Current Taxonomy Research Articles

Mammals collected and illustrated by the Baudin Expedition to Australia and Timor (1800-1804): A review of the current taxonomy of specimens in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle de Paris and the illustrations in the Muséum d'Histoire naturelle du Havre

The expedition commanded by the Frenchman Nicolas Thomas Baudin aboard the ships Le Géographe and Le Naturaliste (and Le Casuarina for the return journey) to the southern hemisphere between 1800-1804 collected specimens from numerous locations including the Canary Islands (Tenerife), Île de France (Mauritius), Cape Town (South Africa), Australia and Timor. Additionally, specimens were donated or purchased from locations not visited including the Comoros, Madagascar and Sumatra. Unfortunately, Baudin died at Île de France on the return trip so the responsibility of the account of the voyage was given to other members of the expedition. Responsibility for writing up the primary account of the voyage was granted to François Péron, who published the first volume of the narrative of the Voyage de Découvertes aux Terres Australes in 1807. Following his death in 1810, the second volume of the narrative was completed by Louis de Freycinet and published in 1816. The other four volumes of the Voyage included three atlases (the first by expedition artists Charles-Alexandre Lesueur and Nicolas-Martin Petit in 1807 and the second and third by Freycinet in 1811 and 1812), and a volume entitled Navigation et Géographie by Freycinet in 1815. Based on recent and on-going research, a review of many of the original documents is presented here, revealing hitherto unpublished details about who collected and donated mammals to the expedition. Research was conducted mainly in the collections of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) in Paris and their associated acquisition books. The Baudin expedition was responsible for an unprecedented collection of over 100 000 specimens of natural history, which remains the single largest collection of natural history specimens from Australia. A total of 101 mammal taxa relating to the Baudin expedition were identified during this study, which included 51 species described as a result of the expedition and 50 species that were described either before or subsequently, but not associated with the expedition. Of the taxa described, 20 species and three subspecies are currently recognised valid. During this study 43 museum specimens that were referable to 29 taxa were identified and at least five specimens seem to have been misplaced based on the information available. These specimens were derived from 24 holotypes, four paratypes, three syntypes, five lectotypes, and six paralectotypes and one topotype that are currently held at the MNHN. Some of these specimens are part of the estimated 51 mammals that were brought back alive to France on the boats. Charles-Alexandre Lesueur's illustrations complemented this study; of the 177 that are held at the Muséum d'Histoire naturelle du Havre, 149 could be attributed to one or more species and 28 were of unidentified species.

Systematic taxonomy of middle Miocene Sphaeroidinellopsis (planktonic foraminifera)

The taxonomy and phylogeny of the Miocene to Recent genus Sphaeroidinellopsis have been documented in previous studies, but the evolution of this lineage remains unclear. Some authors have debated this genus in the past, choosing a variety of parameters to discriminate the morphospecies. Here we present new scanning electron microscope analyses of specimens from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 925 (Ceara Rise, western equatorial Atlantic) and ODP Site 959 (Deep Ivorian Basin, eastern equatorial Atlantic). Our study reveals transitional individuals Sphaeroidinellopsis disjuncta–Sphaeroidinellopsis kochi, a speciation event never described previously. These transitional specimens are characterized by extreme morphological features such as elongated and sac-like final chambers, requiring amendments to the current classification and taxonomy of these morphospecies. In this paper, an alternative hypothesis is presented and discussed, to assess these new observations within the evolutionary mosaic of Sphaeroidinellopsis.

Blattodea Karyotype Database

We present an open (publicly available) and updatable database of the karyotypes of Blattodea which is available at http://web.natur.cuni.cz/zoologie/arthropods/blattodeadatabase/index.html. This database currently contains data on chromosome numbers and sex chromosome systems for 355 (209 cockroaches and 146 termites) cytogenetically and/or geographically distinct populations of 229 species (138 cockroaches and 91 termites). When available, data on chromosome morphology and fundamental number are also included. As this summary of the data on Blattodea cytogenetics follows current taxonomy and phylogeny it enabled us to discuss hypotheses on karyotype evolution. We also point out some cytogenetically interesting phenomena such as extensive karyotype differentiation at low taxonomic levels in some lineages and the change from the X0 sex chromosome system, which is present in cockroaches, to systems with multiple neo-sex chromosomes, present in termites. We encourage the use of modern cytogenetic methods in research on Blattodea cytogenetics to uncover more detailed mechanisms of karyotype evolution in this insect order. We also provide a brief summary of the history of cytogenetic research in Blattodea.

Record of Caromiobenella (Copepoda, Monstrilloida) in Brazil and Discovery of the Male of C. brasiliensis: Morphological and Molecular Evidence

Monstrilloid copepods are protelean parasites with a complex life cycle that includes an endoparasitic juvenile phase and free-living early naupliar and adult phases. The monstrilloid copepod genus Caromiobenella Jeon, Lee and Soh, 2018 is known to contain nine species, each one with a limited distribution; except for two species, members of this widespread genus are known exclusively from males. Hitherto, members of Caromiobenella have not been recorded from tropical waters of the South Western Atlantic (SWA). The nominal species Monstrilla brasiliensis Dias and Suárez-Morales, 2000 was originally described from female specimens collected in coastal waters of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), but the male remained unknown. The failure to reliably link both sexes of monstrilloid species is one of the main problems in the current taxonomy of the group, thus leading to a separate treatment for each sex. New zooplankton collections in coastal waters and intertidal rocky pools of the SWA yielded several male and female monstrilloid copepods tentatively identified as Monstrilla brasiliensis. Our results of both morphologic and molecular (mtCOI) analyses allowed us to confirm that these males and females were conspecific. We also found evidence suggesting that Caromiobenella is not a monophyletic taxon. Our male specimens are morphologically assignable to Caromiobenella, therefore, females of the nominal species Monstrilla brasiliensis, are matched here with the aforementioned males and, thus, the species should be known as C. brasiliensis comb. nov. (Dias and Suárez-Morales, 2000). This finding represents the third documented discovery of a female of Caromiobenella, the first record of the genus in the Southwestern Atlantic, and the first documented record of monstrilloids from coastal tidepools. With the addition of C. brasiliensis, Caromiobenella now includes 10 valid species worldwide. This work represents the second successful use of molecular methods to link both sexes of a monstrilloid copepod. The male of C. brasiliensis is herein described, and a key to the known species of Caromiobenella and data on the habitat and local abundance of C. brasiliensis are also provided.

Genomic analysis provides insights into the Gordonia sp. W3S5 taxonomy and sulfur metabolism-related genes.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02850-4.

Twenty years, eight legs, one concept: describing spider biodiversity in Zootaxa (Arachnida: Araneae).

Zootaxa published more than a thousand papers on Araneae from 2002 to the present, including descriptions of 3,833 new spider species and 177 new genera. Here we summarise the key contributions of Zootaxa to our current knowledge of global spider diversity. We provide a historical account of the researchers that have actively participated as editors, and recognize the more than 1,000 reviewers without whom none of this would have been possible. We conduct a simple analysis of the contributions by authors and geographic region, which allows us to uncover some of the underlying trends in current spider taxonomy. In addition, we examine some of the milestones in twenty years of spider systematic research in Zootaxa. Finally, we discuss future prospects of spider taxonomy and the role that Zootaxa and its younger sister journal Megataxa will play in it. We would like to dedicate this contribution to the memory of Norman I. Platnick, a crucial figure in the advancement of spider systematics.

Anticipatory Epistemic Injustice

ABSTRACT Epistemic injustices are wrongs that agents can suffer in their capacity as knowers. In this article, I offer a conceptualisation of a phenomenon I call anticipatory epistemic injustice, which I claim is a distinct and particularly pernicious type of epistemic injustice worthy of independent analysis. I take anticipatory epistemic injustice to consist in the wrongs that agents can suffer as a result of anticipated challenges in their process of taking up testimony-sharing opportunities. I distinguish my account from paradigmatic cases of epistemic injustice, such as Miranda Fricker’s concepts of testimonial injustice and hermeneutical injustice; additionally, I differentiate my view from Kristie Dotson’s account of testimonial smothering. I argue, ultimately, that anticipatory epistemic injustice is a useful addition to our current taxonomy of epistemic injustices, as it has promising explanatory potential for a range of non-standard cases of epistemic injustice.

Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography and diversification patterns of a diverse group of moths (Geometridae: Boarmiini)

Understanding how and why some groups have become more species-rich than others, and how past biogeography may have shaped their current distribution, are questions that evolutionary biologists have long attempted to answer. We investigated diversification patterns and historical biogeography of a hyperdiverse lineage of Lepidoptera, the geometrid moths, by studying its most species-rich tribe Boarmiini, which comprises ca. 200 genera and ca. known 3000 species. We inferred the evolutionary relationships of Boarmiini based on a dataset of 346 taxa, with up to eight genetic markers under a maximum likelihood approach. The monophyly of Boarmiini is strongly supported. However, the phylogenetic position of many taxa does not agree with current taxonomy, although the monophyly of most major genera within the tribe is supported after minor adjustments. Three genera are synonymized, one new combination is proposed, and four species are placed in incertae sedis within Boarmiini. Our results support the idea of a rapid initial diversification of Boarmiini, which also implies that no major taxonomic subdivisions of the group can currently be proposed. A time-calibrated tree and biogeographical analyses suggest that boarmiines appeared in Laurasia ca. 52 Mya, followed by dispersal events throughout the Australasian, African and Neotropical regions. Most of the transcontinental dispersal events occurred in the Eocene, a period of intense geological activity and rapid climate change. Diversification analyses showed a relatively constant diversification rate for all Boarmiini, except in one clade containing the species-rich genus Cleora. The present work represents a substantial contribution towards understanding the evolutionary origin of Boarmiini moths. Our results, inevitably biased by taxon sampling, highlight the difficulties with working on species-rich groups that have not received much attention outside of Europe. Specifically, poor knowledge of the natural history of geometrids (particularly in tropical clades) limits our ability to identify key innovations underlying the diversification of boarmiines.

Range-wide population genetic analysis of Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) supports at least five distinct population segments that do not align with current subspecies descriptions

AbstractAs an obligate salt marsh species, Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) are vulnerable to numerous threats including climate change, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and both natural and anthropogenic disasters. Of the 9 recognized subspecies, 2 are extinct and 1 is endangered. Previous genetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite loci showed that current taxonomy does not accurately reflect underlying genetic diversity, with possible consequences for the distribution of conservation resources. To further inform Seaside Sparrow management, we comprehensively describe genetic structure among 24 range-wide sampling locations that include all extant subspecies. We inferred population structure from several thousand single-nucleotide polymorphisms collected from 272 individuals via restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing. Principal components, pairwise FST values, and clustering approaches suggest that Seaside Sparrows on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are distinct and consist of at least 5 genetic clusters: 1 in southern Texas, 1 ranging from Aransas County, Texas, to Mississippi; 1 in western Florida; and 2 or 3 genetic groups intermixed along a gradient on the Atlantic Coast. These genetic clusters are not consistent with current subspecies taxonomy and could be used as distinct population segments (DPSs) to inform the most efficient allocation of resources to Seaside Sparrow conservation. Our results regarding the endangered subspecies, A. m. mirabilis, from southern Florida are inconclusive due to low sample size, but indicate that it is distinct and may represent a sixth DPS. Based on our genetic results, we recommend additional song and morphometric analyses in western Florida and a closer study of the boundary between the breeding distributions of A. m. maritima and A. m. macgillivraii to ensure the proper identification of DPSs.

Genetic landscape clustering of a large DNA barcoding data set reveals shared patterns of genetic divergence among freshwater fishes of the Maroni Basin.

The Maroni is one of the most speciose basins of the Guianas and hosts a megadiverse freshwater fish community. Although taxonomic references based on morphological identification exist for both the Surinamese and Guianese parts of the basin, there are still taxonomic uncertainties concerning the status of several species. We used COI sequences of 1284 fish in conjunction with morphological and biogeographical evidence to assist with species delineation and discovery in order to validate and standardize the current taxonomy. This resulted in a final DNA barcode data set of 199 fish species (125 genera, 36 families and eight orders; 68.86% of strictly freshwater fishes from the basin), among which 25 are new putative candidate species flagged as requiring taxonomic update. DNA barcoding delineation through Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) revealed further cryptic diversity (230 BINs in total). To explore global genetic patterns across the basin, genetic divergence landscapes were computed for 128 species, showing a global trend of high genetic divergence between the Surinamese southwest (Tapanahony and Paloemeu), the Guianese southeast (Marouini, Litany, Tampok, etc.), and the river outlet in the north. This could be explained by lower levels of connectivity between these three main areas and/or the exchange of individuals between these areas and the neighbouring basins. A new method of ordination of genetic landscapes successfully assigned species into cluster groups based on their respective pattern of genetic divergence across the Maroni Basin: genetically homogeneous species were effectively discriminated from species showing high spatial genetic fragmentation and possible lower capacity for dispersal.

Introgression and Species Delimitation in the Longear Sunfish Lepomis megalotis (Teleostei: Percomorpha: Centrarchidae).

Introgression and hybridization are major impediments to genomic-based species delimitation because many implementations of the multispecies coalescent framework assume no gene flow among species. The sunfish genus Lepomis, one of the world's most popular groups of freshwater sport fish, has a complicated taxonomic history. The results of ddRAD phylogenomic analyses do not provide support for the current taxonomy that recognizes two species, Lepomis megalotis and Lepomis peltastes, in the L. megalotis complex. Instead, evidence from phylogenomics and phenotype warrants recognizing six relatively ancient evolutionary lineages in the complex. The introgressed and hybridizing populations in the L. megalotis complex are localized and appear to be the result of secondary contact or rare hybridization events between nonsister species. Segregating admixed populations from our multispecies coalescent analyses identifies six species with moderate to high genealogical divergence, whereas including admixed populations drives all but one lineage below the species threshold of genealogical divergence. Segregation of admixed individuals also helps reveal phenotypic distinctiveness among the six species in morphological traits used by ichthyologists to discover and delimit species over the last two centuries. Our protocols allow for the identification and accommodation of hybridization and introgression in species delimitation. Genomic-based species delimitation validated with multiple lines of evidence provides a path towards the discovery of new biodiversity and resolving long-standing taxonomic problems.[ddRAD; genealogical divergence index; hybridization; integrative species delimitation; phylogeny; secondary contact; systematics; taxonomy.].

The Mitochondrial Genome of the Sea Anemone Stichodactyla haddoni Reveals Catalytic Introns, Insertion-Like Element, and Unexpected Phylogeny

A hallmark of sea anemone mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) is the presence of complex catalytic group I introns. Here, we report the complete mitogenome and corresponding transcriptome of the carpet sea anemone Stichodactyla haddoni (family Stichodactylidae). The mitogenome is vertebrate-like in size, organization, and gene content. Two mitochondrial genes encoding NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) are interrupted with complex group I introns, and one of the introns (ND5-717) harbors two conventional mitochondrial genes (ND1 and ND3) within its sequence. All the mitochondrial genes, including the group I introns, are expressed at the RNA level. Nonconventional and optional mitochondrial genes are present in the mitogenome of S. haddoni. One of these gene codes for a COI-884 intron homing endonuclease and is organized in-frame with the upstream COI exon. The insertion-like orfA is expressed as RNA and translocated in the mitogenome as compared with other sea anemones. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete nucleotide and derived protein sequences indicate that S. haddoni is embedded within the family Actiniidae, a finding that challenges current taxonomy.

Adaptive radiation and speciation in Rhipicephalus ticks: A medley of novel hosts, nested predator-prey food webs, off-host periods and dispersal along temperature variation gradients

Rhipicephalus are a species-diverse genus of ticks, mainly distributed in the Afrotropics with some species in the Palearctic and Oriental regions. Current taxonomic consensus comprise nine informal species groups/lineages based on immature morphology. This work integrates biogeographic, ecological and molecular lines of evidence to better understand Rhipicephalus evolution. Phylogenetic analysis based on four genes (12S, 16S, 28S-D2 and COI) recovered five distinct clades with nine descendant clades that are generally congruent with current taxonomy, with some exceptions. Historical biogeography is inferred from molecular divergence times, ancestral distribution areas, host-use and climate niches of four phylogenetically significant bioclimatic variables (isothermality, annual, seasonal and diurnal temperature range). Novel hosts enabled host-linked dispersal events into new environments, and ticks exploited new hosts through nested predator-prey connections in food webs. Diversification was further induced by climate niche partitioning along gradients in temperature range during off-host periods. Ancestral climate niche estimates corroborated dispersal events by indicating hypothetical ancestors moved into environments with different annual and seasonal temperature ranges along latitudinal gradients. Host size for immature and adult life stages was important for dispersal and subsequent diversification rates. Clades that utilise large, mobile hosts (ungulates and carnivores) early in development have wider geographic ranges but slower diversification rates, and those utilising small, less mobile hosts (rodents, lagomorphs and afroinsectivores) early in development have smaller ranges but higher diversification rates. These findings suggest diversification is driven by a complex set of factors linked to both host-associations (host size, ranges and mobility) and climate niche partitioning along annual and seasonal temperature range gradients that vary with latitude. Moreover, competitive interactions can reinforce these processes and drive speciation. Off-host periods facilitate adaptive radiation by enabling host switches along nested predator-prey connections in food webs, but at the cost of environmental exposure that partitions niches among dispersing progenitors, disrupting geneflow and driving diversification. As such, the evolution and ecological niches of Rhipicephalus are characterised by trade-offs between on- and off-host periods, and these trade-offs interact with nested predator-prey connections in food webs, host-use at different life stages, as well as gradients in annual and seasonal temperature ranges to drive adaptive radiation and speciation.

Widely assumed phenotypic associations in Cannabis sativa lack a shared genetic basis.

The flowering plant Cannabis sativa, cultivated for centuries for multiple purposes, displays extensive variation in phenotypic traits in addition to its wide array of secondary metabolite production. Notably, Cannabis produces two well-known secondary-metabolite cannabinoids: cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), which are the main products sought by consumers in the medical and recreational market. Cannabis has several suggested subspecies which have been shown to differ in chemistry, branching patterns, leaf morphology and other traits. In this study we obtained measurements related to phytochemistry, reproductive traits, growth architecture, and leaf morphology from 297 hybrid individuals from a cross between two diverse lineages. We explored correlations among these characteristics to inform our understanding of which traits may be causally associated. Many of the traits widely assumed to be strongly correlated did not show any relationship in this hybrid population. The current taxonomy and legal regulation within Cannabis is based on phenotypic and chemical characteristics. However, we find these traits are not associated when lineages are inter-crossed, which is a common breeding practice and forms the basis of most modern marijuana and hemp germplasms. Our results suggest naming conventions based on leaf morphology do not correspond to the chemical properties in plants with hybrid ancestry. Therefore, a new system for identifying variation within Cannabis is warranted that will provide reliable identifiers of the properties important for recreational and, especially, medical use.

EmUrolabida/em emgraziae/em, new urostylidid species from the Philippines with comments on the current taxonomy and systematics of the family (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Urostylididae).

A new species of Urostylididae from the Philippine islands (Mindanao) is herein described. This new species, similar to Urolabida bipunctata Stål, 1871, differs from the latter in the shape of the external male genitalia. Urolabida bipunctata and the new species, Urolabida graziae Roca-Cusachs, sp. nov., are extremely similar in external appearance, and fit into the (incomplete) description of genus Urolabida Westwood, 1837. The examination and comparison with the type specimens of other Urostylididae species, especially the male genital capsule, clearly separates this two species from Urolabida tenera Westwood, 1837, the type species of the genus Urolabida, however the taxonomy of this group is not resolved and needs a deep revision, therefore we refrain from description of a new genus-group taxon here. Additionally, images of the type specimens of Urolabida tenera, Urostylis histrionica Westwood, 1837, and Urostylis punctigera Westwood, 1837, are provided and discussion on the current systematics and classification of the family, and particularly of genus Urolabida are also given.

Risk profiles for mental disorders

Abstract BodyPrognostication is at the bedrock of clinical practice. In essence, diagnosis aims to inform clinicians for decision-making processes by providing a picture of future events such as course, outcome, and treatment response. To make a better clinical prediction on a case-by-case basis, diagnosis is enriched by individual characteristics and (bio)markers, with the aims of stratifying patients first and ultimately reaching the mountaintop: personalized medicine. However, there are two major obstacles on the road to personalized psychiatry. First, the current psychiatric diagnostic classification system is inadequate for tailoring individualized management plan, let alone for guiding the clinician for diagnosis-specific treatment selection—such that response to the same treatment plan largely varies among patients with the same psychiatric diagnosis, whereas patients with different psychiatric diagnoses benefit similarly from the same treatment protocol. Second, except for a few tests for ruling out other medical conditions, there exists no diagnostic, prognostic, or predictive (bio)marker in psychiatry. Risk profiling is even a more challenging and ambitious goal as early psychopathology is multidimensional, fluid, and pluripotent with heterotypic outcomes that cut across traditional diagnostic boundaries. By acknowledging this complexity and the shortcomings of current taxonomy, the field has recently shifted from risk profiling frameworks that rely on discrete diagnostic categories in isolation for prognostication (i.e. clinical high-risk for psychosis) to transdiagnostic clinical staging models. In this session, I will attempt to discuss where we are at with risk profiling in psychiatry and what steps need to be taken to achieve this ambitious goal.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Three new species in the genus Latouchia Pocock, 1901 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Halonoproctidae) from Vietnam

The current taxonomy of the trapdoor spider genus Latouchia is discussed, and three new species are described from southern Vietnam. Latouchia stridulans sp. nov. and L. schwendingeri sp. nov. are described from both sexes, L. huberi sp. nov. is described from females only. Significant morphological difference between the first species and the second two species indicates that Latouchia may need to be split into two or more genera when more information becomes available.

Cytochromecoxidase subunit I barcode species delineation methods imply critically underestimated diversity in ‘common’Hermeuptychiabutterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)

AbstractDNA ‘barcoding’ has contributed greatly to resolving species limits in rapidly diverging tropical insect groups. Here, we explored species diversity in the widespread, cryptic Neotropical butterfly genus Hermeuptychia by generating 601 new sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcode, tripling available information. Our dataset focused in particular on Ecuador, a biogeographically pivotal country, with additional sequences from Brazil, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Peru. We examined the performance of two phylogeny-based approaches for objectively delineating species, Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) and Poisson Tree Processes (PTP), as well as a clustering-based approach, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), on the combined dataset, including our data and 302 published sequences. In general, GMYC and PTP tended to cluster or split likely species as assessed from morphology, depending on model settings, whereas ABGD was less sensitive and produced a more plausible classification. Numerous sequences formed well-supported clades, putative species, that were unrepresented in previously published datasets. The average diversity across all methods was 45 species, in contrast to the 11 species recognized in the current taxonomy. The resulting COI dataset, in combination with ongoing genomic and morphological research, should significantly clarify our understanding of Hermeuptychia species diversity.

Discordant evolution of organellar genomes in peas (Pisum L.)

Plastids and mitochondria have their own small genomes, which do not undergo meiotic recombination and may have evolutionary fates different from each other and that of the nuclear genome. For the first time, we sequenced mitochondrial genomes of pea (Pisum L.) from 42 accessions mostly representing diverse wild germplasm from throughout the wild pea geographical range. Six structural types of the pea mitochondrial genome were revealed. From the same accessions, plastid genomes were sequenced. Phylogenetic trees based on the plastid and mitochondrial genomes were compared. The topologies of these trees were highly discordant, implying not less than six events of hybridisation between diverged wild peas in the past, with plastids and mitochondria differently inherited by the descendants. Such discordant inheritance of organelles could have been driven by plastid-nuclear incompatibility, which is known to be widespread in crosses involving wild peas and affects organellar inheritance. The topology of the phylogenetic tree based on nucleotide sequences of a nuclear gene, His5, encoding a histone H1 subtype, corresponded to the current taxonomy and resembled that based on the plastid genome. Wild peas (Pisum sativum subsp. elatius s.l.) inhabiting Southern Europe were shown to be of hybrid origin, resulting from crosses of peas related to those presently inhabiting the eastern Mediterranean in a broad sense. These results highlight the roles of hybridisation and cytonuclear conflict in shaping plant microevolution.

Diversity of Batrachospermales (Rhodophyta) in the Iberian Peninsula

Fifty-four streams of the Iberian Peninsula were investigated to document the species richness and phylogeny of Batrachospermum and morphologically similar genera, determine phylogenetic affinities of taxa and infer biogeographic trends. Species were identified using morphology and DNA sequence data for the rbcL gene as follows: Batrachospermum gelatinosum, B. pozoazulense, Paludicola keratophyta, Sheathia arcuata, S. boryana, S. confusa, Torularia atra, Virescentia helminthosa, V. vogesiaca, and Volatus carrionii. Batrachospermum gelatinosum and S. boryana were most frequent (sampled from 16 and 11 streams, respectively). Torularia atra and V. vogesiaca were each collected in a single stream, whereas the other five taxa were present in three to six streams. Virescentia vogesiaca is well known from other parts of Europe but had previously not been reported from the Iberian Peninsula. Biogeographic trends based on DNA sequence data show a flora with most species being well represented in parts of Europe, two taxa (B. gelatinosum and V. carrionii) that are shared between Europe and North America, one between Europe and South America (Paludicola keratophyta) and one cosmopolitan species (T. atra). Previous studies reported twelve taxa in the region using current taxonomy. This study has confirmed seven of these taxa with sequence data and morphology.