A taxonomic revision of the Nematotaeniidae Lühe, 1910 (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea)

A taxonomic revision of the Nematotaeniidae, involving the examination of over 400 specimens, was undertaken. Some new taxonomic characters have been introduced to allow distinction of the various species. The family contains 18 recognized species in four genera. The genusNematotaenia Lühe, 1910 contains four species, namelyN. chantalae Dollfus, 1957,N. dispar (Goeze, 1782) Lühe, 1910,N. hylae Hickman, 1960, andN. tarentolae Lopez-Neyra, 1944.N. kashmirensis Fotedar, 1966,N. dollfusi, Yuen & Fernando, 1974 andN. viride Mokhtar-Maamouri & Chakroun, 1984 are considered junior synonyms ofN. dispar. N. aurangabadensis Chincholikar & Shinde, 1975,N. lopezneyrai Soler, 1945 andN. mabuiae Shinde, 1968 are consideredspecies inquirendae: the latter species probably belongs in the genusOochoristica Lühe, 1898 (Anoplocephalidae: Linstowiinae). The genusCylindrotaenia Jewell, 1916 is shown to possess two testes per segment and not one as originally proposed:Baerietta Hsü, 1935 is consequently synonymized withCylindrotaenia. Cylindrotaenia is divided into five species-groups on the basis of adult morphology. The first group contains two American species, namelyC. americana Jewell, 1916 andC. idahoensis (Waitz & Mehra, 1961) n. comb. The second group contains species from Australia and New Zealand, namelyC. allisonae (Schmidt, 1980), n. comb.,C. criniae (Hickman, 1960) n. comb.,C. decidua (Ainsworth, 1985) n. comb.,C. hickmani (Jones, 1985) n. comb. andC. minor (Hickman, 1960) n. comb. A third species group consists ofC. jaegerskioeldi (Janicki, 1926) n. comb.,C. magna n. sp. andC. philauti Crusz & Sanmugasunderam, 1971 and occurs in Africa, Sri Lanka and Japan. The fourth group, apparently restricted to Japan, contains a single species,C. japonica (Yamaguti, 1938) n. comb. The fifth group containsC. montana (Yamaguti, 1954) n. comb. and occurs in Japan and Tibet.C. quadrijugosa Lawler, 1939 is synonymized withC. americana, andBaerietta claviformis Yamaguti, 1954 is synonymized withC. japonica. C. baeri (Hsü, 1935) n. comb.,C. chilensis (Puga & Franjola, 1983) n. comb.,C. diana (Helfer, 1948) Lehmann, 1960,C. malayi (Yuen & Fernando, 1974) n. comb. andC. roonwali Nama, 1972 arespecies inquirendae. The genusDistoichometra, Dickey 1921 contains a single species, namelyD. bufonis Dickey, 1921.D. kozloffi Douglas, 1958 andBaerietta enteraneides (Helfer, 1948) Yamaguti, 1959 are reduced to synonymy withD. bufonis. Bitegmen n. g. is proposed to accomodate a single species,B. gerrhonoti (Telford, 1965) n. comb., which was previously included in the genusBaerietta. The present distribution of the Nematotaeniidae is largely related to that of their anuran hosts. Nematotaeniids probably arose in Gondwanaland.     

Drei neue Polychaeten-Arten der Familien Polynoidae und Syllidae von Neu-Kaledonien,assoziiert mit einer verkalkten Hydrozoe

Three new species are described:Lagisca zibrowii (Polynoidae) andProcerastea hydrozoicola andP. parasimpliseta (Syllidae), living in association with a calcified hydrozoan, probably of the genusPseudosolanderia (Rosalindidae). The genusParaprocerastea is synonymized withProcerastea.     

Genetic divergence and relationship among fifteen species of generaTrachurus,Decapterus, Selar andSelaroides

Genetic distance and the relationships among 15 species of generaTrachurus, Decapterus,Selar, andSelaroides were estimated from 18 electrophoretically detectable isozyme genes. Estimates of genetic distance (D) between every pair of species within the genusTrachurus ranged from 0.005 to 0.560 with a mean of 0.322, and from 0.484 to 1.868 with a mean of 1.022 within the genusDecapterus. Between species of different genera, estimates of D ranged from 0.786 to 2.863 with a mean of 1.784. From these results,Decapterus species could be considered as having evolved over a long period whileTrachurus is a newly arisen genus. A relationship among species suggests that theDecapterus species are expanded to offshore and deep area after being divided into some groups, and that theTrachurus species are divided presumably into at least two groups, one group of which is coastal and the other of which is offshore.Trachurus japonicus andTrachurus novaezelandiae could be considered subspecies on the basis of allelic distribution and genetic distance.     

Molecular phylogeny and phylogeography ofLupinus (Leguminosae) inferred from nucleotide sequences of therbcL gene and ITS 1 + 2 regions of rDNA

Total DNA was extracted from 55 species of theLeguminosae (including 29 species ofLupinus). The chloroplast generbcL and the ITS 1 + 2 regions of nuclear RNA genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced directly. The sequences obtained were evaluated with character state (Maximum Parsimony) and distance methods (Neighbour Joining). Phylogenetic trees obtained with both data sets and methods are mostly congruent.Genisteae andCrotalarieae are sister groups and share ancestry with theThermopsideae/Podalyrieae. The genusLupinus, which forms a monophyletic clade within theGenisteae, shows a distinct Old-New World disjunction and appears to be divided into several more or less distinct groups: (1) The species from the eastern part of South America. (2) The homogeneous rough-seeded group (Scabrispermae) of the Old World species which is well distinguished from the smooth-seeded group (Malacospermae). (3) Within the rather heterogeneous smooth-seeded lupins a smaller subgroup withL. angustifolius, L. hispanicus andL. luteus is recognized. (4) Also separated are North American lupins and South American species with a western distribution. Genetic distances imply that the genusLupinus evolved during the last 12–14 million years, ruling out the hypothesis that the present Old-New World disjunction can be interpreted as a result of the continental drift. The genetic data suggest an origin in the Old World and an independant colonisation of the Eastern parts of South America as opposed to North America and the Western parts of South America.     

Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation and interspecies relationships of the genusChlorella (Chlorophyceae)

Phylogenetic relationships within the genusChlorella were studied by means of DNA/DNA hybridization under both optimal and relaxed reassociation conditions as well as by determination of the thermal stability of hybrid DNA duplexes. The results indicate a relationship betweenC. fusca var.fusca, C. fusca var.rubescens, C. fusca var.vacuolata, and the genusScenedesmus. In addition, the strains endosymbiotic withParamecium bursaria seem to be related with theC. vulgaris/sorokiniana group. The relations between most other species, however, could not be sufficiently resolved by the above methods. This implies considerable phylogenetic divergency within the genusChlorella.     

Chloroplast DNA restriction site variation in theVernonieae (Asteraceae), an initial appraisal of the relationship of New and Old World taxa and the monophyly ofVernonia

Chloroplast DNA restriction site variation was examined for 35 taxa in theVernonieae and four outgroup tribes, using 17 restriction enzymes mapped for ca. 900 restriction sites per species; 139 mutations were found to be phylogenetically informative. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using Wagner and weighted parsimony, and evaluated by bootstrap and decay analyses. Relationships of Old and New World taxa indicate complex geographical relationships; there was no clear geographic separation by hemisphere. The relationships between Old and New World Vernonias found here support prior morphological analyses. The sister group to all New and most Old World taxa was composed of a small group of Old World species including yellow-flowered, trinervate-leaved species previously postulated to be basal in the tribe. The majority of both New and Old World taxa are derived from a lineage beginning with the monotypic genusStokesia, an endemic of the southeastern United States. The genusVernonia was also found to be paraphyletic within both the New and Old World. Available data do not support either the separation ofVernonia or the tribeVernonieae into geographically distinct lineages. The pattern of relationships within theVernonieae for taxa from North America, Asia, Africa, Central and South America is most similar to that of several other groups of both plants and animals with a boreotropical origin, rather than an origin in Gondwanaland. Such a pattern of distribution suggests more ancient vicariant events than are routinely postulated for theAsteraceae.     

Studies on generaMallomonas andSynura,and other plankton in freshwater with the electron microscope

A new genusSpiniferomonas of the Synuraceae was established withSpiniferomonas bourrellii as the type species. The cells ofSpiniferomonas are solitary, freeswimming, biflagellated, and covered with siliceous scales and spines. The genus shows a similarity to theChrysosphaerella (Synuraceae) in the structure of scales and spines. In addition to the type species, six species were also described as the new taxa of this genus. They were named asS. abei, S. bilacunosa, S. trioralis, S. crucigera, S. conica, andS. alata, respectively. All the specimens were collected from ponds and lakes in Japan.S. trioralis was also collected from the Republic of South Africa. Dedicated to Professor Dr. NoboruAbe in celebration of his sixty-fifth birthday.     

Phylogenetic relationships ofPseudopanax species (Araliaceae) inferred from parsimony analysis of rDNA sequence data and morphology

Sequence data from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA and data from morphology, cytology and wood anatomy are used to study phylogenetic relationships inPseudopanax. The molecular and non-molecular data are analysed as independent data sets and in combination using parsimony. Results supported the conclusion that the genusPseudopanax is polyphyletic.Pseudopanax species emerge in two major monophyletic groups. The Anomalus group containsPseudopanax anomalus, P. edgerleyi, andP. simplex; these species share a common ancestor withCheirodendron trigynum and more distantly withPseudopanax gunnii. The second major group consists of two smaller groups: the Arboreus group, includingPseudopanax arboreus, P. colensoi, P. kermadecensis, P. laetus, andP. macintyrei, and the Crassifolius/Discolor group, includingP. chathamicus, P. crassifolius, P. discolor, P. ferox, P. gilliesii, P. lessonii, andP. linearis. Meryta species are close relatives of thePseudopanax Arboreus and Crassifolius/Discolor groups.     

Karyotypic evolution,morphological variability and phylogeny inMedicago sect.Intertextae

Karyotype and external morphological analyses were conducted onMedicago ciliaris, M. intertexta, M. muricoleptis andM. granadensis which comprise theIntertextae section of the genusMedicago. All species were found to have 2n = 16 chromosomes (= 2 ×), including one pair of satellite chromosomes in each respective complement. Karyotypic evolution in theIntertextae involves changes in absolute chromosome size and in centromeric and relative size symmetry. Numerical taxonomic analyses were conducted independently on 17 karyotypic features and on 16 features of external morphology. The results of the two sets of analyses proved comparable, withM. ciliaris andM. intertexta forming a fairly close pair, and the remaining two species appearing to have more distant relationships to each other and to the first pair. These observations are consistent with the infertility relationships and chorologies of the species. It is suggested thatM. muricoleptis andM. granadensis are derived from theM. ciliaris/intertexta species complex withM. granadensis arising fromM. muricoleptis, or these two species independently evolving from a common species complex. Chromosomal and numerical analyses suggest thatM. ciliaris is the most primitive andM. granadensis the most derived species of theIntertextae.     

Molecular phylogeny ofSalicaceae and closely relatedFlacourtiaceae: Evidence from 5.8 S, ITS 1 and ITS 2 of the rDNA

A ribosomal DNA region, including the entire 5.8S RNA gene and the internal transcribed spacers ITS 1 and ITS 2, was used for studying the phylogeny ofSalicaceae and the relationship betweenSalicaceae andFlacourtiaceae. The length of the ITS regions withinSalicaceae andFlacourtiaceae was similar to that found in other angiosperms. The GC content of both ITS regions was high, varying 62.7-72.2%. The most parsimonious tree clusters the wind-pollinatedChosenia bracteosa among theSalix species, suggesting that it should be included in the genusSalix. The grouping withinSalix leaves subg.Salix as paraphyletic, for which reason the subgeneric division is questionable.Populus was monophyletic and formed a sister group toSalix. The interspecific variation of the ITS sequences was very small inSalicaceae, which is in contradiction to the age of the group according to the evidence from fossil data.Idesia polycarpa fromFlacourtiaceae shows great sequence similarity withSalicaceae, but the analysis of 5.8S rDNA supports monophyly of the four species ofFlacourtiaceae sampled for this study.     

Ceratobregma striata,a new triplefin (Tripterygiidae) from northern Australia,and a record ofNorfolkia brachylepis from western Australia

A new species of tripterygiid fish, belonging to the recently described genusCeratobregma Holleman, 1987, is characterized by a total of 17 spines in the second dorsal fin, 8 rays in the third dorsal fin, 20 anal fin rays (spines+rays = 22), 14 + 21 lateral line scales, a total of 35–37 lateral scale series, small spiny scales on the sides of the head behind the eye and on the upper cheeks, 14 vertical dark stripes along the upper sides of the body, and 8 basal blotches on the second dorsal fin. A key to the species ofCeratobregma is presented.Norfolkia brachylepis is described and recorded from northwestern Australia.Norfolkia springen is synonymized withN. brachylepis.     

The natural delimitation ofCentaurea (Asteraceae: Cardueae): ITS sequence analysis of theCentaurea jacea group

Taxonomic complexity has hindered partitioning the genusCentaurea into natural subdivisions, even though it has long been recognized as an unwieldy, artificial assemblage. Most of the remaining difficulties center in theCentaurea jacea group, whose taxa share a common advanced type of pollen. Because it comprises half the species of the genusCentaurea, as well as five other disputed genera previously segregated fromCentaurea (Chartolepis, Cheirolepis, Cnicus, Grossheimia andTomanthea), theCentaurea jacea group is a significant taxonomic challenge. Newer molecular approaches are useful for resolving complex relationships because they provide more precise inferences of evolutionary relationships than traditional morphological characters. Sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA were analyzed for a comprehensive sample of this group. Results indicated that theCentaurea jacea group is monophyletic and includes the segregated genera, but not two other genera (Oligochaeta andZoegea), whose inclusion in theCentaurea jacea group was doubtful. In addition to pollen morphology, the ITS phylogeny is also supported by karyological evidence and by good correlation with biogeographic distribution of the species. The monophyly of theCentaurea jacea group suggests that a natural delimitation ofCentaurea that minimizes nomenclatural changes is possible, but only if a new type of the genus is designated.     

Molecular reexamination of korean umbelliferae based on internal transcribed spacer sequences of rDNA:Ligusticum tenuissimum (Nakai) Kitagawa andLibanotis coreana (Wolff) kitagawa

The taxonomic status ofLigusticum tenuissimum (Nakai) Kitagawa andLibanotis coreana (Wolff) Kitagawa has been controversial in Korea. We examined their phylogenetic relationships by comparing the internal transcribed spacer (=ITS) sequences of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (=rDNA) with another seven species in the Korean Umbelliferae. Our results support the legitimacy of the nomenclatural combination withL. tenuissimum Kitagawa rather than withAngelica tenuissima Nakai. We also suggest usingL coreana (Wolff) Kitagawa instead ofSeseli coreanum Wolff becauseL. coreana has been completely separated from most taxa of the genusSeseli. In addition, we have confirmed at least three phylogenetic lines in the genusLigusticum. One is the core group ofLigusticum that comprisesL tenuissimum and four other species. This clade includes theLigusticum hultenii line andLigusticum scothicum, known as an anomaly ofLigusticum. The second clade is composed ofLigusticum physospermifolium withSeseli monatum, which indicates the polyphyly ofLigusticum. The third line isLigusticum acutilobum, clustered as a sister grade ofDystaenia.     

Morphological, physiological and molecular genetic characterization ofArabidopsis himalaica, with reference toA. thaliana

Arabidopsis himalaica (Edgeworth) O.E. Schulz, a poorly characterized species typical of HimalayanArabidopsis, was analyzed in terms of its morphology, physiology, chromosome number and molecular genetics, in comparison withA. thaliana which is the standard species in the genusArabidopsis. From view point of developmental genetics, several features which are specific toA. himalaica seem not to be derived by single-gene mutations inA. thaliana. Phylogenetic analyses based onrbcL sequences suggested that genusArabidopsis is not monophyletic. The detailed characterization ofA. himalaica should provide clues to understand the trait of evolution of particular features of Himalayan species ofArabidopsis and their genetic basis.     

Phylogenetics and Evolution of theDaphnia longispinaGroup (Crustacea) Based on 12S rDNA Sequence and Allozyme Variation

Although members of the crustacean genusDaphniahave been the target of much research, there is little understanding of the group's evolutionary history. We addressed this gap by inferring a phylogeny for one of the major species groups (longispina) using nucleotide sequence variation of a 525-bp segment of the mitochondrial 12S rDNA and allozyme variation at 21 loci. We identified the major lineages and their relationships, assessed the phylogenetic utility of the few morphological characters in the group, and examinedDaphniaphylogeography. Nuclear and mtDNA phylogenies were generally concordant in recognizing the same four species complexes. An exception was the position ofDaphnia galeata mendotae.The allozyme tree paired this species with theDaphnia rosealineage, whereas the mtDNA trees groupedD. g. mendotaewithDaphnia galeata galeata.This discordance was consistent with the reticulate evolution of nuclear genes supporting the hypothesis thatD. g. mendotaerepresents a case of homoploid hybrid speciation. Striking morphological stasis in thelongispinagroup was evidenced by its very limited morphological divergence over an estimated 100 MY, and by the unusual transitional saturation of the conservative 12S rRNA gene within a species group. Phylogenetic inference also provided evidence that similarities in cephalic crest shape likely resulted from convergent or parallel evolution among species. Endemism at the continental level was indicated for previously cosmopolitan species, but the estimated times of these divisions were inconsistent with vicariance events suggesting recent dispersal among continents. A significant role for divergent selection in new habitats during speciation was suggested by the neighboringly sympatric distributions of four sister species pairs over broad geographic areas.     

A serological contribution to the systematics of the genusLupinus (Fabaceae)

The immunological comparison of the seed reserve proteins suggests thatLupinus is a natural genus, the American and the Euro-African species belonging to the same stock. Among the Lupines of the Old World, the smooth-seeded and the rough-seeded species from two natural segregates. The genusLupinus is serologically related to the rest of theGenisteae and to the AsiaticSophoreae rather than to AmericanSophoreae andThermopsideae. The data suggest thatLupinus may have originated with the remainder of theGenisteae from primitiveSophoreae of temperate-subtropical Asia. America and the Mediterranean-African region are regarded as secondary centres of speciation.     

Relationships among the bdellovibrios revealed by partial sequences of 16S ribosomal RNA

Members of the genusBdellovibrio possess the unifying phenotypic trait of attacking and preying upon other Gram-negative bacteria. It has been suggested that this common lifestyle arose by convergent evolution. Physiological and G + C studies have led to the notion that bdellovibrios are a heterogeneous group of loosely related bacteria. We have inferred the phylogenetic relatedness of 12 strains ofBdellovibrio through the analysis of partial 16S ribosomal RNA sequences. Similarity and degree of homology were assessed, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed by the distance matrix method. One branch of the two-branched tree consisted ofB. bacteriovorus and related strains (W, 6-5-S, 109, 109D, 109J, 114, HI Ox9-2, and HI Ox9-3). The other branch was itself branched, withB. starrii, B. stolpii, and marine strain BM4 in separate sub-branches. AllBdellovibrio strains in turn clustered with representatives of the delta division of theProteobacteria. The results indicate that there are at least two subdivisions of the genusBdellovibrio and that present-day bdellovibrios arose from a common ancestor. The placement of the genusBdellovibrio within the delta division of theProteobacteria was confirmed.     

Identification of Planococcus citri (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) and the description of a new species

Planococcus pacificus sp.n. is described from the South Pacific, Australia and South East Asia. P.citricus is synonymized with P.citri. A key and illustrations are given to separate the species discussed from each other and from the similar P.ficus group.     

Genomic studies on killer yeasts belonging to the genusPichia

Twenty-four species belonging to the genusPichia were investigated using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and Southern blot hybridization of their genomic DNA.Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis, Williopsis mrakii andCandida albicans were also included in this study. The RFLP patterns were obtained from digestion of yeast DNA with several restriction endonuclease enzymes, and showed various bands with different mobility; in most isolates, the more deeply stained bands were species-specific. This observation was confirmed by the results obtained from Southern blot hybridization of theEcoRI andXhoI RFLP patterns withP. anomala UCSC 25F DNA, digested with the same enzymes, used as probes. These bands are likely to be ribosomal DNA as shown by hybridization of digested DNA from unrelated yeast species (S. cerevisiae, K. lactis andC. albicans). However, one hybridized band, located at 3.9–4.1 Kb, seems to be peculiar to thePichia species. Our study confirms the usefulness of molecular tools in studying genetic relatedness among yeasts.