Phylogenetic relationships, biogeography and speciation in the avian genus Saxicola

The avian genus Saxicola is distributed throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and various islands across Oceania. Despite the fact that the group has great potential as a model to test evolutionary hypotheses due to the extensive variability in life history patterns recorded between and within species, the phylogenetic relationships among species and subspecies of this genus are poorly understood. We undertook a systematic investigation of the relationships within this genus with three main objectives in mind, (1) to test the monophyly of the genus; (2) to ascertain geographical origin and dispersal sequence; and (3) to test for monophyly within the most morphologically diverse species, S. torquata and S. caprata. We studied sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from 11 of the 12 recognized species and 15 of the 45 described subspecies. Four clades, two exclusively Asian, one Eurasian, and the fourth encompassing Eurasia and Africa, were identified. Based on our analyses, monophyly of the genus Saxicola is not supported and an Asian origin for the genus can be inferred. Results from DIVA analyses, tree topology and nodal age estimates suggest independent colonisation events from Asia to Africa and from Asia to the Western Palearctic, with the Sahara desert acting as a natural barrier for S. torquata. Subspecies and populations of S. torquata are not monophyletic due to S. tectes, S. dacotiae and S. leucura grouping within this complex. Subspecies and populations of S. caprata are monophyletic. Importantly, within S. torquata and S. caprata, slight morphological traits and plumage colour pattern differences used to recognize subspecies are indicative of the greater cryptic diversification that has occurred within this genus.     

Notes on the Genus Sonneratia (Sonneratiaceae) in S. E. Asia

Sonneratia, a small genus of Sonneratiaceae, is widely distributed throughout SE. Asia, E. Africa and N. Australia, extending from 18˚S. to 20˚N. and from 45˚ to 150˚E. In China it occurs only in the Hainan Island. In this paper, two new sections areproposed and six species are recognized, of which one is described as new.     

A Preliminary Study on the Floristic Features of the Genus Burmannia in China

The genus Burmannaia is one of the largest genera in the Burmanniaceae, of which 12 species have been recorded in China. It is mainly a tropical genus. The species in China are all confined to the region south of Yangtze River. They are distributed chiefly in the provinces Guangdong (9 species) and Yunnan (6 species). After having studied the areas of all the species in China, we are able to classify them into following 4 area-types: 1. Area-type of Tropical Asia to Tropical Australia. The two non-saprophytic species (Burmannia disticha, B. caelestis) and one saprophytic (B. championii) belong to this area-type. It is an ancient type. The plants of this type mostly have a wide ecological amplitude, for example, B. disticha may be found in tropical and subtropical regions. The plants occur not only in evergreen forests, in bushs, but also in rather arid herbosa and on the side of streams (Fig. 2). 2. Area-type of Tropical SE Asia. In the type are 3 saprophytic species i.e. B. oblonga, B. wallichii and B. nepalensis. 3. Area-type of E. Asia. (Fig. 3) Burmannia in China with E. Asian distribution is poor in species. There are only 2 saprophytic species. B. cryptopetala is distri-buted in Haina (China), Kyushu and Honshu (Japan); B. itoana occurs in Taiwan (China), Riukiu and Kyushu (Japan). They are known only on the islands of E. Asia. Such a pattern of distribution may suggest connection of these islands once in the prehistoric time in spite of their present isolation. 4. Endemic area-type. (Fig. 4). Here are 3 saprophytic species and one variety with green leaves. B. nana occurs only in E. Taiwan. One of the two new species described by present author in this paper, B. fadouensis, is known from Xichou Xiao, S. E. Yunnan, to Longzhou Xian of the province Gaunxi; the other one, B. pingbienensis occurs only in Pinbien Xian of S. E. Yunnan. The last species is endemic to China. B. pusilla var. hongkongensis is non-saprophytic and known from the province Guangdong and its bordering islands. Both B. fadouensis and B. pingbienensis are characterized by the axillary bulbils, which enable them to adapt to rather arid and cold condi-tions in northern part of the tropical region.     

橐吾属的起源、演化与地理分布

橐吾属Ligularia Cass．是菊科千里光族款冬亚族的一个大属。在款冬亚族中本属与大吾风草属 Farfugium Lindl．亲缘关系最近,但进化程度较高。本属包括6组,11系129种。所有种类均分布在 亚洲,仅2种扩散至欧洲。在东亚地区有119种,占该属总种数的96％。高度集中在横断山区的有4组、 6系67种,其中61种为特有种,占该属总组数的66％,总系数的54．5％,总种数的52％。这个事实 表明了横断山区是该属的多度中心和多样化中心。通过性状分析,伞房组伞房系Sect．Corymbosae, Ser．Calthifoliae叶肾形,具掌状叶脉,头状花序大而少,排列呈伞房状,总苞半球形,被认为是该属的 原始类群。原始种齿叶橐吾L. dentata和鹿蹄橐吾L.hodgsonii的分布区从我国四川东部经过湖北、湖 南、安徽、福建等省至日本。这个分布格局与近缘属大吴风草属Farfugium一致。 根据共同起源原理,这两个属的祖先极有可能就发生在这一地区。因此我们推测东亚地区从中国四 川东部至日本这一地区是本属的发源地,然而根据地质历史和现代分布,作者认为中国中部(包括四川 东部)是本属的初始起源地。该属起源后,基本上沿亚洲南缘的山地扩散,少数种类向东北至亚洲东北部。本属起源时间至少不晚于中白垩纪。     

The Origin,Evolution and Distribution of Ligularia Cass. (Compositae)

The genus Ligularia Cass. is one of the large genera in Compositae-SenecioneaeTussilagininae. In subtrib. Tussilaginae, Ligularia is closely related to, but more advanced than, the genus Farfugium Lindl. It includes six sections, 11 series and 129 species. All the taxa are distributed in Asia with only two species extending to Europe. There are 119 species in E. Asia, Comprising 96 % of the world total. The highest concentration of species in E. Asia occurs in the Hengduan Mountains. In this area there are four section, six series and 67 species, of which 61 species are local endemics; thus 66% of sections, 54.5% of series and about 52 % of species in the world occur in this small area, indicating that it is a major distribution centre for Ligularia. According to character analysis, sect. Corymbosae ser. Calthifoliae with 5 species was considered as the most primitive group in this genus, which has reniform leaves, palmate veins, a few large capitula (arranging in Corymb-like inflorescence), and semispherical involucre etc. The primitive species, L. dentata and L. hodgsonii, are distributed from E. Sichuan to Japan via Hubei, Hunnan, Anhui, Fujian. This distribution pattern is consistent with that of its allied genus, Farfugium. According to the principle of common origin, the ancestors of the two genera appeared most probably in the same area. It was inferred that the area from E. Sichuan of China to Japan was the original area of the genus Ligularia, However, on the basis of geological history and the modern distribution of this genus, the author considers that central China with E. Sichuan might be the primary original area of Ligularia. Its dispersal route was mainly along the mountains of southern margin of Asia, with relatively few members dispersed northea stwards to NE. Asia. The origi-nal time of the genus Ligularia was at least not later than the middle Cretaceous.     

中国圆鳞蚁属一新种记述(膜翅目:蚁科)

A new species of the ant genus Epitritus Emery, E. dayui sp. nov., is collected in Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, China. Up to date, 4 species of the genus are known in China: E. hexamerus Brown, E. formosus Terayama, Lin et Wu, E. hirashimai Ogata, and E. dayui sp. nov. A key based on worker and female castes is proposed for the 4 known species of Epitritus of East Asia.     

Taxonomic revision of the East Asian genus Scleropteroides Colonnelli, 1979 (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Ceutorhynchinae)

The genus Scleropteroides Colonnelli, 1979 (Ceutorhynchinae: Scleropterini) was revised on the basis of detailed morphological observations. The genus was redefined to include three species from East Asia: S. hypocrita (Hustache, 1916) is redescribed and recorded from northeastern China and northern Korea for the first time; S. horridulus (Voss, 1958) is redescribed with new records from southern Korea; S. insularis Voss, 1971 was moved from synonymy with S. hypocrita to that with S. horridulus (syn. n.), and S. longiprocessus Huang & Yoshitake, sp. n. is described as new, sympatric with S. hypocrita in Japan. All the species are associated with woody Rubus species (Rosaceae). A key to species, habitus photographs, illustrations of important characters, and distribution maps are provided for each species.     

Phylogenetic relationships of Ansonia from Southeast Asia inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: Systematic and biogeographic implications (Anura: Bufonidae)

We investigated the phylogenetic relationships and estimated the history of species diversification and biogeography in the bufonid genus Ansonia from Southeast Asia, a unique organism with tadpoles adapted to life in strong currents chiefly in montane regions and also in lowland rainforests. We estimated phylogenetic relationships among 32 named and unnamed taxa using 2461 bp sequences of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, tRNA^val, and 16S rRNA genes with equally-weighted parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods of inference. Monophyletic clades of Southeast Asian members of the genus Ansonia are well-supported, allowing for the interpretation of general biogeographic conclusions. The genus is divided into two major clades. One of these contains two reciprocally monophyletic subclades, one from the Malay Peninsula and Thailand and the other from Borneo. The other major clade primarily consists of Bornean taxa but also includes a monophyletic group of two Philippine species and a single peninsular Malaysian species. We estimated absolute divergence times using Bayesian methods with external calibration points to reconstruct the relative timing of faunal exchange between the major landmasses of Southeast Asia.     

中国地衣新记录属——裂孔衣属

该文报道了中国文字衣科地衣一新记录属——裂孔衣属(Schizotrema Mangold & Lumbsch)及其1个新记录种,即瓜岛裂孔衣 [Schizotrema guadeloupense(Hale)Mangold & Lumbsch],标本来自云南。该属主要特征为地衣体壳状,树皮生,具子囊盘类或色盘衣类的子囊果,子囊果具再生层状边缘,固有盘被融合或不明显,具侧生侧丝,子囊孢子横隔透镜或砖壁型。瓜岛裂孔衣也是亚洲新记录种。此外,该文还对裂孔衣属其他5种的生态分布特征进行了描述,并提供了该属世界范围检索表。以上结果为文字衣科地衣的分类学研究提供了基础资料。     

The Origin,Dispersal and Formation of the Distribution Pattern of Swertia L. (Gentianaceae)

The genus Swertia is one of the large genera in Gentianaceae, including 154 species, 16 series and 11 sections. It is disjunctly distributed in Europe, Asia, Africa and N. America, but entirely absent from Oceania and S. America. According to Takhtajan’s (1978) regionalization of the world flora, Swertia is found in 14 regions. Eastern Asiatic region with 86 species, of which 58 are local endemics, 13 series and 9 sections, ranks the first among all the regions. The highest concentration of the taxa and endemics in Eastern Asiatic region occurs in SW China-Himalayan area (Sikang-Yunnan P. , W. Sichuan, W. Yunnan-Guichou Plateau of China and NE. Burma, N. Burmense P. , E. Himalayan P. and Khasi-Manipur P. ). In this area there are 74 species (48 endemics), 12 series, and 9 sections; thus about half species of the world total, three quarters of series and 82% of sections occur in this small area. Besides, the taxa at different evolutionary stages in Swertia also survive here. It is an indication that SW. China-Himalayan area is a major distribution centre of the genus Swertia. In addition, Sudan-Zambezian Region in Africa, with 22 species, 4 series and 2 sections, is a second distribution centre. The primitive type of the genus Swertia is Sect. Rugosa which consists of 2 series and 23 species. It is highly centred in the mountains of SW. China (Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and SE. Xizang) where 2 series and 16 species occur. Among them 15 species of Ser. Rugosae were considered as the most primitive groups in this genus. From our study, the outgroup of Swertia is the genus Latouchea Frahch. , which is distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian. The two groups overlap in distribution in SW. China. According to the principle of common origin, the ancestor of two genera ap peared most probably in this overlapping area. It was inferred that SW. China Was the birth-place of the genus Swertia. Four sections of Swertia have different disjunct distribution patterns: Sect. Ophelia is of Tropic Asia, Africa and Madagascar disjunct distribution; sect. Swertia is of north temperate distribution; sect. Spinosisemina is in Tropical Asia (Trop. India to S. China and Philipines); sect. Platynema also is in Tropical Asia (Java, Sumatra, Himalayas to SW. China). These disjunct patterns indicate that the Swertia floras between the continents or between continent and islands have a connection with each other. From paleogeographical analysis, Swertia plants dispersed to Madagascar before the Late Cretaceous, to SE. Asian Islands in the Pleistocene, to North America in the Miocene. The distribution of Swertia in Madagascar might be later than that in Asia. Therefore the origin time of the genus Swertia was at least not later than the Late Cretaceous, and might be back to the Mid-Cretaceous. The genus Swertia first fully developed and differentiated, forming some taxa at different evolutionary stages (Rugosa, Swertia, Poephila, Ophelia and Platynema etc. ) in the original area, and these taxa quickly dispersed in certain directions during the Late Cretaceous-Middle Tertiary when the global climate was warm and no much change. There seem to be three main dispersal routes from the origin area to different continents; (1) The westward route i. e. from SW. China, along the Himalayas area to Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, and then southwestwards into Africa throuth Arabia. Four sections (Poephila, Macranthos, Kingdon-Wardia and Ophelia) took this dispersal route. Most species of sect. Ophelia dispersed along this route, but a few along southern route and north ern route. Sect. Ophelia greatly differentiated in Africa and the African endemic sectionSect. Montana was derived from it. The two sections form there a second distribution center of Swertia. (2) The southward route, i. e. towards S. India through the Himalayas, and towards SE. Asian islands through C. and S. China, Indo-China. Along this dispersal route sect. Platynema, Sect. Spinosisemina and a few species of Sect. Ophelia dispersed; (3) The northward rout, i. e. northwards across N. China, C. Asia to a high latitude of Euasia, and also through E. Asia into N. America. The following groups took this route: sect. Rugosa, sect. Swertia, sect. Frasera, sect. Heteranthos and sect. Ophelia ser. Dichotomae. Therefore, it seems that the genus Swertia originated in SW. China and then dispersed from there to N. and S. Asia, Africa, Europe and North America and formed the moderndistribution pattern of this genus.     

紊蒿属一新种和对该属分类及演化的讨论

对新种多头紊蒿(Elachanthemum polycephalum Z.Y.Zhu et C.Z.Liang)的形态特征进行了描述,并从形态和生态特征、地理分布及其区系起源等方面探讨了紊蒿属(Elachanthemum Y.Ling et Y.R.Ling)的分类地位。结果表明：紊蒿属与百花蒿属(Stilpnolepis Krasch.)在形态上虽有相近之处,但花、果实和花粉等形态差异明显,因而不能并入百花蒿属,而应独立成属。该属起源于第三纪亚洲北部的古蒿类群(Pro-Artemisia L.),是蒿类中较为原始的属,为古地中海东部残遗的旱生成分,也是现代亚洲中部荒漠(戈壁荒漠)的持有属;多头紊蒿新种的发现,使紊蒿属从单种属变成寡种(双种)属,表明荒漠植物区系的物种分化仍在进行。     

中国树甲族一新纪录属二新种及二新名(鞘翅目,拟步甲科)

记述我国树甲族1新纪录属和2新种并提出2种新名。模式标本均保存在河北大学博物馆。 Eucrossoscelis Nakane,1963中国新纪录 梭形真树甲,新种Eucrossoscelis hastatus sp．nov．（图1～8,20） 正模♀,贵州省道真县程家山,2004—05—24,于洋采。新种与分布于日本的E．araneiformis相似,但前者的头部和前胸背板的刻点不同,前胸背板光滑,刻点细小,侧缘饰边完整,端部钝尖;而后者的这几点都与之不同。种名来自它的梭形身体。 武夷山树甲,新种Strongylium wuyishanense sp．nov．（图9-19,21） 正模♂,福建省武夷山黄岗山,2004—05—21,苑彩霞、李静采。新种与云南鸡足山的细长树甲S．jizushanense Masumoto,1999相似,与后者的主要区别是：复眼较小、眼间距较宽,前胸背板的刻点小而稀疏,鞘翅刻点行上有较稀疏的刻点。这几点与后一种均有不同。种名来自模式标本产地。 Strongylium masumotoi Yuan et Ren,2005 nom．nov．Yuan et Ren,2005.Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica,30（2）：401．[nec Maeiklin,1864] Strongylium obscuratum Yuan et Ren,2005 nom．nov．Yuan et Ren,2005．Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica,30（2）：402．[nec Maeiklin,1864]     

西藏林芝真蚋亚属三新种（双翅目：蚋科）

本文记述西藏林芝真蚋亚属Ｅｕｓｉｍｕｌｉｕｍ三种：凸端真蚋Ｓｉｍｕｌｉｕｍ（Ｅｕｓｉｍｕｌｉｕｍ）ｃｏｎｃａｖｕｓｔｙｌｕｍｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．、林芝真蚋Ｓｉｍｕｌｉｕｍ（Ｅｕｓｉｍｕｌｉｕｍ）ｌｉｎｇｚｉｅｎｓｅｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．、裂缘真蚋Ｓｉｍｕｌｉｕｍ（Ｅｕｓｉｍｕｌｉｕｍ）ｓｃｈｉｚｏｌｏｍｕｎｓｐ．ｎｏｖ 。     

论世界蒿属植物区系

本文从多学科, 包括形态、地理分布、孢粉、古植物、谱系分支分析及化学成分等学科的研究, 论述了世界蒿属植物的系统分类及其种属地理、历史地理和区系地理.     

A Study on Dichocarpum (Ranunculaceae)

The genus Dichocarpum was established by W. T. Wang and Hsiao in 1964, who divided the genus into 2 sections: Sect. Dichocarpum including 10 species distributed on the mainland of E. Asia, and Sect. Hutchinsonia including 9 species native to Japan. M. Tamura and L. A. Lauener made a revision of the genus in 1968, who divided the genus into 4 sections, three for the species of the mainland of E. Asia, including 3 series and 10 species, and the other for the species of Japan, including 2 subsections, 3 series and 9 species. In the present paper, the genus is divided into 2 sections and 6 series, including 15 species and 3 varieties, and a putative phylogeny of the genus is proposed. The genus may be close to the genus Asteropyrum, and these two genera are rather specialized in Thalictroides (Ranunculaceae), because they have three very similar characters: the petal with a long claw, the stephanocolpate pollen and the chromosome morphology. The genus has 2n=24, 35(36?), which indicates that its basic number is X=6, and the species on the mainland of E. Asia (Sect. Dichocarpum) may well be paleotetraploids, whereas those in Japan (sect. Hutchinsonia) are paleohexaploids. Most of the advanced species are distributed in Japan and the most primitive ones in China and the Himalayas, the distribution pattern seggests that the Japanese members of this genus might have immigrated from China in the Tertiary, and differentiated and evolved there. The putative phylogeny of the genus is shown in Fig. 2 (at series level)     

Molecular phylogeny of the subterranean genus Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in the Middle East: a comparison with European Niphargids

The subterranean genus Niphargus is one of the most species‐rich genera among freshwater amphipods in the world, distributed in the Western Palearctic. Thus far, taxonomic and phylogenetic research has focused mainly on the European half of the genus range. In this study, 25 populations of Niphargus from Iran, Lebanon and the Crimean Peninsula were investigated. Bayesian inference based on 28S, H3 and COI gene sequences suggests that populations from the area belong to four different clades. Three species from Crimea and one species from Iran are nested at basal nodes, indicating their rather ancient origin. The rest of the species are younger and belong to two separate clades. One Crimean species is a sister‐species to east Romanian species. The second clade includes one species from Lebanon and all but one population from Iran. The origin of this clade corresponds to marine transgression between the Black Sea and Mediterranean approximately 12 Mya. This clade was further investigated taxonomically. Revision of qualitative morphological traits and unilocus species delimitation methods using COI suggest that this clade comprises 12–16 species, of which only three have been described so far. Multilocus coalescence delimitation methods (using fragments of COI, 28S, H3 and ITS) strongly supported 11 of these species. The remaining populations comprise at least two species complexes that require further and more detailed taxonomic research. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London     

Phylogeny and biogeography of ice crawlers (Insecta: Grylloblattodea) based on six molecular loci: designating conservation status for Grylloblattodea species

Ice crawlers (Insecta: Grylloblattodea) are rarely encountered insects that consist of five genera representing 26 species from North America and Asia. Asian grylloblattids are the most diverse, but North American ice crawlers (genus Grylloblatta) are known for their adaptation to cold conditions. Phylogenetic relationships among grylloblattid species and genera are not known. Six genes were sampled in 35 individuals for 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, histone 3, 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and cytochrome oxidase II from 21 populations of Grylloblatta, three populations from Japan (genus Galloisiana), and three populations from Russia (genus Grylloblattina). Phylogenetic analysis of these data with two mantophasmid outgroups in POY supported monophyletic genera, with Grylloblatta as sister to Grylloblattina. Grylloblatta was shown to contain two major lineages: a clade in Northern California and Oregon and a clade in Washington and Oregon. One new species and six candidate species are proposed. IUCN Red List Conservation Criteria were implemented to designate conservation status for each lineage.     

关于樟科润楠属和鳄梨属的分类界线问题

讨论了润楠属Machilus Nees与鳄梨属Persea Mill.的分类界线, 认为两属的主要区别如下: 在润楠属中, 花被裂片相等或近相等, 极少外轮明显短于内轮, 在果期为纸质, 极少为薄革质, 伸长, 强度反曲, 极少张开与不反曲, 几乎宿存, 极少脱落, 如果脱落时则内、外轮从基部完全脱落; 花柱早落; 分布亚洲热带及亚热带地区。而在鳄梨属中, 花被裂片极不相等, 外轮明显短于内轮, 很少近相等, 在果期为革质到木质, 很少为薄革质, 张开或直立, 几乎不反曲, 绝大部分宿存或内轮在距基部的1/3到1/2处脱落; 花柱有时宿存; 分布美洲。两属的界线清楚, 不宜合并。把产于越南北部的Persea balansae Airy Shaw和产于苏门答腊的P. sumatrana Kosterm.转移到Machilus中, 从而提出Machilus balansae (Airy Shaw) F. N. Wei &; S. C. Tang和M. sumatrana (Kosterm.) F. N. Wei &; S. C. Tang两个新组合。