Diagnostic Morphological Characters Research Articles

A New Cephalaria (Caprifoliaceae) Species from Turkey

Cephalaria saldaensis, collected from Eşeler Mountain around Salda Lake (Yeşilova-Burdur), one of Turkey’s important tourism regions, is described from South-West Anatolia as a new species. Diagnostic morphological and molecular characters from closely similar taxa are discussed. The geographical distribution of the new species and other related species is mapped. Taxonomic comments such as descriptive and diagnostic characters, distribution and ecology, conservation status for this new species are given in the current study. In this study, morphological characterization of three different Cephalaria spp. was also supported via molecular characterization based on PCR technology. Twenty-two ISSR primers were tested using a total of fifteen individuals belonging to three different Cephalaria spp. Five of these primers gave the most productive band profile. A total of 53 bands ranging from 250bp to 2000bp were obtained from the PCR products on agarose gel image, and the polymorphism calculated on the basis of the band profiles was 77.4%. The band profiles were also analyzed using the PopGen32 Software program. The constructed phylogenetic tree grouped the Cephalaria spp. individuals belonging to these three species into two main clusters and the phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. saldaensis was clearly different from the C. scoparia and C. dirmilensis.

Phylogenetic relationships of the Geoplaninae land planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) assessed with a total evidence approach, with the description of a new species of Gigantea

Several studies have focused on the phylogenetic relationships within the Geoplaninae land planarians (Tricladida). In those studies, ancient phylogenetic relationships remained obscure. In this work, the phylogeny of Geoplaninae is assessed through three different datasets, namely morphological, molecular, and both datasets combined, i.e, a total evidence approach (TE). The data matrix consisted of six DNA regions, including a newly developed marker (DOM5), and a morphological matrix with 37 characters. The study produced the best-resolved hypothesis so far for the phylogeny of Geoplaninae, although ancient clades still remain elusive. The effect of the morphological data on the TE tree topology and clade support is seemingly negligible. The phylogenetic tree also suggests that most of the diagnostic morphological characters of the genera are homoplastic, while unambiguous unique synapomorphies can characterize some supra-generic informal groupings.

Phylogeny of Rubus (Rosaceae): Integrating molecular and morphological evidence into an infrageneric revision

AbstractRubus (Rosaceae), one of the most complicated angiosperm genera, contains about 863 species, and is notorious for its taxonomic difficulty. The most recent (1910–1914) global taxonomic treatment of the genus was conducted by Focke, who defined 12 subgenera. Phylogenetic results over the past 25 years suggest that Focke's subdivisions of Rubus are not monophyletic, and large‐scale taxonomic revisions are necessary. Our objective was to provide a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the genus based on an integrative evidence approach. Morphological characters, obtained from our own investigation of living plants and examination of herbarium specimens are combined with chloroplast genomic data. Our dataset comprised 196 accessions representing 145 Rubus species (including cultivars and hybrids) and all of Focke's subgenera, including 60 endemic Chinese species. Maximum likelihood analyses inferred phylogenetic relationships. Our analyses concur with previous molecular studies, but with modifications. Our data strongly support the reclassification of several subgenera within Rubus. Our molecular analyses agree with others that only R. subg. Anoplobatus forms a monophyletic group. Other subgenera are para‐ or polyphyletic. We suggest a revised subgeneric framework to accommodate monophyletic groups. Character evolution is reconstructed, and diagnostic morphological characters for different clades are identified and discussed. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we propose a new classification system with 10 subgenera: R. subg. Anoplobatus, R. subg. Batothamnus, R. subg. Chamaerubus, R. subg. Cylactis, R. subg. Dalibarda, R. subg. Idaeobatus, R. subg. Lineati, R. subg. Malachobatus, R. subg. Melanobatus, and R. subg. Rubus. The revised infrageneric nomenclature inferred from our analyses is provided along with synonymy and type citations. Our new taxonomic backbone is the first systematic and complete global revision of Rubus since Focke's treatment. It offers new insights into deep phylogenetic relationships of Rubus and has important theoretical and practical significance for the development and utilization of these important agronomic crops.

First fossil record of Perameles fasciata from New South Wales and Queensland: reassessment of Perameles sobbei

The first fossil record of the Liverpool Plains striped bandicoot, Perameles fasciata, is presented. Since this species was split from its west coast counterpart, Perameles bougainville, no fossil record had been reported. Perameles fasciata is found in five fossil sites in Queensland and New South Wales, all Pleistocene in age. Perameles sobbei, described from the Darling Downs in Queensland, is found to be a junior synonym of P. fasciata, based on morphometrics and diagnostic morphological features. A morphological phylogeny finds that P. fasciata is more closely related to Perameles nasuta, Perameles pallescens and Perameles gunnii than P. bougainville. Perameles fasciata was likely more widespread in the Pleistocene, but by the Holocene had only survived on the Liverpool Plains in New South Wales until its extinction in the 1860s, probably as a result of land clearing and the introduction of foxes. While P. bougainville has been translocated in New South Wales, P. gunnii, which co-occurred with P. fasciata, is a better ecological analogue because of it is similar size, morphology and phylogenetic affinity.Kenny J. Travouillon [Kenny.Travouillon@museum.wa.gov.au], Collections and Research Centre, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia.

First Report of <i>Aphanurus stossichii</i> (Digenea: Hemiuridae) from <i>Engraulis encrasicolus</i> on the Turkish Coast of the Black Sea, with Light and Scanning Electron Microscopic Observations

The aim of this study is to investigate in detail the morphological features of the digenean parasite Aphanurus stossichii isolated from the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The specimens of A. stossichii were obtained from the pharynx and stomach of the European E. encrasicolus caught by commercial fishing vessels in the Black Sea. Parasites were killed in a hot normal saline solution, preserved in to 70% ethanol for light microscopic (LM) studies, and in 2.5% glutaraldehyde for SEM. The morphological diagnostic features of A. stossichii were studied in detail under both LM and SEM. The morphological characteristics of the examined adult A. stossichii specimens were found to be similar to the original descriptions describing the basic characteristics of forebody and hindbody shape, the position and shape of the vitellarium, ovary, and and testes, and the shapes of oral and ventral sucker. The measurement data for all morphological diagnostics were provided; photomicrographs of each part of the parasite were presented. Infection prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance values were 8.89%, 4.5 and 0.4, respectively. All available records of A. stossichii morphology are based on light microscope, this is the first study to identification the morphological features of the parasite with SEM. This research is the first on A. stossichii presence in E. encrasicolus on the Turkish Black Sea coast.

A Systematic Evaluation of Imaging Diagnostic Morphology of Gastric Submucosal Tumors

Systematic evaluation of the diagnostic morphological features of submucosal tumors (SMTs) in the stomach. The Chinese and English-related clinical research literature published in Chinese and English databases (including PubMed, SinoMed, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, etc.) from January 2000 to November 2022 were searched. Two researchers independently completed literature screening, content extraction, literature quality assessment, and RCT bias risk, and a meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software in Cochrane. A total of 8 literatures were included, including 1175 patients with SMTs, including 597 GIST, 274 leiomyomas, 2 granulosa cell tumors, 143 ectopic pancreases, 31 cysts, 9 schwannomas, 66 lipoma, and 53 others. Four English and four Chinese literatures were included, and three of the selective results were reported as high risk. The results of the meta-analysis showed significant differences in the shape characteristics, tumor size, echo characteristics, and origin level characteristics of SMTs patients with different diseases (P <0.05). However, imaging diagnostic efficacy was higher, and there was little difference in imaging diagnostic efficacy among SMTs patients with other conditions (P >0.05). Current evidence indicates that imaging techniques have high diagnostic efficiency in the identification and diagnosis of SMTs diseases, and morphological heterogeneity is present in different conditions.

Petalidium konkiepense (Acanthaceae), a new species from Namibia

Petalidium konkiepense, here described as a new species, is only known from the Gariep Centre of Plant Endemism in southern Namibia, where it grows on arid hillsides and along drainage lines. Diagnostic morphological characters for P. konkiepense include the rigid, cylindrical distal stems (quadrangular when young), grey or dark brownish grey bark (white to cream when young), densely puberulent vegetative parts with widely spaced robust glandular and eglandular trichomes, and the oblanceolate leaves with prominent midrib and principal lateral veins. A comparison of some of the more prominent features to differentiate Petalidium konkiepense from its morphologically most similar relatives, P. linifolium and P. cymbiforme, is provided. Based on IUCN Red List categories and criteria, a conservation assessment of Endangered under criteria B1 is recommended for the new species.

Two new genera and four new species of Asterocheridae (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) associated with sponges (Porifera) from the Korean East Sea.

Two new genera and four new species of siphonostomatoid copepods of the family Asterocheridae associated with sponges are described from the Korean East Sea (Sea of Japan). These new copepods are distinguishable from related genera and species by their diagnostic morphological characters as follows: Amalomyzon elongatum n. gen. n. sp. bears an elongated body, two-segmented rami of legs 2, a uniramous leg 3 with two-segmented exopod, and a rudimentary leg 4 represented by a lobe. Dokdocheres rotundus n. gen. n. sp. has an 18-segmented female antennule, a two-segmented endopod of antenna, and unusual setations of swimming legs, including three spines plus four setae on the third exopodal segment of legs 2-4. Asterocheres banderaae n. sp. has no inner coxal seta on leg 1 or 4, but has two strong, sexually dimorphic inner spines on the second endopodal segment of male leg 3. Scottocheres nesobius n. sp. bears elongate female caudal rami about six times longer than wide, a 17-segmented female antennule, and two spines plus four setae on the third exopodal segment of leg 1.

Genomic analysis of Bornean geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) reveals need for updated taxonomy

AbstractUsing molecular genetic data, recognised diversity within the gecko genus Cyrtodactylus has more than doubled, with many lineages that were once thought to be wide‐ranging being delimited into multiple independent species. On the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, there has been a recent renewed focus on reptile taxonomy, as genetic data have demonstrated a high amount of unrecognised biodiversity. We herein advance this taxonomic trend by delimiting three distinct species within the Cyrtodactylus consobrinus species complex: C. consobrinus, C. kapitensis sp. n., and C. hutan sp. n. To do so, we use a combination of ddRADseq and single‐locus data, and morphological data. Using genomic data, we test species and population boundaries within the consobrinus species complex and show minimal population structure but high species‐level diversity. Despite not finding uniquely diagnostic morphological characters to delimit the new species, we suggest a combination of characters that can be used to identify each lineage. Lastly, we use our data to comment on the status of C. malayanus, with indications that this lineage is also better considered a species complex. These data highlight the prevalence of unrecognised lineages on Borneo, many of which face threats due to increasing deforestation and other anthropogenic pressures.

Christisonia flavirubens (Orobanchaceae), a new species from south Western Ghats, India

Christisonia flavirubens J.Mathew & P.M.Salim (Orobanchaceae), a new holoparasitic plant species from the southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India, is described based on morphological data. The diagnostic morphological characters, distribution and images of the new species are presented. Images and comparative characters of the reddish yellow coloured Christisonia species of the south Western Ghats are also provided for its easy identification.

Chicosciencea Bochini, Cunha, Terossi & Almeida, 2020 is a junior subjective synonym of Microprosthema Stimpson, 1860 (Decapoda: Stenopodidea: Spongicolidae)

Abstract A review of the morphological and phylogenetic characters of the genus ChicoscienceaBochini, Cunha, Terossi & Almeida, 2020 (Stenopodidea: Macromaxillocarididae) shows that the taxon is not a new and valid genus, and the taxon must be considered a junior subjective synonym of MicroprosthemaStimpson, 1860. All diagnostic morphological characters given for the genus are found in numerous species of Microprosthema, as well as in other genera and species of stenopodids. The molecular phylogeny proposed as part of the description of Chicosciencea is inconclusive based on the support values.

Evolutionary history and diversity in the ball roller beetle Canthon cyanellus

To understand the evolutionary history of species, it is necessary to know the mechanisms for reproductive isolation, divergence-time between populations, and the relative action of the evolutionary forces (e.g., mutation, genetic drift, gene flow) within and between populations of the same, or closely related species. Although Canthon is one of the more diverse genera of neotropical beetles, insufficient research has been done to comprehend the divergent patterns that explain its speciation process. The absence of diagnostic morphological characters and the wide geographic variation of qualitative traits in Scarabaeinae obscures species delimitation, genealogical limits between populations, and its taxonomy. Canthon cyanellus is one of the best-known species in ecological and evolutionary aspects. It is a widely distributed species in the tropical forests of America. Also, the current deforestation has facilitated its incursion into open areas. Individuals from different populations have similar morphological characters but show wide variation in body color throughout their distribution, which makes it difficult to delimit the subspecies that comprise it. Recently, studies have been carried out to elucidate the pre-and postzygotic isolation mechanisms between populations and the historical biogeographical processes favoring cladogenesis events during the Pleistocene. Morphological variation of the male genitalia does not correspond to the phylogeographic structure. However, the morphological differences in one of the pieces of the endophallic sclerites have allowed a preliminary delimitation of some genetically differentiated clades. Finally, we consider that the joint analysis of traditional morphological taxonomy and phylogeography is important to understand the speciation process in the C. cyanellus complex.

Description and nesting biology of three new species of neotropical silk wasp (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Pemphredoninae: Microstigmus)

ABSTRACT The neotropical apoid wasp genus Microstigmus is of particular interest biologically because it represents an origin of eusociality independent of vespid wasps and bees, and is part of the only eusocial lineage among the approximately 10,000 solitary species of apoid wasps. Females construct nests made of silk and the species exhibit an unusual diversity of nesting strategies. However, research is hampered because many species remain undescribed and the basic nesting biology of only a few species is known. I describe three new species from north-west Ecuador related to M. bicolor Richards, including diagnostic morphological characters, altitudinal ranges and molecular data as well as descriptions of their nests and nesting biologies. M. rosae sp. nov. is a mass provisioner that preys on nymphal Thysanoptera, while M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov. are progressive provisioners that prey on nymphal leafhoppers (Cicadellidae). Nests of all three species can contain multiple adult females but more than half of nests contain only a single female. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E46768B9-FD13-4370-8E31-8D1819B724F4

Nuclear Cytoplasmic Conflict in Hybrids of Roach <i>Rutilus rutilus</i> and Bream <i>Abramis brama</i> as a Consequence of the Divergence Species in Body and Genome Sizes

Species divergence in body size is often associated with changes in genome size and the rate of evolution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which can lead to problems of nuclear-cytoplasmic compatibility and embryonic genome activation and reduce the fitness of hybrids. The bream Abramis brama (L.) is larger than the roach Rutilus rutilus (L.) in body and genome sizes. In the first generation of hybrids according to the ITS1 region of ribosomal DNA, a change in the donor genome of male to the level of the maternal species was previously established, which can affect the inheritance of traits from the male and, in particular, body size. Body length and height, a complex of diagnostic morphological characters, and genotyping (ITS1 rDNA and cyt b mtDNA) of underyearlings and mature individuals of bream, roach, F1 hybrids and underyearlings of backcrosses (Fb) were analyzed. Sexually mature hybrids of both directions of crossing are close in body length to R. rutilus, which indicates a violation of the paternal effect when inheriting the body length of a larger of species. Violation of the inheritance of bream body length in hybrids of cross R. rutilus × A. brama (♀ ♂, RA) is considered as a developmental deviation, which, obviously, can affect the adaptation of hybrids and determines the rarity of this variant in nature. At the same time, alloplasmic ARR backcrosses restore the body length of the bream even in the presence of the roach nuclear genome, which indicates the influence of mitochondrial genes on the development of this trait. The observed decrease in the fitness of first-generation hybrids with roach mtDNA may be associated with to an insufficient level of transcription of ribosomal genes due to a decrease in the number and variability of copies of the donor bream rDNA. Moreover, the high level of changes of mtDNA roach indicate a suboptimal mitochondrial-nuclear correspondence of respiratory a complexes in hybrids RA, which negatively affects key physiological processes, including growth and development of a large body size. Presumably, the development of large body size, as a complex trait with high aerobic fitness, is blocked in RA hybrids for energy reasons. The paper shows that differences families of repeated sequences rDNA and mtDNA in terms of the number and variability of copies in genome of R. rutilus and A. brama can lead to regulatory nuclear-cytoplasmic incompatibility of genomes and affect the fitness of hybrids already in the first generation.

Sauvagesia (Ochnaceae) in the campos rupestres of the Espinhaço Range, Brazil

Abstract The campos rupestres (rupestrian grasslands) of the Brazilian Espinhaço Range are renowned for harboring extraordinary plant diversity and endemism, yet many groups representative of this habitat remain taxonomically understudied. Sauvagesia, a predominantly neotropical genus of Sauvagesieae (Ochnaceae), is a classic example. In this study, we refine the long-neglected and problematic taxonomy of the Espinhaço-Range-inhabiting species of Sauvagesia. Our taxonomic treatment includes 24 species of which seven are derived from recently described taxa or new combinations presented herein. For each of the three new combinations from variety into species status, we also provide new lectotypifications. The studied species are remarkably variable in habit, leaf, and floral architectures, and their distribution is often narrowly restricted to particular mountains across the Espinhaço Range, a pattern especially observed in the highly endemic S. subsect. Vellozianae. We provide an updated identification key, distribution maps, photographs, and a discussion of diagnostic morphological features.

Deepfake Histologic Images for Enhancing Digital Pathology

A pathologist’s optical microscopic examination of thinly cut, stained tissue on glass slides prepared from a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks is the gold standard for tissue diagnostics. In addition, the diagnostic abilities and expertise of pathologists is dependent on their direct experience with common and rarer variant morphologies. Recently, deep learning approaches have been used to successfully show a high level of accuracy for such tasks. However, obtaining expert-level annotated images is an expensive and time-consuming task, and artificially synthesized histologic images can prove greatly beneficial. In this study, we present an approach to not only generate histologic images that reproduce the diagnostic morphologic features of common disease but also provide a user ability to generate new and rare morphologies. Our approach involves developing a generative adversarial network model that synthesizes pathology images constrained by class labels. We investigated the ability of this framework in synthesizing realistic prostate and colon tissue images and assessed the utility of these images in augmenting the diagnostic ability of machine learning methods and their usability by a panel of experienced anatomic pathologists. Synthetic data generated by our framework performed similar to real data when training a deep learning model for diagnosis. Pathologists were not able to distinguish between real and synthetic images, and their analyses showed a similar level of interobserver agreement for prostate cancer grading. We extended the approach to significantly more complex images from colon biopsies and showed that the morphology of the complex microenvironment in such tissues can be reproduced. Finally, we present the ability for a user to generate deepfake histologic images using a simple markup of sematic labels.

Determination of Whitefly Species (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Southeastern Anatolia Region

Türkiye’nin tüm bölgelerinde tespit edilen Beyazsinek (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) türleri üzerinde yapılan taksonomik bir çalışmadır. Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi (GAP) faliyete başlamasıyla artan bitki türü çeşitliliği ve tüm yıl ürün alınabilmesimesinden kaynaklı olarak tüm yıl varlığını koruyan bir zararlı konumuna gelmiştir. Ayrıca tarımsal sulamadan dolayı artan nem oranı Beyazsinek yoğunluğu artırmış olup bu nedenle tarımsal ürünlerde ciddi zarar verdiği için Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi için önemli bir zararlı olmuştur. 2019-2022 yılları arasında Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde bulunan Şırnak, Siirt, Batman, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Gaziantep ve Kilis illerindeki farklı konukçulardan toplanan Aleyrodidae familyasına ait türler, pupa ve pupa kabuğunadan morfolojik tanı karakterleri kullanılarak Beyazsinek (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) türlerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışmada tarım, orman ve tarım dışı alanlardan örnekler toplanmıştır. Çalışma esnasında örnek toplama yılın tüm dönemlerinde düzensiz çıkışlar yapılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Toplanan örneklerden 9 beyazsinek türü tespit edilmiştir. Bu türler; Bemisia afer, B. tabaci, Dialeurodes citri, Dialeurolobus pulcher, D. rhamni, Massileurodes setiger, Siphoninus phillyreae, Trialeurodes vaporariroum ve Tetraleurodes neemani olarak tespit edilmiştir.

Mediterranean Matters: Revision of the Family Onchidorididae (Mollusca, Nudibranchia) with the Description of a New Genus and a New Species

The Mediterranean Sea hosts a great Nudibranchia diversity and has proved to be particularly intriguing in the case of the family Onchidorididae, a group of dorid nudibranchs that lately increased its diversity with the addition of one recently described Mediterranean species. The Onchidorididae family has a troubled systematic history to date, characterized by uncertainties and genera that are considered valid or not, according to the different authors. This confused taxonomy reflects the lack of a broad and comprehensive view on the phylogenetic relationships occurring between Onchidorididae members, an incorrect interpretation of the diagnostic morphological characters, and a poor knowledge of important biological aspects characterizing the different genera included in the family. To shed some light on the systematics of Onchidorididae, an integrative taxonomic revision was carried out involving morphological, ecological, and molecular analyses on an updated dataset. Mediterranean specimens and species were added to the dataset of the already known Onchidorididae and a new species from the Adriatic Sea (Central Mediterranean Sea) is described here. Furthermore, historical controversies are clarified due to the discovery of new important synapomorphies useful to define genera belonging to the Onchidorididae family and to describe a new genus. Finally, the taxonomic status of all the known Onchidorididae species is investigated and discussed, filling the gap of knowledge on neglected species.

Sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) collected during the Madibenthos Expedition from Martinique shallow waters

This study presents the inventory of sea spiders (Pycnogonida) sampled during the Madibenthos Expedition in Martinique (West Indies). Species were discriminated leaning on morphological and molecular data. A total of 761 specimens are classified in 72 species, 16 genera and nine families. Thirteen new species are described: Ammothella dirbergi sp. nov., A. krappi sp. nov., Tanystylum boucheti sp. nov., T. ingrallis sp. nov., Ascorhynchus iguanarum sp. nov., Eurycyde kaiouti sp. nov., Nymphon dorlis sp. nov., N. ludovici sp. nov., N. martinicum sp. nov., N. timons sp. nov., Anoplodactylus madibenthos sp. nov., Pycnogonum cesairei sp. nov. and Rhynchothorax sidereus sp. nov. We describe a neotype for Anoplodactylus micros Bourdillon, 1955 from the type locality. Martinique now includes 79 species of sea spiders, mostly endemic to the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic, cosmopolitan or shared with the South America Atlantic coast. Some species are potentially introduced. However, our knowledge of the distribution of species found in Martinique is probably biased by the scarcity of diagnostic morphological characters. Also, nine potentially cryptic species (discriminated on genetic data alone), are identified, shedding light on the overlooked diversity of sea spiders in the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic. Therefore, we call for a more widespread use of barcoding in sea spiders.

A new species of Nidirana (Anura, Ranidae) from northern Guangxi, China.

A new species of music frog, Nidiranaguibeiensis sp. nov., is described from northern Guangxi, China. Based on two mtDNA fragments analyzed, phylogenetic trees reveal that N.guibeiensis sp. nov. is most closely related to N.leishanensis. However, the new species can be identified by conspicuous diagnostic morphological characteristics as well as bioacoustics. In contrast to the known Nidirana species, the advertisement calls of the new species can be divided into three types, calls with one, two, and three notes. In addition, the new species has nest construction behavior, which is inconsistent with N.leishanensis. Nidiranaguibeiensis sp. nov. occurs in paddy fields or still pools at 300-1300 m a.s.l.