Fenton P D Cotterill
Stellenbosch University, Botany and Zoology, Department Member
<i>Rhinolophus smithersi</i> new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E78B0F44-7534-4991-975AF176CB668DDE Smithers's Horseshoe BatFig. 4, Fig. S1, Table 3, 4, Table S1, Appendix S1<b>Holotype.</b> NMZB 33647,... more
<i>Rhinolophus smithersi</i> new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E78B0F44-7534-4991-975AF176CB668DDE Smithers's Horseshoe BatFig. 4, Fig. S1, Table 3, 4, Table S1, Appendix S1<b>Holotype.</b> NMZB 33647, alcohol and cleaned skull. Collector Number FWC 4764. Female collected 26 October 2000 by F. P. D. Cotterill and P. J. Taylor. Skull and mandible in good condition. <b>Type locality.</b> Ngolangola Gorge at confluence with Lutope River, Sebungwe District, Gokwe Communal Land, NW Zimbabwe; 18 <b>°</b> 17 <i>'</i> 05 <i>"</i> S; 28 <b>°</b> 05 <i>'</i> 00 <i>"</i> E; elevation 1000 m asl. <b>Diagnosis.</b> Peak echolocation frequency at 44–46 kHz which is considerably higher than all other members of this speciescomplex (33–42 kHz). Very small-cranium (mean CCL 23.4 mm; 23.0– 24.3 mm; n = 6; 23.2 mm in holotype), the holotype having a disproportionately wide noseleaf (14 mm; 53% of skull length) (although this is not as pronounced in the series from Pafuri, NE South Africa; mean noseleaf width 10.7 mm; 39% of skull length), it is immediately distinguishable from other members of the <i>R. hildebrandtii</i> complex on size and peak frequency (Figs. 3; 4; Table 5). Genotypes of <i>R. smithersi</i> are members of Clades 1d and 1e (Fig. 2, Fig. S1). <b>Paratype.</b> NMZB 33652, male alcohol and cleaned skull, Collector Number FWC 4769. Collected 26th October 2000 by F.P.D. Cotterill and P.J. Taylor from Lutope-Ngolangola Gorge, Zimbabwe. <b>Description.</b> Apart from its distrinctly smaller size, conforming generally to the keys and published description for <i>R. hildebrandtii</i> s.l. [12], i.e. a relatively large-sized (forearm length 60.7 mm in holotype) bat with medium or large ears, wide horseshoe (10–14 mm) covering the muzzle, sella constricted at its proximal third, almost parallel-sided above and having long hairs, lancet relatively long and straight-sized, lower lip with single median groove, upper parts greyish-brown, with individual hairs long and unicoloured, underparts same colour or very slightly pal [...]
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Abstract: The Kalahari Plateau is a vast, elevated area (> 1000 m above sea level) that distinguishes the topography of southern and central Africa. It extends from the Cape Fold Belt (in South Africa's Western and Eastern Cape... more
Abstract: The Kalahari Plateau is a vast, elevated area (> 1000 m above sea level) that distinguishes the topography of southern and central Africa. It extends from the Cape Fold Belt (in South Africa's Western and Eastern Cape provinces) northwards to the Congo ...
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<i>Rhinolophus mossambicus</i> new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 0D97DC39-F9CD-415E-A7AE4DCF70C807B4 Mozambican Horseshoe BatFig. 4, 4, Fig. S1, Table 3, 4, Table S1, Appendix S1<b>Holotype.</b> DM8578, male,... more
<i>Rhinolophus mossambicus</i> new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 0D97DC39-F9CD-415E-A7AE4DCF70C807B4 Mozambican Horseshoe BatFig. 4, 4, Fig. S1, Table 3, 4, Table S1, Appendix S1<b>Holotype.</b> DM8578, male, alcohol skin, skull and baculum, collected by A. Monadjem on 1 July 2006. Skull and mandible in good condition. <b>Type locality.</b> Niassa Game Reserve (Maputo Camp), northern Mozambique, 12 <b>°</b> 10 <i>'</i> 56 <i>"</i> S; 37 <b>°</b> 33 <i>'</i> 00 <i>"</i> E; elevation 489 m asl. <b>Diagnosis.</b> Peak frequency between 35–38 kHz (not recorded in holotype but inferred from members of the same genetic clade). Members of this cryptic species are genetically distinct from <i>R. hildebrandtii</i> s.s. (7.7–9.0% cytochrome b uncorrected divergence; Clade 2 in Fig. 2 and Fig. S1). Noseleaf with typical low rounded profile of connecting process in the holotype (Fig. 8d) although slight variation was observed among members of this species with one specimen having a higher and rounded shape (Fig. 8f). Skull intermediate-sized (GSL 28.5 mm; CCL 25.0 mm in the holotype; range of GSL 27–29 mm; CCL 24–26 mm; Table 5) and can be distinguished from larger (<i>cohenae</i>, <i>mabuensis</i>) and smaller (<i>smithersi</i>) species, although it is overlapped by measurements of the type (GSL 27.4 mm) and cotype (GSL 27.6 mm) of <i>R. hildebrandtii</i> (Table 5). Frontal depression reduced in holotype and five other members of this species examined; sagittal crest very pronounced, much higher than rostral chamber in lateral profile and commencing just posterior to the reduced frontal depression; in this respect it can be distinguished from <i>cohenae</i> and <i>mabuensis</i> in which the sagittal crest is reduced, and starts further back mid-dorsally in the inter-orbital region behind a well-developed frontal depression. The baculum conforms to the '' Type 2'' (shaft wide in dorsal view and horizontal in lateral view with rounded tip) and measures 3.14 mm in total length in the holotype (Fig. 9; Table 5). The anterio [...]
Africa’s modern Zambezi is proposed as an example of a major extant river system, which archives the tectonic events that assembled and then fragmented a supercontinent. The Zambezi and an earlier Karoo river system, (here designated the... more
Africa’s modern Zambezi is proposed as an example of a major extant river system, which archives the tectonic events that assembled and then fragmented a supercontinent. The Zambezi and an earlier Karoo river system, (here designated the ProtoZambezi River system), have a recorded geological history spanning approximately 280 million years. Its original headwaters were formed when the End-Neoproterozoic to Ordovician amalgamation of the Gondwana Supercontinent created a central Himalayanscale mountain belt, now called the Trans-Gondwana Mountain Range (at the core of the East Africa-Antarctica-Orogenic Belt). Eroded remnants of these mountains were the source of west-directed Dwyka glacial sediments and Ecca and Upper Karoo, PermoTriassic, rift-controlled lakes and rivers across West Gondwana. The reversed drainage of the Zambezi River started to flow eastwards through the same rift valleys in the Middle Jurassic (at about 165 Ma), as Africa started to separate from the eastern part...
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We review the state of African ungulate taxonomy over the last 120 years, with an emphasis on the introduction of the polytypic species concept and the discipline's general neglect since the middle of the 20th century. We single out... more
We review the state of African ungulate taxonomy over the last 120 years, with an emphasis on the introduction of the polytypic species concept and the discipline's general neglect since the middle of the 20th century. We single out negative consequences of 'orthodox' taxonomy, highlighting numerous cases of neglect of threatened lineages, unsound translocations that led to lineage introgression, and cases of maladaptation to local conditions including parasitic infections. Additionally, several captive breeding programmes have been hampered by chromosome rearrangements caused by involuntary lineage mixing. We advocate that specimen-based taxonomy should regain its keystone role in mammal research and conservation biology, with its scientific values augmented with genomic evidence. While integration with molecular biology, ecology and behaviour is needed for a full understanding of ungulate alpha diversity, we stress that morphological diversity has been neglected despit...
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We tested the prediction that at coarse spatial scales, variables associated with climate, energy, and productivity hypotheses should be better predictor(s) of bat species richness than those associated with environmental heterogeneity.... more
We tested the prediction that at coarse spatial scales, variables associated with climate, energy, and productivity hypotheses should be better predictor(s) of bat species richness than those associated with environmental heterogeneity. Distribution ranges of 64 bat species were estimated with niche-based models informed by 3629 verified museum specimens. The influence of environmental correlates on bat richness was assessed using ordinary least squares regression (OLS), simultaneous autoregressive models (SAR), conditional autoregressive models (CAR), spatial eigenvector-based filtering models (SEVM), and Classification and Regression Trees (CART). To test the assumption of stationarity, Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) was used. Bat species richness was highest in the eastern parts of southern Africa, particularly in central Zimbabwe and along the western border of Mozambique. We found support for the predictions of both the habitat heterogeneity and climate/productivity/e...
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Ontological and epistemological properties of the Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC) as applied in recent mammalian taxonomic works are redefined and defended against criticisms raised by Zachos and Lovari (2013), which we find... more
Ontological and epistemological properties of the Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC) as applied in recent mammalian taxonomic works are redefined and defended against criticisms raised by Zachos and Lovari (2013), which we find inapplicable to taxonomy because they relate more to the field of population biology. We summarize the negative impacts of the polytypic species concept for conservation and evolutionary biology, with emphasis on Rhinocerotidae. The priority need to embrace and strengthen museum-based taxonomic research is emphasized. The reply of Zachos and Lovari (2013) to our previous opinion pa-per (Gippoliti and Groves, 2012) provides us with the opportunity to expand our argument.
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ABSTRACT Whilst the Congo Basin contains one of the world’s largest fluvial systems, little is known about the basin’s geomorphic evolution during the Cenozoic. The basin’s drainage patterns may provide insights into its geomorphic... more
ABSTRACT Whilst the Congo Basin contains one of the world’s largest fluvial systems, little is known about the basin’s geomorphic evolution during the Cenozoic. The basin’s drainage patterns may provide insights into its geomorphic development during the Neogene. The juxtaposition of differing drainage patterns can be explained by the multi-stage evolution of the Congo Basin. The drainage pattern is influenced by several controls, such as lithology and tectonics, which dominate in some regions, with zones of overlap were controls inter-act. The evaluation of the drainage patterns in the context of the basin’s long wavelength geomorphology reveals a relative chronology of events. However, timings of key events are poorly known but evidence obtained using geoecodynamics constrains the ages of major river emplacements. The combination of geologic, geomorphic and phylogenetic data sheds light on the Neogene evolution of the Congo River System.
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The megadiverse haplochromine cichlid radiations of the East African lakes, famous examples of explosive speciation and adaptive radiation, are according to recent studies, introgressed by different riverine lineages. This study is based... more
The megadiverse haplochromine cichlid radiations of the East African lakes, famous examples of explosive speciation and adaptive radiation, are according to recent studies, introgressed by different riverine lineages. This study is based on the first comprehensive mitochondrial and nuclear DNA dataset from extensive sampling of riverine haplochromine cichlids. It includes species from the lower River Congo and Angolan (River Kwanza) drainages. Reconstruction of phylogenetic hypotheses revealed the paradox of clearly discordant phylogenetic signals. Closely related mtDNA haplotypes are distributed thousands of kilometres apart and across major African watersheds, whereas some neighbouring species carry drastically divergent mtDNA haplotypes. At shallow and deep phylogenetic layers, strong signals of hybridization are attributed to the complex Late Miocene/Early Pliocene palaeohistory of African rivers. Hybridization of multiple lineages across changing watersheds shaped each of the m...
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... Lighton, JRB &amp;amp; Louw. GN (1985). Energetics of locomotion and patterns of respiration in tenebrionid beetles from the Namib desert. J. cotnp Pliysiol. 155 155-162. ... RSA. Bennett. N. C . (1989). The social structure and... more
... Lighton, JRB &amp;amp; Louw. GN (1985). Energetics of locomotion and patterns of respiration in tenebrionid beetles from the Namib desert. J. cotnp Pliysiol. 155 155-162. ... RSA. Bennett. N. C . (1989). The social structure and reproductive biology of the common mole-rat, Crjptomy.~ 11. ...
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ABSTRACT Much attention has been paid to the effects of climate change on species&amp;#39; range reductions and extinctions. There is however surprisingly little information on how climate change driven threat may impact the tree of... more
ABSTRACT Much attention has been paid to the effects of climate change on species&amp;#39; range reductions and extinctions. There is however surprisingly little information on how climate change driven threat may impact the tree of life and result in loss of phylogenetic diversity (PD). Some plant families and mammalian orders reveal nonrandom extinction pat-terns, but many other plant families do not. Do these discrepancies reflect different speciation histories and does cli-mate induced extinction result in the same discrepancies among different groups? Answers to these questions require representative taxon sampling. Here, we combine phylogenetic analyses, species distribution modeling, and climate change projections on two of the largest plant families in the Cape Floristic Region (Proteaceae and Restiona-ceae), as well as the second most diverse mammalian order in Southern Africa (Chiroptera), and an herbivorous insect genus (Platypleura) in the family Cicadidae to answer this question. We model current and future species distri-butions to assess species threat levels over the next 70 years, and then compare projected with random PD survival. Results for these animal and plant clades reveal congruence. PD losses are not significantly higher under predicted extinction than under random extinction simulations. So far the evidence suggests that focusing resources on climate threatened species alone may not result in disproportionate benefits for the preservation of evolutionary history.
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... research institutions (Chalmers, 1992). Museums are places where collections are studied (Simmons, 1993). Taxonomy and systematics have traditionally been associated with these institutions. Nevertheless, Alberch (1993 ...
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South-central Africa is characterized by an archipelago of wetlands, which has evolved in time and space since at least the Miocene, providing refugia for animal species during Pleistocene arid episodes. Their importance for biodiversity... more
South-central Africa is characterized by an archipelago of wetlands, which has evolved in time and space since at least the Miocene, providing refugia for animal species during Pleistocene arid episodes. Their importance for biodiversity in the region is reflected in the evolution of a variety of specialist mammal and bird species, adapted to exploit these wetland habitats. Populations of lions (Panthera leo) across south-central and east Africa have contrasting signatures of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes and biparental nuclear DNA in wetland and savannah habitats, respectively, pointing to the evolution of distinct habitat preferences. This explains the absence of genetic admixture of populations from the Kalahari savannah of southwest Botswana and the Okavango wetland of northern Botswana, despite separation by only 500 km. We postulate that ancestral lions were wetland specialists and that the savannah lions evolved from populations that were isolated during arid Pleistocene episodes. Expansion of grasslands and the resultant increase in herbivore populations during mesic Pleistocene climatic episodes provided the stimulus for the rapid population expansion and diversification of the highly successful savannah lion specialists. Our model has important implications for lion conservation.
Whilst the Congo Basin contains one of the world’s largest fluvial systems, little is known about the basin’s geomorphic evolution during the Cenozoic. The basin’s drainage patterns may provide insights into its geomorphic development... more
Whilst the Congo Basin contains one of the world’s largest fluvial systems, little is known about the basin’s geomorphic evolution during the Cenozoic. The basin’s drainage patterns may provide insights into its geomorphic development during the Neogene. The juxtaposition of differing drainage patterns can be explained by the multi-stage evolution of the Congo Basin. The drainage pattern is influenced by several controls, such as lithology and tectonics, which dominate in some regions, with zones of overlap were controls inter-act. The evaluation of the drainage patterns in the context of the basin’s long wavelength geomorphology reveals a relative chronology of events. However, timings of key events are poorly known but evidence obtained using geoecodynamics constrains the ages of major river emplacements. The combination of geologic, geomorphic and phylogenetic data sheds light on the Neogene evolution of the Congo River System.