Distribution of Asellia tridens (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) lineages including representatives from Saudi Arabia

The genus Asellia was recently revised, giving an insight into the genetic and morphological characteristics of a group whose distribution spans from North Africa into Asia. We studied the genus further by considering additional mitochondrial markers and sampling localities. The deepest previously identified split in A. tridens is supported (Middle East/North Africa), along with the association of North and West African lineages. Central Saudi Arabia is found to represent the easternmost extent of a North African haplogroup when considering concatenated fragments of Cytochrome-b, NADH Dehydrogenase 2, and Cytochrome Oxidase 1 genes. New distribution data further emphasises the diversity found in the Middle East and suggests some mixing of haplotypes over long distances.     

Phylogenetic relationships,subdivision, and biogeography of the cyprinid tribe Labeonini (sensu ) (Teleostei: Cypriniformes), with comments on the implications of lips and associated structures in the labeonin classification

The Labeonini (sensu Rainboth, 1991) is a tribe of the subfamily Cyprininae, the largest subfamily of Cypriniformes. With around 400 species in 34 genera, this tribe is widely distributed in the freshwaters of tropical Africa and Asia. Most species are adapted to fast-flowing streams and rivers, and exhibit unique morphological modifications associated with their lips and other structures around the mouth. The monophyly of this tribe has been tested and generally accepted in previous morphological and molecular studies. The major objectives of this study were to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Labeonini, test its monophyly and explore the taxonomic subdivisions, intrarelationships and biogeography of the group. The value of the morphological characters associated with the lips and other associated structures in the taxonomic classification of labeonins was also discussed. Nucleotide sequences (3867 bp) of four unlinked nuclear loci were obtained from 51 species in 18 Labeonini genera from throughout the range of the tribe. Maximum parsimony, partitioned maximum likelihood and partitioned Bayesian analyses were used for phylogenetic inference from combined and separate gene data sets. Based on our results, the monophyly of Labeonini was well supported. Two major clades could be recovered within the tribe. Three subclades could further be recognized from the first clade. These clades/subclades are not consistent with groupings of any of previous workers using either morphological or molecular characters for phylogenetic inference. Only five currently recognized genera in this analysis are monophyletic. The similarity between some lips and associated structures (e.g. suctorial discs) of labeonins may due to convergence or parallelism instead of common ancestry. Labeonins of Southeast Asia, India and China are closely related to each other; the multiple clades of African taxa do not form a single monophyletic group, indicating multiple, independent dispersal events of labeonins into Africa from Asia.     

Deep phylogenetic divergence between Scolytoplatypus and Remansus,a new genus of Scolytoplatypodini from Madagascar (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Scolytoplatypodini Blandford is a monotypic tribe of ambrosia beetles found in Asia, Madagascar and Africa. Only three species are currently known from Madagascar and four additional species are here described as new to science. Phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular data revealed that four of the seven endemic species are deeply separated from all other species by genetic and distinct morphological characters and therefore placed in a new genus Remansus Jordal. The split between this ancient lineage and Scolytoplatypus Schaufuss was estimated to approximate Palaeocene age (63 Ma), extending the minimum age of ambrosia feeding for this tribe to the beginning of the Palaeocene‒Eocene thermal maximum (PETM). In addition to the ancient origin of Remansus in Madagascar during the Palaeocene, a second origin occurred in Scolytoplatypus no more than 13 Ma. A geographical origin of the latter in South-Eastern Africa was unequivocally inferred from the phylogenies.     

Phylogeny and classification of Marantaceae

Relationships of Marantaceae were estimated from nucleotide sequence variation in the rps16 intron (plastid DNA) and from morphological characters. Fifty-nine species (21 genera) formed the ingroup, and 12 species (12 genera) of other Zingiberales formed the outgroup. There is no support for the traditional subdivision of Marantaceae into a triovulate and a uniovulate tribe or the informal groups previously proposed. The so-called Donax group forms a paraphyletic grade that is basal within Marantaceae. Thalia appears as the distal branch of this grade, but its position is not supported in jackknife analysis. The so-called Calathea group is monophyletic in all shortest trees but not supported with greater than 50% jackknife. The genus Calathea appears to be paraphyletic. The Maranta and Phrynium groups are clearly polyphyletic. Maranta, Koernickanthe , and genera of the Mymsma group, all neotropical, form a strongly supported monophyletic group. The sister of this group is the palaeotropical genus Halopegia. Koernickanthe is nested within Maranta , as this genus is traditionally circumscribed. The African genera Ataenidia and Marantochloa form a strongly supported clade in which Ataenidia is the sister group to Marantochloa . Based on phylogeny it is concluded that Africa, in spite of being much poorer in species, is the most likely ancestral area of Marantaceae     

Systematic revision of the genus Aglyptodactylus Boulenger, 1919 (Amphibia: Ranidae), and analysis of its phylogenetic relationships to other Madagascan ranid genera (Tomopterna, Boophis, Mantidactylus, and Mantella)

Recent field studies revealed two new species of the genus Aglyptodactylus (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae), which was hitherto considered as monotypic and confined to humid eastern Madagascar. Both new species, Aglyptodactylus laticeps sp. n. and Aglyptodactylus securifer sp. n. , occur syntopically in the deciduous dry forest of Kirindy in western Madagascar. In comparison to Aglyptodactylus madagascariensis from eastern rainforests, the new species A. laticeps shows a remarkable morphological divergence, which may be partly due to adaptations to burrowing habits in dry environments. Despite of the morphological differentiation, advertisement calls and osteology indicate that all three species of Aglyptodactylus are closely related. A phylogenetic analysis of the Madagascan ranid genera Aglyptodactylus, Mantella, Mantidactylus, Boophis , and Tomopterna (the latter including species from Madagascar, Africa, and Asia) strongly supports a sister group relationship of Aglyptodactylus with the ranine genus Tomopterna . We therefore transfer Aglyptodactylus from the Rhacophorinae to the Raninae and discuss implications of this rearrangement for ranoid systematics. The existence of the endemic genus Aglyptodactylus in Madagascar as well as its close phylogenetic relationships to Tomopterna confirm that the Raninae were already present on the Madagascan plate before its separation from Africa. The Madagascan Tomopterna labrosa shows several important differences both to Asian and to African species of the genus, and is therefore transferred from the subgenus Sphaerotheca (now restricted to Asia) to a new subgenus Laliostoma subgen. n .     

Multiple dispersals and modern human origins

Despite a massive endeavour, the problem of modern human origins not only remains unresolved, but is usually reduced to “Out of Africa” versus multiregional evolution. Not all would agree, but evidence for a single recent origin is accumulating. Here, we want to go beyond this debate and explore within the “Out of Africa” framework an issue that has not been fully addressed: the mechanism by which modern human diversity has developed. We believe there is no clear rubicon of modern Homo sapiens, and that multiple dispersals occurred from a morphologically variable population in Africa. Pre-existing African diversity is thus crucial to the way human diversity developed outside Africa. The pattern of diversity—behavioural, linguistic, morphological and genetic—can be interpreted as the result of dispersals, colonisation, differentiation and subsequent dispersals overlaid on former population ranges. The first dispersals would have originated in Africa from where two different geographical routes were possible, one through Ethiopia/Arabia towards South Asia, and one through North Africa/Middle East towards Eurasia.     

A revision of the genus Dolichos (Fabaceae,Papilionoideae, Phaseoleae), including Lesotho and Swaziland

A revision of the genus Dolichos in South Africa (Lesotho and Swaziland included) is presented. This legume genus, belonging to the bean tribe Phaseoleae, mainly has an African distribution, extending into Asia. In South Africa it is represented by nine species, two (D. sericeus and D. trilobus) of which extend into Tropical Africa. Dolichos is closely related to the genus Macrotyloma from which it can be distinguished by the short standard appendages, reticulate pollen and the generally purple flowers (standard appendages long, pollen tuberculate or spinulose and flowers yellow or orange in Macrotyloma). It also has affinities with the genera Dipogon and Lablab. The correct nomenclature, as well as complete synonymy, typification and distribution maps of all the species are provided.     

Phylogenetic relationships, character evolution and biogeography of southern African members of Zygophyllum (Zygophyllaceae) based on three plastid regions

The plastid coding rbcL and non-coding trnLF regions of 53 of 55 southern African Zygophyllum species were sequenced and used to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships within the southern African representatives of the genus. Published sequences of the same gene regions of Australian, Asian and North African Zygophyllum species were included to assess the relationships of the species from these regions to the southern African species. The addition of Z. stapffii from Namibia, found to be conspecific with Z. orbiculatum from Angola, lead to a greatly resolved tree. The molecular results were largely congruent with a recent sectional classification of the southern African species and supported their subdivision into subgenera Agrophyllum and Zygophyllum. Reconstruction of the character evolution of capsule dehiscence, seed attachment and seed mucilage showed that these characters allowed a division of southern African species into the two subgenera but that this could not be applied to species occurring elsewhere. Other morphological characters were found to vary and unique character combinations, rather than unique characters, were found to be of systematic value in sectional delimitation. The study suggests that repeated radiations from the horn of Africa to southern Africa and Asia and back lead to the present distribution of the taxa in the subfamily Zygophylloideae. Although this study supports some of the recent taxonomic changes in the group, the unresolved relationships between the proposed genera Tetraena and Roepera and those retained as Zygophyllum species suggest that changes to the taxonomy may have been premature.     

Phylogenetics and seed morphology of African Nymphoides (Menyanthaceae)

We evaluated the boundaries among Nymphoides (Menyanthaceae) species in Africa, a region where the genus has received relatively little attention. We gathered morphological data from seeds using light and scanning electron microscopy, and we conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses using nuclear sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Morphological and molecular features distinguished six species and affirmed their respective geographic ranges. No African specimens were attributable to Nymphoides indica, even though this paleotropical species previously had been understood to grow in Africa. We establish the new combination Nymphoides senegalensis (G. Don) Tippery, based on an established African basionym, to accommodate the specimens formerly identified as N. indica. Phylogenetic analyses resolved two distinct clades containing African species. The majority of African species are closely related to neotropical species, with which they share similar petal ornamentation. The morphologically distinct N. ezannoi shares floral and phylogenetic similarity with species from North America and Asia. Results presented here support prior hypotheses that allopolyploid species in the Americas may have originated from one or more parental lineages in Africa. Seed morphological characters remain some of the most reliable features for identifying species, particularly for herbarium specimens lacking observable floral characters.     

Revision of the genus Phloeoditica Schedl - with description of two new genera and two new species in Phloeosinini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

The genus Phloeoditica Schedl currently includes four species from Southeast Asia. These species vary substantially in important morphological characters and indicate the existence of multiple genera for these species. A revision based on morphological and in part molecular data resulted in the transfer of Phloeoditica setosa to Pseudoxylechinus the erection of a new genus Asiophilus for Phloeoditica phloeosinoides and a new species Asiophilus macropunctatus from Vietnam. Another new genus with affinities to Phloeoditica is described based on the new species Microditica uniseriata from Thailand. The new genera are included in a revised key to the tribe Phloeosinini.     

Phylogeny and biogeography of exacum (gentianaceae): a disjunctive distribution in the Indian ocean basin resulted from long distance dispersal and extensive radiation

Disjunctive distributions across paleotropical regions in the Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) often invoke dispersal/vicariance debates. Exacum (Gentianaceae, tribe Exaceae) species are spread around the IOB, in Africa, Madagascar, Socotra, the Arabian peninsula, Sri Lanka, India, the Himalayas, mainland Southeast Asia including southern China and Malaysia, and northern Australia. The distribution of this genus was suggested to be a typical example of vicariance resulting from the breakup of the Gondwanan supercontinent. The molecular phylogeny of Exacum is in principle congruent with morphological conclusions and shows a pattern that resembles a vicariance scenario with rapid divergence among lineages, but our molecular dating analysis demonstrates that the radiation is too recent to be associated with the Gondwanan continental breakup. We used our dating analysis to test the results of DIVA and found that the program predicted impossible vicariance events. Ancestral area reconstruction suggests that Exacum originated in Madagascar, and divergence dating suggests its origin was not before the Eocene. The Madagascan progenitor, the most recent common ancestor of Exacum, colonized Sri Lanka and southern India via long-distance dispersals. This colonizer underwent an extensive range expansion and spread to Socotra-Arabia, northern India, and mainland Southeast Asia in the northern IOB when it was warm and humid in these regions. This widespread common ancestor retreated subsequently from most parts of these regions and survived in isolation in Socotra-Arabia, southern India-Sri Lanka, and perhaps mainland Southeast Asia, possibly as a consequence of drastic climatic changes, particularly the spreading drought during the Neogene. Secondary diversification from these surviving centers and Madagascar resulted in the extant main lineages of the genus. The vicariance-like pattern shown by the phylogeny appears to have resulted from long-distance dispersals followed by extensive range expansion and subsequent fragmentation. The extant African species E. oldenlandioides is confirmed to be recently dispersed from Madagascar.     

Afrotropical montane midges (Diptera, Chironomidae, Diamesa)

The tribe Diamesini is a characteristic element of the chironomid fauna of the Holarctic alpine and montane areas. It is represented in the E African mountains by three species: Diamesa kenyae Freeman, Diamesa ruwenzoriensis Freeman and Diamesa freemani sp. nov. The adults of the three species, the pupa and larva of D. freemani , and the larva of D. kenyae , are all described in detail. Several morphological features indicate that the Afrotropical Diamesa are derived from a relatively plesiomorphic lineage of the genus. Other characters indicate possible sister-species occurring in the Alps, the Caucasus mountains and the Himalaya. Three lines of evidence suggest a northern origin of the Afrotropical Diamesa: the relatively young age of the E African mountain peaks, the proposed phylogeny of the genus, and the present distribution of the tribe Diamesini.     

Out of Africa? A dated molecular phylogeny of the cicada tribe Platypleurini Schmidt (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), with a focus on African genera and the genus Platypleura Amyot & Audinet‐Serville

The Platypleurini is a large group of charismatic cicadas distributed from Cape Agulhas in South Africa, through tropical Africa, Madagascar, India and eastern Asia to Japan, with generic diversity concentrated in equatorial and southern Africa. This distribution suggests the possibility of a Gondwanan origin and dispersal to eastern Asia from Africa or India. We used a four‐gene (three mitochondrial) molecular dataset, fossil calibrations and molecular clock information to explore the phylogenetic relationships of the platypleurine cicadas and the timing and geography of their diversification. The earliest splits in the tribe were found to separate forest genera in Madagascar and equatorial Africa from the main radiation, and all of the Asian/Indian species sampled formed a younger clade nested well within the African taxa. The tribe appears to have diversified during the Cenozoic, beginning c. 50–32 Ma, with most extant African lineages originating in the Miocene or later, well after the breakup of the Gondwanan landmass. Biogeographical analysis suggests an African origin for the tribe and a single dispersal event founding the Asian platypleurines, although additional taxon sampling and genetic data will be needed to confirm this pattern because key nodes in the tree are still weakly supported. Two Platypleurini genera from Madagascar (Pycna Amyot & Audinet‐Serville, Yanga Distant) are found to have originated by late Miocene dispersal of a single lineage from Africa. The genus Platypleura is recovered as polyphyletic, with Platypleura signifera Walker from South Africa and many Asian/Indian species apparently requiring assignment to different genera, and a new Platypleura concept is proposed with the synonymization of Azanicada Villet syn.n. The genera Orapa Distant and Hamza Distant, currently listed within separate tribes but suspected of platypleurine affinity, are nested deeply within the Platypleurini radiation. The tribe Orapini syn.n . is here synonymized while the tribe Hamzini is pending a decision of the ICZN to preserve nomenclatorial stability.     

Molecular evidence for the polyphyly of the genus Hemitragus (Mammalia, Bovidae)

The genus Hemitragus includes three species of tahr distributed in distant geographical areas: the Himalayan tahr, H. jemlahicus, occupies the southern flanks of the Himalaya Mountains; the Nilgiri tahr, H. hylocrius, is endemic to southern India; and the Arabian tahr, H. jayakari, is unique to the mountains of south-east Arabia. All previous investigations were based on morphology, and these three species together have never been included in a molecular phylogenetic study. In this study, we constructed a molecular phylogeny of the tribe Caprini sensu lato to determine the taxonomic status of the three species of tahr. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out on a matrix including most extant species currently described in the tribe Caprini sensu lato, and 3165 nucleotide characters, coming from four different markers, i.e., an intron of the nuclear gene coding for the protein kinase C iota, and three mitochondrial genes (subunit II of the cytochrome c oxidase, cytochrome b, and 12S rRNA). The results show that the genus Hemitragus is polyphyletic, as H. jemlahicus is associated with Capra (goats), H. hylocrius is the sister-group of Ovis (sheep), and H. jayakari is allied with Ammotragus lervia (aoudad). In the light of these unexpected results, we revaluate the validity of the morphological characters originally used for defining the genus Hemitragus. At least, we propose a new taxonomy, where the three species of tahr are ranged into three monospecific genera: the genus Hemitragus is restricted to the Himalayan tahr, and two new genera are created: Arabitragus for the Arabian tahr and Nilgiritragus for the Nilgiri tahr.     

夏蜡梅属起源的探讨

本文对Nicely提出夏蜡梅属(Catycanthus L.)起源于北美洲美国东部后西向迁移到加利福尼亚和东亚的假设提出异议。无论从染色体资料还是形态性状的比较来看,夏蜡梅属可能以较原始的夏蜡梅(C.chinensis Cheng et S. Y.Chang)起源于东亚(中国)。     

Phylogeny and life history evolution of the genus Chrysoritis within the Aphnaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequences

Phylogenetic relationships among 26 South African species in the tribe Aphnaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) were inferred from DNA characters of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI), using maximum-parsimony methods. The resulting phylogenetic estimate supports the systematic hypothesis made by Heath (1997, Metamorphosis, supplement 2), based on morphological characters, that at least three preexisting genera (Chrysoritis, Poecilmitis, and Oxychaeta) should be collapsed into the single monophyletic genus Chrysoritis. Two of the species groups described by Heath within Chrysoritis are also monophyletic, while one is paraphyletic and thus unsupported by the molecular data. Strong node support and skewed transition/transversion ratios suggest that two Chrysoritis clades contain synonymous species. Aphytophagy appears as a derived feeding strategy. Evolutionary patterns of ant association indicate lability at the level of ant genus, while association with different ant subfamilies may have played an ancestral and chemically mediated role in the diversification of South African aphnaeines.     

Phylogenetic relationships of antlered flies, Phytalmia Gerstaecker (Diptera: Tephritidae): the evolution of antler shape and mating behaviour

Abstract  The genus Phytalmia (antlered flies, Diptera: Tephritidae) contains remarkable flies with elaborate male head projections known as antlers. The antlers are used in antagonistic intraspecific interactions between males competing to occupy oviposition sites. Phylogenetic relationships between the seven known species of Phytalmia were chosen to be investigated in order to determine the current monophyly of the genus and to assess the evolution of secondary sexual characters and associated behaviours, especially male antlers, fore-femoral, spines and stilting. A phylogenetic analysis of Phytalmia was conducted using two closely related species from the same tribe (Phytalmiini): Sessilina nigrilinea (Walker) and Diplochorda minor Malloch, and one species from a different tribe (Dacini): the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) as outgroups. A total of 1259 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA (COII and 16S) and 35 morphological characters were included in the analysis, using parsimony and maximum likelihood inference methods. A phylogenetic tree generated from combined data was used to infer the evolution of antler shapes and associated behaviours in the genus. The results of this paper support the monophyly of Phytalmia , with P. cervicornis Gerstaecker the sister group of the remaining species. The phylogeny suggests a general decrease in antler complexity over evolutionary time; however, the behavioural sequence of male flies becomes more complex over time, with steps (e.g. stilting) being added to the repertoire during antagonistic encounters. Finally, there are strong correlations between functionally constrained morphological and behavioural characters, therefore allowing the authors to make predications for species whose behaviours are unknown based on morphological attributes and the authors' hypothesised evolution of Phytalmia .     

A Phylogenetic Study of Tribe Euphorbieae (Euphorbiaceae)

A phylogenetic investigation of a monophyletic lineage of spurge plants, tribe Euphorbieae, was conducted to elucidate evolutionary relationships, to clarify biogeographic patterns, and to reexamine the previous classification of Euphorbieae. Cladistic analyses of the 52 morphological characters of 61 species resulted in 2922 equally most parsimonious trees of 193 steps with a consistency index of 0.34. The strict consensus tree indicates genus Anthostema of subtribe Anthosteminae as a likely sister group to all other members of tribe Euphorbieae. The morphological data support a monophyletic origin of subtribe Euphorbiinae, but the subtribes Anthosteminae and Neoquillauminiinae did not form monophyletic groups. Although the previous taxonomic treatments within tribe Euphorbieae have supported the generic status of Pedilanthus, Monadenium, Synadenium, Chamaesyce, and Elaeophorbia, the results of this analysis do not support generic placement of them based on cladistic principles. Recognition of these groups as genera results in Euphorbia becoming a paraphyletic group. One solution to this problem in Euphorbieae is to divide the largest genus Euphorbia into several monophyletic genera and to keep the generic ranks for previously recognized genera. The distribution of basal endemic genera in Euphorbieae showed African and east Gondwanan affinities and strongly indicated that the ancestor of Euphorbieae originated prior to the breakup of Gondwanaland from an old group in Euphorbiaceae. However, some recent African taxa of Euphorbia should be interpreted by transoceanic dispersal from the New World ancestors.