Extensive Geographic Range Research Articles

The age of the Tashinga Formation (Karoo Supergroup) in the Mid-Zambezi Basin, Zimbabwe and the first phytosaur from mainland sub-Saharan Africa

Correlations between continental sequences within the Karoo-aged basins of southern and eastern Africa are difficult due to the dearth of shared index fossils and a lack of radioisotopic dates for key formations. Here we describe four sites along the southeastern shoreline of Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, within the Mid-Zambezi Basin, that yield material of phytosaurs (Archosauromorpha: Phytosauria) from within the informal Tashinga Formation (Upper Karoo Group). These phytosaur remains are the first to be recovered from sub-Saharan mainland Africa, representing a major geographic range extension for this group into high southern latitudes. Furthermore, an LA-ICPMS maximum depositional age of 209.2 ± 4.5 Ma (late Norian/early Rhaetian) derived from detrital zircons provides the first absolute age estimate for any of these sites. The phytosaurs are associated with lungfish and metoposaurid amphibians, forming part of a terrestrial-aquatic dominated biota, a previously undocumented biome from the Late Triassic of southern Africa.

New Records of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) from the Central United States

New geographical records of zoological species are often discovered through processing undetermined specimens. Here, new records of five native species of lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are reported for the central United States based on processing previously undetermined material from entomological collections: Cephaloscymnus laevis Gordon, Hyperaspidius insignis Casey, Hyperaspis punctata LeConte, Hippodamia apicalis Casey, and Anatis lecontei Casey. The new record for C. laevis represents a considerable range extension northward, whereas records for the other four species denote relatively minor geographic range extensions. These findings support the notion that systematic processing of undetermined collection material will yield new insights into the geographic ranges of various zoological species and improve understanding of biodiversity.

Extension of geographical range and first record of Trizocarcinus Rathbun, 1914 (Brachyura: Euryplacidae) from the Western Tropical South Atlantic

Abstract Here, we report the first occurrence of Trizocarcinus Rathbun, 1914 (Brachyura: Euryplacidae) from the South Atlantic (Brazil). Trizocarcinus tacitus Chace, 1940 was collected in the upper continental slope of the Potiguar Basin, northeastern Brazil. The new record expands by 3000 km the southern distribution of the species in the Western Atlantic.

Geographical Range Extension of the Spotfin burrfish, Chilomycterus reticulatus (L. 1758), in the Canary Islands: A Response to Ocean Warming?

In recent decades, numerous marine species have changed their distribution ranges due to ocean warming. The Spotfin burrfish, Chilomycterus reticulatus, is a reef fish with a global distribution along tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. In this work, we analyzed the presence of this species, between 1990 and 2019, at two islands of the Canarian Archipelago under varying oceanographic conditions: El Hierro (the westernmost island, under more tropical conditions) and Gran Canaria (a central-east island, under more cooler conditions). We expected that, under increased ocean temperatures in recent decades, the number of sightings has increased in Gran Canaria relative to El Hierro. We compiled information from different sources, including interviews and local citizenship databases. A total of 534 sightings were reported: 38.58% from El Hierro and 61.43% from Gran Canaria. The number of sightings on Gran Canaria has significantly increased through time, at a rate of 0.1 sightings per year; at El Hierro, however, the number of sightings has not significantly changed over time. Sea Surface Temperature has linearly increased in both El Hierro and Gran Canaria islands over the last three decades. Positive Sea Surface Temperature anomalies, particularly in 1998 and 2010, including high winter minimum temperatures, provide an ideal oceanographic context to favour the arrival of new individuals and, consequently, the increase in the number of sightings in Gran Canaria. Still, potential donor areas of fish recruits remain unknown.

Potential regulation by miRNAs on glucose metabolism in liver of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) at different temperatures

Water temperature can affect the metabolism of fish. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a representative eurythermic fish that can survive at a wide range of ambient temperatures, allowing it to live in an extensive geographical range. The goal of this work was to study the glucose metabolism of common carp at different temperatures and determine the miRNAs involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism. We determined the indicators related to glucose metabolism after long-term temperature stress and constructed nine small RNA libraries of livers under different temperature stress (5 °C, 17 °C, and 30 °C, with three biological replicates for each temperature), and subjected these samples to high-throughput sequencing. A positive relationship was observed between weight gain rate (WGR) and temperature increase after 18 days of temperature stress. However, the glucose level in the plasma maintained a gentle decrease. Unexpectedly, liver lactic acid levels were elevated in HTG (high temperature group) and LTG (low temperature group). Six down-regulated miRNAs (miR-122, miR-30b, miR-15b-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-1, and miR-7b) were identified as involved in the regulation of glycolysis. Twelve genes were predicted as targets of these miRNAs, and these genes are in pathways related to pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). The results allowed prediction of a potential regulatory network of miRNAs involved in the regulation of glycolysis. The target genes of six down-regulated miRNAs were up-regulated under temperature stress, including Aldolase C, fructose-bisphosphate, b (ALDOCB), multiple inositol-polyphosphate phosphatase 1 (MINPP1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1), pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 alpha 1 (PDHA1), aldehyde dehydrogenase 9 family member A1a (ALDH9A1A), Acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase (ACSS), lactate dehydrogenase b (LDH-b), and glyoxylate reductase/hydroxypyruvate reductase (GRHPR). Other key genes of glycolysis, glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1), pyruvate kinase PKM (PKM), and mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) were significantly up-regulated in LTG and HTG. Overall, the results suggest that miRNAs maintain their energy requirements by regulating glycolysis and play an important role in the molecular response to cold and heat stress of common carp. These data provide the foundation for further studies of the role of miRNAs in environmental adaptation in fish.

Phylogeography of the blue-winged kookaburra Dacelo leachii across tropical northern Australia and New Guinea

ABSTRACTPhylogeographic studies of northern Australian birds frequently detect the influence of the Carpentarian Barrier in vicariantly structuring present-day genetic variation. Several barriers further west (e.g. Canning Barrier), and, where data are available, the Arafura Sea and Torres Strait separating Australia and New Guinea have an overall lesser effect. Using sequence data from mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA, we tested whether the Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii), widespread in monsoonal northern Australia and southern New Guinea, shows evidence of vicariance by these barriers. Viewed in phylogenetic context of other Australo-Papuan kookaburras (D. novaeguineae, D. gaudichaud, D. tyro), clear phylogeographic subdivisions were absent within the range of D. leachii. Subspecies groupings explained a significant amount of molecular variance within D. leachii, the most distinct being New Guinean D. l. intermedia. Genealogical relationships among mtDNA haplotypes suggest a recent connection between New Guinea and Western Australia, a history recently proposed for at least one other bird species of similar open woodland habitat. Species distribution modelling similarly indicated that climatic conditions during the last glacial maximum (LGM) may have facilitated a connection between New Guinea and present-day Western Australia along the exposed Arafura shelf, and that suitable conditions remained continuous across the Carpentarian Barrier during the LGM. This work adds to a growing body of data on population genetic structuring of Australia’s birds in relation to biogeographic barriers and it is the first such analysis of a large-bodied, non-passerine bird having an extensive geographic range in tropical and subtropical Australia and New Guinea.

Phenotypic plasticity under desert environment constraints: mandible variation in the dwarf fat-tailed jerboa, Pygeretmus pumilio (Rodentia: Dipodidae)

Arid areas have a comparatively narrow range of habitat types, with restricted variation in environmental parameters, leaving narrow boundaries for phenotypic variation to correlate with ecological variables. To test this presumption, we explored variation in size and shape of the mandible in the dwarf fat-tailed jerboa (Pygeretmus pumilio (Kerr, 1792)) under the constraints of a rigorous desert environment. Size varied significantly and predictably with geographic position and demonstrated a strong, nonlinear longitudinal pattern. Moreover, size was associated with several other climatic variables but not with soil properties or with proxies for primary productivity. Our results suggest that for rodents exposed to rapid and extreme changes, larger size may have multiple advantages, notably in maintaining euthermia during cold nights and efficient water metabolism under aridity stress, in accumulating fat reserves for hibernation, and in digging deeper burrows, better protected from surface extremes. Shape varied clinally along the longitudinal transect, and the pattern was affected more by temperature than by precipitation. We conclude that the success of dwarf fat-tailed jerboa in occupying an extensive geographic range relies on their ability to meet environmental heterogeneity through cohesive and diverse responses, including physiology, behaviour, life-history traits, and morphological plasticity.

Avifauna of the Lake Kutubu Wildlife Management Area, Papua New Guinea

The Lake Kutubu Wildlife Management Area (WMA) covers approximately 23,500 ha of freshwater lake and surrounding forest environments on the southern slopes of New Guinea's central cordillera in mainland Papua New Guinea (PNG). Ornithological work within the WMA spans more than 50 years, although most of the data are available only in the grey literature and are difficult to obtain. In light of a proposed review of PNG's protected area network, we collate bird records from the WMA and draw upon data from the nearby Agogo Range to consider the potential for additional species to occur within the gazetted area. The WMA inventory stands at 216 species, nearly one-third of all species resident or regularly occurring in the New Guinea region. The high species richness is attributable to the presence of a variety of forest and wetland habitats spanning nearly 600 m elevation, supporting bird species characteristic of lowland, hill and lower montane environments. Resident avifauna include five IUCN threatened or Near Threatened species (New Guinea Harpy Eagle Harpyopsis novaeguineae, Gurney's Eagle Aquila gurneyi, New Guinea Vulturine Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus, Striated Lorikeet Charmosyna multistriata and Banded Yellow Robin Gennaeodryas placens) and the restricted-range Greater Melampitta Megalampitta gigantea. Geographic and elevational range extensions are reported for numerous taxa, and recent data are presented to better document the distributional relationships of species pairs in the genera Talegalla, Megapodius, Micropsitta and Lonchura, and of races of Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia amboinensis and Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma.

Notes on several Asian species of Styrax series Cyrta (Styracaceae)

Geographic range extensions are documented for the Asian species Styrax japonicus and S. odoratissimus of S. series Cyrta. Implications of the range extension in S. japonicus for the taxonomic distinctness and phylogenetic relationships of S. formosanus are discussed.

Avifauna en dos complejos de páramo de Antioquia, Colombia

We characterized bird communities in two paramo complexes (Frontino-Urrao and Sonson) in the department of Antioquia, Colombia, including the transition zones and the upper boundaries of cloud forests. We recorded 197 bird species (40 families), of which 7 presented some threat category, 1 is almost threatened, 5 are endemic, 15 near endemic, 4 boreal migratory species and 1 austral migratory species. We point out 12 species that are relevant, either due to their degree of national threat or because they represent geographic or altitudinal range extensions.

Taxonomic status of seven nominal species of the anchovy genus Stolephorus described by Delsman (1931), Hardenberg (1933), and Dutt and Babu Rao (1959), with redescriptions of Stolephorus tri (Bleeker 1852) and Stolephorus waitei Jordan and Seale 1926 (Clupeiformes: Engraulidae)

Examination of the original descriptions and available type specimens of Stolephorus insularis Delsman 1931 and subsequently proposed subspecies (Stolephorus insularis insularis Delsman 1931, Stolephorus insularis bataviensis Hardenberg 1933, Stolephorus insularis baweanensis Hardenberg 1933, and Stolephorus insularis oceanicus Hardenberg 1933), and Stolephorus baganensis baganensis Delsman 1931, Stolephorus baganensis megalops Delsman 1931, Anchoviella baganensis bengalensis Dutt and Babu Rao 1959, and Stolephorus waitei Jordan and Seale 1926, in addition to a large number of non-type specimens representing an extensive geographic range, confirmed the validity of S. baganensis, S. bataviensis, S. baweanensis, S. bengalensis, S. oceanicus, and S. waitei. Stolephorus i. insularis and S. b. megalops were recognized as junior synonyms of Stolephorus tri (Bleeker 1852). All of the valid species, including S. tri, are rediagnosed together with detailed color descriptions, with neotype designations for S. baganensis, S. bataviensis, S. baweanensis, S. bengalensis, S. oceanicus, S. i. insularis, and S. b. megalops and clarification of their taxonomic history. To complement our morphological observations, we built a large phylogenetic tree for 93 specimens of Stolephorus collected from the South China Sea belonging to ten species using two mitochondrial markers, cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase I. Our phylogenetic results support the genetic distinctiveness of each of the ten species examined and offer the first hypothesis on their relationships.

Annotated checklist for stony corals of American Sāmoa with reference to mesophotic depth records.

An annotated checklist of the stony corals (Scleractinia, Milleporidae, Stylasteridae, and Helioporidae) of American Sāmoa is presented. A total of 377 valid species has been reported from American Sāmoa with 342 species considered either present (251) or possibly present (91). Of these 342 species, 66 have a recorded geographical range extension and 90 have been reported from mesophotic depths (30–150 m). Additionally, four new species records (Acanthastreasubechinata Veron, 2000, Favitesparaflexuosus Veron, 2000, Echinophylliaechinoporoides Veron & Pichon, 1980, Turbinariairregularis Bernard, 1896) are presented. Coral species of concern include species listed under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species. Approximately 17.5% of the species present or possibly present are categorized as threatened by IUCN compared to 27% of the species globally. American Sāmoa has seven ESA-listed or ESA candidate species, including Acroporaglobiceps (Dana, 1846), Acroporajacquelineae Wallace, 1994, Acroporaretusa (Dana, 1846), Acroporaspeciosa (Quelch, 1886), Fimbriaphylliaparadivisa (Veron, 1990), Isoporacrateriformis (Gardiner, 1898), and Pocilloporameandrina Dana, 1846. There are two additional species possibly present, i.e., Pavonadiffluens (Lamarck, 1816) and Poritesnapopora Veron, 2000.

Distribution of a New Invasive Species, Sipha maydis (Heteroptera: Aphididae), on Cereals and Wild Grasses in the Southern Plains and Rocky Mountain States.

Sipha maydis Passerini (Heteroptera: Aphididae) is a cereal pest with an extensive geographical range that includes countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Reports of S. maydis in the United States have been infrequent since it was first detected in California, 2007. Two studies, focused (NW CO) and multistate (OK, TX, NM, CO, UT, WY), were conducted to determine the distribution and host range of S. maydis in the Rocky Mountain and Southern Plains states over a 3-yr period, 2015-2017. In 2015, focused sampling in NW Colorado found S. maydis at 59% of the 37 sites, primarily on wheat. Sipha maydis did not survive extreme winter temperatures from late December 2015 to early January 2016 that ranged from -9.0 to -20.9°C over a 9-d period, which resulted in no aphids detected in 2016. In the multistate study, S. maydis occurred in 14.6% of 96 sites sampled in 2015, 8% of 123 sites in 2016, and 9% of 85 sites in 2017 at wide range of altitudes from 1,359 to 2,645 m. Sipha maydis occurred mainly in NW and SW Colorado and NE New Mexico along with a few sites in NE Colorado, SE Utah, and SE Wyoming. This aphid mainly infested wheat followed by a variety of eight wild grass species. No parasites, predators, sexual morphs, or significant plant damage occurred at the sites. Sipha maydis utilized 14 hosts in the United States including 8 new host records, which expands its host range to 52 plant species worldwide. Sipha maydis may be of concern to wheat, barley, and sorghum production in the United States if its populations continue to increase.

Sponge (Porifera) fauna of Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, Canada with the description of an Iophon rich sponge garden.

The deep-water sponge fauna of the Canadian Arctic remains to be fully described, particularly in areas that are not sampled by fisheries stock-assessment trawl surveys such as the major bays and fjords of the northern Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay. Frobisher Bay is a large inlet located on the southeast of Baffin Island. We used a remotely operated vehicle, as well as box cores and Agassiz trawls to study the sponge fauna of this bay. Over three years, from 2015 to 2017, sponge specimens were collected representing 24 distinct sponge taxa. Dense gardens of Iophon koltuni Morozov, Sabirov, Zimina, 2019 were discovered at a site near Hill Island in inner Frobisher Bay. The species has a unique finger-like growth form and provides complex habitat in the inner bay. Other sponge species are new to the Northern Labrador marine ecoregion. In particular, we report geographic range extensions of Tetilla sibirica (Fristedt, 1887) and Craniella polyura (Schmidt, 1870), and provide spicule measurements and descriptions of Iophon piceum (Vosmaer, 1882) and Mycale lingua (Bowerbank, 1866). These species identifications, geographic range extensions, and an expanded description of a species synonym represent the first inventory of the sponge fauna of Frobisher Bay.

Sea slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from two remote reefs of the Southern Gulf of Mexico: Cayo Arenas and Cayo Arcas

Two field trips were made during 2017 to Cayo Arenas and Cayo Arcas, southern Gulf of Mexico. Direct and indirect sampling methods focused on shell-less marine heterobranchs were carried out. As a result, 30 species of sea slugs are reported for the first time from these 2 remote reefs off the Yucatan Peninsula. From these, 7 species hold new distribution records for the Gulf of Mexico: Sclerodoris worki, Platydoris angustipes, Polycera odhneri, Hexabranchus morsomus, Limenandra nodosa, Petalifera ramose, and Hermaea cruciata . Hexabranchus morsomus is a considerable west geographical range extension from the known distribution range, so far restricted to the Caribbean Sea. Nine specimens were identified up to genus level: Cuthona sp., Haminoea sp., Petalifera sp. and Elysia sp. With the present contribution, the sea slug richness in the Campeche Bank increases to 94 species.

Inventory of the eastern Bering Sea sponge fauna, geographic range extensions and description of Antho ridgwayi sp. nov.

A total of 493 sponges were collected with a bottom trawl during annual groundfish stock assessment surveys in the eastern Bering Sea in 2013, 2015, and 2016 to build an inventory of species in this largely unexplored region. We report here principally on the demosponge fauna collected during those surveys because identifications of hexactinellids are incomplete. We identified 42 unique demosponge taxa from the collection including geographical range extensions for 30 species; seven are new records for the Pacific Ocean. The collection also included three species new to science; two have been previously described (Plicatellopsis borealis Lehnert Stone 2017, Spongosorites beringensis Lehnert Stone 2017) and Antho ridgwayi sp. nov. described here. The new species differed from all northern hemisphere congeners in the complements and sizes of spicules. We document that the region is more species rich than previously suspected, particularly the continental slope where the majority of hexactinellid sponges are located.

The revolution of crossdating in marine palaeoecology and palaeoclimatology.

Over the past century, the dendrochronology technique of crossdating has been widely used to generate a global network of tree-ring chronologies that serves as a leading indicator of environmental variability and change. Only recently, however, has this same approach been applied to growth increments in calcified structures of bivalves, fish and corals in the world's oceans. As in trees, these crossdated marine chronologies are well replicated, annually resolved and absolutely dated, providing uninterrupted multi-decadal to millennial histories of ocean palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological processes. Moreover, they span an extensive geographical range, multiple trophic levels, habitats and functional types, and can be readily integrated with observational physical or biological records. Increment width is the most commonly measured parameter and reflects growth or productivity, though isotopic and elemental composition capture complementary aspects of environmental variability. As such, crossdated marine chronologies constitute powerful observational templates to establish climate-biology relationships, test hypotheses of ecosystem functioning, conduct multi-proxy reconstructions, provide constraints for numerical climate models, and evaluate the precise timing and nature of ocean-atmosphere interactions. These 'present-past-future' perspectives provide new insights into the mechanisms and feedbacks between the atmosphere and marine systems while providing indicators relevant to ecosystem-based approaches of fisheries management.

Six new species and reports of Hydnum (Cantharellales) from eastern North America.

Five species of Hydnum have been generally recognized from eastern North America based on morphological recognition: H.albidum, H.albomagnum, H.repandum and varieties, H.rufescens, and H.umbilicatum. Other unique North American species, such as H.caespitosum and H.washingtonianum, are either illegitimately named or considered synonymous with European taxa. Here, seventeen phylogenetic species of Hydnum are detected from eastern North America based on a molecular phylogenetic survey of ITS sequences from herbarium collections and GenBank data, including environmental sequences. Based on current distribution results, sixteen of these species appear endemic to North America. Of these, six species are described as new: H.alboaurantiacum, H.cuspidatum, H.ferruginescens, H.subconnatum, H.subtilior, and H.vagabundum. Geographic range extensions and taxonomic notes are provided for five additional species recently described as new from eastern North America. A new name, H.geminum, is proposed for H.caespitosum Banning ex Peck, non Valenti. Overall, species of Hydnum are best recognized by a combination of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Taxonomic descriptions are provided for seventeen species, including epitype designations for H.albidum, H.albomagnum, and H.umbilicatum, taxa described more than 100 years ago, and molecular annotation of the isotype of H.washingtonianum. Photographs and a key to eastern North American Hydnum species are presented.

Natural selection favors local specialization in a widespread habitat generalist.

The ecological success of widespread species is attributed to an ability to generalize across diverse habitats, a so-called "jack of all trades" scenario. However, this assumption ignores the potential for local specialization, an alternative scenario whereby spatial variation in natural selection generates habitat-specific fitness surfaces. Despite a growing recognition of spatial variation in selection in nature, and the inevitable exploitation of distinct habitat types across an extensive geographic range, attention to this hypothesis has been lacking for widespread taxa. We test this hypothesis using data from four populations of a widespread species drawing from two distinct habitat types (tree- and boulder-dominated, respectively). Specifically, we compare major physiological traits of male and female lizards by habitat type and then estimate the shape of natural selection gradients on those traits for each sex in each habitat (i.e., their fitness surfaces). We detected significant differences in morphology and performance across habitats that mirror interspecific patterns. Importantly, patterns of linear and nonlinear selection on these traits were habitat-specific for both sexes, supporting a clear but underappreciated capacity for local specialization. Our findings challenge assumptions of habitat generalism in widespread taxa, and instead provide some evidence for adaptive diversification in driving their ecological success.

Evidence of rapid spread and establishment of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in semi-arid Botswana

BackgroundTuta absoluta (Meyrick), a major invasive pest of Solanaceous plants, was recently detected in Botswana. Abiotic and biotic factors, together with a suite of population demographic traits are likely key for species propensity and invasion success. First, we determined the movement of T. absoluta from its core detection centre to new invasion areas using pheromone baiting and established likely biotic dispersal drivers. Second, we measured thermal tolerance vis critical thermal limits and lower and upper lethal limits to determine how these traits shape population establishment.ResultsWe detected T. absoluta in all 67 pristine sites across nine districts of Botswana. Within-district trap catches varied between cultivated and wild hosts but were generally not statistically significant (P > 0.001). We report three major wild host plants for T. absoluta as biotic dispersal drivers: Solanum coccineum (Jacq.), Solanum supinum (Dunal) and Solanum aculeatissimum (Jacq.). Solanum coccineum and S. supinum were omnipresent, while S. aculeatissimum distribution was sporadic. Thermal tolerance assays showed larvae were more heat tolerant, with a higher critical thermal maxima (CTmax) than adults (P < 0.001), whereas the adults were more tolerant to cold with a significantly lower (P < 0.001) critical thermal minima (CTmin) compared to larvae. The upper lethal temperatures ranged from 37–43 °C, whereas the lower lethal temperatures ranged from − 1 to − 12 °C for 0–100% mortality, respectively. In the light of prevailing environmental (habitat) temperatures (Thab), warming temperature (7.29 °C) and thermal safety margin (22.39 °C) were relatively high.ConclusionTuta absoluta may not be under abiotic physiological or biotic constraint that could limit its geographical range extension within Botswana. The ubiquity of wild Solanaceous plants with the bridgehead of year-round intensive monocultures of Solanaceous crops within a favourable climatic framework may mean that environmental suitability aided the rapid spread of T. absoluta.