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Research Interests: Genetics, Entomology, Genomics, Computational Biology, Biology, and 15 moreMedicine, Biological Sciences, Dna Sequencing, Ants, Mitochondrial DNA, Genome evolution, Genome Sequencing, Animals, Ant, Genome Analysis, Genome, Mitochondrial Genome, Mitochondrial, intergenic region, and Gene Rearrangement
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Abstract The mitogenome of the South American parthenogenetic lizard Loxopholis percarinatum Müller, 1923 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), a uni-bisexual species complex, was recovered for three individuals from Rio Negro region, Amazonas,... more
Abstract The mitogenome of the South American parthenogenetic lizard Loxopholis percarinatum Müller, 1923 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), a uni-bisexual species complex, was recovered for three individuals from Rio Negro region, Amazonas, Brazil. The content and order of genes are typical for vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, and we recovered 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA, and two rRNA (12S and 16S), in addition to partial fragments of the Control Region. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with mitogenomes of selected lizard families recovered L. percarinatum with Iphisa elegans Gray, 1851, the only other Gymnophthalmidae species available in GenBank.
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In this report, we describe the development of 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the human botfly, Dermatobia hominis, an obligatory parasite of mammals of great veterinary importance in Latin America. The number of alleles ranged... more
In this report, we describe the development of 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the human botfly, Dermatobia hominis, an obligatory parasite of mammals of great veterinary importance in Latin America. The number of alleles ranged from 5 to 21 per locus, with a mean of 12.2 alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.2571 to 0.9206 and from 0.2984 to 0.9291 in two populations from Brazil. These markers should provide a high resolution tool for assessment of the fine-scale genetic structure of natural populations of the human botfly.
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Research Interests: Geography, Spatial Analysis, Phylogeography, Biology, Ecology, and 15 moreEcological Niche Modelling, Medicine, Biological Sciences, Population, Animals, Animal migration, South America, Pest control, Diptera, Myiasis, Biota, Geographic Information Systems, GIS, cochliomyia hominivorax, and Medical and Health Sciences
We evaluated the role of Quaternary climatic fluctuations on the demographic history and population structure of amphibian species endemic to the 'campo rupestre' in the Neotropics, evaluating their distributional shifts,... more
We evaluated the role of Quaternary climatic fluctuations on the demographic history and population structure of amphibian species endemic to the 'campo rupestre' in the Neotropics, evaluating their distributional shifts, demographic changes, and diversification from the end of Pleistocene to present. We chose two anurans endemic to the high-elevation 'campo rupestre' in the Espinhaço Range (ER) in northeastern and southeastern Brazil (Bokermannohyla alvarengai and Bokermannohyla oxente), as models to test the role of Quaternary climatic fluctuations over their distribution range in this region. We collected tissue samples throughout their distribution range and used statistical phylogeography to examine processes of divergence and population demography. We generated spatial-temporal reconstructions using Bayesian inference in a coalescent framework in combination with hind cast projections of species distribution models (SDMs). We also used the results and literature information to test alternative diversification scenarios through approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). Quaternary climatic fluctuations influenced in the geographic ranges of both species, with population expansions occurring during the last glacial maximum (LGM) and range contractions during interglacial periods, as inferred from selected ABC models and from past projections of SDMs. We recovered a Pleistocene diversification for both species, in distinct periods for each of them. An older and range-restricted lineage was recovered in a geographically isolated geological massif, deserving conservation and further taxonomic study. The diversification and distribution of these amphibian species endemic to the Neotropical 'campo rupestre' were influenced by Quaternary climatic fluctuations. The expansion of cold adapted species restricted to higher elevations during glacial periods and their concomitant retraction during interglacial periods may have been crucial for determining patterns of species richness and endemism along the elevation gradient in tropical and subtropical domains. Such processes may influence the evolution of the biota distributed in heterogeneous landscapes with varied topography.
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Research Interests: Geography, Bayesian, Phylogeography, Biology, Ecology, and 15 moreMedicine, Multidisciplinary, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Phylogeny, Computation, Central America, Haplotypes, Animals, North America, Ecosystem, Diptera, Genetic variation, Bayes Theorem, and cochliomyia hominivorax
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Anurans have the greatest diversity of reproductive modes among tetrapod vertebrates, with at least 41 being currently recognized. We describe a new reproductive mode for anurans, as exhibited by the Paranapiacaba Treefrog, Bokermannohyla... more
Anurans have the greatest diversity of reproductive modes among tetrapod vertebrates, with at least 41 being currently recognized. We describe a new reproductive mode for anurans, as exhibited by the Paranapiacaba Treefrog, Bokermannohyla astartea, an endemic and poorly known species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest belonging to the B. circumdata group. We also describe other aspects of its reproductive biology, that are relevant to understanding the new reproductive mode, such as courtship behavior, spawning, and tadpoles. Additionally, we redescribe its advertisement call and extend its vocal repertoire by describing three additional call types: courtship, amplectant, and presumed territorial. The new reproductive mode exhibited by B. astartea consists of: (1) deposition of aquatic eggs in leaf-tanks of terrestrial or epiphytic bromeliads located on or over the banks of temporary or permanent streams; (2) exotrophic tadpoles remain in the leaf-tanks during initial stages of develo...
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Microbial diversity positively influences community resilience of the host microbiome. However, extinction risk factors such as habitat specialization, narrow environmental tolerances, and exposure to anthropogenic disturbance may... more
Microbial diversity positively influences community resilience of the host microbiome. However, extinction risk factors such as habitat specialization, narrow environmental tolerances, and exposure to anthropogenic disturbance may homogenize host-associated microbial communities critical for stress responses including disease defense. In a dataset containing 43 threatened and 90 non-threatened amphibian species across two biodiversity hotspots (Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and Madagascar), we found that threatened host species carried lower skin bacterial diversity, after accounting for key environmental and host factors. The consistency of our findings across continents suggests the broad scale at which low bacteriome diversity may compromise pathogen defenses in species already burdened with the threat of extinction.
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Amphibians are increasingly threatened worldwide, but the availability of genomic resources that could be crucial for implementing informed conservation practices lags well behind that for other vertebrate groups. Here, we describe draft... more
Amphibians are increasingly threatened worldwide, but the availability of genomic resources that could be crucial for implementing informed conservation practices lags well behind that for other vertebrate groups. Here, we describe draft de novo genome, mitogenome, and transcriptome assemblies for the Neotropical leaf-frog Phyllomedusa bahiana native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Caatinga. We used a combination of PacBio long reads and Illumina sequencing to produce a 4.74-Gbp contig-level genome assembly, which has a contiguity comparable to other recent nonchromosome level assemblies. The assembled mitogenome comprises 16,239 bp and the gene content and arrangement are similar to other Neobratrachia. RNA-sequencing from 8 tissues resulted in a highly complete (86.3%) reference transcriptome. We further use whole-genome resequencing data from P. bahiana and from its sister species Phyllomedusa burmeisteri, to demonstrate how our assembly can be used as a backbone for populat...
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Declines and extinctions are increasing globally and challenge conservationists to keep pace with biodiversity monitoring. Organisms leave DNA traces in the environment, e.g., in soil, water, and air. These DNA traces are referred to as... more
Declines and extinctions are increasing globally and challenge conservationists to keep pace with biodiversity monitoring. Organisms leave DNA traces in the environment, e.g., in soil, water, and air. These DNA traces are referred to as environmental DNA (eDNA). The analysis of eDNA is a highly sensitive method with the potential to rapidly assess local diversity and the status of threatened species. We searched for DNA traces of 30 target amphibian species of conservation concern, at different levels of threat, using an environmental DNA metabarcoding approach, together with an extensive sequence reference database to analyse water samples from six montane sites in the Atlantic Coastal Forest and adjacent Cerrado grasslands of Brazil. We successfully detected DNA traces of four declined species (Hylodes ornatus, Hylodes regius, Crossodactylus timbuhy, and Vitreorana eurygnatha); two locally disappeared (Phasmahyla exilis and Phasmahyla guttata); and one species that has not been seen since 1968 (putatively assigned to Megaelosia bocainensis). We confirm the presence of species undetected by traditional methods, underscoring the efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding for biodiversity monitoring at low population densities, especially in megadiverse tropical sites. Our results support the potential application of eDNA in conservation biology, to evaluate persistence and distribution of threatened species in surveyed habitats or sites, and improve accuracy of red lists, especially for species undetected over long periods.
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Dataset used for phylogenetic analyses from <i>Loxopholis percarinatum </i>and a subset of available Squamata's mitogenomes.<br><br>
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Climatic conditions changing over time and space shape the evolution of organisms at multiple levels, including temperate lizards in the family Lacertidae. Here we reconstruct a dated phylogenetic tree of 262 lacertid species based on a... more
Climatic conditions changing over time and space shape the evolution of organisms at multiple levels, including temperate lizards in the family Lacertidae. Here we reconstruct a dated phylogenetic tree of 262 lacertid species based on a supermatrix relying on novel phylogenomic datasets and fossil calibrations. Diversification of lacertids was accompanied by an increasing disparity among occupied bioclimatic niches, especially in the last 10 Ma, during a period of progressive global cooling. Temperate species also underwent a genome-wide slowdown in molecular substitution rates compared to tropical and desert-adapted lacertids. Evaporative water loss and preferred temperature are correlated with bioclimatic parameters, indicating physiological adaptations to climate. Tropical, but also some populations of cool-adapted species experience maximum temperatures close to their preferred temperatures. We hypothesize these species-specific physiological preferences may constitute a handica...
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Background Host microbiomes may differ under the same environmental conditions and these differences may influence susceptibility to infection. Amphibians are ideal for comparing microbiomes in the context of disease defense because... more
Background Host microbiomes may differ under the same environmental conditions and these differences may influence susceptibility to infection. Amphibians are ideal for comparing microbiomes in the context of disease defense because hundreds of species face infection with the skin-invading microbe Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and species richness of host communities, including their skin bacteria (bacteriome), may be exceptionally high. We conducted a landscape-scale Bd survey of six co-occurring amphibian species in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. To test the bacteriome as a driver of differential Bd prevalence, we compared bacteriome composition and co-occurrence network structure among the six focal host species. Results Intensive sampling yielded divergent Bd prevalence in two ecologically similar terrestrial-breeding species, a group with historically low Bd resistance. Specifically, we detected the highest Bd prevalence in Ischnocnema henselii but no Bd detections in Haddadu...
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<i>Rana guttulata</i> Boulenger, 1881 <i>Lectotype.</i> BMNH 1947.2.25.51, designated lectotype by Blommers-Schlösser and Blanc (1991), from the region of Betsileo (S.E. Betsileo), collected by Bartlett.... more
<i>Rana guttulata</i> Boulenger, 1881 <i>Lectotype.</i> BMNH 1947.2.25.51, designated lectotype by Blommers-Schlösser and Blanc (1991), from the region of Betsileo (S.E. Betsileo), collected by Bartlett. <i>Paralectotypes.</i> Four specimens, BMNH 1947.2. 25.48–50, BMNH 1947.2. 25.52, with same collection locality and data as lectotype. <i>Junior synonym.</i> <i>Rana pigra</i> Mocquard, 1900. Holotype: MNHN 1899.410, from 'forêt d' Ikongo'. <i>Referred material.</i> For field numbers of additional specimens referred to <i>M. guttulat us</i> genetically, see Figure 1. For morphological measurements of types and five additional specimens in the ZSM collection, see Table 1. <i>Remarks.</i> <i>Mantidactylus (M.) guttulatus</i> is a large nocturnal stream-dwelling frog, distributed at elevations from 810 m a.s.l. (Vohidrazana) to ca. 1500 m a.s.l. (Antoetra). It is typically found in slow-moving parts of small streams in rainforest, and almost, nothing is known about its natural history. Based on genetic data herein, confirmed localities are (from north to south) Fierenana, Andasibe, Maromizaha, Mangabe region, An' Ala and Vohidrazana in the Northern Central East, and Antoetra, Vohiparara, Ranomafana and Ivohibe in the Southern Central East of Madagascar (map in Figure 1). If <i>Rana pigra</i> is correctly assigned as a junior synonym to <i>M. guttulatus</i>, then a further locality would be Ikongo Forest. The definition of this species has had a very convoluted history, and many populations and specimens have intermittently been named <i>M. guttulatus</i>. A complete revision of all these uses in the literature is beyond the scope of this paper. Glaw and Vences (2007) defined populations from Tsaratanana as <i>M. guttulatus</i>, and calls and tadpoles of the lineage occurring at Tsaratanana were also described under this name (Vences et al. 2004; Schulze et al. 2016). However, this population corresponds to the new species <i>M. radaka</i> sp. nov. described below. The tadpole described by Altig and McDiarmid (2006) [...]
Figure 8. Lateral views of the heads of preserved adult males of Mantidactylus (Mantidactylus) radaka sp. nov. in comparison with M. (M.) guttulatus and M. (M.) grandidieri. Note the more distinct and larger tympanum (indicated by yellow... more
Figure 8. Lateral views of the heads of preserved adult males of Mantidactylus (Mantidactylus) radaka sp. nov. in comparison with M. (M.) guttulatus and M. (M.) grandidieri. Note the more distinct and larger tympanum (indicated by yellow arrows) in the latter two species. Not to scale.
Figure 1. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree obtained from 514 bp of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. The values at the nodes are the bootstrap supports (not given for intra-lineage nodes for improved clarity). The type specimens of M.... more
Figure 1. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree obtained from 514 bp of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. The values at the nodes are the bootstrap supports (not given for intra-lineage nodes for improved clarity). The type specimens of M. guttulatus and M. grandidieri from the London and Paris museum collections are highlighted in red and brown, respectively.
Figure 9. Preserved type specimens of the four nomina in the Mantidactylus subgenus Mantidactylus and one of the paralectotypes of Rana guttulata.
Figure 6. Photographs of living specimens of Mantidactylus radaka sp. nov. (a, b) Male holotype ZSM 644/2001 (field number FGMV 2001.132) from Manarikoba forest, Tsaratanana Massif. (c–f) Female paratype ZSM 1800/2010 (ZCMV 12345) from... more
Figure 6. Photographs of living specimens of Mantidactylus radaka sp. nov. (a, b) Male holotype ZSM 644/2001 (field number FGMV 2001.132) from Manarikoba forest, Tsaratanana Massif. (c–f) Female paratype ZSM 1800/2010 (ZCMV 12345) from Camp 1 (Antevialambazaha), Tsaratanana Massif. (g, h) Female paratype ZSM 97/2016 (MSZC 0080) from Ampotsidy. (i, j) Male paratype MSZC 0120 (uncatalogued in UADBA) from Ampotsidy. (k) Unidentified specimen from Camp 0 (Ankijagna Lagnana), Tsaratanana Massif. (l) Paratype ZSM 582/2014 (DRV 6073) from Camp 0 (Ankijagna Lagnana). (m, n) Unidentified female specimen from Manongarivo (Camp 0), probably preserved in UADBA collection.
The genus Aplastodiscus currently includes 15 valid species, and a further five candidate species have already been pointed out in the literature. We here describe one of these candidate species, assigned to the A. albosignatus group,... more
The genus Aplastodiscus currently includes 15 valid species, and a further five candidate species have already been pointed out in the literature. We here describe one of these candidate species, assigned to the A. albosignatus group, from the southeastern slopes of the Espinhaço Range, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The new species is cryptic with A. cavicola, being morphologically similar in both adult and larval stages. However, the two species are not sister taxa. The advertisement call of the new species is markedly distinct from all other known species of its genus. Examination of topotypic samples of A. cavicola corroborates the presence of this species in the Espinhaço Range, but also indicates the need for a revision of the taxonomic status of populations from the state of Rio de Janeiro assigned to this taxon.
Research Interests: Biology and Salamandra
Information on variables collected for each tadpole or water sample
Aim: To test the importance of evolutionary and biogeographic processes in shaping the assembly of local frog communities in two adjacent regions (hereafter, coastal and inland regions) with different historical signatures. We asked two... more
Aim: To test the importance of evolutionary and biogeographic processes in shaping the assembly of local frog communities in two adjacent regions (hereafter, coastal and inland regions) with different historical signatures. We asked two main questions: i) why does the coastal region harbor more frog species than the inland region? and ii) how do these processes affect the relationship between the spatial variation of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversities within and across these regions? Location: southeastern Brazil Taxon: Anurans Methods: We generated time-calibrated phylogenies to estimate the relative timing of colonization, rates of speciation, extinction, and dispersal between regions. We tested the phylogenetic signal in reproductive modes. These traits were also used to examine variation in functional composition across sites. We calculated metrics of phylogenetic community structure that capture the relationships near the root and tips of the tree. Finally, we tested the relationships between the spatial variation of multiple diversity dimensions and topographic complexity, Pleistocene and contemporary climate gradients for three spatial extents: (i) only coastal sites; (ii) only inland sites; and (iii) the two regions combined. Results: The structure of communities was related to the region in which they are located, with regional pool size being two times greater for the coastal than inland region. This pattern seems to reflect both a higher speciation rate and earlier colonization time in the coastal than in the inland region. Reproductive modes within frog genera were less variable than among families, indicating phylogenetic signal. This pattern influenced local community assembly within the inland region due to the absence of species with direct development, tadpoles in bromeliads, or eggs and tadpoles in streams in this region. Main Conclusions: Macroevolutionary dynamics, such as colonization time, differences in speciation rates, and niche conservatism generate the disparity in spec [...]
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In Brazil’s Atlantic Forest (AF) biodiversity conservation is of key importance since the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has led to the rapid loss of amphibian populations here and worldwide. The impact of Bd on... more
In Brazil’s Atlantic Forest (AF) biodiversity conservation is of key importance since the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has led to the rapid loss of amphibian populations here and worldwide. The impact of Bd on amphibians is determined by the host's immune system, of which the skin microbiome is a critical component. The richness and diversity of such cutaneous bacterial communities are known to be shaped by abiotic factors which thus may indirectly modulate host susceptibility to Bd. This study aimed to contribute to understanding the environment-host–pathogen interaction determining skin bacterial communities in 819 treefrogs (Anura: Hylidae and Phyllomedusidae) from 71 species sampled across the AF. We investigated whether abiotic factors influence the bacterial community richness and structure on the amphibian skin. We further tested for an association between skin bacterial community structure and Bd co-occurrence. Our data revealed that temperature, p...
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Climate has a large impact on diversity and evolution of the world’s biota. The Eocene–Oligocene transition from tropical climate to cooler, drier environments was accompanied by global species turnover. A large number of Old World... more
Climate has a large impact on diversity and evolution of the world’s biota. The Eocene–Oligocene transition from tropical climate to cooler, drier environments was accompanied by global species turnover. A large number of Old World lacertid lizard lineages have diversified after the Eocene–Oligocene boundary. One of the most speciose reptile genera in the arid Palearctic, Acanthodactylus, contains two sub-Saharan species with unresolved phylogenetic relationship and unknown climatic preferences. We here aim to understand how and when adaptation to arid conditions occurred in Acanthodactylus and when tropical habitats where entered. Using whole mitogenomes from fresh and archival DNA and published sequences we recovered a well-supported Acanthodactylus phylogeny and underpinned the timing of diversification with environmental niche analyses of the sub-Saharan species A. guineensis and A. boueti in comparison to all arid Acanthodactylus. We found that A. guineensis represents an old l...
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The mitogenome of the South American parthenogenetic lizard Loxopholis percarinatum Müller, 1923 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), a uni-bisexual species complex, was recovered for three individuals from Rio Negro region, Amazonas, Brazil.... more
The mitogenome of the South American parthenogenetic lizard Loxopholis percarinatum Müller, 1923 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), a uni-bisexual species complex, was recovered for three individuals from Rio Negro region, Amazonas, Brazil. The content and order of genes are typical for vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, and we recovered 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA, and two rRNA (12S and 16S), in addition to partial fragments of the Control Region. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with mitogenomes of selected lizard families recovered L. percarinatum with Iphisa elegans Gray, 1851, the only other Gymnophthalmidae species available in GenBank.
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The vegetation cover in the Atlantic Forest has been converted to human use or degraded by human activities, which declined the vegetation to 16% of its original extent. Although several protected areas have been created in this... more
The vegetation cover in the Atlantic Forest has been converted to human use or degraded by human activities, which declined the vegetation to 16% of its original extent. Although several protected areas have been created in this Neotropical biome over the past decades, our knowledge of the amphibian species within these areas is still far from adequate. Here, we present lists of anuran species from three different areas of Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar: núcleos Curucutu, Santa Virgínia and São Sebastião. To survey anuran species, we visited six sampling units (two ponds, two streams and two trails inside forest fragments) in each locality. Samplings were accomplished from December 2014 to February 2015, December 2015 to February 2016 and December 2016 to February 2017, totalizing 27 days of field samplings in each sampling unit. We recorded 34 anuran species in the Núcleo Curucutu, 44 species in the Núcleo São Sebastião and 42 species in the Núcleo Santa Virgínia, totalizing 65 sp...