TY  - JOUR
A1  - Amen, Rahma
A1  - Nagel, Rebecca
A1  - Hedt, Maximilian
A1  - Kirschbaum, Frank
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Morphological differentiation in African weakly electric fish (genus Campylomormyrus) relates to substrate preferences
JF  - Evolutionary Ecology
N2  - Under an ecological speciation scenario, the radiation of African weakly electric fish (genus Campylomormyrus) is caused by an adaptation to different food sources, associated with diversification of the electric organ discharge (EOD). This study experimentally investigates a phenotype-environment correlation to further support this scenario. Our behavioural experiments showed that three sympatric Campylomormyrus species with significantly divergent snout morphology differentially react to variation in substrate structure. While the short snout species (C. tamandua) exhibits preference to sandy substrate, the long snout species (C. rhynchophorus) significantly prefers a stone substrate for feeding. A third species with intermediate snout size (C. compressirostris) does not exhibit any substrate preference. This preference is matched with the observation that long-snouted specimens probe deeper into the stone substrate, presumably enabling them to reach prey more distant to the substrate surface. These findings suggest that the diverse feeding apparatus in the genus Campylomormyrus may have evolved in adaptation to specific microhabitats, i.e., substrate structures where these fish forage. Whether the parallel divergence in EOD is functionally related to this adaptation or solely serves as a prezygotic isolation mechanism remains to be elucidated.
KW  - ecological speciation
KW  - feeding behaviour
KW  - electric fish
KW  - trophic apparatus
KW  - evolutionary ecology
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-020-10043-3
SN  - 0269-7653
SN  - 1573-8477
VL  - 34
IS  - 3
SP  - 427
EP  - 437
PB  - Springer Science
CY  - Dordrecht
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Apio, Ann
A1  - Kabasa, John David
A1  - Ketmaier, Valerio
A1  - Schroeder, Christoph
A1  - Plath, Martin
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Female philopatry and male dispersal in a cryptic, bush-dwelling antelope : a combined molecular and behavioural approach
N2  - In most mammals, females are philopatric while males disperse in order to avoid inbreeding. We investigated social structure in a solitary ungulate, the bushbuck Tragelaphus sylvaticus in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda by combining behavioural and molecular data. We correlated spatial and social vicinity of individual females with a relatedness score obtained from mitochondrial DNA analysis. Presumed clan members shared the same haplotype, showed more socio-positive interactions and had a common home range. Males had a higher haplotype diversity than females. All this suggests the presence of a matrilineal structure in the study population. Moreover, we tested natal dispersal distances between male and female yearlings and used control region sequences to confirm that females remain in their natal breeding areas whereas males disperse. In microsatellite analysis, males showed a higher genetic variability than females. The impoverished genetic variability of females at both molecular marker sets is consistent with a philopatric and matrilineal structure, while the higher degree of genetic variability of males is congruent with a higher dispersal rate expected in this sex. Evidence even for male long-distance dispersal is brought about by one male carrying a haplotype of a different subspecies, previously not described to occur in this area.
Y1  - 2010
UR  - http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/issn?DESCRIPTOR=PRINTISSN&VALUE=0952-8369
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00654.x
SN  - 0952-8369
ER  - 
TY  - GEN
A1  - Autenrieth, Marijke
A1  - Ernst, Anja
A1  - Deaville, Rob
A1  - Demaret, Fabien
A1  - Ijsseldijk, Lonneke L.
A1  - Siebert, Ursula
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Putative origin and maternal relatedness of male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) recently stranded in the North Sea
T2  - Mammalian biology = Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde
N2  - The globally distributed sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) has a partly matrilineal social structure with predominant male dispersal. At the beginning of 2016, a total of 30 male sperm whales stranded in five different countries bordering the southern North Sea. It has been postulated that these individuals were on a migration route from the north to warmer temperate and tropical waters where females live in social groups. By including samples from four countries (n = 27), this event provided a unique chance to genetically investigate the maternal relatedness and the putative origin of these temporally and spatially co-occuring male sperm whales. To utilize existing genetic resources, we sequenced 422 bp of the mitochondrial control region, a molecular marker for which sperm whale data are readily available from the entire distribution range. Based on four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the mitochondrial control region, five matrilines could be distinguished within the stranded specimens, four of which matched published haplotypes previously described in the Atlantic. Among these male sperm whales, multiple matrilineal lineages co-occur. We analyzed the population differentiation and could show that the genetic diversity of these male sperm whales is comparable to the genetic diversity in sperm whales from the entire Atlantic Ocean. We confirm that within this stranding event, males do not comprise maternally related individuals and apparently include assemblages of individuals from different geographic regions. (c) 2017 Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Saugetierkunde. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
KW  - Mitochondrial DNA
KW  - Maternal relationships
KW  - Population genetics
KW  - Migration
KW  - Marine mammals
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2017.09.003
SN  - 1616-5047
SN  - 1618-1476
VL  - 88
SP  - 156
EP  - 160
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - München
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Autenrieth, Marijke
A1  - Hartmann, Stefanie
A1  - Lah, Ljerka
A1  - Roos, Anna
A1  - Dennis, Alice B.
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - High-quality whole-genome sequence of an abundant Holarctic odontocete, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
JF  - Molecular ecology resources
N2  - The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is a highly mobile cetacean found across the Northern hemisphere. It occurs in coastal waters and inhabits basins that vary broadly in salinity, temperature and food availability. These diverse habitats could drive subtle differentiation among populations, but examination of this would be best conducted with a robust reference genome. Here, we report the first harbour porpoise genome, assembled de novo from an individual originating in the Kattegat Sea (Sweden). The genome is one of the most complete cetacean genomes currently available, with a total size of 2.39 Gb and 50% of the total length found in just 34 scaffolds. Using 122 of the longest scaffolds, we were able to show high levels of synteny with the genome of the domestic cattle (Bos taurus). Our draft annotation comprises 22,154 predicted genes, which we further annotated through matches to the NCBI nucleotide database, GO categorization and motif prediction. Within the predicted genes, we have confirmed the presence of >20 genes or gene families that have been associated with adaptive evolution in other cetaceans. Overall, this genome assembly and draft annotation represent a crucial addition to the genomic resources currently available for the study of porpoises and Phocoenidae evolution, phylogeny and conservation.
KW  - cetaceans
KW  - genomics/proteomics
KW  - mammals
KW  - molecular evolution
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12932
SN  - 1755-098X
SN  - 1755-0998
VL  - 18
IS  - 6
SP  - 1469
EP  - 1481
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bleidorn, Christoph
A1  - Hill, Natascha
A1  - Erséus, Christer
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - On the role of character loss in orbiniid phylogeny (Annelida) : molecules vs. morphology
N2  - Orbiniid phylogeny is matter of debate and incongruence between hypothesis based on molecules and morphology has been repeatedly reported. Moreover, the phylogenetic position of the "oligochaetoid polychaetes" of the taxon Questa varies between morphological and molecular cladistic analyses. Here, we present a nearly complete mitochondrial genome of Questa ersei. The mitochondrial gene order is roughly identical to known orbiniid taxa. Several translocations of tRNAs are unique to Orbiniidae and Questa when compared to other annelid mitochondrial genomes. Additionally, we assembled sequence data of six genes (18S, 16S, cox1, cox3, nad1, nad4) for a representative orbiniid taxon sampling and analysed all data in concatenation using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference. For comparison with morphology we compiled a morphological data matrix for all taxa included in our molecular analyses. Our results strongly support a close relationship of Questa with orbiniids (sequence data, gene order, an 18 bp indel, morphology), and a position nested within orbiniids is recovered in our sequence based analyses. We demonstrate remarkable incongruence of most included morphological characters with the recovered best ML tree and suppose that repeated independent character loss might be an explanation.
Y1  - 2009
UR  - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10557903
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.03.022
SN  - 1055-7903
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bleidorn, Christoph
A1  - Lanterbecq, Deborah
A1  - Eeckhaut, Igor
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - A PCR survey of Hox genes in the myzostomid Myzostoma cirriferum
N2  - Using degenerate primers, we were able to identify seven Hox genes for the myzostomid Myzostoma cirriferum. The recovered fragments belong to anterior class (Mci_lab, Mci_pb), central class (Mci_Dfd, Mci_Lox5, Mci_Antp, Mci_Lox4), and posterior class (Mci_Post2) paralog groups. Orthology assignment was verified by phylogenetic analyses and presence of diagnostic regions in the homeodomain as well as flanking regions. The presence of Lox5, Lox4, and Post2 supports the inclusion of Myzostomida within Lophotrochozoa. We found signature residues within flanking regions of Lox5, which are also found in annelids, but not in Platyhelminthes. As such the available Hox genes data of myzostomids support an annelid relationship.
Y1  - 2009
UR  - http://www.springerlink.com/content/100526
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-009-0282-z
SN  - 0949-944X
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bonizzoni, Mariangela
A1  - Bourjea, Jerome
A1  - Chen, Bin
A1  - Crain, B. J.
A1  - Cui, Liwang
A1  - Fiorentino, V.
A1  - Hartmann, Stefanie
A1  - Hendricks, S.
A1  - Ketmaier, Valerio
A1  - Ma, Xiaoguang
A1  - Muths, Delphine
A1  - Pavesi, Laura
A1  - Pfautsch, Simone
A1  - Rieger, M. A.
A1  - Santonastaso, T.
A1  - Sattabongkot, Jetsumon
A1  - Taron, C. H.
A1  - Taron, D. J.
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
A1  - Yan, Guiyun
A1  - Zheng, Bin
A1  - Zhong, Daibin
T1  - Permanent genetic resources added to molecular ecology resources database 1 April 2011-31 May 2011
JF  - Molecular ecology resources
N2  - This article documents the addition of 92 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Anopheles minimus, An. sinensis, An. dirus, Calephelis mutica, Lutjanus kasmira, Murella muralis and Orchestia montagui. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Calephelis arizonensi, Calephelis borealis, Calephelis nemesis, Calephelis virginiensis and Lutjanus bengalensis.
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03046.x
SN  - 1755-098X
VL  - 11
IS  - 5
SP  - 935
EP  - 936
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Malden
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Cahsan, Binia De
A1  - Kiemel, Katrin
A1  - Westbury, Michael V.
A1  - Lauritsen, Maike
A1  - Autenrieth, Marijke
A1  - Gollmann, Günter
A1  - Schweiger, Silke
A1  - Stenberg, Marika
A1  - Nyström, Per
A1  - Drews, Hauke
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Southern introgression increases adaptive immune gene variability in northern range margin populations of Fire-bellied toad
JF  - Ecology and Evolution
N2  - Northern range margin populations of the European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and Southern Sweden (Skåne), this population decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome-wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after unreported release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (proxy for fitness) of introgressed and nonintrogressed populations and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition and observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency toward higher body weight, relative to regional nonintrogressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and nonintrogressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than Austrian populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of genetically depauperate range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.
KW  - Bombina bombina
KW  - heat shock protein
KW  - introgression
KW  - major histocompatibility complex
KW  - scaled mass index
Y1  - 2021
SN  - 2045-7758
VL  - 11
IS  - 14
PB  - John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
CY  - New Jersey
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Cahsan, Binia De
A1  - Westbury, Michael V.
A1  - Paraskevopoulou, Sofia
A1  - Drews, Hauke
A1  - Ott, Moritz
A1  - Gollmann, Günter
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Genomic consequences of human-mediated translocations in margin populations of an endangered amphibian
JF  - Evolutionary Applications
N2  - Due to their isolated and often fragmented nature, range margin populations are especially vulnerable to rapid environmental change. To maintain genetic diversity and adaptive potential, gene flow from disjunct populations might therefore be crucial to their survival. Translocations are often proposed as a mitigation strategy to increase genetic diversity in threatened populations. However, this also includes the risk of losing locally adapted alleles through genetic swamping. Human-mediated translocations of southern lineage specimens into northern German populations of the endangered European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) provide an unexpected experimental set-up to test the genetic consequences of an intraspecific introgression from central population individuals into populations at the species range margin. Here, we utilize complete mitochondrial genomes and transcriptome nuclear data to reveal the full genetic extent of this translocation and the consequences it may have for these populations. We uncover signs of introgression in four out of the five northern populations investigated, including a number of introgressed alleles ubiquitous in all recipient populations, suggesting a possible adaptive advantage. Introgressed alleles dominate at the MTCH2 locus, associated with obesity/fat tissue in humans, and the DSP locus, essential for the proper development of epidermal skin in amphibians. Furthermore, we found loci where local alleles were retained in the introgressed populations, suggesting their relevance for local adaptation. Finally, comparisons of genetic diversity between introgressed and nonintrogressed northern German populations revealed an increase in genetic diversity in all German individuals belonging to introgressed populations, supporting the idea of a beneficial transfer of genetic variation from Austria into North Germany.
KW  - adaptive introgression
KW  - admixture
KW  - Bombina bombina
KW  - genetic rescue
KW  - mitogenomes
KW  - transcriptomics
Y1  - 2020
SN  - 1752-4563
VL  - 14
IS  - 6
PB  - John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
CY  - New Jersey
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Canitz, Julia
A1  - Kirschbaum, Frank
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Transcriptome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms related to electric organ discharge differentiation among African weakly electric fish species
JF  - PLoS one
N2  - African weakly electric fish of the mormyrid genus Campylomormyrus generate pulse-type electric organ discharges (EODs) for orientation and communication. Their pulse durations are species-specific and elongated EODs are a derived trait. So far, differential gene expression among tissue-specific transcriptomes across species with different pulses and point mutations in single ion channel genes indicate a relation of pulse duration and electrocyte geometry/excitability. However, a comprehensive assessment of expressed Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout the entire transcriptome of African weakly electric fish, with the potential to identify further genes influencing EOD duration, is still lacking. This is of particular value, as discharge duration is likely based on multiple cellular mechanisms and various genes. Here we provide the first transcriptome-wide SNP analysis of African weakly electric fish species (genus Campylomormyrus) differing by EOD duration to identify candidate genes and cellular mechanisms potentially involved in the determination of an elongated discharge of C. tshokwe. Non-synonymous substitutions specific to C. tshokwe were found in 27 candidate genes with inferred positive selection among Campylomormyrus species. These candidate genes had mainly functions linked to transcriptional regulation, cell proliferation and cell differentiation. Further, by comparing gene annotations between C. compressirostris (ancestral short EOD) and C. tshokwe (derived elongated EOD), we identified 27 GO terms and 2 KEGG pathway categories for which C. tshokwe significantly more frequently exhibited a species-specific expressed substitution than C. compressirostris. The results indicate that transcriptional regulation as well cell proliferation and differentiation take part in the determination of elongated pulse durations in C. tshokwe. Those cellular processes are pivotal for tissue morphogenesis and might determine the shape of electric organs supporting the observed correlation between electrocyte geometry/tissue structure and discharge duration. The inferred expressed SNPs and their functional implications are a valuable resource for future investigations on EOD durations.
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240812
SN  - 1932-6203
VL  - 15
IS  - 10
PB  - PLoS
CY  - San Francisco, California, US
ER  -