TY - JOUR A1 - De Cahsan, Binia A1 - Westbury, Michael V. A1 - Drews, Hauke A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - The complete mitochondrial genome of a European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) from Germany JF - Mitochondrial DNA Part B N2 - The European fire-bellied toad, Bombina bombina, is a small aquatic toad belonging to the family Bombinatoridae. The species is native to the lowlands of Central and Eastern Europe, where population numbers have been in decline in recent past decades. Here, we present the first complete mitochondrial genome of the endangered European fire-bellied toad from Northern Germany recovered using iterative mapping. Phylogenetic analyses including other representatives of the Bombinatoridae placed our German specimen as sister to a Polish B. bombina sequence with high support. This finding is congruent with the postulated Pleistocene history of the species. Our complete mitochondrial genome represents an important resource for further population analysis of the European fire-bellied toad, especially those found within Germany. KW - Bombina bombina KW - Fire-bellied toad KW - mitogenome KW - conservation genetics KW - population delimitation Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2018.1547143 SN - 2380-2359 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 498 EP - 500 PB - Taylor & Francis Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - De Cahsan, Binia A1 - Nagel, Rebecca A1 - Schedina, Ina-Maria A1 - King, James J. A1 - Bianco, Pier G. A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Ketmaier, Valerio T1 - Phylogeography of the European brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) and the European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) species pair based on mitochondrial data JF - Journal of fish biology N2 - The European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis and the European brook lamprey Lampetra planeri (Block 1784) are classified as a paired species, characterized by notably different life histories but morphological similarities. Previous work has further shown limited genetic differentiation between these two species at the mitochondrial DNA level. Here, we expand on this previous work, which focused on lamprey species from the Iberian Peninsula in the south and mainland Europe in the north, by sequencing three mitochondrial marker regions of Lampetra individuals from five river systems in Ireland and five in southern Italy. Our results corroborate the previously identified pattern of genetic diversity for the species pair. We also show significant genetic differentiation between Irish and mainland European lamprey populations, suggesting another ichthyogeographic district distinct from those previously defined. Finally, our results stress the importance of southern Italian L. planeri populations, which maintain several private alleles and notable genetic diversity. KW - European lamprey KW - Lampetra KW - paired species KW - phylogeography KW - population KW - structure Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14279 SN - 0022-1112 SN - 1095-8649 VL - 96 IS - 4 SP - 905 EP - 912 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford [u.a.] ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kiemel, Katrin A1 - De Cahsan, Binia A1 - Paraskevopoulou, Sofia A1 - Weithoff, Guntram A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Mitochondrial genomes of the freshwater monogonont rotifer Brachionus fernandoi and of two additional B. calyciflorus sensu stricto lineages from Germany and the USA (Rotifera, Brachionidae) JF - Mitochondrial DNA. Part B-Resources N2 - The Brachionus calyciflorus species complex was recently subdivided into four species, but genetic resources to resolve phylogenetic relationships within this complex are still lacking. We provide two complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes from B. calyciflorus sensu stricto (Germany, USA) and the mt coding sequences (cds) from a German B. fernandoi. Phylogenetic analysis placed our B. calyciflorus sensu stricto strains close to the published genomes of B. calyciflorus, forming the putative sister species to B. fernandoi. Global representatives of B. calyciflorus sensu stricto (i.e. Europe, USA, and China) are genetically closer related to each other than to B. fernandoi (average pairwise nucleotide diversity 0.079 intraspecific vs. 0.254 interspecific). KW - Mitogenome KW - cryptic species KW - Brachionus calyciflorus s KW - Brachionus KW - fernandoi KW - monogonont rotifer Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2022.2060765 SN - 2380-2359 VL - 7 IS - 4 SP - 646 EP - 648 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Barnett, Ross A1 - Westbury, Michael V. A1 - Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela A1 - Vieira, Filipe Garrett A1 - Jeon, Sungwon A1 - Zazula, Grant A1 - Martin, Michael D. A1 - Ho, Simon Y. W. A1 - Mather, Niklas A1 - Gopalakrishnan, Shyam A1 - Ramos-Madrigal, Jazmin A1 - de Manuel, Marc A1 - Zepeda-Mendoza, M. Lisandra A1 - Antunes, Agostinho A1 - Baez, Aldo Carmona A1 - De Cahsan, Binia A1 - Larson, Greger A1 - O'Brien, Stephen J. A1 - Eizirik, Eduardo A1 - Johnson, Warren E. A1 - Koepfli, Klaus-Peter A1 - Wilting, Andreas A1 - Fickel, Jörns A1 - Dalen, Love A1 - Lorenzen, Eline D. A1 - Marques-Bonet, Tomas A1 - Hansen, Anders J. A1 - Zhang, Guojie A1 - Bhak, Jong A1 - Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki A1 - Gilbert, M. Thomas P. T1 - Genomic adaptations and evolutionary history of the extinct scimitar-toothed cat BT - Homotherium latidens JF - Current biology N2 - Homotherium was a genus of large-bodied scimitar-toothed cats, morphologically distinct from any extant felid species, that went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene [1-4]. They possessed large, saber-form serrated canine teeth, powerful forelimbs, a sloping back, and an enlarged optic bulb, all of which were key characteristics for predation on Pleistocene megafauna [5]. Previous mitochondrial DNA phylogenies suggested that it was a highly divergent sister lineage to all extant cat species [6-8]. However, mitochondrial phylogenies can be misled by hybridization [9], incomplete lineage sorting (ILS), or sex-biased dispersal patterns [10], which might be especially relevant for Homotherium since widespread mito-nuclear discrepancies have been uncovered in modern cats [10]. To examine the evolutionary history of Homotherium, we generated a -7x nuclear genome and a similar to 38x exome from H. latidens using shotgun and target-capture sequencing approaches. Phylogenetic analyses reveal Homotherium as highly divergent (similar to 22.5 Ma) from living cat species, with no detectable signs of gene flow. Comparative genomic analyses found signatures of positive selection in several genes, including those involved in vision, cognitive function, and energy consumption, putatively consistent with diurnal activity, well-developed social behavior, and cursorial hunting [5]. Finally, we uncover relatively high levels of genetic diversity, suggesting that Homotherium may have been more abundant than the limited fossil record suggests [3, 4, 11-14]. Our findings complement and extend previous inferences from both the fossil record and initial molecular studies, enhancing our understanding of the evolution and ecology of this remarkable lineage. Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.051 SN - 0960-9822 SN - 1879-0445 VL - 30 IS - 24 PB - Cell Press CY - Cambridge ER -