ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8776-4040
Current Organisation
Australian Museum
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history | Quaternary environments | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander archaeology | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture language and history | Quaternary Environments | Archaeology | Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Archaeological Science | Archaeological science | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Archaeology |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Expanding Knowledge in the Earth Sciences | Understanding Australia's Past | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales |
Related Links
Publications
Historically low mitochondrial DNA diversity in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-10-2012
Abstract: The koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) is an arboreal marsupial that was historically widespread across eastern Australia until the end of the 19 th century when it suffered a steep population decline. Hunting for the fur trade, habitat conversion, and disease contributed to a precipitous reduction in koala population size during the late 1800s and early 1900s. To examine the effects of these reductions in population size on koala genetic ersity, we sequenced part of the hypervariable region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in koala museum specimens collected in the 19 th and 20 th centuries, hypothesizing that the historical s les would exhibit greater genetic ersity. The mtDNA haplotypes present in historical museum s les were identical to haplotypes found in modern koala populations, and no novel haplotypes were detected. Rarefaction analyses suggested that the mtDNA genetic ersity present in the museum s les was similar to that of modern koalas. Low mtDNA ersity may have been present in koala populations prior to recent population declines. When considering management strategies, low genetic ersity of the mtDNA hypervariable region may not indicate recent inbreeding or founder events but may reflect an older historical pattern for koalas.
Trait‐specific processes of convergence and conservatism shape ecomorphological evolution in ground‐dwelling squirrels
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-02-2018
DOI: 10.1111/EVO.13422
Abstract: Our understanding of mechanisms operating over deep timescales to shape phenotypic ersity often hinges on linking variation in one or few trait(s) to specific evolutionary processes. When distinct processes are capable of similar phenotypic signatures, however, identifying these drivers is difficult. We explored ecomorphological evolution across a radiation of ground-dwelling squirrels whose history includes convergence and constraint, two processes that can yield similar signatures of standing phenotypic ersity. Using four ecologically relevant trait datasets (body size, cranial, mandibular, and molariform tooth shape), we compared and contrasted variation, covariation, and disparity patterns in a new phylogenetic framework. Strong correlations existed between body size and two skull traits (allometry) and among skull traits themselves (integration). Inferred evolutionary modes were also concordant across traits (Ornstein-Uhlenbeck with two adaptive regimes). However, despite these broad similarities, we found ergent dynamics on the macroevolutionary landscape, with phenotypic disparity being differentially shaped by convergence and conservatism. Such among-trait heterogeneity in process (but not always pattern) reiterates the mosaic nature of morphological evolution, and suggests ground squirrel evolution is poorly captured by single process descriptors. Our results also highlight how use of single traits can bias macroevolutionary inference, affirming the importance of broader trait-bases in understanding phenotypic evolutionary dynamics.
Chapter 8. Biodiversity and Biogeography of the Moss-mice of New Guinea: A Taxonomic Revision of Pseudohydromys (Muridae: Murinae)
Publisher: American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored)
Date: 15-12-2009
DOI: 10.1206/582-8.1
The lives of creatures obscure, misunderstood, and wonderful: a volume in honour of Ken Aplin 1958–2019
Publisher: Australian Museum
Date: 25-11-2020
Notes on mammals collected on the 1885 Geographical Society of Australasia’s Expedition to New Guinea
Publisher: Australian Museum
Date: 26-04-2023
DOI: 10.3853/J.2201-4349.75.2023.1828
Abstract: In 1885 the Geographical Society of Australasia sent the steam launch Bonito to chart the Fly and Strickland Rivers (now in Western Province, Papua New Guinea). The Expedition spent five months in New Guinea with the primary objectives of survey and biological exploration. The type locality of the murid rodent Melomys muscalis froggatti Troughton, 1937, described from a single specimen obtained during the Expedition, is localized to the region of the base c at Observation Bend, Strickland River, based on the original Expedition maps and the unpublished diary reminiscence of the collector W. W. Froggatt. A review of the mammal collection obtained during that Expedition has not been reported previously, perhaps due to the poor surviving documentation. Several months after the Expedition returned to Sydney, Australian Museum curator E. P. Ramsay prepared a list of 22 mammal specimens received by the Museum. Twenty specimens attributed to the Expedition were not entered into the collection registers until 1913, half of which are likely to be incorrectly associated with the Expedition. Most specimens were registered with very limited data about collection date and locality. Of the 22 specimens originally received by Ramsay, eight rodents and two flying foxes (Pteropus spp.) have not been located in the Collection, but might remain unrecognized as specimens with no data. It is possible that additional mammal specimens were sent by the Geographical Society of Australasia to other institutions at the conclusion of the Expedition.
Hybridization Capture Reveals Evolution and Conservation across the Entire Koala Retrovirus Genome
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-04-2014
Effects of reduced mobility on trabecular bone density in captive big cats
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.211345
Abstract: Bone responds to elevated mechanical loading by increasing in mass and density. Therefore, wild animals should exhibit greater skeletal mass and density than captive conspecifics. This expectation is pertinent to testing bone functional adaptation theories and to comparative studies, which commonly use skeletal remains that combine zoo and wild-caught specimens. Conservationists are also interested in the effects of captivity on bone morphology as it may influence rewilding success. We compared trabecular bone volume fraction (BVF) between wild and captive mountain lions, cheetahs, leopards and jaguars. We found significantly greater BVF in wild than in captive felids. Effects of captivity were more marked in the humerus than in the femur. A ratio of humeral/femoral BVF was also lower in captive animals and showed a positive relationship to home range size in wild animals. Results are consistent with greater forelimb than hindlimb loading during terrestrial travel, and possibly reduced loading of the forelimb associated with lack of predatory behaviour in captive animals. Thus, captivity among felids has general effects on BVF in the postcranial skeleton and location-specific effects related to limb use. Caution should be exercised when identifying skeletal specimens for use in comparative studies and when rearing animals for conservation purposes.
Talpid Mole Phylogeny Unites Shrew Moles and Illuminates Overlooked Cryptic Species Diversity
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-10-2016
Abstract: The mammalian family Talpidae (moles, shrew moles, desmans) is characterized by erse ecomorphologies associated with terrestrial, semi-aquatic, semi-fossorial, fossorial, and aquatic-fossorial lifestyles. Prominent specializations involved with these different lifestyles, and the transitions between them, pose outstanding questions regarding the evolutionary history within the family, not only for living but also for fossil taxa. Here, we investigate the phylogenetic relationships, ergence times, and biogeographic history of the family using 19 nuclear and 2 mitochondrial genes (∼16 kb) from ∼60% of described species representing all 17 genera. Our phylogenetic analyses help settle classical questions in the evolution of moles, identify an ancient (mid-Miocene) split within the monotypic genus Scaptonyx, and indicate that talpid species richness may be nearly 30% higher than previously recognized. Our results also uniformly support the monophyly of long-tailed moles with the two shrew mole tribes and confirm that the Gansu mole is the sole living Asian member of an otherwise North American radiation. Finally, we provide evidence that aquatic specializations within the tribes Condylurini and Desmanini evolved along different morphological trajectories, though we were unable to statistically reject monophyly of the strictly fossorial tribes Talpini and Scalopini.
Comparative Phylogeography of Forest-Dependent Mammals Reveals Paleo-Forest Corridors throughout Sundaland
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-09-2018
Abstract: The evolutionary history of the colugo, a gliding arboreal mammal distributed throughout Sundaland, was influenced by the location of and connections between forest habitats. By comparing colugo phylogenetic patterns, species ecology, s le distributions, and times of ergence to those of other Sundaic taxa with different life-history traits and dispersal capabilities, we inferred the probable distribution of paleo-forest corridors and their influence on observed biogeographic patterns. We identified a consistent pattern of early ersification between east and west Bornean lineages in colugos, lesser mouse deer, and Sunda pangolins, but not in greater mouse deer. This deep east-west split within Borneo has not been commonly described in mammals. Colugos on West Borneo erged from colugos in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra in the late Pliocene, however most other mammalian populations distributed across these same geographic regions erged from a common ancestor more recently in the Pleistocene. Low genetic ergence between colugos on large landmasses and their neighboring satellite islands indicated that past forest distributions were recently much larger than present refugial distributions. Our analysis of colugo evolutionary history reconstructs Borneo as the most likely ancestral area of origin for Sunda colugos, and suggests that forests present during the middle Pliocene within the Sunda Shelf were more evergreen and contiguous, while forests were more fragmented, transient, seasonal, or with lower density canopies in the Pleistocene.
Interacting effects of land use and climate on rodent-borne pathogens in central Kenya
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 24-04-2017
Abstract: Understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on zoonotic disease risk is both a critical conservation objective and a public health priority. Here, we evaluate the effects of multiple forms of anthropogenic disturbance across a precipitation gradient on the abundance of pathogen-infected small mammal hosts in a multi-host, multi-pathogen system in central Kenya. Our results suggest that conversion to cropland and wildlife loss alone drive systematic increases in rodent-borne pathogen prevalence, but that pastoral conversion has no such systematic effects. The effects are most likely explained both by changes in total small mammal abundance, and by changes in relative abundance of a few high-competence species, although changes in vector assemblages may also be involved. Several pathogens responded to interactions between disturbance type and climatic conditions, suggesting the potential for synergistic effects of anthropogenic disturbance and climate change on the distribution of disease risk. Overall, these results indicate that conservation can be an effective tool for reducing abundance of rodent-borne pathogens in some contexts (e.g. wildlife loss alone) however, given the strong variation in effects across disturbance types, pathogen taxa and environmental conditions, the use of conservation as public health interventions will need to be carefully tailored to specific pathogens and human contexts. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Conservation, bio ersity and infectious disease: scientific evidence and policy implications’.
Specimen collection: An essential tool
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 23-05-2014
Genome-wide Evidence Reveals that African and Eurasian Golden Jackals Are Distinct Species
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2015.06.060
Abstract: The golden jackal of Africa (Canis aureus) has long been considered a conspecific of jackals distributed throughout Eurasia, with the nearest source populations in the Middle East. However, two recent reports found that mitochondrial haplotypes of some African golden jackals aligned more closely to gray wolves (Canis lupus), which is surprising given the absence of gray wolves in Africa and the phenotypic ergence between the two species. Moreover, these results imply the existence of a previously unrecognized phylogenetically distinct species despite a long history of taxonomic work on African canids. To test the distinct-species hypothesis and understand the evolutionary history that would account for this puzzling result, we analyzed extensive genomic data including mitochondrial genome sequences, sequences from 20 autosomal loci (17 introns and 3 exon segments), microsatellite loci, X- and Y-linked zinc-finger protein gene (ZFX and ZFY) sequences, and whole-genome nuclear sequences in African and Eurasian golden jackals and gray wolves. Our results provide consistent and robust evidence that populations of golden jackals from Africa and Eurasia represent distinct monophyletic lineages separated for more than one million years, sufficient to merit formal recognition as different species: C. anthus (African golden wolf) and C. aureus (Eurasian golden jackal). Using morphologic data, we demonstrate a striking morphologic similarity between East African and Eurasian golden jackals, suggesting parallelism, which may have misled taxonomists and likely reflects uniquely intense interspecific competition in the East African carnivore guild. Our study shows how ecology can confound taxonomy if interspecific competition constrains size ersification.
Simultaneous identification of host, ectoparasite and pathogen DNA via in‐solution capture
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-04-2016
Abstract: Ectoparasites frequently vector pathogens from often unknown pathogen reservoirs to both human and animal populations. Simultaneous identification of the ectoparasite species, the wildlife host that provided their most recent blood meal(s), and their pathogen load would greatly facilitate the understanding of the complex transmission dynamics of vector-borne diseases. Currently, these identifications are principally performed using multiple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. We developed an assay (EctoBaits) based on in-solution capture paired with high-throughput sequencing to simultaneously identify ectoparasites, host blood meals and pathogens. We validated our in-solution capture results using double-blind PCR assays, morphology and collection data. The EctoBaits assay effectively and efficiently identifies ectoparasites, blood meals, and pathogens in a single capture experiment, allowing for high-resolution taxonomic identification while preserving the DNA s le for future analyses.
Diversity of Leptospira spp. in bats and rodents from Papua New Guinea
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 19-10-2022
DOI: 10.1111/TBED.14725
Abstract: Leptospirosis is the most common bacterial zoonosis globally. The pathogen, Leptospira spp., is primarily associated with rodent reservoirs. However, a wide range of other species has been implicated as reservoirs or dead-end hosts. We conducted a survey for Leptospira spp. in bats and rodents from Papua New Guinea. Kidney s les were collected from 97 pteropodid bats (five species), 37 insectivorous bats from four different families (six species) and 188 rodents (two species). Leptospires were detected in a high proportion of pteropodid bats, including Nyctimene cf. albiventer (35%), Macroglossus minimus (34%) and Rousettus lexicaudatus (36%). Partial sequencing of the secY gene from rodent and bat leptospires showed host species clustering, with Leptospira interrogans and L. weilii detected in rodents and L. kirschneri and a potential novel species of Leptospira detected in bats. Further research is needed in Papua New Guinea and other locales in the Pacific region to gain a better understanding of the circulation dynamics of leptospires in reservoir species and the risks to public and veterinary health.
Additional material of the enigmatic golden mole Cryptochloris zyli, with notes on the genus Cryptochloris (Mammalia: Chrysochloridae)
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2001
Outdated taxonomy blocks conservation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1038/495314E
Adaptation and conservation insights from the koala genome
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-07-2018
Wing morphology, echolocation calls, diet and emergence time of black-bearded tomb bats (Taphozous melanopogon, Emballonuridae) from southwest China
Publisher: Museum and Institute of Zoology at the Polish Academy of Sciences
Date: 06-2008
The Mammal Family Tree
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 27-10-2011
Quaternary Murid Rodents of Timor Part I: New Material of Coryphomys buehleri Schaub, 1937, and Description of a Second Species of the Genus
Publisher: American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored)
Date: 07-2010
DOI: 10.1206/692.1
Meyer paper: don't hang the Soc. Wash. out to dry
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2004
DOI: 10.1038/432949B
Phylogeography of the Koala, (Phascolarctos cinereus), and Harmonising Data to Inform Conservation
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-09-2016
Sex biases in bird and mammal natural history collections
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 23-10-2019
Abstract: Natural history specimens are widely used across ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation. Although biological sex may influence all of these areas, it is often overlooked in large-scale studies using museum specimens. If collections are biased towards one sex, studies may not be representative of the species. Here, we investigate sex ratios in over two million bird and mammal specimen records from five large international museums. We found a slight bias towards males in birds (40% females) and mammals (48% females), but this varied among orders. The proportion of female specimens has not significantly changed in 130 years, but has decreased in species with showy male traits like colourful plumage and horns. Body size had little effect. Male bias was strongest in name-bearing types only 27% of bird and 39% of mammal types were female. These results imply that previous studies may be impacted by undetected male bias, and vigilance is required when using specimen data, collecting new specimens and designating types.
Large scale international replication and meta-analysis study confirms association of the 15q14 locus with myopia. The CREAM consortium
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-06-2012
Endogenous Gibbon Ape Leukemia Virus Identified in a Rodent (Melomys burtoni subsp.) from Wallacea (Indonesia)
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 15-09-2016
DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00723-16
Abstract: Gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) and koala retrovirus (KoRV) most likely originated from a cross-species transmission of an ancestral retrovirus into koalas and gibbons via one or more intermediate as-yet-unknown hosts. A virus highly similar to GALV has been identified in an Australian native rodent ( Melomys burtoni ) after extensive screening of Australian wildlife. GALV-like viruses have also been discovered in several Southeast Asian species, although screening has not been extensive and viruses discovered to date are only distantly related to GALV. We therefore screened 26 Southeast Asian rodent species for KoRV- and GALV-like sequences, using hybridization capture and high-throughput sequencing, in the attempt to identify potential GALV and KoRV hosts. Only the in iduals belonging to a newly discovered subspecies of Melomys burtoni from Indonesia were positive, yielding an endogenous provirus very closely related to a strain of GALV. The sequence of the critical receptor domain for GALV infection in the Indonesian M. burtoni subsp. was consistent with the susceptibility of the species to GALV infection. The second record of a GALV in M. burtoni provides further evidence that M. burtoni , and potentially other lineages within the widespread subfamily Murinae , may play a role in the spread of GALV-like viruses. The discovery of a GALV in the most western part of the Australo-Papuan distribution of M. burtoni , specifically in a transitional zone between Asia and Australia (Wallacea), may be relevant to the cross-species transmission to gibbons in Southeast Asia and broadens the known distribution of GALVs in wild rodents. IMPORTANCE Gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) and the koala retrovirus (KoRV) are very closely related, yet their hosts neither are closely related nor overlap geographically. Direct cross-species infection between koalas and gibbons is unlikely. Therefore, GALV and KoRV may have arisen via a cross-species transfer from an intermediate host whose range overlaps those of both gibbons and koalas. Using hybridization capture and high-throughput sequencing, we have screened a wide range of rodent candidate hosts from Southeast Asia for KoRV- and GALV-like sequences. Only a Melomys burtoni subspecies from Wallacea (Indonesia) was positive for GALV. We report the genome sequence of this newly identified GALV, the critical domain for infection of its potential cellular receptor, and its phylogenetic relationships with the other previously characterized GALVs. We hypothesize that Melomys burtoni , and potentially related lineages with an Australo-Papuan distribution, may have played a key role in cross-species transmission to other taxa.
A new genus of rodent from Wallacea (Rodentia: Muridae: Murinae: Rattini), and its implication for biogeography and Indo-Pacific Rattini systematics
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-09-2013
DOI: 10.1111/ZOJ.12061
Genomic analysis reveals hidden biodiversity within colugos, the sister group to primates
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 05-08-2016
Abstract: The colugo genome reveals hidden bio ersity and the sister group to primates.
A new species of bandicoot, Microperoryctes aplini , from western New Guinea
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2004
Genome sequence, population history, and pelage genetics of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2016
Supplementary material 1 from: Gutiérrez EE, Helgen KM, McDonough MM, Bauer F, Hawkins MTR, Escobedo-Morales LA, Patterson BD, Maldonado JE (2017) A gene-tree test of the traditional taxonomy of American deer: the importance of voucher specimens, geographic data, and dense sampling. ZooKeys 697: 87-131. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.697.15124
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 14-09-2017
Host–Parasite Associations in Small Mammal Communities in Semiarid Savanna Ecosystems of East Africa
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 25-04-2016
DOI: 10.1093/JME/TJW048
Abstract: Despite the established importance of rodents as reservoirs of vector-borne zoonoses in East Africa, there is relatively limited information regarding the infestation parameters and host associations of ectoparasites that vector many such pathogens among small mammals in this region. Between 2009 and 2013, small mammals were live-trapped in the semiarid savanna of Kenya. A subset of these in idual hosts, including 20 distinct host taxa, was examined for ectoparasites, which were identified to species. Species of fleas, ticks, mites, and sucking lice were recorded. Based on these data, we calculated host-specific infestation parameters, documented host preferences among ectoparasites, conducted a rarefaction analysis and extrapolation to determine if ectoparasites were adequately s led, and assessed nestedness for fleas to understand how pathogens might spread in this system. We found that the flea community structure was significantly nested. Understanding the ectoparasite network structure may have significant human relevance, as at least seven of the ectoparasite species collected are known vectors of pathogens of medical importance in the region, including Yersinia pestis, Rickettsia spp., and Theileria parva, the causative agents of plague, spotted fevers and other rickettsial illnesses in humans, and theileriosis, respectively.
Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus
Publisher: Zoological Research
Date: 2021
Supplementary material 3 from: Gutiérrez EE, Helgen KM, McDonough MM, Bauer F, Hawkins MTR, Escobedo-Morales LA, Patterson BD, Maldonado JE (2017) A gene-tree test of the traditional taxonomy of American deer: the importance of voucher specimens, geographic data, and dense sampling. ZooKeys 697: 87-131. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.697.15124
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 14-09-2017
Across the great divide: revision of the genusEupetaurus(Sciuridae: Pteromyini), the woolly flying squirrels of the Himalayan region, with the description of two new species
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 31-05-2021
DOI: 10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLAB018
Abstract: The woolly flying squirrel, Eupetaurus cinereus, is among the rarest and least studied mammals in the world. For much of the 20th century it was thought to be extinct, until it was rediscovered in 1994 in northern Pakistan. This study outlines the first taxonomic and biogeographical review of the genus Eupetaurus, which until now has contained only a single species. Careful review of museum specimens and published records of Eupetaurus demonstrates that the genus occurs in three widely disjunct areas situated on the western (northern Pakistan and north-western India), north-central (south-central Tibet, northern Sikkim and western Bhutan) and south-eastern margins (north-western Yunnan, China) of the Himalayas. Taxonomic differentiation between these apparently allopatric populations of Eupetaurus was assessed with an integrative approach involving both morphological examinations and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic reconstruction was implemented using sequences of three mitochondrial [cytochrome b (Cytb), mitochondrially encoded 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA (12S, 16S)] and one nuclear [interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP)] gene fragment. Morphological assessments involved qualitative examinations of features preserved on museum skins and skulls, supplemented with principal components analysis of craniometric data. Based on genetic and morphological comparisons, we suggest that the three widely disjunct populations of Eupetaurus are each sufficiently differentiated genetically and morphologically to be recognized as distinct species, two of which are described here as new.
A review of the rodent fauna of Seram, Moluccas, with the description of a new subspecies of mosaic‐tailed rat, Melomys rufescens paveli
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2003
A new species of Halmaheramys (Rodentia: Muridae) from Bisa and Obi Islands (North Maluku Province, Indonesia)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-12-2018
Large wildlife removal drives immune defence increases in rodents
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-09-2015
A Megadiverse Fauna Revealed
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-10-2009
Revised distributional estimates for the recently discovered olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina), with comments on natural and taxonomic history
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-04-2018
Phylogeny, biogeography and systematic revision of plain long-nosed squirrels (genus Dremomys, Nannosciurinae)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2015.10.023
Abstract: The plain long-nosed squirrels, genus Dremomys, are high elevation species in East and Southeast Asia. Here we present a complete molecular phylogeny for the genus based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. Concatenated mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees were constructed to determine the tree topology, and date the tree. All speciation events within the plain-long nosed squirrels (genus Dremomys) were ancient (dated to the Pliocene or Miocene), and averaged older than many speciation events in the related Sunda squirrels, genus Sundasciurus. Within the plain long-nosed squirrels, the most recent interspecific split occurred 2.9 million years ago, older than some splits within Sunda squirrels, which dated to the Pleistocene. Our results demonstrate that the plain long-nosed squirrels are not monophyletic. The single species with a distinct distribution, the Bornean mountain ground squirrel (Dremomys everetti), which is endemic to the high mountains of Borneo, is nested within the Sunda squirrels with high support. This species erged from its sister taxa in the Sunda squirrels 6.62 million years ago, and other plain long-nosed squirrels over 11 million years ago. Our analyses of morphological traits in these related genera support the re-classification of the Bornean mountain ground squirrel, Dremomys everetti, to the genus Sundasciurus, which changes its name to Sundasciurus everetti. Past inclusion in the plain long-nosed squirrels (Dremomys) reflects convergent evolution between these high elevation species.
Mitochondrial Phylogenomics of Modern and Ancient Equids
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-02-2013
Predators and Prey in the Channel Islands
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 06-08-2004
NOTES ON THE PHALANGERID MARSUPIAL GENUS SPILOCUSCUS, WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES FROM PAPUA
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-2004
DOI: 10.1644/BER-110
Systematics of the Pacific monkey‐faced bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae), with a new species ofPteralopexand a new Fijian genus
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-2005
Phylogenetic analysis of the tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus) reveals multiple divergent lineages within New Guinea
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2018.05.030
Abstract: Amongst the Australasian kangaroos and wallabies (Macropodidae) one anomalous genus, the tree-kangaroos, Dendrolagus, has secondarily returned to arboreality. Modern tree-kangaroos are confined to the wet tropical forests of north Queensland, Australia (2 species) and New Guinea (8 species). Due to their behavior, distribution and habitat most species are poorly known and our understanding of the evolutionary history and systematics of the genus is limited and controversial. We obtained tissue s les from 36 in idual Dendrolagus including representatives from 14 of the 17 currently recognised or proposed subspecies and generated DNA sequence data from three mitochondrial (3116 bp) and five nuclear (4097 bp) loci. Phylogenetic analysis of these multi-locus data resolved long-standing questions regarding inter-relationships within Dendrolagus. The presence of a paraphyletic ancestral long-footed and derived monophyletic short-footed group was confirmed. Six major lineages were identified: one in Australia (D. lumholtzi, D. bennettianus) and five in New Guinea (D. inustus, D. ursinus, a Goodfellow's group, D. mbaiso and a Doria's group). Two major episodes of ersification within Dendrolagus were identified: the first during the late Miocene/early Pliocene associated with orogenic processes in New Guinea and the second mostly during the early Pleistocene associated with the intensification of climatic cycling. All s led subspecies showed high levels of genetic ergence and currently recognized species within both the Doria's and Goodfellow's groups were paraphyletic indicating that adjustments to current taxonomy are warranted.
Craniodental Characters in the Taxonomy of Propithecus
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2007
Beyond dead trees: integrating the scientific process in the Biodiversity Data Journal
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 16-09-2013
DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.1.E995
Temporal shifts in the distribution of murine rodent body size classes at Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia) reveal new insights into the paleoecology of Homo floresiensis and associated fauna
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHEVOL.2019.02.002
Abstract: Liang Bua, the type locality of Homo floresiensis, is a limestone cave located in the western part of the Indonesian island of Flores. The relatively continuous stratigraphic sequence of the site spans the past ∼190 kyr and contains ∼275,000 taxonomically identifiable vertebrate skeletal elements, ∼80% of which belong to murine rodent taxa (i.e., rats). Six described genera are present at Liang Bua (Papagomys, Spelaeomys, Hooijeromys, Komodomys, Paulamys, and Rattus), one of which, Hooijeromys, is newly recorded in the site deposits, being previously known only from Early to Middle Pleistocene sites in central Flores. Measurements of the proximal femur (n = 10,212) and distal humerus (n = 1186) indicate five murine body size classes ranging from small (mouse-sized) to giant (common rabbit-sized) are present. The proportions of these five classes across successive stratigraphic units reveal two major changes in murine body size distribution due to significant shifts in the abundances of more open habitat-adapted medium-sized murines versus more closed habitat-adapted smaller-sized ones. One of these changes suggests a modest increase in available open habitats occurred ∼3 ka, likely the result of anthropogenic changes to the landscape related to farming by modern human populations. The other and more significant change occurred ∼60 ka suggesting a rapid shift from more open habitats to more closed conditions at this time. The abrupt reduction of medium-sized murines, along with the disappearance of H. floresiensis, Stegodon florensis insularis (an extinct proboscidean), Varanus komodoensis (Komodo dragon), Leptoptilos robustus (giant marabou stork), and Trigonoceps sp. (vulture) at Liang Bua ∼60-50 ka, is likely the consequence of these animals preferring and tracking more open habitats to elsewhere on the island. If correct, then the precise timing and nature of the extinction of H. floresiensis and its contemporaries must await new discoveries at Liang Bua or other as yet unexcavated sites on Flores.
Systematic Review of New Guinea Leptomys (Muridae, Murinae) with Descriptions of Two New Species
Publisher: American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored)
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1206/587.1
Role of Conductivity in Iontophoresis. 2. Anodal Iontophoretic Transport of Phenylethylamine and Sodium across Excised Human Skin
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-1994
Abstract: The anodal iontophoretic transdermal delivery of a model cation, phenylethylamine (PEA), across excised human skin was investigated to define the role of conductivity in iontophoresis. The ratio of the specific conductance of PEA in deionized-distilled water to that of the solution applied in the donor compartment (buffer+PEA) was employed to assess the relationship between the flux of PEA and the conductivity. The flux of PEA was linearly related to the ratio of specific conductance at 5 and 20 mM PEA for a variety of experimental conditions. A curvilinear relationship was observed at 1 mM PEA concentration, particularly when the conductivity of the donor solution was low. It is therefore hypothesized that a threshold conductivity in solution exists above which a linear relationship between iontophoretic flux and specific conductance is observed. The present study confirms that conductivity of an ion in a solution provides a simple means of estimating the competitive transport between solute and other ions during transdermal iontophoresis.
New records of Microchiroptera (Rhinolophidae and Kerivoulinae) from Vietnam and Thailand
Publisher: Museum and Institute of Zoology at the Polish Academy of Sciences
Date: 04-2006
Effect of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Striatal Morphometry in Major Depressive Disorder
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-04-2016
DOI: 10.1038/NPP.2016.48
Biogeography and taxonomy of extinct and endangered monk seals illuminated by ancient DNA and skull morphology
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 14-05-2014
Introgression, hominin dispersal and megafaunal survival in Late Pleistocene Island Southeast Asia
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 24-07-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.24.219048
Abstract: The hominin fossil record of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) indicates that at least two endemic ‘super-archaic’ species – Homo luzonensis and H. floresiensis – were present around the time anatomically modern humans (AMH) arrived in the region ,000 years ago. Contemporary human populations carry signals consistent with interbreeding events with Denisovans in ISEA – a species that is thought to be more closely related to AMH than the super-archaic endemic ISEA hominins. To query this disparity between fossil and genetic evidence, we performed a comprehensive search for super-archaic introgression in modern human genomes. Our results corroborate widespread Denisovan ancestry in ISEA populations but fail to detect any super-archaic admixture signals. By highlighting local megafaunal survival east of the Wallace Line as a potential signature of deep, pre- H. sapiens hominin-faunal interaction, we propose that this understudied region may hold the key to unlocking significant chapters in Denisovan prehistory.
The Gondwanan Origin of Tribosphenida (Mammalia)
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-10-2022
Genetic Structure and Diversity Among Historic and Modern Populations of the Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-05-2018
Abstract: The Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), once widespread across Southeast Asia, now consists of as few as 30 in iduals within Sumatra and Borneo. To aid in conservation planning, we sequenced 218 bp of control region mitochondrial (mt) DNA, identifying 17 distinct mitochondrial haplotypes across modern (N = 13) and museum (N = 26) s les. Museum specimens from Laos and Myanmar had ergent mtDNA, consistent with the placement of western mainland rhinos into the distinct subspecies D. s. lasiotis (presumed extinct). Haplotypes from Bornean rhinos were highly erse, but dissimilar from those of other regions, supporting the distinctiveness of the subspecies D. s. harrissoni. Rhinos from Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia shared mtDNA haplotypes, consistent with their traditional placement into a single subspecies D. s sumatrensis. Modern s les of D. s. sumatrensis were genotyped at 18 microsatellite loci. Rhinos within Sumatra formed 2 sub-populations, likely separated by the Barisan Mountains, though with only modest genetic differentiation between them. There are so few remaining Sumatran rhinoceros that separate management strategies for subspecies or subpopulations may not be viable, while each surviving rhino pedigree is likely to retain alleles found in no other in iduals. Given the low population size and low reproductive potential of Sumatran rhinos, rapid genetic erosion is inevitable, though an under-appreciated concern is the potential for fixation of harmful genetic variants. Both concerns underscore 2 overriding priorities for the species: 1) translocation of wild rhinos to ex situ facilities, and 2) collection and storage of gametes and cell lines from every surviving captive and wild in idual.
The Wayward Dog: Is the Australian native dog or Dingo a distinct species?
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 04-09-2017
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4317.2.1
Abstract: The taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792. Since that time it has been referred to by various names including Canis dingo, Canis lupus dingo, Canis familiaris and Canis familiaris dingo. Of these names C. l. dingo and C. f. dingo have been most often used, but it has recently been proposed that the Australian Dingo should be once again recognized as a full species—Canis dingo. There is an urgent need to address the instability of the names referring to the Dingo because of the consequences for management and policy. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the morphological, genetic, ecological and biological data to determine the taxonomic relationships of the Dingo with the aim of confirming the correct scientific name. The recent proposal for Canis dingo as the most appropriate name is not sustainable under zoological nomenclature protocols nor based on the genetic and morphological evidence. Instead we proffer the name C. familiaris for all free-ranging dogs, regardless of breed and location throughout the world, including the Australian Dingo. The suggested nomenclature also provides a framework for managing free-ranging dogs including Dingoes, under Australian legislation and policy. The broad principles of nomenclature we discuss here apply to all free-roaming dogs that coexist with their hybrids, including the New Guinea Singing Dog.
Mesozoic origin for West Indian insectivores
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2004
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE02597
A new species of murid rodent (genus Mayermys) from south-eastern New Guinea
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2005
RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment: A Rapid Biodiversity Assessment of the Kaijende Highlands, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea
Publisher: Conservation International
Date: 2007
Host reproductive cycle influences the pouch microbiota of wild southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-01-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S42523-021-00074-8
Abstract: Marsupials are born much earlier than placental mammals, with most crawling from the birth canal to the protective marsupium (pouch) to further their development. However, little is known about the microbiology of the pouch and how it changes throughout a marsupial’s reproductive cycle. Here, using stringent controls, we characterized the microbial composition of multiple body sites from 26 wild Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats (SHNWs), including pouch s les from animals at different reproductive stages. Using qPCR of the 16S rRNA gene we detected a microbial community in the SHNW pouch. We observed significant differences in microbial composition and ersity between the body sites tested, as well as between pouch s les from different reproductive stages. The pouches of reproductively active females had drastically lower microbial ersity (mean ASV richness 19 ± 8) compared to reproductively inactive females (mean ASV richness 941 ± 393) and were dominated by gram positive bacteria from the Actinobacteriota phylum (81.7–90.6%), with the dominant families classified as Brevibacteriaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Microbacteriaceae, and Dietziaceae. Three of the five most abundant sequences identified in reproductively active pouches had closest matches to microbes previously isolated from tammar wallaby pouches. This study represents the first contamination-controlled investigation into the marsupial pouch microbiota, and sets a rigorous framework for future pouch microbiota studies. Our results indicate that SHNW pouches contain communities of microorganisms that are substantially altered by the host reproductive cycle. We recommend further investigation into the roles that pouch microorganisms may play in marsupial reproductive health and joey survival.
A review of microhydromys (Rodentia: Murinae), with description of a new species from Southern New Guinea
Publisher: American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored)
Date: 04-03-2010
DOI: 10.1206/632.1
Description of a new species of Hoolock gibbon (Primates: Hylobatidae) based on integrative taxonomy
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-01-2017
DOI: 10.1002/AJP.22631
Abstract: We describe a species of Hoolock gibbon (Primates: Hylobatidae) that is new to science from eastern Myanmar and southwestern China. The genus of hoolock gibbons comprises two previously described living species, the western (Hoolock hoolock) and eastern hoolock (H. leuconedys) gibbons, geographically isolated by the Chindwin River. We assessed the morphological and genetic characteristics of wild animals and museum specimens, and conducted multi-disciplinary analyses using mitochondrial genomic sequences, external morphology, and craniodental characters to evaluate the taxonomic status of the hoolock population in China. The results suggest that hoolocks distributed to the east of the Irrawaddy-Nmai Hka Rivers, which were previously assigned to H. leuconedys, are morphologically and genetically distinct from those to the west of the river, and should be recognized as a new species, the Gaoligong hoolock gibbon or skywalker hoolock gibbon (H. tianxing sp. nov.). We consider that the new species should be categorized as Endangered under IUCN criteria. The discovery of the new species focuses attention on the need for improved conservation of small apes, many of which are in danger of extinction in southern China and Southeast Asia.
Guillaume Grandidier's mammal collections from Madagascar
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2002
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence: a comment on Cozzuol et al. (2013): Fig. 1
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-08-2014
Partial Loss of USP9X Function Leads to a Male Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Disorder Converging on Transforming Growth Factor β Signaling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
A standard for species
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.1038/467540A
One Hundred Twenty Years of Koala Retrovirus Evolution Determined from Museum Skins
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-09-2012
Comprehensive profiling of retroviral integration sites using target enrichment methods from historical koala samples without an assembled reference genome
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 28-03-2016
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.1847
Abstract: Background. Retroviral integration into the host germline results in permanent viral colonization of vertebrate genomes. The koala retrovirus (KoRV) is currently invading the germline of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) and provides a unique opportunity for studying retroviral endogenization. Previous analysis of KoRV integration patterns in modern koalas demonstrate that they share integration sites primarily if they are related, indicating that the process is currently driven by vertical transmission rather than infection. However, due to methodological challenges, KoRV integrations have not been comprehensively characterized. Results. To overcome these challenges, we applied and compared three target enrichment techniques coupled with next generation sequencing (NGS) and a newly customized sequence-clustering based computational pipeline to determine the integration sites for 10 museum Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) koala s les collected between the 1870s and late 1980s. A secondary aim of this study sought to identify common integration sites across modern and historical specimens by comparing our dataset to previously published studies. Several million sequences were processed, and the KoRV integration sites in each koala were characterized. Conclusions. Although the three enrichment methods each exhibited bias in integration site retrieval, a combination of two methods, Primer Extension Capture and hybridization capture is recommended for future studies on historical s les. Moreover, identification of integration sites shows that the proportion of integration sites shared between any two koalas is quite small.
Context‐dependent effects of large‐wildlife declines on small‐mammal communities in central Kenya
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1890/14-0995.1
Abstract: Many species of large wildlife have declined drastically worldwide. These reductions often lead to profound shifts in the ecology of entire communities and ecosystems. However, the effects of these large-wildlife declines on other taxa likely hinge upon both underlying abiotic properties of these systems and on the types of secondary anthropogenic changes associated with wildlife loss, making impacts difficult to predict. To better understand how these important contextual factors determine the consequences of large-wildlife declines on other animals in a community, we examined the effects of three common forms of large-wildlife loss (removal without replacement [using fences], removal followed by replacement with domestic stock, and removal accompanied by crop agricultural use) on small-mammal abundance, ersity, and community composition, in landscapes that varied in several abiotic attributes (rainfall, soil fertility, land-use intensity) in central Kenya. We found that small-mammal communities were indeed heavily impacted by all forms of large-wildlife decline, showing, on average: (1) higher densities, (2) lower species richness per site, and (3) different species assemblages in sites from which large wildlife were removed. However, the nature and magnitude of these effects were strongly context dependent. Rainfall, type of land-use change, and the interaction of these two factors were key predictors of both the magnitude and type of responses of small mammals. The strongest effects, particularly abundance responses, tended to be observed in low-rainfall areas. Whereas isolated wildlife removal primarily led to increased small-mammal abundance, wildlife removal associated with secondary uses (agriculture, domestic stock) had much more variable effects on abundance and stronger impacts on ersity and composition. Collectively, these results (1) highlight the importance of context in determining the impacts of large-wildlife decline on small-mammal communities, (2) emphasize the challenges in extrapolating results from controlled experimental studies to predict the effects of wildlife declines that are accompanied by secondary land-uses, and (3) suggest that, because of the context-dependent nature of the responses to large-wildlife decline, large-wildlife status alone cannot be reliably used to predict small-mammal community changes.
Evolutionary history of endemic Sulawesi squirrels constructed from UCEs and mitogenomes sequenced from museum specimens
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-04-2016
Species limits and distribution of the Malagasy carnivoran genus Eupleres (Family Eupleridae)
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 25-02-2010
Abstract: A review was conducted of members of the endemic Malagasy carnivoran genus Eupleres (family Eupleridae) based on published and unpublished records and museum specimens. Classically, one species has been recognized in this poorly known genus – E. goudotii , ided into two geographical forms with non-overlapping distributions: E. g. goudotii distributed in the mesic forests of the east and E. g. major found in the dry areas of the northwest. Drawing on external and craniodental comparisons, we demonstrate that these two forms are highly distinctive morphologically and can be readily distinguished from each another. Furthermore, there is some evidence that they both can occur on the slopes of Montagne d'Ambre in the far north of the island. On this basis, we recognize these taxa as distinct species, E. goudotii and E. major .
Biodiversity in Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 08-04-2005
Seascape context and predators override water quality effects on inshore coral reef fish communities
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-04-2016
Generic Revision in the Holarctic Ground Squirrel GenusSpermophilus
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-04-2009
Caribbean Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with description of a new species from Trinidad and Tobago
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-06-2017
Each flying fox on its own branch: A phylogenetic tree for Pteropus and related genera (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2014.03.009
Abstract: Pteropodidae is a erse Old World family of non-echolocating, frugivorous and nectarivorous bats that includes the flying foxes (genus Pteropus) and allied genera. The subfamily Pteropodinae includes the largest living bats and is distributed across an immense geographic range from islands in East Africa to the Cook Islands of Polynesia. These bats are keystone species in their ecosystems and some carry zoonotic diseases that are increasingly a focus of interest in biomedical research. Here we present a comprehensive phylogeny for pteropodines focused on Pteropus. The analyses included 50 of the ∼63 species of Pteropus and 11 species from 7 related genera. We obtained sequences of the cytochrome b and the 12S rRNA mitochondrial genes for all species and sequences of the nuclear RAG1, vWF, and BRCA1 genes for a subs le of taxa. Some of the sequences of Pteropus were obtained from skin biopsies of museum specimens including that of an extinct species, P. tokudae. The resulting trees recovered Pteropus as monophyletic, although further work is needed to determine whether P. personatus belongs in the genus. Monophyly of the majority of traditionally-recognized Pteropus species groups was rejected, but statistical support was strong for several clades on which we based a new classification of the Pteropus species into 13 species groups. Other noteworthy results emerged regarding species status of several problematic taxa, including recognition of P. capistratus and P. ennisae as distinct species, paraphyly of the P. hypomelanus complex, and conspecific status of P. pelewensis pelewensis and P. p. yapensis. Relationships among the pteropodine genera were not completely resolved with the current dataset. Divergence time analysis suggests that Pteropus originated in the Miocene and that two independent bursts of ersification occurred in the Pleistocene in different regions of the Indo-Pacific realm.
Molecular and Genomic Data Identify the Closest Living Relative of Primates
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 02-11-2007
Abstract: A full understanding of primate morphological and genomic evolution requires the identification of their closest living relative. In order to resolve the ancestral relationships among primates and their closest relatives, we searched multispecies genome alignments for phylogenetically informative rare genomic changes within the superordinal group Euarchonta, which includes the orders Primates, Dermoptera (colugos), and Scandentia (treeshrews). We also constructed phylogenetic trees from 14 kilobases of nuclear genes for representatives from most major primate lineages, both extant colugos, and multiple treeshrews, including the pentail treeshrew, Ptilocercus lowii , the only living member of the family Ptilocercidae. A relaxed molecular clock analysis including Ptilocercus suggests that treeshrews arose approximately 63 million years ago. Our data show that colugos are the closest living relatives of primates and indicate that their ergence occurred in the Cretaceous.
Context-Dependent Effects of Largewildlife Declines on Small-Mammal Communities in Central Kenya
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2015
Context-dependent effects of large-wildlife declines on small-mammal communities in central Kenya
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.5061/DRYAD.465TS
Mitogenomic phylogeny of the Asian colobine genus <i>Trachypithecus</i> with special focus on <i>Trachypithecus phayrei</i> (Blyth, 1847) and description of a new species
Publisher: Zoological Research
Date: 2020
Pacific Flying Foxes (Mammalia: Chiroptera): Two New Species of Pteropus from Samoa, Probably Extinct
Publisher: American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored)
Date: 25-07-2009
DOI: 10.1206/614.1
The mitochondrial genome sequence of the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 12-01-2009
Abstract: We report the first two complete mitochondrial genome sequences of the thylacine ( Thylacinus cynocephalus ), or so-called Tasmanian tiger, extinct since 1936. The thylacine's phylogenetic position within australidelphian marsupials has long been debated, and here we provide strong support for the thylacine's basal position in Dasyuromorphia, aided by mitochondrial genome sequence that we generated from the extant numbat ( Myrmecobius fasciatus ). Surprisingly, both of our thylacine sequences differ by 11%–15% from putative thylacine mitochondrial genes in GenBank, with one of our s les originating from a direct offspring of the previously sequenced in idual. Our data s le each mitochondrial nucleotide an average of 50 times, thereby providing the first high-fidelity reference sequence for thylacine population genetics. Our two sequences differ in only five nucleotides out of 15,452, hinting at a very low genetic ersity shortly before extinction. Despite the s les’ heavy contamination with bacterial and human DNA and their temperate storage history, we estimate that as much as one-third of the total DNA in each s le is from the thylacine. The microbial content of the two thylacine s les was subjected to metagenomic analysis, and showed striking differences between a wild-captured in idual and a born-in-captivity one. This study therefore adds to the growing evidence that extensive sequencing of museum collections is both feasible and desirable, and can yield complete genomes.
Diversity, distribution, and conservation of endemic island rodents
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2008
The systematic position of Pteropus leucopterus and its bearing on the monophyly and relationships of Pteropus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae)
Publisher: Museum and Institute of Zoology at the Polish Academy of Sciences
Date: 06-2008
Taxonomic status and conservation relevance of the raccoons ( Procyon spp.) of the West Indies
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2003
Sequence variation of koala retrovirus transmembrane protein p15E among koalas from different geographic regions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
In‐solution hybridization for mammalian mitogenome enrichment: pros, cons and challenges associated with multiplexing degraded DNA
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-08-2015
Abstract: Here, we present a set of RNA-based probes for whole mitochondrial genome in-solution enrichment, targeting a ersity of mammalian mitogenomes. This probes set was designed from seven mammalian orders and tested to determine the utility for enriching degraded DNA. We generated 63 mitogenomes representing five orders and 22 genera of mammals that yielded varying coverage ranging from 0 to >5400X. Based on a threshold of 70% mitogenome recovery and at least 10× average coverage, 32 in iduals or 51% of s les were considered successful. The estimated sequence ergence of s les from the probe sequences used to construct the array ranged up to nearly 20%. S le type was more predictive of mitogenome recovery than s le age. The proportion of reads from each in idual in multiplexed enrichments was highly skewed, with each pool having one s le that yielded a majority of the reads. Recovery across each mitochondrial gene varied with most s les exhibiting regions with gaps or ambiguous sites. We estimated the ability of the probes to capture mitogenomes from a ersity of mammalian taxa not included here by performing a clustering analysis of published sequences for 100 taxa representing most mammalian orders. Our study demonstrates that a general array can be cost and time effective when there is a need to screen a modest number of in iduals from a variety of taxa. We also address the practical concerns for using such a tool, with regard to pooling s les, generating high quality mitogenomes and detail a pipeline to remove chimeric molecules.
A Review ofPeroryctes broadbenti, the Giant Bandicoot of Papua New Guinea
Publisher: American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored)
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.1206/3696.2
Mentawai’s endemic, relictual fauna: is it evidence for Pleistocene extinctions on Sumatra?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-06-2012
Twentieth century occurrence of the Long-Beaked Echidna Zaglossus bruijnii in the Kimberley region of Australia
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 28-12-2012
Dire wolves were the last of an ancient New World canid lineage
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-01-2021
Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered marsupial Sarcophilus harrisii (Tasmanian devil)
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 27-06-2011
Abstract: The Tasmanian devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) is threatened with extinction because of a contagious cancer known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease. The inability to mount an immune response and to reject these tumors might be caused by a lack of genetic ersity within a dwindling population. Here we report a whole-genome analysis of two animals originating from extreme northwest and southeast Tasmania, the maximal geographic spread, together with the genome from a tumor taken from one of them. A 3.3-Gb de novo assembly of the sequence data from two complementary next-generation sequencing platforms was used to identify 1 million polymorphic genomic positions, roughly one-quarter of the number observed between two genetically distant human genomes. Analysis of 14 complete mitochondrial genomes from current and museum specimens, as well as mitochondrial and nuclear SNP markers in 175 animals, suggests that the observed low genetic ersity in today's population preceded the Devil Facial Tumor Disease disease outbreak by at least 100 y. Using a genetically characterized breeding stock based on the genome sequence will enable preservation of the extant genetic ersity in future Tasmanian devil populations.
Drivers of Intensity and Prevalence of Flea Parasitism on Small Mammals in East African Savanna Ecosystems
Publisher: American Society of Parasitologists
Date: 06-2015
DOI: 10.1645/14-684.1
Abstract: The relative importance of environmental factors and host factors in explaining variation in prevalence and intensity of flea parasitism in small mammal communities is poorly established. We examined these relationships in an East African savanna landscape, considering multiple host levels: across in iduals within a local population, across populations within species, and across species within a landscape. We s led fleas from 2,672 small mammals of 27 species. This included a total of 8,283 fleas, with 5 genera and 12 species identified. Across in idual hosts within a site, both rodent body mass and season affected total intensity of flea infestation, although the explanatory power of these factors was generally modest (<10%). Across host populations in the landscape, we found consistently positive effects of host density and negative effects of vegetation cover on the intensity of flea infestation. Other factors explored (host ersity, annual rainfall, anthropogenic disturbance, and soil properties) tended to have lower and less consistent explanatory power. Across host species in the landscape, we found that host body mass was strongly positively correlated with both prevalence and intensity of flea parasitism, while average robustness of a host species to disturbance was not correlated with flea parasitism. Cumulatively, these results provide insight into the intricate roles of both host and environmental factors in explaining complex patterns of flea parasitism across landscape mosaics.
The Earth BioGenome Project 2020: Starting the clock
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 18-01-2022
The hog-badger is not an edentate: systematics and evolution of the genusArctonyx(Mammalia: Mustelidae)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-2008
One Hundred Twenty Years of Koala Retrovirus Evolution Determined from Museum Skins
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-2013
Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-03-2018
The BCL2 selective inhibitor venetoclax induces rapid onset apoptosis of CLL cells in patients via a TP53-independent mechanism
Publisher: American Society of Hematology
Date: 23-06-2016
DOI: 10.1182/BLOOD-2016-01-688796
Abstract: Venetoclax potently induces rapid onset apoptosis of CLL cells in vitro and in vivo, independently of TP53 function. Objective responses in patients with del(17p) and/or TP53-mutated CLL are as deep as patients with no perturbation of TP53.
Echolocation Calls, Diet, and Phylogenetic Relationships of Stoliczka's Trident Bat, Aselliscus stoliczkanus (Hipposideridae)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-2007
The validity of three snow leopard subspecies: Response to Senn et al.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-02-2018
A gene-tree test of the traditional taxonomy of American deer: the importance of voucher specimens, geographic data, and dense sampling
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 14-09-2017
De Novo Variants in WDR37 Are Associated with Epilepsy, Colobomas, Dysmorphism, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability, and Cerebellar Hypoplasia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2019
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Mammals of Borneo – small size on a large island
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-01-2008
Notes on a collection of mammals from the Moluccas, with new geographic records
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2002
Global camera trap synthesis highlights the importance of protected areas in maintaining mammal diversity
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-01-2022
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12865
Abstract: The establishment of protected areas (PAs) is a central strategy for global bio ersity conservation. While the role of PAs in protecting habitat has been highlighted, their effectiveness at protecting mammal communities remains unclear. We analyzed a global dataset from over 8671 camera traps in 23 countries on four continents that detected 321 medium‐ to large‐bodied mammal species. We found a strong positive correlation between mammal taxonomic ersity and the proportion of a surveyed area covered by PAs at a global scale ( β = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.19–0.60) and in Indomalaya ( β = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.19–1.2), as well as between functional ersity and PA coverage in the Nearctic ( β = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.09–0.85), after controlling for human disturbances and environmental variation. Functional ersity was only weakly (and insignificantly) correlated with PA coverage at the global scale ( β = 0.22, 95% CI = −0.02–0.46), pointing to a need to better understand the functional response of mammal communities to protection. Our study provides important evidence of the global effectiveness of PAs in conserving terrestrial mammals and emphasizes the critical role of area‐based conservation in a post‐2020 bio ersity framework.
Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the Olinguito
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 15-08-2013
The Taxonomic Status of Mazama bricenii and the Significance of the Táchira Depression for Mammalian Endemism in the Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-06-2015
A new genus for a rare African vespertilionid bat: insights from South Sudan
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 05-04-2013
Mammals of Ungava and Labrador: the 1882–1884 field notes of Lucien M. Turner together with Inuit and Innu knowledge, edited by Scott A. Heyes and Kristofer M. Helgen
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-10-2014
Piecewise Disassembly of a Large-Herbivore Community across a Rainfall Gradient: The UHURU Experiment
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-02-2013
De Novo Variants in WDR37 Are Associated with Epilepsy, Colobomas, Dysmorphism, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability, and Cerebellar Hypoplasia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
Evidence for multiple species of Sunda colugo
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2008
Widespread male sex bias in mammal fossil and museum collections
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 03-09-2019
Abstract: The extent to which the fossil record provides an accurate picture of past life is an important issue that is often difficult to assess. We genetically sexed 277 mammalian subfossils using high-throughput sequencing of ancient DNA, and found a strong male bias (∼75%) in Pleistocene bison ( n = 186) and brown bears ( n = 91), matching signals previously reported for mammoth. Similarly, a male bias was also found in species of nearly all mammal orders in 4 large museum collections. For mammals, we suggest both male behavior and appearance can lead to increased chances of representation in fossil and museum collections, and this previously unrecognized sex bias could have substantial implications for views of past population and ecological processes.
Effects of mammalian herbivore declines on plant communities: observations and experiments in an A frican savanna
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-06-2013
Comment on “A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago”
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 19-11-2021
Abstract: Cooper et al . (Research Articles, 19 February 2021, p. 811) propose that the Lasch s geomagnetic inversion ~42,000 years ago drove global climatic shifts, causing major behavioral changes within prehistoric groups, as well as events of human and megafaunal extinction. Other scientific studies indicate that this proposition is unproven from the current archaeological, paleoanthropological, and genetic records.
New record of Melomys burtoni (Mammalia, Rodentia, Murinae) from Halmahera (North Moluccas, Indonesia): A review of Moluccan Melomys
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 22-06-2018
DOI: 10.1515/MAMMALIA-2016-0137
Abstract: Mosaic-tailed rodents of the genus Melomys belong to the Australasian old endemic murine radiation and exhibit a rat-like morphology with arboreal or scansorial specializations. Here we report a new population of Melomys burtoni from the island of Halmahera (in the North Moluccas, Indonesia). Our molecular phylogenetic results highlight close relationships and recent evolutionary ergences among M. burtoni from Halmahera and the Australo-Papuan taxa M. burtoni and M. lutillus and other Moluccan taxa, including M. paveli . Multivariate as well as geometric morphometric analyses of cranial, and dental features support the recognition of M. burtoni from Halmahera as a slightly distinctive insular population, preventing us from elevating it as a new taxa. This population is recorded from lowland secondary forest and forest edge habitats in south-central Halmahera. As with other Moluccan endemic murines, colonization by an Australo-Papuan ancestor and subsequent isolation is the probable mode of ersification for M. burtoni in Halmahera. The discovery of Melomys in Halmahera fills a previously puzzling gap in knowledge of the murine fauna of the Moluccas and the biogeography of the Wallacean region.
Ecological and evolutionary significance of sizes of giant extinct kangaroos
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/ZO05077
Abstract: A method, based on femoral circumference, allowed us to develop body mass estimates for 11 extinct Pleistocene megafaunal species of macropodids (Protemnodon anak, P. brehus, P. hopei, P. roechus, Procoptodon goliah, ‘P.’ gilli, Simosthenurus maddocki, S. occidentalis, Sthenurus andersoni, S. stirlingi and S. tindalei) and three fossil populations of the extant eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). With the possible exception of P. goliah, the extinct taxa were browsers, among which sympatric, congeneric species sort into size classes separated by body mass increments of 20–75%. None show evidence of size variation through time, and only the smallest (‘P.’ gilli) exhibits evidence suggestive of marked sexual dimorphism. The largest surviving macropodids (five species of Macropus) are grazers which, although sympatric, do not differ greatly in body mass today, but at least one species (M. giganteus) fluctuated markedly in body size over the course of the Pleistocene. Sexual dimorphism in these species is marked, and may have varied through time. There is some mass overlap between the extinct and surviving macropodid taxa. With a mean estimated body mass of 232 kg, Procoptodon goliah was the largest hopping mammal ever to exist.
White-nose syndrome fungus in a 1918 bat specimen from France
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 09-2017
Efficient cross-species capture hybridization and next-generation sequencing of mitochondrial genomes from noninvasively sampled museum specimens
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 31-08-2011
Abstract: The ability to uncover the phylogenetic history of recently extinct species and other species known only from archived museum material has rapidly improved due to the reduced cost and increased sequence capacity of next-generation sequencing technologies. One limitation of these approaches is the difficulty of isolating and sequencing large, orthologous DNA regions across multiple ergent species, which is exacerbated for museum specimens, where DNA quality varies greatly between s les and contamination levels are often high. Here we describe the use of cross-species DNA capture hybridization techniques and next-generation sequencing to selectively isolate and sequence partial to full-length mitochondrial DNA genomes from the degraded DNA of museum specimens, using probes generated from the DNA of a single extant species. We demonstrate our approach on specimens from an enigmatic gliding mammal, the Sunda colugo, which is widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia. We isolated DNA from 13 colugo specimens collected 47–170 years ago, and successfully captured and sequenced mitochondrial DNA from every specimen, frequently recovering fragments with 10%–13% sequence ergence from the capture probe sequence. Phylogenetic results reveal deep genetic ergence among colugos, both within and between the islands of Borneo and Java, as well as between the Malay Peninsula and different Sundaic islands. Our method is based on noninvasive s ling of minute amounts of soft tissue material from museum specimens, leaving the original specimen essentially undamaged. This approach represents a paradigm shift away from standard PCR-based approaches for accessing population genetic and phylogenomic information from poorly known and difficult-to-study species.
Molecular Confirmation of the Origin and Invasive Status of West Indian Raccoons
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 04-2008
Impacts of Inference Method and Data set Filtering on Phylogenomic Resolution in a Rapid Radiation of Ground Squirrels (Xerinae: Marmotini)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-09-2018
Abstract: Phylogenomic data sets are illuminating many areas of the Tree of Life. However, the large size of these data sets alone may be insufficient to resolve problematic nodes in the most rapid evolutionary radiations, because inferences in zones of extraordinarily low phylogenetic signal can be sensitive to the model and method of inference, as well as the information content of loci employed. We used a data set of $>$3950 ultraconserved element (UCE) loci from a classic mammalian radiation, ground-dwelling squirrels of the tribe Marmotini (Sciuridae: Xerinae), to assess sensitivity of phylogenetic estimates to varying per-locus information content across four different inference methods (RAxML, ASTRAL, NJst, and SVDquartets). Persistent discordance was found in topology and bootstrap support between concatenation- and coalescent-based inferences among methods within the coalescent framework and within all methods in response to different filtering scenarios. Contrary to some recent empirical UCE-based studies, filtering by information content did not promote complete among-method concordance. Nevertheless, filtering did improve concordance relative to randomly selected locus sets, largely via improved consistency of two-step summary methods (particularly NJst) under conditions of higher average per-locus variation (and thus increasing gene tree precision). The benefits of phylogenomic data set filtering are variable among classes of inference methods and across different evolutionary scenarios, reiterating the complexities of resolving rapid radiations, even with robust taxon and character s ling.
HepatozoonParasites (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) in Bats
Publisher: American Society of Parasitologists
Date: 08-2013
DOI: 10.1645/12-18.1
Abstract: We provide the first evidence of Hepatozoon parasites infecting bats. We sequenced a short fragment of the 18S rRNA gene (~600 base pairs) of Hepatozoon parasites from 3 Hipposideros cervinus bats from Borneo. Phylogenies inferred by model-based methods place these Hepatozoon within a clade formed by parasites of reptiles, rodents, and marsupials. We discuss the scenario that bats might be common hosts of Hepatozoon.
Signatures of landscape and captivity in the gut microbiota of Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-01-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S42523-020-00068-Y
Abstract: Herbivorous mammals co-opt microbes to derive energy and nutrients from diets that are recalcitrant to host enzymes. Recent research has found that captive management—an important conservation tool for many species—can alter the gut microbiota of mammals. Such changes could negatively impact the ability of herbivorous mammals to derive energy from their native diets, and ultimately reduce host fitness. To date, nothing is known of how captivity influences the gut microbiota of the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat (SHNW), a large herbivorous marsupial that inhabits South Australia. Here, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized the faecal microbiota of SHNWs in captivity and from three wild populations, two from degraded habitats and one from an intact native grass habitat. We found that captive SHNWs had gut microbiota that were compositionally different and less erse compared to wild SHNWs. There were major differences in gut microbiota community membership between captive and wild animals, both in statistically significant changes in relative abundance of microbes, and in the presence/absence of microbes. We also observed differences in microbial composition between wild populations, with the largest difference associated with native vs. degraded habitat. These results suggest that captivity has a major impact on the gut microbiota of SHNWs, and that different wild populations harbour distinct microbial compositions. Such findings warrant further work to determine what impacts these changes have on the fitness of SHNWs, and whether they could be manipulated to improve future management of the species.
Global trends and biases in new mammal species discoveries
Publisher: Museum of Texas Tech University
Date: 2007
A review of monotreme (Monotremata) evolution
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2022
Taxonomic revision of the genusGalictis(Carnivora: Mustelidae): species delimitation, morphological diagnosis, and refined mapping of geographical distribution
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-2013
Major mammalian clades: a review under consideration of molecular and palaeontological evidence
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2003
Correction for Miller et al., Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered marsupial Sarcophilus harrisii (Tasmanian devil)
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 05-10-2012
Taxonomy and historical distribution of the wallaby genus Lagostrophus
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1071/ZO02078
Abstract: The banded hare-wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus) is an endangered macropodid currently restricted to Bernier and Dorre Islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Historically, L. fasciatus was also recorded on the Australian mainland from far western Australia, where it became locally extinct early in the twentieth century. Here we discuss an overlooked museum specimen of L. fasciatus collected in the mid-nineteenth century near Adelaide, South Australia. This specimen considerably extends the known historical distribution of L. fasciatus, validates anecdotal reports of the species from South Australia made by early Australian naturalists, and forms the basis for our description of a new subspecies.
Taxonomy, distribution, and natural history of flying foxes (Chiroptera, Pteropodidae) in the Mortlock Islands and Chuuk State, Caroline Islands
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 29-10-2013
Declines in large wildlife increase landscape-level prevalence of rodent-borne disease in Africa
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 28-04-2014
Abstract: Understanding the effects of bio ersity loss on zoonotic disease is of pressing importance to both conservation science and public health. This paper provides experimental evidence of increased landscape-level disease risk following declines in large wildlife, using the case study of the rodent-borne zoonosis, bartonellosis, in East Africa. This pattern is driven not by changes in community composition or ersity of hosts, as frequently proposed in other systems, but by increases in abundance of susceptible hosts following large mammal declines. Given that rodent increases following large wildlife declines appear to be a widespread pattern, we suggest this relationship is likely to be general.
The Dogma of Dingoes—Taxonomic status of the dingo: A reply to Smith et al.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 04-03-2019
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4564.1.7
Abstract: Adopting the name Canis dingo for the Dingo to explicitly denote a species-level taxon separate from other canids was suggested by Crowther et al. (2014) as a means to eliminate taxonomic instability and contention. However, Jackson et al. (2017), using standard taxonomic and nomenclatural approaches and principles, called instead for continued use of the nomen C. familiaris for all domestic dogs and their derivatives, including the Dingo. (This name, C. familiaris, is applied to all dogs that derive from the domesticated version of the Gray Wolf, Canis lupus, based on nomenclatural convention.) The primary reasons for this call by Jackson et al. (2017) were: (1) a lack of evidence to show that recognizing multiple species amongst the dog, including the Dingo and New Guinea Singing Dog, was necessary taxonomically, and (2) the principle of nomenclatural priority (the name familiaris Linnaeus, 1758, antedates dingo Meyer, 1793). Overwhelming current evidence from archaeology and genomics indicates that the Dingo is of recent origin in Australia and shares immediate ancestry with other domestic dogs as evidenced by patterns of genetic and morphological variation. Accordingly, for Smith et al. (2019) to recognise Canis dingo as a distinct species, the onus was on them to overturn current interpretations of available archaeological, genomic, and morphological datasets and instead show that Dingoes have a deeply ergent evolutionary history that distinguishes them from other named forms of Canis (including C. lupus and its domesticated version, C. familiaris). A recent paper by Koepfli et al. (2015) demonstrates exactly how this can be done in a compelling way within the genus Canis—by demonstrating deep evolutionary ergence between taxa, on the order of hundreds of thousands of years, using data from multiple genetic systems. Smith et al. (2019) have not done this instead they have misrepresented the content and conclusions of Jackson et al. (2017), and contributed extraneous arguments that are not relevant to taxonomic decisions. Here we dissect Smith et al. (2019), identifying misrepresentations, to show that ecological, behavioural and morphological evidence is insufficient to recognise Dingoes as a separate species from other domestic dogs. We reiterate: the correct binomial name for the taxon derived from Gray Wolves (C. lupus) by passive and active domestication, including Dingoes and other domestic dogs, is Canis familiaris. We are strongly sympathetic to arguments about the historical, ecological, cultural, or other significance of the Dingo, but these are issues that will have to be considered outside of the more narrow scope of taxonomy and nomenclature.
Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 23-11-2016
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4196.3.9
Abstract: The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007 Donegan 2008, 2009 Nemésio 2009a–b Dubois 2009 Gentile & Snell 2009 Minelli 2009 Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016 Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016.
The amphibious murines of New Guinea (Rodentia, Muridae): the generic status of Baiyankamys and description of a new species of Hydromys
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 21-03-2005
Abstract: The hibious murine rodents of New Guinea have traditionally been classified in three genera: Hydromys E. Geoffroy, 1804, Parahydromys Poche, 1906, and Crossomys Thomas, 1907. Species currently classified in Hydromys can be further ided into two cladistic groups: species distributed in lowland habitats (below 2000 m) with glossy, dark brown dorsal pelage, and species restricted to upper montane rivers and lakes (generally above 2000 m) with soft, silvery grey dorsal pelage. These two groups differ not only in pelage traits and habitat association but also in craniodental and phallic anatomy. The generic-level name Baiyankamys Hinton, 1943, is resurrected for the latter cluster (which includes two species, B. shawmayeri of eastern New Guinea and B. habbema of west-central New Guinea). Additionally, a new species of Hydromys (H. ziegleri n. sp.) is described from the southern foothills of the Prince Alexander Range of Papua New Guinea. Mammalian zoogeography in the North Coast Ranges, an area of considerable geographicallyrestricted mammalian endemism, is reviewed.
Biology Needs a Modern Assessment System for Professional Productivity
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-2011
Widespread Denisovan ancestry in Island Southeast Asia but no evidence of substantial super-archaic hominin admixture
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-03-2021
Effects of Land Use on Plague (Yersinia pestis) Activity in Rodents in Tanzania
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 04-2015
Related Organisations
National Museum Of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Location: United States of America
Related Funding Activities
ARC Centres Of Excellence - Grant ID: CE170100015
Start Date: 06-2017
End Date: 12-2024
Amount: $33,750,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityARC Centres Of Excellence - Grant ID: CE230100009
Start Date: 07-2024
End Date: 06-2031
Amount: $35,000,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity