1. An annotated checklist and the conservation status of Chondrichthyans in the AdriaticAlen Soldo, Lovrenc Lipej, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Although there is a high number of publications listing fish species in the Adriatic, only a few have focused on chondrichthyans, while their conservation status has been investigated even less. Thus, this paper aims to provide an updated and annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans occurring in the Adriatic waters with their presence and conservation status. Each species is evaluated against the criteria defined in IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List Categories and Criteria and according to the guidelines for national and regional level assessments. In total, 60 chondrichthyan species from 27 families and 42 genera are listed. The list contains 33 species of sharks, 26 species of rays and one chimera. Assessment of the conservation status reveals that three species are now considered Regionally Extinct (namely Squatina oculata, Pristis pectinata and Rhinobatos rhinobatos). A total of 21 species are assessed as Critically Endangered, 8 are Endangered and 10 are Vulnerable. Of the remaining species, six are Near Threatened and the same number of species are Least Concern and Data Deficient. Considering that the principal driver of chondrichthyan decline and regional extinction is overfishing, it is recommended that the Adriatic countries adopt the same management measures and strengthen their coordination.
Keywords: checklist, Chondrichthyans, Adriatic, conservation status, zoology, marine biology
Published in DiRROS: 17.07.2024; Views: 3; Downloads: 2
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2. Inventory and DNA-barcode library of ground-dwelling predatory arthropods from Krokar virgin forest, SloveniaŽan Kuralt, Urška Ratajc, Neža Pajek Arambašić, Maja Ferle, Matic Gabor, Ivan Kos, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Background
At a time of immense human pressure on nature and the resulting global environmental changes, the inventory of biota - especially of undisturbed natural areas - is of unprecedented value as it provides a baseline for future research. Krokar, an example of such an undisturbed area, is the largest virgin forest remnant in Slovenia. It is located in the Dinaric Alps, which are believed to harbour the most diverse fauna of soil invertebrates in Europe. Nevertheless, the soil fauna of the Krokar virgin forest has not been thoroughly studied. Moreover, modern taxonomic approaches often rely on genetic information (e.g. DNA-barcodes), while extensive reference libraries from the Dinaric area are lacking. Our work, therefore, focused on addressing this lack of faunistic and genetic data from the Dinaric area.
New information
A total of 2336 specimens belonging to 100 taxa (45 spiders, 30 centipedes, 25 ground-dwelling beetles) were collected and deposited to GBIF. DNA-barcodes of 124 specimens belonging to 73 species were successfully obtained and deposited in GenBank and BOLD databases.
Keywords: zoology, faunistics, primary forest, Slovenia
Published in DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Views: 22; Downloads: 4
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3. Increasing information content and diagnosability in family-level classificationsMatjaž Kuntner, Klemen Čandek, Matjaž Gregorič, Eva Turk, A. Chris Hamilton, Lisa Chamberland, James Starrett, Ren-Chung Cheng, Jonathan A. Coddington, Ingi Agnarsson, Jason E. Bond, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Higher-level classifications often must account for monotypic taxa representing depauperate evolutionary lineages and lacking synapomorphies of their better-known, well-defined sister clades. In a ranked (Linnean) or unranked (phylogenetic) classification system, discovering such a depauperate taxon does not necessarily invalidate the rank classification of sister clades. Named higher taxa must be monophyletic to be phylogenetically valid. Ranked taxa above the species level should also maximize information content, diagnosability, and utility (e.g., in biodiversity conservation). In spider classification, families are the highest rank that is systematically catalogued, and incertae sedis is not allowed. Consequently, it is important that family level taxa be well defined and informative. We revisit the classification problem of Orbipurae, an unranked suprafamilial clade containing the spider families Nephilidae, Phonognathidae, and Araneidae sensu stricto. We argue that, to maximize diagnosability, information content, conservation utility, and practical taxonomic considerations, this “splitting” scheme is superior to its recently proposed alternative, which lumps these families together as Araneidae sensu lato. We propose to redefine Araneidae and recognize a monogeneric spider family, Paraplectanoididae fam. nov. to accommodate the depauperate lineage Paraplectanoides. We present new subgenomic data to stabilize Orbipurae topology which also supports our proposed family-level classification. Our example from spiders demonstrates why classifications must be able to accommodate depauperate evolutionary lineages, e.g., Paraplectanoides. Finally, although clade age should not be a criterion to determine rank, other things being equal, comparable ages of similarly ranked taxa do benefit comparative biology.
Keywords: classification, family rank, phylogenomics, systematics, monophyly, spider phylogeny, zoology
Published in DiRROS: 12.07.2024; Views: 30; Downloads: 20
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4. Two new species of Elaphoidella (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from subterranean waters in Northeast Thailand, with a record of a gynandromorphic specimen and an up-to-date key to Elaphoidella species from Southeast AsiaChaichat Boonyanusith, Anton Brancelj, La-orsri Sanoamuang, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Two new species of copepods of the genus Elaphoidella Chappuis, 1929 were discovered in a cave and a spring in northeastern Thailand. The first species, E. phuphamanensis sp. nov., belongs to species-group VII sensu Lang. It is most similar to E. turgisetosa Petkovski, 1980 in the armament of the male third exopod of the fourth swimming leg and the shape and armament of the fifth swimming leg in both sexes. However, it is easily distinguished from other congeners by the segmentation of the first swimming leg, the endopod of the fourth swimming leg, and the armature of the third exopod of swimming legs 2–4 in both sexes. The second species, E. propecabezasi sp. nov., is located in species-group I sensu Lang, where the male does not have a transformed seta on the third exopod of the fourth swimming leg and the female fifth swimming leg has four baseoendopodal robust setae, unequal in length. It is most similar to E. cabezasi Petkovski, 1982 and E. paraaffinis Watiroyram, Sanoamuang and Brancelj, 2017 in having the same armature formula as endopods 1–2 of female swimming legs 1–4. However, the ornamentation of the anal operculum, the shape of the caudal ramus, and the armature of the fifth swimming leg in both sexes distinguish them from each other. A rare gynandromorphic specimen of E. propecabezasi sp. nov. was recorded, and a revised key to Elaphoidella species in Southeast Asia is provided.
Keywords: cave-dwelling copepods, endemic distribution, groundwater habitats, intersex, morphology, zoology, Southeast Asia
Published in DiRROS: 17.05.2024; Views: 235; Downloads: 378
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5. Discovering unknown Madagascar biodiversity : integrative taxonomy of raft spiders (Pisauridae: Dolomedes)Kuang-Ping Yu, Matjaž Kuntner, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Madagascar is a global biodiversity hotspot, but its biodiversity continues to be underestimated and understudied. Of raft spiders, genus Dolomedes Latreille, 1804, literature only reports two species on Madagascar. Our single expedition to humid forests of eastern and northern Madagascar, however, yielded a series of Dolomedes exemplars representing both sexes of five morphospecies. To avoid only using morphological diagnostics, we devised and tested an integrative taxonomic model for Dolomedes based on the unified species concept. The model first determines morphospecies within a morphometrics framework, then tests their validity via species delimitation using COI. It then incorporates habitat preferences, geological barriers, and dispersal related traits to form hypotheses about gene flow limitations. Our results reveal four new Dolomedes species that we describe from both sexes as Dolomedes gregoric sp. nov., D. bedjanic sp. nov., D. hydatostella sp. nov., and D. rotundus sp. nov. The range of D. kalanoro Silva & Griswold, 2013, now also known from both sexes, is expanded to eastern Madagascar. By increasing the known raft spider diversity from one valid species to five, our results merely scratch the surface of the true Dolomedes species diversity on Madagascar. Our integrative taxonomic model provides the framework for future revisions of raft spiders anywhere.
Keywords: raft spiders, integrative taxonomic model, Madagascar, biodiversity, integrative taxonomy, zoology
Published in DiRROS: 16.05.2024; Views: 227; Downloads: 261
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6. Matrix type affects carabid beetle community and trait composition, and intraspecific variation in remnant forestsD. Johan Kotze, Matic Gabor, S. Kohout, Heikki Setälä, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Aim: The Anthropocene is characterised by urban and agricultural landscapes. Within these landscapes, natural to semi-natural habitats are fragmented, isolated and disturbed to varying degrees. Species associated with these natural habitats have to content with the surrounding landscape, both in terms of level of isolation, and matrix type and quality. We investigated the community structure, trait distribution and individual traits of carabid beetles in boreal forest fragments within three matrices: urban, agricultural and freshwater lake. Location: City of Lahti and its surroundings, southern Finland. Taxon: Coleoptera, Carabidae. Methods: Using pitfall traps from June to October 2019, we collected carabid beetles from eight spruce-dominated forest fragments in the urban matrix, 10 fragments in an agricultural matrix, seven fragments on lake islands and three large control forests at the outskirts of the city. Results: Compared to natural forests, carabid beetles in forest fragments in these matrices showed distinct assemblages, and with beetle diversity the highest in fragments in the agricultural landscape. Fragments in the urban and lake island landscapes were characterised by small-sized species, and those capable of flight. We also found strong intraspecific trait responses in terms of body size, with some generalist species being significantly smaller in urban, agricultural or lake island fragments compared to the controls. Main Conclusions: The matrix has a clear effect on carabid beetle communities, both in terms of taxonomic and trait distribution, and filters for communities of smaller sized species and those capable of flight. Such overall community and intraspecific effects can have considerable effects on populations and community assemblages: As anthropogenic effects intensify in urban and agricultural landscapes, our findings may be the expression of further morphological and physiological responses, and eventually in the adaptation of those species that can cope with the Anthropocene.
Keywords: biogeography, ground beetle, urban lake, agricultural lake, freshwater lake, zoology
Published in DiRROS: 16.05.2024; Views: 217; Downloads: 347
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7. Lizard host abundances and climatic factors explain phylogenetic diversity and prevalence of blood parasites on an oceanic islandRodrigo Megía-Palma, Gemma Palomar, Javier Martínez, Bernardo Antunes, Katarzyna Dudek, Anamarija Žagar, Nina Guerra Serén, Miguel A. Carretero, Wiesław Babik, Santiago Merino, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Host abundance might favour the maintenance of a high phylogenetic diversity of some parasites via rapid transmission rates. Blood parasites of insular lizards represent a good model to test this hypothesis because these parasites can be particularly prevalent in islands and host lizards highly abundant. We applied deep amplicon sequencing and analysed environmental predictors of blood parasite prevalence and phylogenetic diversity in the endemic lizard Gallotia galloti across 24 localities on Tenerife, an island in the Canary archipelago that has experienced increasing warming and drought in recent years. Parasite prevalence assessed by microscopy was over 94%, and a higher proportion of infected lizards was found in warmer and drier locations. A total of 33 different 18s rRNA parasite haplotypes were identified, and the phylogenetic analyses indicated that they belong to two genera of Adeleorina (Apicomplexa: Coccidia), with Karyolysus as the dominant genus. The most important predictor of between-locality variation in parasite phylogenetic diversity was the abundance of lizard hosts. We conclude that a combination of climatic and host demographic factors associated with an insular syndrome may be favouring a rapid transmission of blood parasites among lizards on Tenerife, which may favour the maintenance of a high phylogenetic diversity of parasites.
Keywords: Canary Islands, climate change, next-generation sequencing, phylogenetic analyses, zoology, ecology
Published in DiRROS: 16.05.2024; Views: 200; Downloads: 302
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