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Journal articles on the topic 'Freshwater amphibious reptiles'
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1
Zhytova, E. P., L. D. Romanchuk, S. V. Guralska, O. Yu Andreieva, and M. V. Shvets. "Circulation Pathways of Trematodes of Freshwater Gastropod Mollusks in Forest Biocenoses of the Ukrainian Polissia." Vestnik Zoologii 53, no. 1 (February 1, 2019): 13–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/vzoo-2019-0002.
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Abstract This is the first review of life cycles of trematodes with parthenitae and larvae in freshwater gastropods from forest biocoenoses of Ukrainian Polissia. Altogether 26 trematode species from 14 families were found circulating in 13 ways in molluscs from reservoirs connected with forest ecosystems of the region. Three-host life cycle is typical of 18 trematode species, two-host life cycle has found in 7 species, and four-host cycles has found in one species. Alaria alata Goeze, 1782, has three-host (Shults, 1972) and four-host cycles. Opisthioglyphe ranae (Froehlich, 1791) can change three-host life cycle to two-host cycle replacing the second intermediate host (Niewiadomska et al., 2006) with the definitive host. Species with primary two-host life cycle belong to Notocotylidae Lühe, 1909, Paramphistomidae Fischoeder, 1901 and Fasciolidae Railliet, 1758 families. Trematodes with three-host cycle have variable second intermediate hosts, including invertebrates and aquatic or amphibious vertebrates. Definitive hosts of trematodes are always vertebrates from different taxonomic groups. The greatest diversity of life cycles is typical for trematodes of birds. Trematodes in the forest biocoenoses of Ukrainian Polissia infect birds in six ways, mammals in three, amphibians in four, and reptiles in one way. The following species have epizootic significance: Liorchis scotiae (Willmott, 1950); Parafasciolopsis fasciolaemorpha Ejsmont, 1932; Notocotylus seineti Fuhrmann, 1919; Catatropis verrucosa (Frölich, 1789) Odhner, 1905; Cotylurus cornutus (Rudolphi, 1808); Echinostoma revolutum (Fröhlich, 1802) Dietz, 1909; Echinoparyphium aconiatum Dietz, 1909; Echinoparyphium recurvatum (Linstow, 1873); Hypoderaeum conoideum (Bloch, 1782) Dietz, 1909; Paracoenogonimus ovatus Kasturada, 1914; Alaria alata Goeze, 1782.
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Steen, Alexis, David E. Fritz, William Stubblefield, and Jeffrey Giddings. "Environmental Effects of Freshwater Oil Spills." International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings 1999, no. 1 (March 1, 1999): 607–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.7901/2169-3358-1999-1-607.
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ABSTRACT A research project was commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute (API) to summarize information on freshwater spill environmental effects. While threats to migrating fish stocks or aquatic mammals may be primary concerns following an ocean spill, adverse effects to benthic invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, waterfowl, fish hatcheries, shoreline vegetation, or public drinking water intakes may be the focus of a freshwater event. Environmental effects from spilled petroleum constituents and whole oils are discussed. Research needs are identified.
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Mujumdar, Neha, Dattaprasad Sawant, Amila Sumanapala, Parag Rangnekar, and Pankaj Koparde. "Rapid multi-taxa assessment around Dhamapur Lake (Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, India) using citizen science reveals significant odonate records." Journal of Threatened Taxa 12, no. 13 (September 26, 2020): 16795–818. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.6028.12.13.16795-16818.
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In the present work, we discuss the results of a four-day long rapid survey around Dhamapur Lake and surrounding freshwater habitats in the Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra through public participation. In total, 61 odonates, 51 butterflies, 17 species of amphibians and reptiles, 90 birds, and four mammals are documented. Our observations taken over a brief time reflect the importance of citizen science in documenting local biodiversity. We report involvement of citizen scientists in recovering significant odonate records for the state.
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Mascarenhas, C. S., and G. Müller. "Third-stage larvae of the enoplid nematode Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782) in the freshwater turtle Trachemys dorbigni from southern Brazil." Journal of Helminthology 89, no. 5 (May 15, 2014): 630–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022149x14000364.
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AbstractThe giant kidney worm Dioctophymerenale is normally found in wild carnivores and domestic dogs, with aquatic oligochaetes acting as intermediate hosts. In the present study a prevalence of 50% of third-stage larvae of D. renale was recorded in 60 specimens of the freshwater turtle Trachemys dorbigni from southern Brazil. Larvae were encysted in muscles, the coelomic cavity and mesentery, the serous lining of the stomach and on the surfaces of the lung, heart, liver, pancreas, spleen and intestines. There are no previous records of reptiles being part of the life cycle of D. renale, although fish and amphibians normally act as paratenic hosts. This is the first report of third-stage D. renale larvae in the freshwater turtle, T. dorbigni.
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Caffara, M., G. Bruni, C. Paoletti, A. Gustinelli, and M. L. Fioravanti. "Metacercariae of Clinostomum complanatum (Trematoda: Digenea) in European newts Triturus carnifex and Lissotriton vulgaris (Caudata: Salamandridae)." Journal of Helminthology 88, no. 3 (March 18, 2013): 278–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022149x13000151.
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AbstractAdults of Clinostomum spp. are digenetic trematodes found in fish-eating birds, reptiles and occasionally mammals, including humans. Freshwater snails serve as first intermediate hosts and many fish species and amphibians as second intermediate hosts. To date, amphibian hosts of Clinostomum metacercariae include members of urodele and anuran families in North America, but no data are available on infections of European amphibians, including newts. In this study, we characterize infections of Clinostomum complanatum metacercariae in four smooth (Lissotriton vulgaris) and 18 Italian crested newts (Triturus carnifex) from an artificial pond located in a protected area in Tuscany, Italy. Parasites were surgically removed from the infected newts and identified both morphologically and using sequences of a mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase I, and the ribosomal markers, internal transcribed spacers. This is the first record of C. complanatum in European newts and, more generally, in amphibians in Europe.
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Ficetola, Gentile Francesco, Raoul Manenti, and Pierre Taberlet. "Environmental DNA and metabarcoding for the study of amphibians and reptiles: species distribution, the microbiome, and much more." Amphibia-Reptilia 40, no. 2 (2019): 129–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685381-20191194.
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Abstract In the last decade, eDNA and metabarcoding have opened new avenues to biodiversity studies; amphibians and reptiles are animals for which these new approaches have allowed great leaps forward. Here we review different approaches through which eDNA can be used to study amphibians, reptiles and many more organisms. eDNA is often used to evaluate the presence of target species in freshwaters; it has been particularly useful to detect invasive alien amphibians and secretive or rare species, but the metabarcoding approach is increasingly used as a cost-effective approach to assess entire communities. There is growing evidence that eDNA can be also useful to study terrestrial organisms, to evaluate the relative abundance of species, and to detect reptiles. Metabarcoding has also revolutionized studies on the microbiome associated to skin and gut, clarifying the complex relationships between pathogens, microbial diversity and environmental variation. We also identify additional aspects that have received limited attention so far, but can greatly benefit from innovative applications of eDNA, such as the study of past biodiversity, diet analysis and the reconstruction of trophic interactions. Despite impressive potential, eDNA and metabarcoding also bear substantial technical and analytical complexity; we identify laboratory and analytical strategies that can improve the robustness of results. Collaboration among field biologists, ecologist, molecular biologists, and bioinformaticians is allowing fast technical and conceptual advances; multidisciplinary studies involving eDNA analyses will greatly improve our understanding of the complex relationships between organisms, and our effectiveness in assessing and preventing the impact of human activities.
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Roney, Nancy E., Anna Kuparinen, and Jeffrey A. Hutchings. "Comparative analysis of abundance–occupancy relationships for species at risk at both broad taxonomic and spatial scales." Canadian Journal of Zoology 93, no. 7 (July 2015): 515–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2014-0318.
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The abundance–occupancy relationship is one of the most well-examined relationships in ecology. At the species level, a positive association has been widely documented. However, until recently, research on the nature of this relationship at broad taxonomic and spatial scales has been limited. Here, we perform a comparative analysis of 12 taxonomic groups across a large spatial scale (Canada), using data on Canadian species at risk: amphibians, arthropods, birds, freshwater fishes, lichens, marine fishes, marine mammals, molluscs, mosses, reptiles, terrestrial mammals, and vascular plants. We find a significantly positive relationship in all taxonomic groups with the exception of freshwater fishes (negative association) and lichens (no association). In general, our work underscores the strength and breadth of this apparently fundamental relationship and provides insight into novel applications for large-scale population dynamics. Further development of species-independent abundance–occupancy relationships, or those of a similar nature, might well prove instrumental in serving as starting points for developing species-independent reference points and recovery strategies.
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Pessoa, Lourdes Marina Bezerra, Marcela Côrrea Scalon, Filipe Tavares Carneiro, Maíra Gonçalves da Mota Lima, Thamiris Figueiredo da Silva, Rafael Veríssimo Monteiro, and Giane Regina Paludo. "Occurrence of Hemogregarine in Two Species of Brazilian Freshwater Turtles." Acta Scientiae Veterinariae 44, no. 1 (March 19, 2018): 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.22456/1679-9216.81102.
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Background: Hemogregarines are the most common intraerythrocytic parasites found in reptiles. The genus Haemogregarina has aquatic vertebrates as intermediate hosts, and as definitive hosts the leeches. The genus Hepatozoon can be found parasitizing amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals and its main vectors invertebrates are mosquitoes, tsetse flies, lice, fleas and mites. The diagnosis of these parasites is done by the technique of blood smear, but modern diagnoses include evaluation of blood by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The aim this study was to determine the occurrence of infection by hemogregarine in freshwater turtles, through PCR.Materials, Methods & Results: Samples from 99 freshwater turtles of species P. expansa and P. geoffroanus of Fundação Zoológico de Brasília,Distrito Federal, Brazil, were used. The animals was captured using a hand net, and were immediately individually identified. The blood samples was collected by puncture of the occipital sinus, and placed into tubes containing sodium heparin anticoagulant for hematologic and molecular analysis. Two different sets of oligonucleotides were used, one to detect hemogregarines and other to detect Hepatozoon sp. infection. The presence of hemogregarine was detected in 20 samples analyzed (n = 99), these eleven samples were positive for hemogregarine, 5 were Hepatozoon sp. and 4 were positive for both oligonucleotides. Laboratory abnormalities were observed in the concentration of total plasma proteins, total serum proteins and globulin, and in the number of thrombocytesin animals positive for hemogregarines and only alterations in the number of thrombocytes were observed in Hepatozoon sp. positive animals of both species.Discussion: This study showed that there is a high occurrence of infection by hemogregarines in the freshwater turtles samples examinated. The remarkable difficulty of identifying morphological differences, combined with the development of universal oligonucleotides, make further assessments infections hematozoa to be performed using molecular tools and specially sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene for hemogregarines. Protein levels in animals depends on the management, diets and normal physiological variations of each species. Hypoproteinemia is commonly observed in reptiles with chronic malnutrition and gastrointestinal parasitism. Therefore it is suggested that the cause of this low level in the measurement of proteins could be directly linked to the presence of hemoparasites because with the infection more animals feeding unless the negative, causing malnutrition, or even the concomitant presence of gastrointestinal parasites, because the study did not evaluate this level of parasitism. Thrombocytes in reptiles participate in blood clotting and some studies have shown that they also have phagocytic capacity. Thrombocytopenia in reptiles is usually a result of excessive use or deficient production. Thus, thrombocytopenia observed in hemogregarines positive animals of this study may suggest that the presence of this group of parasites can cause thrombocytopenia that may be associated with a deficient production of thrombocytes or even greater consumption of these blood cells. The increase of thrombocytes observed in animals positive for Hepatozoon sp. may be related to the defense of the animal, since thrombocytes also have phagocytic activity. No changes were observed in laboratorial tests of P. expansa, which may be due to the small number of this animal species analyzed.
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Carstairs, Sue J. "Evidence for low prevalence of ranaviruses in Ontario, Canada’s freshwater turtle population." PeerJ 7 (May 20, 2019): e6987. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6987.
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BackgroundOntario, Canada is home to eight native species of turtles; all eight are federally listed as Species At Risk, due to anthropogenic threats. However, until recently, reports of infectious disease have been lacking. Ranavirus is seen as an emerging threat for ectotherms globally, with mass die-offs most often reported in amphibians. Ranavirus has been detected in Ontario’s amphibian populations, can be transmitted via water, and can be transmitted from amphibians to turtles. However, no studies on the prevalence of this virus in Ontario’s turtles have previously been carried out. With recent reports of two confirmed positive case of ranavirus in turtles in Ontario, a knowledge of the ecology of ranavirus in Ontario’s turtles has become even more important. This study estimates the prevalence of ranavirus in Ontario’s turtles, and investigates the hypothesis that this is a newly emergent disease.MethodsSixty-three samples were tested for ranavirus via PCR. These included a variety of turtle species, across their home range in Southern Ontario. Fifty-two of the samples originated from the liver and kidney of turtles who had succumbed to traumatic injuries after being admitted to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre; ten of the samples were taken from cloacal swabs, lesion swabs, or tail clips collected from live turtles showing signs of clinical disease. One of the live turtles was later euthanized for humane reasons and PCR was also carried out on the liver/kidney.ResultsNone of the 63 samples were found to be positive for ranavirus via PCR. The zero prevalence found in this study translates into a population prevalence estimate of less than 5%, with no change in prevalence from 2014–2018.DiscussionThis is the first report on the prevalence of ranavirus in Ontario’s turtles, and will help build an understanding of the ecology of this virus in Ontario. Ranavirus has historically been underreported in reptiles, but there has been an increase in global reports recently, most likely due to increased awareness. A carrier state is thought to exist in reptiles which makes surveillance in the population via random sampling a viable method of detection of prevalence. The first report of ranavirus in Ontario turtles occurred in 2018. This study suggests a continued low population prevalence for the years 2014–2018, however. Ongoing surveillance is necessary, as well as investigation of the eDNA presence in waterways as compared to the PCR of resident turtles, to further understand the sensitivity of these species to ranavirus infection. The utilization of qPCR would be helpful, to better quantify any positives encountered.
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Fuentes, Nicol, Alicia Marticorena, Alfredo Saldaña, Viviane Jerez, Juan Carlos Ortiz, Pedro Victoriano, Rodrigo A. Moreno, et al. "Multi-taxa inventory of naturalized species in Chile." NeoBiota 60 (August 12, 2020): 25–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.60.55366.
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Here we present a multi-taxa inventory of naturalized alien species recorded on continental Chile and adjacent marine habitats, including eight taxonomic groups. We identified 1,122 species. These comprise 790 vascular plants (terrestrial and aquatic); 31 nonvascular plants [Bryophyta (mosses), Marchantiophyta (liverworts) and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)]; 18 marine and freshwater macro and micro algae; 71 fungi; 39 terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds); 108 insects; 37 marine and freshwater invertebrates and vertebrates (6 polychaetes, 3 mollusks and 28 Pisces); and 28 terrestrial gastropods. For all taxonomic groups, naturalized species were found to mainly be distributed in regions with Mediterranean and temperate climates, with few at either extreme of the country. The invasion curves show that naturalized species first underwent a positive increment, followed by an apparent plateau phase, mainly in vascular plants, insects and vertebrates. In fungi, marine and freshwater macro and microalgae, vertebrates and invertebrates, the cumulative number of naturalized species increased sharply starting in the early 20th century; the lack of collections before 1900 is also evident. When considering naturalized species as a whole, this inventory highlights that the rate of new naturalizations consistently increased after 1950, especially for some taxonomic groups such as insects, fungi, and vascular plants. This multi-taxa inventory of naturalized species provides a platform for national reporting on biodiversity indicators and highlights areas where Chile must invest resources to manage biological invasions.
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Zijia, Hong, Shahrul Anuar, L. Lee Grismer, and Evan S. H. Quah. "Preliminary report on the herpetofaunal diversity of Batu Hampar Recreational Forest, Kedah, Malaysia." Check List 17, no. 3 (May 25, 2021): 791–814. http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/17.3.791.
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Batu Hampar Recreational Forest (BHRF) is a lowland dipterocarp forest located in the northwestern region of Peninsular Malaysia and has not been surveyed for its herpetofauna until now. A preliminary survey of the herpetofaunal diversity of BHRF was conducted from September 2018 to February 2019 resulting in 103 individuals (37 species) of amphibians and reptiles found. This includes 14 species of frogs from six families and 10 genera; 14 species of lizards from four families and 11 genera; eight species of snakes from five families and eight genera; and one species of freshwater turtle. From these results, Batu Hampar Recreational Forest has a high herpetofaunal diversity with a Simpson’s Index of Diversity of 0.869 and a Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index of 2.930. In the future, additional surveys over longer periods of time should be conducted at BHRF to produce a more complete checklist.
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Luiselli, Luca, Gift Simon Demaya, John Sebit Benansio, Fabio Petrozzi, Godfrey C. Akani, Edem A. Eniang, Stephanie N. Ajong, Massimiliano Di Vittorio, NioKing Amadi, and Daniele Dendi. "A Comparative Analysis of the Diets of a Genus of Freshwater Turtles across Africa." Diversity 13, no. 4 (April 12, 2021): 165. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13040165.
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Pelusios (Testudines: Pleurodira) is an Afrotropical endemic genus of freshwater turtles that have adapted to a variety of habitats, with savannahs and forests being their two main habitat types. Although considered generally carnivorous, these turtles have rarely been subjected to detailed field surveys for determining their quantitative diet. In this paper, by using both the literature and original data, we analyze the diet of several Pelusios populations: three P. adansonii populations from South Sudan, one P. nanus from Zambia, seven P. castaneus from Nigeria, Benin and Togo, and four P. niger from Nigeria. All species were omnivorous but with a clear preponderance of the prey items being of animal origin (e.g., amphibians, fish, arthropods and annelids). Saturation curves revealed that the diet composition of all the surveyed populations was adequately assessed, and the diversity profiles indicated that all the populations were relatively similar in terms of overall dietary diversity. General Linear Models (GLM) showed a negative effect of vegetation cover on Anura adult consumption by turtles, and showed that the frequencies of Anura tadpoles, fish, reptiles and birds on Pelusios diets increased with the increase in vegetation cover. The GLM model also showed positive effects of individual body size on algae, Bivalvia, reptiles, birds and small mammal consumption by turtles, and underlined that the predation on Arachnida decreased with the increase in turtle body size. In all species, there were no significant intersexual dietary differences, whereas there were substantial ontogenetic dietary changes in three out of four species. Small-sized individuals of P. castaneus, P. niger and P. adansonii tended to feed mainly upon insects, with the adults also taking many fish and adult frogs, and in the case of P. niger, also birds and small mammals. Conversely, in P. nanus, the diet composition did not vary substantially from the juvenile to the adult age. All species appeared substantially generalist in terms of their diet composition, although the effects of season (wet versus dry) were not adequately assessed by our study.
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Wirth, Wytamma, and Ellen Ariel. "Temperature-dependent infection of freshwater turtle hatchlings, Emydura macquarii krefftii, inoculated with a ranavirus isolate (Bohle iridovirus, Iridoviridae)." FACETS 5, no. 1 (January 1, 2020): 821–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2020-0012.
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Fish, amphibians, and reptiles exhibit temperature-dependent ranaviral disease. We performed an experimental infection at four different environmental temperatures (16, 22, 28, and 34 °C) to investigate the effect of temperature on ranaviral infection in Krefft’s turtle ( Emydura macquarii krefftii). Infection rates and viral loads were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect ranaviral DNA in liver samples at 21 d postexposure. The rate of infection differed across the temperature treatment groups. Infection rates were 44%, 90%, 60%, and 10% for the 16, 22, 28, and 34 °C temperature groups, respectively. Highest viral load was observed in the 28 °C temperature group, and there was a statistically significant difference in viral load between the 16 and 28 °C temperature groups ( p = 0.027). Based on the results of this study, the temperature of maximal infection rate for ranaviral infection in Krefft’s river turtles is estimated to be 23.2 °C (SD = 4.5). The findings of this study can inform management decisions in terms of disease control and treatment and form a platform for modelling disease outbreaks.
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Battisti, Corrado, Michele Cento, Fulvio Fraticelli, Steven Hueting, and Sergio Muratore. "Vertebrates in the “Palude di Torre Flavia” Special Protection Area (Lazio, central Italy): an updated checklist." Natural History Sciences 8, no. 1 (May 3, 2021): 3–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2021.509.
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Here we present the checklist of the vertebrates of the “Palude di Torre Flavia”, a protected area in Tyrrhenian central Italy (Special Protection Area according to the Directive 2009/147/EC). To draw up the checklist, we collated all the records found in the literature, in private collections, and in the Ornitho.it website database, as well as sporadic historical observations. We obtained evidence documented between 1981 and 2020 for 291 taxa of which 259 native, 26 allochthonous and 6 domesticated species in 5 classes: 5 actinopterygians (4 native species and 1 allochtonous), 2 amphibians, 20 reptiles (11 native species and 9 allochthonous; the last being all freshwater terrapins), 244 birds (including 14 non-native taxa and 6 domestic forms) and 20 mammals (including 2 allochthonous). Forty-three species are listed as of conservation concern on a national scale. The area has shown to be an important biodiversity hotspot, and a major stopover site for migrating birds. Further research should be focused on some still poorly investigated taxonomic groups, in particular: Actinopterygii, Amphibia Salamandridae, Carnivora Mustelidae, and Chiroptera.
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Vermeij, Geerat J., and Ryosuke Motani. "Land to sea transitions in vertebrates: the dynamics of colonization." Paleobiology 44, no. 2 (March 5, 2018): 237–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/pab.2017.37.
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AbstractVertebrates with terrestrial or freshwater ancestors colonized the sea from the Early Triassic onward and became competitively dominant members of many marine ecosystems throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. The circumstances that led to initial marine colonization have, however, received little attention. One hypothesis is that mass extinction associated with ecosystem collapse provided opportunities for clades of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals to enter marine environments. Another is that competitive pressures in donor ecosystems on land and in freshwater, coupled with abundant food in nearshore marine habitats, favored marine colonization. Here we test these hypotheses by compiling all known secondarily marine amniote clades and their times of colonization. Marine amniotes are defined as animals whose diet consists primarily of marine organisms and whose locomotion includes swimming, diving, or wading in salt water. We compared the number of clades entering during recovery phases from mass extinctions with the rate of entry of clades during nonrecovery intervals of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. We conservatively identify 69 marine colonizations by amniotes. The only recovery interval for which prior mass extinction could have been a trigger for marine entry is the Early Triassic, when four clades colonized the sea over 7 Myr, significantly above the rates at which clades entered during other intervals. High nearshore productivity was a greater enticement to colonization than was a low diversity of potential marine competitors or predators in nearshore environments of a highly competitive terrestrial or freshwater donor biota. Rates of marine entry increased during the Cenozoic, in part because of rising productivity and in part thanks to the participation of warm-blooded birds and mammals, which broadened the range of thermal environments in which initial colonization of the sea became possible.
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Laws, Claire A., Nola Hancock, and Michelle R. Leishman. "Using the scientific listing process to better understand climate change risk to threatened species and ecological communities in New South Wales." Pacific Conservation Biology 26, no. 2 (2020): 173. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc19021.
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Anthropogenic climate change presents a major threat to all levels of biodiversity – from populations to ecosystems. Threatened species and ecological communities are particularly at risk because they generally possess characteristics that increase their vulnerability to extinction. Here we review the conservation assessments of 414 threatened species and 108 ecological communities in the state of New South Wales (NSW) Australia, to explore climate change extinction risk. We found only 13% of threatened species and 24% of threatened ecological communities have climate change identified as a threat. Amphibians had the highest proportion of species with a climate change threat identified (37%), followed by mammals (25%), birds (17%), reptiles (15%) and plants (10%). The sample sizes of freshwater algae and marine mammals were too small to be considered. Threatened species and ecological communities that had climate change listed as a threat were predominately associated with wet and montane habitats, highlighting the vulnerability of these environments. The estimates of the extinction threat from climate change to species and ecological communities in NSW are likely to be highly conservative. We suggest that climate change adaptation strategies be incorporated into all levels of biodiversity management, from threatened species management plans to landscape level management.
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Katsu, Yoshinao, Kazumi Matsubara, Satomi Kohno, Yoichi Matsuda, Michihisa Toriba, Kaori Oka, Louis J. Guillette, Yasuhiko Ohta, and Taisen Iguchi. "Molecular Cloning, Characterization, and Chromosome Mapping of Reptilian Estrogen Receptors." Endocrinology 151, no. 12 (October 6, 2010): 5710–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/en.2010-0356.
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In many vertebrates, steroid hormones are essential for ovarian differentiation during a critical developmental stage as well as promoting the growth and differentiation of the adult female reproductive system. Although studies have been extensively conducted in mammals and a few fish, amphibians, and bird species, the molecular mechanisms of sex steroid hormone (estrogens) action have been poorly examined in reptiles. Here, we evaluate hormone receptor and ligand interactions in two species of snake, the Okinawa habu (Protobothrops flavoviridis, Viperidae) and the Japanese four-striped rat snake (Elaphe quadrivirgata, Colubridae) after the isolation of cDNAs encoding estrogen receptor α (ESR1) and estrogen receptor β (ESR2). Using a transient transfection assay with mammalian cells, the transcriptional activity of reptilian (Okinawa habu, Japanese four-striped rat snake, American alligator, and Florida red-belly freshwater turtle) ESR1 and ESR2 was examined. All ESR proteins displayed estrogen-dependent activation of transcription via an estrogen-response element-containing promoter; however, the responsiveness to various estrogens was different. Further, we determined the chromosomal locations of the snake steroid hormone receptor genes. ESR1 and ESR2 genes were localized to the short and long arms of chromosome 1, respectively, whereas androgen receptor was localized to a pair of microchromosomes in the two snake species examined. These data provide basic tools that allow future studies examining receptor-ligand interactions and steroid endocrinology in snakes and also expands our knowledge of sex steroid hormone receptor evolution.
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PERERA, SANDUN J., ŞERBAN PROCHEŞ, DAYANI RATNAYAKE-PERERA, and SYD RAMDHANI. "Vertebrate endemism in south-eastern Africa numerically redefines a biodiversity hotspot." Zootaxa 4382, no. 1 (February 20, 2018): 56. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4382.1.2.
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We use numerical methods to explore patterns of vertebrate endemism in south-eastern Africa, refining the boundaries of the intuitively-defined Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, also proposing a zoogeographic regionalisation. An incidence matrix of 300 vertebrate species endemic to south-eastern Africa sensu lato in 37 operational geographic units were used in (a) phenetic cluster analysis (PCA) using the algorithm of unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (phenetic approach), and (b) parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE; parsimony approach), in order to numerically evaluate the bioregional delimitations. The analyses provide a valid biogeographical entity 37% larger than the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspot, but substantially (131%) higher in vertebrate endemicity viz. the Greater Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (GMPA) region of vertebrate endemism. South-east Africa is recognised as a dominion in the global zoogeographical area hierarchy, with subordinate units including the GMPA province. Various spatially-based measures of endemism were mapped for vertebrate species restricted to the dominion, i.e. endemic to south-eastern Africa sensu stricto. Areas and centres of endemism detected respectively from PAE and PCA, within the south-east Africa dominion also support the refined boundary of the GMPA region of endemism, which provides a better spatial conservation priority compared to the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspot. Reptiles and amphibians are found to be the main drivers of the overall pattern of endemism, while the pattern in freshwater fish is the most distinctive. Our analyses also indicate a good congruence of the centres of endemism across different terrestrial vertebrate taxa.
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Kapeliukh, Ya I., O. B. Chodyn, A. I. Kapustynskyi, and I. P. Dobryvoda. "РАРИТЕТНІ ВИДИ ФАУНИ ПРИРОДНОГО ЗАПОВІДНИКА «МЕДОБОРИ»." Scientific Issue Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University. Series: Biology 77, no. 3 (September 24, 2019): 18–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.25128/2078-2357.19.3.3.
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The study is concerned with the study of natural and landscape conditions of the territory of the Nature Reserve "Medobory", and its historical significance in formation of the biotic diversity of Western Ukraine.
It focuses on the research into the territory and formation of the Nature Reserve "Medobory", which covers over 9 000 ha in the central Tovtry.
Moreover, the work highlights the ongoing studies of zoobiota in the area, and points out its significance for preserving the regional fauna (by the end of 2019 the following species were recorded: 1 species of freshwater sponge, 79 species of molluscum, 32 species of centipedes, 2170 species of insects, 15 species of fish, 11 species of amphibians, 7 species of reptiles, 197 species of birds, 55 species of mammals).
The study also provides a detailed analysis of international lists of threatened species valid for the territory of Ukraine, and the species from the Red Book of Ukraine (the 3rd edition); as a result it identifies certain species to be under protection, such as 41 species of mammals, 187 species of birds, 18 species of amphibian and reptiles, 4 species of fish, 30 species of arthopods, 1 species of molluscum. Altogether, there are 281 species in the international lists of endangered species, which makes 11 % of the reliably ascertained fauna variety of the conservation area (2566 species). Except for the arthopods, which are scarcely represented in the international lists, there are more than 63 % of the traced representatives of fauna vertebrates under protection, according to the international lists of endangered species (251 species out of 396 known ones). For many of the animal species the natural forest stand of Medobory is a refugium, where they survived the ice age, and in some of the localities certain rare relict species have survived into the present time.
On the territory of the Nature Reserve Medobory the following animal species enlisted internationally have been registered: IUCN Red List - 18 species, the European Red Lists of species - 28 species, the Bern Convention – 256 species, the Bonn Convention – 102 species,the Bern Convention – 256 species, the Washington Convention – 37 species. 83 animal species of the Reserve and the surrounding territory call for protection since they are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.
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Pomohaibo, V. M., L. D. Orlova, and N. A. Vlasenko. "Free DNA in nature as a tool of ecological monitoring of the environment." Ecology and Noospherology 28, no. 1-2 (January 25, 2017): 17–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.15421/031702.
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Free DNA in nature or the environmental DNA (eDNA) contains unique information about the diversity not only of unicellular but also of multicellular organisms – fungi, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates in the past and contemporary nature. eDNA of a soil surface and of an aquatic environment may indicate a presence of contemporary living organisms and deposits, sediments and glaciers – wildlife diversity in the geological past. Fungi are reducers, symbions and parasites and play an important ecological role in nature, and so it is important to know their taxonomic and functional characteristics. Analysis eDNA in samples of forest soil showed that ascomycetes and basidiomycetes are represented most of all. They were identified as mycorrhizal types, plant pathogens and saprotrophes. In soils of different climatic zones DNA of numerous taxons of plant (herbs, shrubs, trees), unicellular and multicellular animals (protozoans, earthworms, birds, mammals) was discovered. In spite of this unknown species of fungi and earthworms were discovered. It was ascertained that eDNA of soil surface layer do not move practically and it is able to display a complete taxonomic filling of vertebrates and relative biomass of individual species. Researches of eDNA of freshwater ecosystems is focused to identify and control spreading of invasive species of crustaceans, mollusks, fishes, amphibians and reptiles with the goal of conservation of biological diversity and ecological balance. It is shown that eDNA may be a better tool to identify these species in comparison with traditional methods of audio and visual observation. At the same time a population size and an ontogenetic stage are not important. Another research direction of eDNA in a fresh water aims to identify species of aquatic animals (crustaceans, insects, fish, amphibians and mammals) at risk of extinction. A short time of eDNA existence in freshwater ecosystems is very useful for a nature protecting, because it can indicate a presence, status and disappearance of species. Thus eDNA of previous population, which is rapidly destroyed, will not interfere with the analysis. However, it is necessary to remember that in river ecosystems eDNA moves with the stream at a great distance. Further researches of eDNA in seawater samples are necessary, because in this aquatic environment the ability to move and storage time of free genetic material is insignificant. In land deposits, water sediments and glaciers free DNA do not move and may be preserved for long periods – till hundreds of thousands of years, that gives a possibility to obtain valuable information about the wildlife of paleoenvironments. In samples of permafrost deposits was found eDNA of numerous taxons of fungi, plants, three species of beetles, two species of fossil bird moa, mammoth, bison, horse. Water sediments is rich in eDNA also. In sea sediments extracellular DNA is much more than in sea water. Moreover, the anoxic conditions slow down destructive processes that ensures its long-term preservation. Sea sediments, especially estuary sediments are used to determine influence of human activities on the biological communities of ecosystems. Sediments of freshwater lake also contain eDNA, which represent degrading consequences of human interaction with the environment. Results of eDNA study of lake sediments as well as a study of soil deposits complement results of a study of pollen and fossil plant residues. It confirms a feasibility to combine traditional and molecular genetic methods in ecological researches to obtain most authentic data about past plant diversity. eDNA of many organisms is contained in glaciers. The analysis of this DNA permitted to identify 57 taxons of fungi, 8 orders of higher plants, taxons of protozoans and insects.
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LeBlanc, Molly E., Michael B. Parsons, E. Emily V. Chapman, and Linda M. Campbell. "Review of ecological mercury and arsenic bioaccumulation within historical gold mining districts of Nova Scotia." Environmental Reviews 28, no. 2 (June 2020): 187–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/er-2019-0042.
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Gold mining in Nova Scotia dates back to the mid-1800s. Historical industrial practices generated over 3 000 000 tonnes of finely ground mine wastes (tailings), the majority of which were deposited into lakes, streams, wetlands, and low-lying areas close to the mill sites. These legacy tailings typically contain high concentrations of mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) and continue to impact downstream environments to this day. The objective of this review is to critically examine and summarize existing knowledge on the transfer and bioaccumulation of Hg and As in aquatic and terrestrial organisms exposed to legacy gold mine tailings in Nova Scotia. This review reveals that as of mid-2019, 23 previous studies have been completed on this subject. Several of these studies were based on small sample sizes, or had other limitations, such as missing identification of biological species. Despite these limitations, the data in these publications clearly indicate that both Hg and As from abandoned gold mine sites in Nova Scotia are bioaccumulating in plants, fungi, freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates, marine mollusks, amphibians, fish, and mammals. In many cases, concentrations of MeHg exceed Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment safety guideline values for consumption of wildlife; however, no guideline values are in place for either total Hg or As. No studies were found examining tailings-related Hg or As accumulation in lichen, reptiles, birds, or large mammals. This review concludes that further research on bioaccumulation and biomagnification of tailings-related Hg and As is needed to understand the overall impact of historical tailings on the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and species of Nova Scotia. More detailed studies are vital for guiding risk-management decisions and future land-use practices for these contaminated sites.
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RALPH, R. "J. A. GIBSON and J. MITCHELL. An atlas of Loch Lomond vertebrates, Dunbartonshire, West Stirlingshire, Loch Lomond area. Mammals, breeding birds, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fishes. Scottish Wildlife Trust (Clyde Area Branch), Glasgow; 1986. Pp 109. Price: £7.50." Archives of Natural History 18, no. 2 (June 1991): 287. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/anh.1991.18.2.287a.
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Prothero, Donald R. "Evolutionary patterns at the terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene boundary in North America." Paleontological Society Special Publications 6 (1992): 238. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s247526220000798x.
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Recent breakthroughs in magnetostratigraphy and 40Ar/39Ar dating have shown that the boundary between the Chadronian and Orellan land mammal “ages” (long thought to be mid-Oligocene) correlates with the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (about 33.9 Ma). This boundary gives an exceptionally dense, detailed record of faunal, floral, and climatic changes, well constrained by magnetostratigraphy and radiometric dating.Evidence from paleosols and land floras (Retallack, 1992) document a striking cooling and drying event across this boundary, with a woodland vegetation (greater than 1000 mm annual precipitation) replaced by a wooded grassland (500 mm annual precipitation). According to Wolfe (1992), mean annual temperature declined almost 13°, and the annual range of temperature increased dramatically from 5° to about 25°. Sedimentological evidence from eastern Wyoming (Evanoff et al., 1992) show an abrupt transition from moist floodplains to semi-arid landscapes with abundant wind-blown volcaniclastic dust. Most of these events took place over a few thousand years. This is certainly one of the most severe climatic events in the Cenozoic.Late Eocene land snails (Evanoff et al., 1992) are large-shelled subtropical taxa now typical of central Mexico, indicating a mean annual range of temperature of 16.5° and annual precipitation of about 450 mm. In the early Oligocene, these were replaced by drought-tolerant small-shelled taxa indicative of a warm-temperate open woodland with a pronounced dry season. Reptiles and amphibians (Hutchison, 1992) show a trend toward cooling and drying, with aquatic forms (crocodilians, freshwater turtles, and salamanders) replaced by land tortoises; size reduction in turtles also indicates increased aridity. Mammals show only minor changes across this boundary. A few archaic groups which may have depended on woodland browsing (such as the rhino-like brontotheres, the camel-like oromerycids, and several archaic rodent groups) are the only taxa to go extinct. Minor speciation events occur in horses, the deer-like leptomerycids, and camels. The oreodont Miniochoerus shows a gradual dwarfing of about 30% over about 100,000 years. Most other species show no significant changes across this climatic crisis, although some change in relative abundance. Most mammals show stasis spanning millions of years before and after this transition, and some of the land snails are virtually indistinguishable from modern taxa.Traditional Neo-Darwinian theory would predict that animals should evolve rapidly in response to such strong climatic selection. Instead, most animals respond by going extinct and being replaced by unrelated forms, or do not change at all. A few show punctuated speciation events at the boundary, and only one shows prolonged gradual dwarfing. This suggests that animals are not infinitely flexible “balls” on an adaptive landscape, but have some kind of internal homeostasis that prevents gradual change in response to selection. Extinction, emigration, or punctuated speciation events seem to be the preferred response.
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Edwards, Matthew, Coleman M. Sheehy, Matthew T. Fedler, and Harvey B. Lillywhite. "Thirst and drinking in North American watersnakes (Nerodia spp.)." Journal of Experimental Biology 224, no. 5 (March 1, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.241414.
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ABSTRACT We quantified drinking behavior in three species of North American watersnakes: Nerodia clarkii, which is a marine or brackish water amphibious species, and Nerodiafasciata and Nerodiataxispilota, both freshwater amphibious species. All three species have relatively small and similar thresholds of dehydration (TH, approximately −4% loss of body mass) that elicit thirst and drinking of fresh water. These species have higher thirst sensitivity than several species of hydrophiine and laticaudine sea snakes, which are characterized by much lower TH (greater dehydration, −9% to <−20%). Nerodia clarkii, which is often found in coastal oceanic water, refused to drink seawater, but drank fresh water when dehydrated. In separate trials involving dehydration of N. clarkii and N. fasciata that were concurrently fed fish at regular intervals, snakes eventually refused to eat at TH of approximately −12% of original body mass, but resumed eating after they were allowed to drink fresh water and rehydrate. The drinking behaviors of Nerodia corroborate previous data on the importance of fresh water for drinking, and they complement growing evidence that dietary water does not itself mitigate dehydration in snakes. These new data increase understanding of water relationships in the context of evolutionary transitions from land to sea, and they emphasize the importance of fresh water resources in the conservation of coastal and marine species of reptiles.
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Desforges, Jessica Emilie, Julia Clarke, Evaline J. Harmsen, Alex M. Jardine, Jessica A. Robichaud, Serina Serré, Prosanta Chakrabarty, et al. "On the alarming state of freshwater biodiversity in Canada." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, June 28, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2021-0073.
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Little is known about the current state of freshwater biodiversity in Canada, one of the countries with the greatest amount of surface waters in the world. To address this knowledge gap, we compiled a list of all available assessments of conservation status for freshwater species (over 3,000 taxa) and further evaluated the overall status of six distinct taxonomic groups, focusing on organisms reliant on freshwaters [i.e., aquatic plants, invertebrates (with a focus on freshwater mussels), fishes, herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians), birds, and mammals]. Overall, 11.7% of all freshwater species of plants and animals assessed were found to be ‘at risk’ (i.e., listed as ‘Threatened’, ‘Endangered’, or ‘Extirpated’) and 17.9% identified as ‘Special Concern’. We found that 37.9% of species lacked sufficient data to enable their status to be assessed. Data gaps in Canada’s assessment of its freshwater species were most prevalent in invertebrates (excluding freshwater mussels). Given the alarming state of freshwater biodiversity in Canada, we conclude by providing recommendations that focus on evaluating temporal trends and informing conservation actions.
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Lin, Feng-Chun, Martin J. Whiting, Ming-Ying Hsieh, Pei-Jen Lee Shaner, and Si-Min Lin. "Superior continuous quantity discrimination in a freshwater turtle." Frontiers in Zoology 18, no. 1 (September 25, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12983-021-00431-y.
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Abstract Background Quantity discrimination, the ability to discriminate a magnitude of difference or discrete numerical information, plays a key role in animal behavior. While quantitative ability has been well documented in fishes, birds, mammals, and even in previously unstudied invertebrates and amphibians, it is still poorly understood in reptiles and has never been tested in an aquatic turtle despite the fact that evidence is accumulating that reptiles possess cognitive skills and learning ability. To help address this deficiency in reptiles, we investigated the quantitative ability of an Asian freshwater turtle, Mauremys sinensis, using red cubes on a white background in a trained quantity discrimination task. While spontaneous quantity discrimination methods are thought to be more ecologically relevant, training animals on a quantity discrimination task allows more comparability across taxa. Results We assessed the turtles’ quantitative performance in a series of tests with increasing quantity ratios and numerosities. Surprisingly, the turtles were able to discriminate quantities of up to 9 versus 10 (ratio = 0.9), which shows a good quantitative ability that is comparable to some endotherms. Our results showed that the turtles’ quantitative performance followed Weber’s law, in which success rate decreased with increasing quantity ratio across a wide range of numerosities. Furthermore, the gradual improvement of their success rate across different experiments and phases suggested that the turtles possess learning ability. Conclusions Reptile quantitative ability has long been ignored and therefore is likely under-estimated. More comparative research on numerical cognition across a diversity of species will greatly contribute to a clearer understanding of quantitative ability in animals and whether it has evolved convergently in diverse taxa.
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Diedrich, Cajus G. "The vertebrates from the Lower Ladinian (Middle Triassic) bonebed of Lamerden (Germany) as palaeoenvironment indicators in the Germanic Basin." Open Geosciences 7, no. 1 (January 25, 2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/geo-2015-0062.
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AbstractA marine/limnic vertebrate fauna is described from the enodis/posseckeri Bonebed mixed in a bivalve shell-rich bioclastic carbonate rudstone at the eastern coastal margin of the Rhenish Massif mainland at Lamerden (Germany) within the western Germanic Basin (Central Europe). The condensation layer is of Fassanian (Ladinian, Middle Triassic) in age. The vertebrate biodiversity includes five different shark, and several actinopterygian fish species represented by teeth and scales. Abundant isolated bones from a small- and a large-sized pachypleurosaur Neusticosaurus species, which can be composed as incomplete skeletons, originate from dense populations of different individual age stages. Important facies indicator reptiles are from the thalattosaur Blezingeria ichthyospondyla which postcranial skeleton is reconstructed hypothetically using additional postcranial bones from similar aged various German localities. The vertebrate biodiversity of the enodis/posseckeri bonebed of Lamerden reflect a limnic/fluvial freshwater influenced fauna (amphibians/terrestrial and marine reptiles) with dominance of normal saline marine influences. Macroalgae meadow adapted placodont reptiles are absent in Lamerden, as well as open marine-adapted ichthyosaurs, supporting a lagoon with fresh water influence position at the Rhenish Massif mainland coast. In those contemporanous brackish lagoons, which seem to be isochronous to northern Tethys lagoons of the Kalschieferzone at the Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland/Italy), small pachypleurosaurs were abundant prey in both regions for reptile predators, especially large paraxial swimming alligator habitus-like Paranothosaurus, which even contain stomach contents of pachypleurosaurs.
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Crnobrnja-Isailović, Jelka, Bogdan Jovanović, Marija Ilić, Jelena Ćorović, Tijana Čubrić, Dragana Stojadinović, and Nada Ćosić. "Small Hydropower Plants' Proliferation Would Negatively Affect Local Herpetofauna." Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9 (February 9, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.610325.
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Hydropower plants (HPPs) have a strong environmental impact on freshwater wetlands. Small diversion HPPs (SDHPPs) with 0.1–10 MW of installed power, redirect water from small mountainous rivers into several-kilometer-long tubes, disrupting complex dynamics of local aquatic food webs and their interactions with neighbor terrestrial food webs. It certainly affects local aquatic communities, but it is often neglected that two highly threatened vertebrate groups—amphibians and reptiles—which live in and around these wetlands, could be affected as well. In the Balkan peninsula, a part of Southeastern Europe, SDHPPs recently became very attractive and profitable for potential investors after they were proclaimed as eligible for subsidies from the national budget. As a result, in year 2020, the maximal projected number of SHPPs in the Balkans increased to 4,556. According to the literature data, ~28% of amphibian species in the Balkan Peninsula use small rivers and streams in the upper parts of watersheds as feeding, breeding and/or nursery habitats. Additionally, 38% of the total number of reptile species in Europe are registered in the hilly/mountainous areas of the peninsula, and 33% of these species strictly need humid habitats. The attempt of this mini-review is to present the facts which show that SHPPs and DSHPPs, in the way they are currently being installed, present harmful energy solution for the biodiversity of the mountain parts of Balkan peninsula, particularly for local amphibian and reptile populations which rely on lotic aquatic ecosystems and/or humid terrestrial habitats.
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Toussaint, Aurele, Sébastien Brosse, C. Guillermo Bueno, Meelis Pärtel, Riin Tamme, and Carlos P. Carmona. "Extinction of threatened vertebrates will lead to idiosyncratic changes in functional diversity across the world." Nature Communications 12, no. 1 (August 27, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25293-0.
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AbstractAlthough species with larger body size and slow pace of life have a higher risk of extinction at a global scale, it is unclear whether this global trend will be consistent across biogeographic realms. Here we measure the functional diversity of terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates in the six terrestrial biogeographic realms and predict their future changes through scenarios mimicking a gradient of extinction risk of threatened species. We show vastly different effects of extinctions on functional diversity between taxonomic groups and realms, ranging from almost no decline to deep functional losses. The Indo-Malay and Palearctic realms are particularly inclined to experience a drastic loss of functional diversity reaching 29 and 31%, respectively. Birds, mammals, and reptiles regionally display a consistent functional diversity loss, while the projected losses of amphibians and freshwater fishes differ across realms. More efficient global conservation policies should consider marked regional losses of functional diversity across the world.
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Liu, Guo-Hua, Miao-Miao Sun, Hany M. Elsheikha, Yi-Tian Fu, Hiromu Sugiyama, Katsuhiko Ando, Woon-Mok Sohn, Xing-Quan Zhu, and Chaoqun Yao. "Human gnathostomiasis: a neglected food-borne zoonosis." Parasites & Vectors 13, no. 1 (December 2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04494-4.
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Abstract Background Human gnathostomiasis is a food-borne zoonosis. Its etiological agents are the third-stage larvae of Gnathostoma spp. Human gnathostomiasis is often reported in developing countries, but it is also an emerging disease in developed countries in non-endemic areas. The recent surge in cases of human gnathostomiasis is mainly due to the increasing consumption of raw freshwater fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Methods This article reviews the literature on Gnathostoma spp. and the disease that these parasites cause in humans. We review the literature on the life cycle and pathogenesis of these parasites, the clinical features, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, control, and new molecular findings on human gnathostomiasis, and social-ecological factors related to the transmission of this disease. Conclusions The information presented provides an impetus for studying the parasite biology and host immunity. It is urgently needed to develop a quick and sensitive diagnosis and to develop an effective regimen for the management and control of human gnathostomiasis.
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Palumbo, E., A. Servián, R. Sánchez, and J. I. Diaz. "A new species of Hedruris (Nematoda: Hedruridae) from freshwater turtles, its life cycle and biogeographic distribution of the genus." Journal of Helminthology 94 (October 4, 2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022149x19000877.
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Abstract We describe Hedruris dratini n. sp. (Nematoda, Hedruridae) from Hydromedusa tectifera and Phrynops hilarii in Argentina based on morphological and molecular characters. Also, we provide information about its life cycle. The new species differs from other species of the genus by possessing the excretory pore, nerve ring and deirids at equal distance from the anterior end. Additionally, H. dratini n. sp. has mammilated eggs and males possess nine pairs of caudal papillae. The subadults and adults of H. dratini n. sp and H. orestiae were characterized by sequencing the small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S). We present for the first time a life cycle of a species of Hedruris that includes an amphipod as intermediate host and a reptile as definitive host. Furthermore, we analysed the host and geographic distribution of all Hedruris species. Although the genus has a cosmopolitan distribution and parasitizes a great host diversity, the majority of species have a Gondwanian distribution, with amphibians being the preferred hosts.
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ROESMA, DEWI IMELDA, HON TJONG DJONG, MUHAMMAD NAZRI JANRA, and DYTA RABBANI AIDIL. "Freshwater vertebrates monitoring in Maninjau Lake, West Sumatra, Indonesia using environmental DNA." Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 22, no. 5 (May 3, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d220543.
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Abstract. Roesma DI, Tjong DH, Janra MN, Aidil DR. 2021. Freshwater vertebrates monitoring in Maninjau Lake, West Sumatra, Indonesia using environmental DNA. Biodiversitas 22: 2794-2802. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is one of the DNA sources without directly disturbing the organisms. The eDNA potentially an effective method with next-generation sequencing (NGS) that can read all DNA in parallel at one sequential run. Maninjau Lake in West Sumatra has experienced a decline the species richness, thus monitor biodiversity with the non-invasive method is needed. This study aimed to apply eDNA for monitoring freshwater vertebrates in Maninjau Lake. The eDNA was collected from water samples using the filter membrane to DNA isolation and sequencing with the NGS technique from Illumina. The eDNA method detected 150 vertebrate individuals and consists of 92 Actinopterygii fishes, three chondrichthyes fishes, 11 amphibians, seven reptiles, ten aves, and 27 mammals. Among all individuals were detected, only 11% known present in Maninjau Lake, while the others (89%) are native species to other countries. The fishes were detected living in Maninjau Lake by the eDNA method, i.e., Cyprinidae (Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio), Cichlidae (Oreochromis niloticus), and Poeciliidae (Gambusia affinis and Xiphophorus maculatus). Bias results in this study to be influenced by various factors i.e., possibility of contamination, poor DNA quality, the bias results during molecular processes, and not available the complete sequences databases to assigned into the correct taxa, especially fish species in Maninjau Lake. The eDNA method for monitoring biodiversity should consider the increase of sampling sites, replication samples, and the availability of sequences database in Genbank, NCBI
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Fernández, Maria Virginia, and Monika Inés Hamann. "Cercariae (Digenea: Strigeidae, Diplostomidae) in Biomphalaria straminea (Planorbidae) from a rice field in Northeastern Argentina." Revista de Biología Tropical 65, no. 2 (March 27, 2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v65i2.24713.
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The rice fields can provide habitats for many species of aquatic invertebrates, as insects, molluscs, crustaceans; and vertebrates, as fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds, which may act as hosts in the life cycles of digenean parasites. In this context, the goal of the present study was to describe the cercariae found in Biomphalaria straminea from a rice field in Northeastern Argentina. This freshwater snail inhabits a wide variety of environments, favoring shallow, temporary and standing or slow-flowing freshwater bodies. For this study, snails were collected from the cultivated parcels and irrigated channels during the flooding periods (from the time of sowing to soon after harvesting of the rice) between December 2010 and May 2011 and December 2011 and April 2012, in a rice field from Corrientes province, one of the main rice producers of Argentina. A total of 5 510 snails were examined of which 26 were infected with three different larval trematodes belonging to Strigeidae, Furcocercaria V (0.40 %) and Furcocercaria XX (0.04 %), and Diplostomidae, Furcocercaria XIX (0.04 %). Furcocercaria XX and Furcocercaria XIX were present in one rice cultivation cycle, while Furcocercaria V was present in both rice cultivation cycles. The prevalence of the different furcocercariae was somewhat higher in the second rice cultivation cycle. The cercariae described are new records for Argentina that added to 53 cercariae previously reported for Biomphalaria spp. in different aquatic environments of country. The study of the digenean larval in rice fields is important because contribute to the knowledge of the biodiversity of these environments.
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Miller, Allison K., Jonathon C. O. Mifsud, Vincenzo A. Costa, Rebecca M. Grimwood, Jane Kitson, Cindy Baker, Cara L. Brosnahan, et al. "Slippery when wet: cross-species transmission of divergent coronaviruses in bony and jawless fish and the evolutionary history of the Coronaviridae." Virus Evolution 7, no. 2 (May 31, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ve/veab050.
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Abstract The Nidovirales comprise a genetically diverse group of positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus families that infect a range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. Recent metagenomic studies have identified nido-like virus sequences, particularly those related to the Coronaviridae, in a range of aquatic hosts including fish, amphibians, and reptiles. We sought to identify additional members of the Coronaviridae in both bony and jawless fish through a combination of total RNA sequencing (meta-transcriptomics) and data mining of published RNA sequencing data and from this reveal more of the long-term patterns and processes of coronavirus evolution. Accordingly, we identified a number of divergent viruses that fell within the Letovirinae subfamily of the Coronaviridae, including those in a jawless fish—the pouched lamprey. By mining fish transcriptome data, we identified additional virus transcripts matching these viruses in bony fish from both marine and freshwater environments. These new viruses retained sequence conservation in the RNA-dependant RNA polymerase across the Coronaviridae but formed a distinct and diverse phylogenetic group. Although there are broad-scale topological similarities between the phylogenies of the major groups of coronaviruses and their vertebrate hosts, the evolutionary relationship of viruses within the Letovirinae does not mirror that of their hosts. For example, the coronavirus found in the pouched lamprey fell within the phylogenetic diversity of bony fish letoviruses, indicative of past host switching events. Hence, despite possessing a phylogenetic history that likely spans the entire history of the vertebrates, coronavirus evolution has been characterised by relatively frequent cross-species transmission, particularly in hosts that reside in aquatic habitats.
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"On the evolution of sex determination." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences 232, no. 1267 (November 23, 1987): 159–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1987.0066.
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Female mice reject skin grafts from intrastrain males because of the H-Y transplantation antigen. Those females produce antibodies that recognize a male-specific cell-surface antigen in serological tests. The serological antigen has also been called ‘H-Y’, but there is evidence that the two antigens are distinct. We therefore refer to the transplantation antigen as H-Yt, or transplantation H-Y, and to the serological antigen as serological H-Y, or simply H-Y, without prejudice whether these are the same or related or separate antigens. In this study, sex-specific expression of serological H-Y antigen was found in 25 new vertebrate species representing each of seven major vertebrate classes.There was a strong correlation between expression of H-Y and occurrence of the heterogametic-type gonad, although unusual patterns of H-Y expression were noted in cases of temperature-influenced sex determination and in systems representing possible transition from one mode of heterogamety to the other. Male and female heterogamety are found side-by-side in certain freshwater toothed carps; and distinct sex chromosomes have been recognized in certain amphibians, even though they are not apparent in certain reptiles and primitíve birds. In seven ophidian species, in which the female is the heterogametic sex, H-Y was detected in the female; and in three species of Ranidae in which the male is heterogametic, it was detected in the male. In three species of cartilaginous fish and in one of the cyclostomes, in which heterogamety has not been ascertained, H-Y was detected in the male, suggesting that those primitive fishes are male-heterogametic. Evidently, then, heterogamety and sex-chromosome heteromorphism are polyphyletic, although certain sex-determining genes may be held in common among the diverse taxonomic groups.
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"The species of Rhyncosaurus , a rhynchosaur (Reptilia, Diapsida) from the Middle Triassic of England." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences 328, no. 1247 (June 12, 1990): 213–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1990.0114.
Full textAbstract:
The rhynchosaur Rhynchosaurus articeps Owen, 1842, from the Middle Triassic of Grinshill, northern Shropshire, England, was a small reptile, about 0.5 m long. About 17 individual animals are represented by skulls, complete skeletons and partial skeletons, and these have permitted detailed restorations. The skull (60-80 mm long) is low and broad at the back, and it shows all of the typical rhynchosaur features of beak-like premaxillae, single median naris, fused parietal, broad maxillary tooth plate and dentary, both with multiple rows of teeth, and a deep lower jaw. The skeleton shows adaptations for fast terrestrial locomotion with a semi-erect hindlimb posture and for scratch-digging with the hind-foot. The skeleton is relatively more slender than that of most other middle and late Triassic rhynchosaurs, but this is probably an allometric effect of its much smaller size (they are typically 1-2 m long). A further species of Rhynchosaurus from Warwick, named here R. brodiei , is represented by 15 specimens of partial skulls, tooth-bearing elements, and isolated postcranial bones. It was slightly larger than R. articeps , with a typical skull length of 90 mm, and estimated body length of 0.6 m, but the skull length ranged up to 140 mm. It differs from R. articeps in having a much larger jugal in the cheek area, and in the greater height and breadth of the skull. The isolated maxillary fragments from Bromsgrove probably also belong to R. brodiei . The third species of Rhynchosaurus from Devon, named here R. spenceri , is now known from numerous specimens of at least 25 individuals, most of which were collected recently. These show a range in estimated skull length from 40 to 170 mm, but most specimens are at the upper end of that range, with an average skull length of 140 mm, and an estimated total body length of 0.9-1.0 m R. spenceri differs from R. articeps and R. brodiei in having a skull that is broader than it is long (otherwise a character of late Triassic rhynchosaurs), and it shares the large jugal character with R. brodiei . Teeth are not well preserved in R. articeps, but several specimens of R. brodiei and R. spenceri give detailed information. The pattern of wear, and the nature of the jaw joint, suggest that Rhynchosaurus had a precision-shear bite, as in other rhynchosaurs, with no back and forwards motion. The maxilla had two grooves, a major and a minor one, which received two matching ridges of the dentary on occlusion. The multiple rows of teeth on maxilla and dentary, and the surrounding bone, wore down as uniform units. The diet was probably tough vegetation, which was dug up by scratch-digging, raked together with the hands or the premaxillary beak, and manipulated in the mouth by a strong tongue. Rhynchosaurus is found variously in fluvial-intertidal deposits with evidence of desiccation (Grinshill, Warwick, Bromsgrove), and fluvial-aeolian deposits laid down in arid conditions with occasional flash floods (Devon). The bones have generally been transported (Warwick, Bromsgrove, Devon), but the Grinshill specimens are largely complete and undisturbed. The associated floras and faunas at Warwick, Bromsgrove, and Devon include pteridophytes, gymnospermopsids, bivalves, scorpions, freshwater fish, temnospondyl amphibians and reptiles (macrocnemids, thecodontians, ?procolophonids). Rhynchosaurs are archosauromorph diapsids, possibly related to the enigmatic Trilophosaurus, and a sister group to Prolacertiformes + Archosauria. A cladistic analysis of Rhynchosauria reveals one major subgroup, the Hyperodapedontinae ( Hyperodapedonand and Scaphonyx ), which is late Triassic in age. The earlier rhynchosaurs, including the middle Triassic Stenaulorhynchus and Rhynchosaurus , appear to form successively closer outgroups to the Hyperodapedontinae. The three species of Rhynchosaurus share only one possible synapomorphy in comparison with Stenaluorhynchus : The dentary is well over half the length of the lower jaw. The ‘Rhynchosaurinae’ ( Stenaulorhynchus and Rhynchosaurus ) was not established as a monophyletic group in the present analysis. These two genera share two postulated synapomorphies: the occipital condyle lies well in front of the quadrates, and there are two grooves on the maxilla and two ridges on the dentary. A third postulated synapomorphy, the presence of a single row of teeth on the pterygoid, has not been confirmed in this study for either Rhynchosaurus or Stenaulorhynchus . However, these postulated synapomorphies are outweighed by the synapomorphies that Rhynchosaurus shares with the Hyperodapedontinae. The specimens of Rhynchosaurus have been used as biostratigraphic indicators for the English middle Triassic, indicating Anisian to early Ladinian ages. The three species can be arranged in a sequence from ‘most prim itive’ to ‘most advanced’, but this cannot be used confidently to give a stratigraphic sequence.