Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014

Providing tools for the reassessment of Eupatorieae (Asteraceae): Comparative and statistical analysis of reproductive characters in South American taxa

Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: seventh report

Chico-chico in mango fruits, which has been reported only in mango-growing areas in Southern Mindanao, Philippines, has been known to be caused by the feeding of Scirtothrips dorsalis in young mango fruits. As chico-chico was not observed in other parts of the country, morphological, molecular, and biological studies were conducted to find evidences of variations among the local population of S. dorsalis in the Philippines. The local collection sites included Zambales, Bulacan, Laguna, Palawan, and Davao. Discriminant and cluster analysis of the various morphological characters measured showed no distinct differences among the local populations of S. dorsalis. In the molecular studies, the sequences from internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of the different local populations used were found to be 100% identical. Larval performance of the local populations collected from Davao and Laguna showed no significant difference in the development time from the first instar up to adult emergence. The total developmental period for Davao and Luzon were 8.86 and 8.88 d, respectively. Both oviposition and feeding were observed in young mango fruits by the tested populations in the field set-up. Further studies to determine population variation of S. dorsalis must be conducted on morphometric and molecular analysis using other morphological characters and other gene regions, respectively. Other behavioural studies such as greenhouse and field performance and host preference tests can also be done to verify the results of this study.

Higher-level crustacean phylogeny: Consensus and conflicting hypotheses

Co-evolution between copepods and their fish hosts

Several ways in which morphology is used in systematic and evolutionary research in angiosperms are shown and illustrated with examples: 1) searches for special structural similarities, which can be used to find hints for hitherto unrecognized relationships in groups with unresolved phylogenetic position; 2) cladistic studies based on morphology and combined morphological and molecular analyses; 3) comparative morphological studies in new, morphologically puzzling clades derived from molecular studies; 4) studies of morphological character evolution, unusual evolutionary directions, and evolutionary lability based on molecular studies; and 5) studies of organ evolution. Conclusions: Goals of comparative morphology have shifted in the present molecular era. Morphology no longer plays the primary role in phylogenetic studies. However, new opportunities for morphology are opening up that were not present in the premolecular era: 1) phylogenetic studies with combined molecular and morphological analyses; 2) reconstruction of the evolution of morphological features based on molecularly derived cladograms; 3) refined analysis of morphological features induced by inconsistencies of previous molecular and molecular phylogenetic analyses; 4) better understanding of morphological features by judgment in a wider biological context; 5) increased potential for including fossils in morphological analyses; and 6) exploration of the evolution of morphological traits by integration of comparative structural and molecular developmental genetic aspects (Evo-Devo); this field is still in its infancy in botany; its advancement is one of the major goals of evolutionary botany.

Phylogenetic relationships within the Lyonia group of the Andromedeae, i.e., Agarista, Craibio- dendron, Lyonia, and Pieris, are investigated by means of cladistic analyses of morphological (external morphology, anatomy, embryology) and molecular (matK nucleotide sequences) characters. Analysis of morphological characters used species as terminals and sections or genera as terminals in two separate matrices. Combined analyses used matK with each of these morphological matrices. Results of all analyses were completely congruent in regards to generic circumscription, but relationships among genera were unresolved in morphological analyses and only weakly supported in molecular analyses. The monophyly of the Lyonia group and each of its genera was supported. Molecular and combined analyses support the hypothesis that Agarista and Pieris are sister, but differ in the placement of Craibiodendron. Both morphological and molecular analyses support the hypothesis that the lepidote species of Lyonia, i.e., sect. Lyonia, constitute the sister group to the remaining members of this genus. Both also support the sister group relationship of Lyonia sect. Pieridopsis, an eastern Asian group, and Lyonia ligustrina, the sole representative of sect. Arsenococcus, a species of eastern North America. Finally, both molecular and morphological analyses support placement of Pieris subg. Arcterica, i.e., P. nana, as sister to Pieris subg. Pieris. Based on this study of generic relationships within the Lyonia group, the use of species as terminals is recommended for cladistic analyses of supraspecific relationships.

As marine tropical ecosystems deteriorate and lose biodiversity, their communities are shifting to being dominated by a few species, altering ecosystem's functioning and services. Macroalgae are becoming dominant on coral reefs, and are frequently observed outcompeting corals. Turf algal assemblages are the base of energy flow in these systems and one of the most abundant types of macroalgae on coral reefs, but little is known about their biology and diversity. Through molecular and morphological analyses, we identified the turf-forming species Laurencia cervicornis, and by studying seasonal recruitment and the impact of herbivorous fishes on its abundance, we describe its survival strategy. The molecular analyses used a total of 45 rbcL gene sequences including eight current genera within the Laurencia complex and two new sequences of L.cervicornis and strongly support the new combination of Palisada cervicornis comb. nov. In addition, a detailed morphological characterization including the description of reproductive structures is provided. Palisadacervicornis was seen recruiting in all seasons but was typically in low abundance. Specimens grown on tiles in fish exclosure cages were devoured in less than 4h when offered to fishes. Even though many species of the Laurencia complex have chemicals that deter herbivory, species within the genus Palisada lack feeding deterrents and thus are highly palatable. We suggest that P.cervicornis is a palatable species that seems to survive in the community by obtaining a size-refuge from herbivory within turf communities.

Advances in morphological and molecular studies of metazoan evolution have led to a better understanding of the relationships among Rotifera (Monogononta, Bdelloidea, Seisonidea) and Acanthocephala, and their relationships to other bilateral animals. The most accepted morphological analysis places Acanthocephala as a sister group to Rotifera, although other studies have placed Acanthocephala as a sister taxon to Bdellodea or Seisonidea. Molecular analyses using nuclear 18S rRNA and mitochondrial 16S rRNA genes support Acanthocephala as a sister taxon to Bdelloidea, although no molecular data is available for Seisonidea. Combining molecular and morphological analyses of Bilateria leads to a tree with Platyhelminthes, Rotifera, Acanthocephala and Gnathostomulida (and probably Gastrotricha) as a sister group to the annelid-mollusc lineage of the Spiralia (Lophotrochozoa).

Lamium is a taxonomically convoluted genus of about 34 species. Within Lamium, the L. garganicum species complex is particularly challenging. Here, based on morphological and molecular studies, Lamium cappadocicum Celep & Karaer sp. nova (Lamiaceae) is separated from L. garganicum and L. bilgilii and described as a new species, and L. garganicum subsp. rectum (= L. garganicum subsp. pulchrum) is resurrected. The new species is only known from the Hasan Mountain (Aksaray) in Central Anatolia, Turkey. Lamium cappadocicum is closely related to L. garganicum subsp. rectum but differs from it by its mat-forming caespitose habit, reniform (rarely ovate in upper part) and deeply cordate leaves with dense white villous hairs, deeply crenate and undulate leaf margins, subglabrous to sparsely pilose stems, and densely white villous calyces. Lamium cappadocicum also differs from L. bilgilii by its matforming caespitose habit, smaller corollas (25-33 mm versus 40-52 mm in L. bilgilii), subglabrous to sparsely pilose stems and smaller leaves (3-20 (-30) mm long × 3-20 (-30) mm wide, versus 5-45 mm long × 5-45 mm wide in L. bilgilii). Molecular phylogenetic analyses from nuclear ribosomal (nrITS) and chloroplast (matK, rpoA and psbA-trnH) gene regions support the morphological results. The IUCN conservation status, ecology, phenology, etymology, and notes on biogeography of the new species are also given and diagnostic features are discussed.

Molecular analysis of gastric washings in the diagnosis and monitoring of gastric lymphomas

Mushroom corals are reef corals of the family Fungiidae, which live in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific region. Recently, most species of this family have been revised taxonomically based on morphological and molecular analyses. However, the phylogenetic position of Cycloseris hexagonalis ( Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848 ) has not been analyzed and remains unclear. This species is believed to show allometric growth by changing its corallum shape from hexagonal in juveniles to irregularly circular with an undulated corallum margin in mature individuals. However, these morphological changes have not been monitored and their genetic basis has not been confirmed. In the present study morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed to evaluate the identity of the morpho-types in C. hexagonalis and to clarify the phylogenetic and taxonomic position of the species. In the morphological analysis, we used 20 specimens of C. hexagonalis collected from around Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan, and identified four morphotypes. Moreover, the molecular phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial COI and nuclear ITS markers showed that all morpho-types of C. hexagonalis together form an independent clade, indicating that they are all conspecific. Molecular phylogenetic comparison between this species and other fungiids revealed that the clade of C. hexagonalis is clearly distant from the Cycloseris clade as well as from clades representing other genera in the Fungiidae. Considering these data, we establish a monotypic new genus, Sinuorota, to accommodate C. hexagonalis.

V. Cassano, J. Díaz-Larrea, A. Sentíes, M.C. Oliveira, M. Candelaria Gil-Rodríguez and M.T. Fujii. 2009. Evidence for the conspecificity of Palisada papillosa with P. perforata (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean on the basis of morphological and molecular analyses. Phycologia 48: 86–100. DOI: 10.2216/08-22.1.Morphological and molecular studies were carried out on Palisada papillosa and P. perforata from the Canary Islands (type locality of P. perforata), Mexico and Brazil. The two species have been distinguished by features of their external morphology such as size and degree of compactness of the thalli, presence or absence of arcuate branches, branching pattern and basal system. A detailed morphological comparison between these taxa showed that none of the vegetative anatomical or reproductive characters was sufficient to separate these species. The presence or absence of cortical cells in a palisade-like arrangement, also previously used to distinguish these species, is not applicable. The species present all characters typical of the genus, and both share production of the first pericentral cell underneath the basal cell of the trichoblast, production of two fertile pericentral cells (the second and the third additional, the first remaining sterile), spermatangial branches produced from one of two laterals on the suprabasal cell of trichoblasts, and the procarp-bearing segment with four pericentral cells. Details of the procarp are described for the species for the first time. The phylogenetic position of these species was inferred by analysis of the chloroplast-encoded rbcL gene sequences from 39 taxa, using one other Rhodomelacean taxon and two Ceramiaceae as outgroups. Relationships within the clade formed by P. papillosa and P. perforata have not been resolved due to the low level of genetic variation in their rbcL sequences (0–0.4%). Considering this and the morphological similarities, we conclude that P. papillosa is a taxonomic synonym of P. perforata. The phylogenetic analyses also supported the nomenclatural transfer of two species of Chondrophycus to Palisada, namely, P. patentiramea (Montagne) Cassano, Sentíes, Gil-Rodríguez & M.T. Fujii comb. nov. and P. thuyoides (Kützing) Cassano, Sentíes, Gil-Rodríguez & M.T. Fujii comb. nov.

Populations of oak (Quercus petraea and Q. robur) were investigated using morphological and molecular (AFLP) analyses to assess species distinction. The study aimed to describe species distinction in Irish oak populations and to situate this in a European context. Populations were sampled from across the range of the island of Ireland. Leaf morphological characters were analysed through clustering and ordination methods. Putative neutral molecular markers (AFLPs) were used to analyse the molecular variation. Cluster and ordination analyses were also performed on the AFLP markers in addition to calculations of genetic diversity and F-statisitcs. A notable divergence was uncovered between the morphological and molecular analyses. The morphological analysis clearly differentiated individuals into their respective species, whereas the molecular analysis did not. Twenty species-specific AFLP markers were observed from 123 plants in 24 populations but none of these was species-diagnostic. Principal Coordinate Analysis of the AFLP data revealed a clustering, across the first two axes, of individuals according to population rather than according to species. High F(ST) values calculated from AFLP markers also indicated population differentiation (F(ST) = 0.271). Species differentiation accounted for only 13 % of the variation in diversity compared with population differentiation, which accounted for 27 %. The results show that neutral molecular variation is partitioned more strongly between populations than between species. Although this could indicate that the populations of Q. petraea and Q. robur studied may not be distinct species at a molecular level, it is proposed that the difficulty in distinguishing the species in Irish oak populations using AFLP markers is due to population differentiation masking species differences. This could result from non-random mating in small, fragmented woodland populations. Hybridization and introgression between the species could also have a significant role.

An understanding of a species’ diet is required to make sound conservation and management decisions. Traditionally, morphological analyses of undigested hard parts from food items remaining in scats have been used to assess diets. More recently, molecular analyses of scats have been used to identify plant and prey species’ DNA, but no studies have compared morphological and molecular diet analyses for large, terrestrial carnivores. We used molecular tools to determine the percentage of black bear and coyote scats that contained 3 common prey species (caribou, moose, and snowshoe hares) in Newfoundland and compared the results to a traditional morphological analysis. We found that a ranking of relative prey frequencies was consistent between the 2 methods, but molecular methods tended to detect prey species in a greater percentage of scats for all prey species. However, there were individual scats in which a prey species was detected by morphological methods only, and we provide evidence that molecular methods could result in false negatives if prey DNA is not uniformly distributed throughout a scat or as a result of PCR inconsistency. We also found that the per sample cost comparison between morphological and molecular analyses was dependent upon whether or not a molecular test was needed to identify scats to the predator species, the cost of developing molecular methods, and the number of samples being processed. We recommend that controlled feeding studies be performed to validate molecular methods and investigate the utility of molecular techniques to estimate the proportions of food items consumed.