
title: Museum specimens reveal a rare new characid fish genus, helping to refine the interrelationships of the Probolodini (Characidae: Stethaprioninae)

description: (Received 7 July 2021; accepted 23 September 2021) Two new characid fish species are described from the upper rio Tocantins basin, Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás State, Brazil. Both species were discovered among specimens in museum collections. Relationships of taxa were evaluated in a more comprehensive phylogenetic analysis utilizing the largest dataset available of molecular and morphological data for the family Characidae. The two species were recovered as sister species and described in a new genus, closely related to <i>Erythrocharax</i> and <i>Phycocharax</i>. <i>Dinotopterygium</i> gen. nov. is distinguished from all other characid genera by the unique combination of ten synapomorphies, including the unique anal-fin morphology with a small number of branched anal-fin rays (13-16). <i>Dinotopterygium uniodon</i> sp. nov. and <i>D. diodon</i> sp. nov. differ by the number of tooth series in the premaxillary bone (one or two) and number of tooth cusps (7 or 5). The additional phenotypic variation for a taxonomically informative character within the Characidae through the discovery of new forms has helped to refine the interrelationship of the tribe Probolodini (Characidae: Stethaprioninae). The discovery of these new and possibly critically endangered species emphasizes the importance of museum collections for understanding biodiversity past and present. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E0FD8207-590B-4FF7-B9CA-FD481A7F8B0E
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17033023.v1
title: Museum specimens reveal a rare new characid fish genus, helping to refine the interrelationships of the Probolodini (Characidae: Stethaprioninae)

description: (Received 7 July 2021; accepted 23 September 2021) Two new characid fish species are described from the upper rio Tocantins basin, Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás State, Brazil. Both species were discovered among specimens in museum collections. Relationships of taxa were evaluated in a more comprehensive phylogenetic analysis utilizing the largest dataset available of molecular and morphological data for the family Characidae. The two species were recovered as sister species and described in a new genus, closely related to <i>Erythrocharax</i> and <i>Phycocharax</i>. <i>Dinotopterygium</i> gen. nov. is distinguished from all other characid genera by the unique combination of ten synapomorphies, including the unique anal-fin morphology with a small number of branched anal-fin rays (13-16). <i>Dinotopterygium uniodon</i> sp. nov. and <i>D. diodon</i> sp. nov. differ by the number of tooth series in the premaxillary bone (one or two) and number of tooth cusps (7 or 5). The additional phenotypic variation for a taxonomically informative character within the Characidae through the discovery of new forms has helped to refine the interrelationship of the tribe Probolodini (Characidae: Stethaprioninae). The discovery of these new and possibly critically endangered species emphasizes the importance of museum collections for understanding biodiversity past and present. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E0FD8207-590B-4FF7-B9CA-FD481A7F8B0E
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.15181180
title: Whiptail lizard lineage delimitation and population expansion as windows into the history of Amazonian open ecosystems

description: Historical variations in climate and landscape configuration are the main aspects known to generate and maintain diversity. Taxa associated with open habitats within broader forest contexts are often overlooked in studies of Neotropical biogeography. We investigated the evolutionary and demographic history of lizards in the <i>Cnemidophorus lemniscatus</i> species group, which encompasses three described species – one unisexual and two bisexuals – restricted to open environments in Amazonia. We also explored the geographic ecology of the group using critical ecophysiological traits as proxies for sensitivity or resilience to environmental change. To that end, we delimited the main lineages within the group, estimated their divergence times, and asked if these lineages have experienced changes in effective population size. We recovered six lineages, three of which correspond to <i>C. cryptus</i>, <i>C. lemniscatus</i>, and <i>C. gramivagus</i>, and three yet unnamed species. We recovered divergence events during the Late Miocene and signs of recent population expansion for at least one of the species (the parthenogenetic <i>C. cryptus</i>). This pattern corroborates the ancient emergence of the Amazonian open areas, followed by a high and recent dynamism during the Pleistocene. Conserved traits related to high thermal tolerance and broad thermal tolerance ranges likely facilitated niche tracking and establishment in open ecosystems during Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. Our results bring insights regarding how these species might be influenced, and even favoured, by human-induced environmental changes in the contemporary timescale.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.15181180.v1
title: Whiptail lizard lineage delimitation and population expansion as windows into the history of Amazonian open ecosystems

description: Historical variations in climate and landscape configuration are the main aspects known to generate and maintain diversity. Taxa associated with open habitats within broader forest contexts are often overlooked in studies of Neotropical biogeography. We investigated the evolutionary and demographic history of lizards in the <i>Cnemidophorus lemniscatus</i> species group, which encompasses three described species – one unisexual and two bisexuals – restricted to open environments in Amazonia. We also explored the geographic ecology of the group using critical ecophysiological traits as proxies for sensitivity or resilience to environmental change. To that end, we delimited the main lineages within the group, estimated their divergence times, and asked if these lineages have experienced changes in effective population size. We recovered six lineages, three of which correspond to <i>C. cryptus</i>, <i>C. lemniscatus</i>, and <i>C. gramivagus</i>, and three yet unnamed species. We recovered divergence events during the Late Miocene and signs of recent population expansion for at least one of the species (the parthenogenetic <i>C. cryptus</i>). This pattern corroborates the ancient emergence of the Amazonian open areas, followed by a high and recent dynamism during the Pleistocene. Conserved traits related to high thermal tolerance and broad thermal tolerance ranges likely facilitated niche tracking and establishment in open ecosystems during Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. Our results bring insights regarding how these species might be influenced, and even favoured, by human-induced environmental changes in the contemporary timescale.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.15146954
title: The Atlantic connection: coastal habitat favoured long distance dispersal and colonization of Azores and Madeira by <i>Dysdera</i> spiders (Araneae: Dysderidae)

description: The woodlouse hunter <i>Dysdera</i> spiders have colonized all Macaronesian archipelagos. We report here for the first time an evolutionary connection between the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira, and the remote archipelago of Azores. Based on museum specimens from the 1950s, we describe the first endemic <i>Dysdera</i> species from the Azores. Additionally, we report the recent collection of immature individuals related yet probably not conspecific to the new species, rejecting previous suggestions that the endemic lineage had gone extinct. A multi-locus target phylogeny revealed that an undescribed species from Madeira was the closest relative to the Azores lineage, and that both island taxa were in turn sister to an Iberian endemic species, within a mostly Iberian clade. Interestingly, the Madeiran relative was not closely related to the remaining endemic species reported in the archipelago, suggesting an independent colonization. A divergence time estimation analysis unravelled that <i>Dysdera</i> colonized both archipelagos early after their emergence. The colonization pathway remains ambiguous, but the Iberian Peninsula acted as the ultimate source of the ancestral colonizers. Finally, we describe the new species <i>Dysdera cetophonorum</i> Crespo & Arnedo sp. nov. from Pico and <i>Dysdera citauca</i> Crespo & Arnedo, sp. nov. from Ilhéu de Cima (Porto Santo) and redescribe and illustrate the female genitalia for the first time of their poorly known closest relative, <i>Dysdera flavitarsis</i> Simon, 1882 from the north-western Iberian Peninsula. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1E75CCEC-1632-4581-93A5-E61721970022
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.15146954.v1
title: The Atlantic connection: coastal habitat favoured long distance dispersal and colonization of Azores and Madeira by <i>Dysdera</i> spiders (Araneae: Dysderidae)

description: The woodlouse hunter <i>Dysdera</i> spiders have colonized all Macaronesian archipelagos. We report here for the first time an evolutionary connection between the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira, and the remote archipelago of Azores. Based on museum specimens from the 1950s, we describe the first endemic <i>Dysdera</i> species from the Azores. Additionally, we report the recent collection of immature individuals related yet probably not conspecific to the new species, rejecting previous suggestions that the endemic lineage had gone extinct. A multi-locus target phylogeny revealed that an undescribed species from Madeira was the closest relative to the Azores lineage, and that both island taxa were in turn sister to an Iberian endemic species, within a mostly Iberian clade. Interestingly, the Madeiran relative was not closely related to the remaining endemic species reported in the archipelago, suggesting an independent colonization. A divergence time estimation analysis unravelled that <i>Dysdera</i> colonized both archipelagos early after their emergence. The colonization pathway remains ambiguous, but the Iberian Peninsula acted as the ultimate source of the ancestral colonizers. Finally, we describe the new species <i>Dysdera cetophonorum</i> Crespo & Arnedo sp. nov. from Pico and <i>Dysdera citauca</i> Crespo & Arnedo, sp. nov. from Ilhéu de Cima (Porto Santo) and redescribe and illustrate the female genitalia for the first time of their poorly known closest relative, <i>Dysdera flavitarsis</i> Simon, 1882 from the north-western Iberian Peninsula. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1E75CCEC-1632-4581-93A5-E61721970022
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16601274.v1
title: Molecular characterization of the spectacled caiman (<i>Caiman crocodilus</i>) in the upper Magdalena River basin, Colombia: Demographic and phylogeographic insights

description: Maintenance of high levels of genetic diversity is crucial for the recovery of overexploited species and gaining knowledge of genetic diversity of natural populations is crucial to define effective conservation strategies. Spectacled caimans (<i>Caiman crocodilus</i>) were unsustainably exploited for decades in Colombia causing drastic population reductions with unknown effects on genetic structure. We molecularly characterized three spectacled caiman populations from the upper Magdalena River basin (UMRB), analyzing them within the context of the trans-Andean <i>C. c. fuscus sensu stricto</i> lineage, assessing nucleotide and genetic diversity, demographic history, and phylogeography at different scales. Seventeen of the 23 mitochondrial haplotypes currently described for Colombia are present in the UMRB, showing high levels of genetic diversity even when compared with the trans-Andean region (uncorrected genetic distances 0.00-0.87%). Mutational steps between closest haplotypes ranged from one to four while the most differentiated haplotypes were separated by 19 mutational steps across the whole trans-Andean region. Distribution of pairwise nucleotide differences and raggedness tests showed unimodal patterns of mismatch distribution curves fitting the sudden expansion model. Average time since demographic expansion for UMRB, Colombia, and trans-Andean region were inferred as 10,540, 7,591, and 7,071 years before present, respectively, placing the latest expansion close to the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. Intriguingly, samples from Tolima were overall more related to those collected from Panama and Costa Rica (0.34 ± 0.15%) than the ones collected across Choco (0.45 ± 0.15%), Cauca (0.70 ± 0.09%), and Nariño (0.60 ± 0.14%) departments. We discuss our genetic findings in the context of the management policies carried out in the country during the last decades (unsustainable and sustainable use, and population restocking), evaluating the implications of these events for the genetic integrity and conservation of the species.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16955245.v1
title: Genetic diversity in the <i>Diplosoma listerianum</i> complex (Ascidiacea: Didemnidae) from the Western Atlantic

description: (Received 19 January 2021; revised 27 September 2021; accepted 27 September 2021) <i>Diplosoma listerianum</i> has been re-described with more than 40 currently invalid names, but recent data suggests that some of those names may be valid. At least four distinct clades were recently revealed by molecular analysis using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Yet, very few samples were analyzed from the western Atlantic, of which none were from the extensive Brazilian coast. Here, we analyze genetic diversity in <i>D. listerianum</i> in light of morphological data. We sequenced 55 samples from Brazil, Panama, Mexico, and the United States and analyzed them together with published data, to test whether local populations are part of widespread, known, clades or are native species hidden within this complex. Phylogenetic analysis found eight clades, three of which were different from the ones recovered before. Former clade A was split into two larger clades: clade A1 occurs in the western Atlantic, on the Pacific side of Panama and in South Africa; clade A2 occurs worldwide, with representatives found on every continent. Species delimitation analyses (ABGD, bPTP and GMYC) found 16 MOTUs, which suggests that those large clades are very diverse and may comprise more than one species. Diversity was greatest in Panama (6 clades) and Mexico (3 clades). Larval morphological characters were examined and described here. However, for only a few of the sequenced samples could fully grown larvae be obtained and phenotypic variation was large. Thus, larval morphology could not be used to diagnose molecular clades. <i>Diplosoma listerianum</i> remains a species complex, with evidence of ongoing speciation, and high genetic diversity, especially in the tropical western Atlantic. Fast-growing colonies, rapid life cycles, and amenability to cultivation in the laboratory indicate that this species can be a model for studies in speciation.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17145687.v1
title: Do colour-morphs of an amphidromous goby represent different species? Taxonomy of <i>Lentipes</i> (Gobiiformes) from Japan and Palawan, Philippines, with phylogenomic approaches

description: We document four male colour morphs of the Indo-Pacific goby genus <i>Lentipes</i> in Japan and the Philippines. Despite distinctive colour patterns, males of the different morphs could not be distinguished by meristic or morphometric characters. In contrast, co-occurring females had very similar colouration and could not be sorted into different types. We observed that the four types are not distinguished by mitochondrial genome sequences. On the other hand, genome-wide SNPs analysis clearly separated the four types, suggesting that they indeed represent four independent lineages. We considered that the four lineages could have diverged recently, and therefore, the sorting of mitochondrial haplotypes may not have been completed yet. One of the four lineages is identified as <i>L. armatus</i> Sakai & Nakamura, 1979, and the other three are described in this study as new species: <i>L. kijimuna</i> sp. nov., <i>L. bunagaya</i> sp. nov., and <i>L. palawanirufus</i> sp. nov. We observed that males display their species-specific body colourations during courtship. Pre-zygotic isolation due to female preferences for different male body colours is probably the primary mechanism of reproductive isolation between the four species. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:95C19A65-8907-48F6-AA0B-2ACF711C0297
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16583646
title: Genetic diversity and population structure of three <i>Hydroides</i> species (Sedentaria, Serpulidae) in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with the possible indication of heteroplasmy

description: The Persian Gulf, an enclosed sea connected to the Gulf of Oman through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, is known as the world’s hottest sea. Owing to its harsh environmental conditions, genetic isolation has been proposed for the Gulf’s biota. During the present study, population genetic and phylogeographic analyses were carried out focusing on potential barriers to dispersal in some polychaete populations between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Ninety-three specimens from three defined spatial populations of three <i>Hydroides</i> species, <i>H</i>. <i>bulbosa</i>, <i>H</i>. <i>elegans</i> and <i>H</i>. <i>operculata</i>, were sequenced for regions of two nuclear ribosomal (18S and ITS2) and two mitochondrial (COI and Cyt-b) genes to compare the genetic structure among the sampled populations. Haplotype networks of the three species showed no significant genetic differentiation and were consistent with their geographic distribution patterns. Population genetic analyses such as pairwise F<sub>ST</sub>, nucleotide diversity and neutrality tests revealed some levels of intraspecific genetic diversities, suggesting different demographic histories. The genetic diversity observed in the more conservative genes (18S, Cyt-b, COI) in populations of <i>H</i>. <i>elegans</i> and <i>H</i>. <i>operculata</i> could reflect a more diverse genetic structure along their entire distribution range unlike the endemic species, <i>H. bulbosa</i> that presented a unique haplotype for each of those genes. Using Extended Bayesian Skyline plot analyses, populations of <i>H. bulbosa</i> and <i>H. operculata</i> showed signs of recent demographic expansion within the post-glacial transgression time frame of the Persian Gulf, while populations of <i>H. elegans</i> remained relatively constant. Another finding of the present study is the possible indication of heteroplasmy in <i>H</i>. <i>elegans</i> where two distinct mitochondrial lineages with about 11% of genetic divergence seem to coexist in the same individuals. We discuss also the alternative explanation of NUMTs (nuclear mitochondrial DNA), but regard it as substantially less likely.