TY - JOUR A1 - Zhu, Fangjun A1 - Schlupp, Ingo A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Sequence Evolution and Expression of the Androgen Receptor and Other Pathway-Related Genes in a Unisexual Fish, the Amazon Molly, Poecilia formosa, and Its Bisexual Ancestors JF - PLoS one N2 - The all-female Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) originated from a single hybridization of two bisexual ancestors, Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) and sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). As a gynogenetic species, the Amazon molly needs to copulate with a heterospecific male, but the genetic information of the sperm-donor does not contribute to the next generation, as the sperm only acts as the trigger for the diploid eggs’ embryogenesis. Here, we study the sequence evolution and gene expression of the duplicated genes coding for androgen receptors (ars) and other pathway-related genes, i.e., the estrogen receptors (ers) and cytochrome P450, family19, subfamily A, aromatase genes (cyp19as), in the Amazon molly, in comparison to its bisexual ancestors. Mollies possess–as most other teleost fish—two copies of the ar, er, and cyp19a genes, i.e., arα/arβ, erα/erβ1, and cyp19a1 (also referred as cyp19a1a)/cyp19a2 (also referred to as cyp19a1b), respectively. Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the ancestral bisexual species were generally predicted not to alter protein function. Some derived substitutions in the P. mexicana and one in P. formosa are predicted to impact protein function. We also describe the gene expression pattern of the ars and pathway-related genes in various tissues (i.e., brain, gill, and ovary) and provide SNP markers for allele specific expression research. As a general tendency, the levels of gene expression were lowest in gill and highest in ovarian tissues, while expression levels in the brain were intermediate in most cases. Expression levels in P. formosa were conserved where expression did not differ between the two bisexual ancestors. In those cases where gene expression levels significantly differed between the bisexual species, P. formosa expression was always comparable to the higher expression level among the two ancestors. Interestingly, erβ1 was expressed neither in brain nor in gill in the analyzed three molly species, which implies a more important role of erα in the estradiol synthesis pathway in these tissues. Furthermore, our data suggest that interactions of steroid-signaling pathway genes differ across tissues, in particular the interactions of ars and cyp19as. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156209 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 11 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhu, Fangjun A1 - Schlupp, Ingo A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Sequence Evolution and Expression of the Androgen Receptor and Other Pathway-Related Genes in a Unisexual Fish, the Amazon Molly, Poecilia formosa, and Its Bisexual Ancestors JF - PLoS one N2 - The all-female Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) originated from a single hybridization of two bisexual ancestors, Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) and sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). As a gynogenetic species, the Amazon molly needs to copulate with a heterospecific male, but the genetic information of the sperm-donor does not contribute to the next generation, as the sperm only acts as the trigger for the diploid eggs’ embryogenesis. Here, we study the sequence evolution and gene expression of the duplicated genes coding for androgen receptors (ars) and other pathway-related genes, i.e., the estrogen receptors (ers) and cytochrome P450, family19, subfamily A, aromatase genes (cyp19as), in the Amazon molly, in comparison to its bisexual ancestors. Mollies possess–as most other teleost fish—two copies of the ar, er, and cyp19a genes, i.e., arα/arβ, erα/erβ1, and cyp19a1 (also referred as cyp19a1a)/cyp19a2 (also referred to as cyp19a1b), respectively. Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the ancestral bisexual species were generally predicted not to alter protein function. Some derived substitutions in the P. mexicana and one in P. formosa are predicted to impact protein function. We also describe the gene expression pattern of the ars and pathway-related genes in various tissues (i.e., brain, gill, and ovary) and provide SNP markers for allele specific expression research. As a general tendency, the levels of gene expression were lowest in gill and highest in ovarian tissues, while expression levels in the brain were intermediate in most cases. Expression levels in P. formosa were conserved where expression did not differ between the two bisexual ancestors. In those cases where gene expression levels significantly differed between the bisexual species, P. formosa expression was always comparable to the higher expression level among the two ancestors. Interestingly, erβ1 was expressed neither in brain nor in gill in the analyzed three molly species, which implies a more important role of erα in the estradiol synthesis pathway in these tissues. Furthermore, our data suggest that interactions of steroid-signaling pathway genes differ across tissues, in particular the interactions of ars and cyp19as. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0156209 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 11 IS - 6 PB - PLoS CY - Lawrence, Kan. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stiegler, Jonas A1 - Kiemel, Katrin A1 - Eccard, Jana A1 - Fischer, Christina A1 - Hering, Robert A1 - Ortmann, Sylvia A1 - Strigl, Lea A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Seed traits matter BT - Endozoochoric dispersal through a pervasive mobile linker JF - Ecology and Evolution N2 - Although many plants are dispersed by wind and seeds can travel long distances across unsuitable matrix areas, a large proportion relies on co-evolved zoochorous seed dispersal to connect populations in isolated habitat islands. Particularly in agricultural landscapes, where remaining habitat patches are often very small and highly isolated, mobile linkers as zoochorous seed dispersers are critical for the population dynamics of numerous plant species. However, knowledge about the quali- or quantification of such mobile link processes, especially in agricultural landscapes, is still limited. In a controlled feeding experiment, we recorded the seed intake and germination success after complete digestion by the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and explored its mobile link potential as an endozoochoric seed disperser. Utilizing a suite of common, rare, and potentially invasive plant species, we disentangled the effects of seed morphological traits on germination success while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. Further, we measured the landscape connectivity via hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (simple: few natural and semi-natural structures, large fields; complex: high amount of natural and semi-natural structures, small fields) using GPS-based movement data. With 34,710 seeds of 44 plant species fed, one of 200 seeds (0.51%) with seedlings of 33 species germinated from feces. Germination after complete digestion was positively related to denser seeds with comparatively small surface area and a relatively slender and elongated shape, suggesting that, for hares, the most critical seed characteristics for successful endozoochorous seed dispersal minimize exposure of the seed to the stomach and the associated digestive system. Furthermore, we could show that a hare's retention time is long enough to interconnect different habitats, especially grasslands and fields. Thus, besides other seed dispersal mechanisms, this most likely allows hares to act as effective mobile linkers contributing to ecosystem stability in times of agricultural intensification, not only in complex but also in simple landscapes. KW - agricultural landscapes KW - endozoochory KW - Lepus europaeus KW - mobile links KW - seed dispersal KW - seed dispersal syndrome Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8440 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 11 IS - 24 SP - 18477 EP - 18491 PB - John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stiegler, Jonas A1 - Kiemel, Katrin A1 - Eccard, Jana A1 - Fischer, Christina A1 - Hering, Robert A1 - Ortmann, Sylvia A1 - Strigl, Lea A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Ullmann, Wiebke A1 - Blaum, Niels T1 - Seed traits matter BT - endozoochoric dispersal through a pervasive mobile linker JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - Although many plants are dispersed by wind and seeds can travel long distances across unsuitable matrix areas, a large proportion relies on co-evolved zoochorous seed dispersal to connect populations in isolated habitat islands. Particularly in agricultural landscapes, where remaining habitat patches are often very small and highly isolated, mobile linkers as zoochorous seed dispersers are critical for the population dynamics of numerous plant species. However, knowledge about the quali- or quantification of such mobile link processes, especially in agricultural landscapes, is still limited. In a controlled feeding experiment, we recorded the seed intake and germination success after complete digestion by the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and explored its mobile link potential as an endozoochoric seed disperser. Utilizing a suite of common, rare, and potentially invasive plant species, we disentangled the effects of seed morphological traits on germination success while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. Further, we measured the landscape connectivity via hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (simple: few natural and semi-natural structures, large fields; complex: high amount of natural and semi-natural structures, small fields) using GPS-based movement data. With 34,710 seeds of 44 plant species fed, one of 200 seeds (0.51%) with seedlings of 33 species germinated from feces. Germination after complete digestion was positively related to denser seeds with comparatively small surface area and a relatively slender and elongated shape, suggesting that, for hares, the most critical seed characteristics for successful endozoochorous seed dispersal minimize exposure of the seed to the stomach and the associated digestive system. Furthermore, we could show that a hare's retention time is long enough to interconnect different habitats, especially grasslands and fields. Thus, besides other seed dispersal mechanisms, this most likely allows hares to act as effective mobile linkers contributing to ecosystem stability in times of agricultural intensification, not only in complex but also in simple landscapes. KW - agricultural landscapes KW - endozoochory KW - Lepus europaeus KW - mobile links KW - seed dispersal KW - seed dispersal syndrome Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8440 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 11 IS - 24 SP - 18477 EP - 18491 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gessner, Jörn A1 - Arndt, Gerd-Michael A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Bartel, Ryszard A1 - Kirschbaum, Frank T1 - Remediation measures for the Baltic sturgeon: status review and perspectives JF - Journal of applied ichthyology N2 - More than one century ago, sturgeons were prevalent species in the fish communities of all major German rivers both in the North and the Baltic seas drainages. Since then, the populations declined rapidly due to river damming, overfishing and pollution. The last sturgeon catches in the Baltic drainage system occurred during the late 1960ies. Only a few individual captures have been reported during the last 30 years with the most recent records in the Lake Ladoga ( Russia), where the last confirmed catch was recorded in 1984, and a single individual caught off Estonia in 1996. Today, sturgeons are considered missing or extinct in German waters. First attempts for remediation of the species were undertaken in the mid 1990ies. Subsequently, phylogenetic and population genetic analyses of the species were carried out using mtDNA, microsatellites, and nuclear markers ( SNPs). These genetic analyses using recent and historic material have proven the existence of two different species in the Baltic Sea in what was previously considered to represent the European Atlantic sturgeon only. In the Baltic Sea, the American Atlantic sturgeon ( A. oxyrinchus) succeeded to colonize this brackish water system during the Middle Ages. In the North Sea, the European Atlantic sturgeon ( A. sturio) is considered to be the endemic species. These results led to the separation of the remediation activities in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea tributaries. Further studies on the mechanism that lead to the extinction of A. sturio in Germany and the subsequent succession of the A. oxyrinchus mtDNA haplotype are currently been carried out. Broodstock development using the northernmost populations of A. oxyrinchus is currently under way. As a further prerequisite to re-introduce this species into the Baltic, the evaluation of the status of critical habitats for the early life stages of the American Atlantic sturgeon in the River Odra has been performed in collaboration with the Institute for Inland Fisheries of Poland. Alternative fisheries techniques, based on the data of by-catch of exotic sturgeons in the fishery, are presently developed in close cooperation with the fishery to reduce fisheries related mortality in juvenile sturgeons upon release. Monitoring of habitat utilization and migration characteristics of juvenile fish upon experimental release will have to be carried out shortly, using acoustic telemetry, with the aim to follow the fate of the released fish and to determine the best time-size-release-window for future release programmes. Y1 - 2007 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2007.00925.x SN - 0175-8659 VL - 22 IS - S1 SP - 23 EP - 31 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tomowski, Maxi A1 - Lozada-Gobilard, Sissi Donna A1 - Jeltsch, Florian A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Recruitment and migration patterns reveal a key role for seed banks in the meta-population dynamics of an aquatic plant JF - Scientific reports N2 - Progressive habitat fragmentation threatens plant species with narrow habitat requirements. While local environmental conditions define population growth rates and recruitment success at the patch level, dispersal is critical for population viability at the landscape scale. Identifying the dynamics of plant meta-populations is often confounded by the uncertainty about soil-stored population compartments. We combined a landscape-scale assessment of an amphibious plant's population structure with measurements of dispersal complexity in time to track dispersal and putative shifts in functional connectivity. Using 13 microsatellite markers, we analyzed the genetic structure of extant Oenanthe aquatica populations and their soil seed banks in a kettle hole system to uncover hidden connectivity among populations in time and space. Considerable spatial genetic structure and isolation-by-distance suggest limited gene flow between sites. Spatial isolation and patch size showed minor effects on genetic diversity. Genetic similarity found among extant populations and their seed banks suggests increased local recruitment, despite some evidence of migration and recent colonization. Results indicate stepping-stone dispersal across adjacent populations. Among permanent and ephemeral demes the resulting meta-population demography could be determined by source-sink dynamics. Overall, these spatiotemporal connectivity patterns support mainland-island dynamics in our system, highlighting the importance of persistent seed banks as enduring sources of genetic diversity. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37974-5 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 13 IS - 1 PB - Springer Nature CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Milinkovitch, Michel C. A1 - Kanitz, Ricardo A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Tapia, Washington A1 - Llerena, Fausto A1 - Caccone, Adalgisa A1 - Gibbs, James P. A1 - Powell, Jeffrey R. T1 - Recovery of a nearly extinct Galapagos tortoise despite minimal genetic variation JF - Evolutionary applications N2 - A species of Galapagos tortoise endemic to Espanola Island was reduced to just 12 females and three males that have been bred in captivity since 1971 and have produced over 1700 offspring now repatriated to the island. Our molecular genetic analyses of juveniles repatriated to and surviving on the island indicate that none of the tortoises sampled in 1994 had hatched on the island versus 3% in 2004 and 24% in 2007, which demonstrates substantial and increasing reproduction in situ once again. This recovery occurred despite the parental population having an estimated effective population size <8 due to a combination of unequal reproductive success of the breeders and nonrandom mating in captivity. These results provide guidelines for adapting breeding regimes in the parental captive population and decreasing inbreeding in the repatriated population. Using simple morphological data scored on the sampled animals, we also show that a strongly heterogeneous distribution of tortoise sizes on Espanola Island observed today is due to a large variance in the number of animals included in yearly repatriation events performed in the last 40years. Our study reveals that, at least in the short run, some endangered species can recover dramatically despite a lack of genetic variation and irregular repatriation efforts. KW - captive populations KW - conservation biology KW - conservation genetics Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12014 SN - 1752-4571 VL - 6 IS - 2 SP - 377 EP - 383 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dolgener, Nicola A1 - Freudenberger, L. A1 - Schneeweiss, N. A1 - Ibisch, P. L. A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Projecting current and potential future distribution of the Fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina under climate change in north-eastern Germany JF - Regional environmental change N2 - Environmental change is likely to have a strong impact on biodiversity, and many species may shift their distribution in response. In this study, we aimed at projecting the availability of suitable habitat for an endangered amphibian species, the Fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina, in Brandenburg (north-eastern Germany). We modelled a potential habitat distribution map based on (1) a database with 10,581 presence records for Bombina from the years 1990 to 2009, (2) current estimates for ecogeographical variables (EGVs) and (3) the future projection of these EGVs according to the statistical regional model, respectively, the soil and water integrated model, applying the maximum entropy approach (Maxent). By comparing current and potential future distributions, we evaluated the projected change in distribution of suitable habitats and identified the environmental variables most associated with habitat suitability that turned out to be climatic variables related to the hydrological cycle. Under the applied scenario, our results indicate increasing habitat suitability in many areas and an extended range of suitable habitats. However, even if the environmental conditions in Brandenburg may change as predicted, it is questionable whether the Fire-bellied toad will truly benefit, as dispersal abilities of amphibian species are limited and strongly influenced by anthropogenic disturbances, that is, intensive agriculture, habitat destruction and fragmentation. Furthermore, agronomic pressure is likely to increase on productive areas with fertile soils and high water retention capacities, indeed those areas suitable for B. bombina. All these changes may affect temporary pond hydrology as well as the reproductive success and breeding phenology of toads. KW - Brandenburg KW - Climate change KW - Distribution modelling KW - Endangered species KW - Fire-bellied toad KW - Maxent Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-013-0468-9 SN - 1436-3798 SN - 1436-378X VL - 14 IS - 3 SP - 1063 EP - 1072 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Silva-Iturriza, Adriana A1 - Ketmaier, Valerio A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Profound population structure in the Philippine Bulbul Hypsipetes philippinus (Pycnonotidae, Ayes) is not reflected in its Haemoproteus haemosporidian parasite JF - Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics and infectious diseases (MEEGID) N2 - In this study we used molecular markers to screen for the occurrence and prevalence of the three most common haemosporidian genera (Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon) in blood samples of the Philippine Bulbul (Hypsipetes philippinus), a thrush-size passerine bird endemic to the Philippine Archipelago. We then used molecular data to ask whether the phylogeographic patterns in this insular host-parasite system might follow similar evolutionary trajectories or not. We took advantage of a previous study describing the pattern of genetic structuring in the Philippine Bulbul across the Central Philippine Archipelago (6 islands, 7 populations and 58 individuals; three mitochondrial DNA genes). The very same birds were here screened for the occurrence of parasites by species-specific PCR assays of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (471 base pairs). Twenty-eight out of the 58 analysed birds had Haemoproteus (48%) infections while just 2% of the birds were infected with either Leucocytozoon or Plasmodium. Sixteen of the 28 birds carrying Haemoproteus had multiple infections. The phylogeography of the Philippine Bulbul mostly reflects the geographical origin of samples and it is consistent with the occurrence of two different subspecies on (1) Semirara and (2) Carabao, Boracay, North Gigante, Panay, and Negros, respectively. Haemoproteus phylogeography shows very little geographical structure, suggesting extensive gene flow among locations. While movements of birds among islands seem very sporadic, we found co-occurring evolutionary divergent parasite lineages. We conclude that historical processes have played a major role in shaping the host phylogeography, while they have left no signature in that of the parasites. Here ongoing population processes, possibly multiple reinvasions mediated by other hosts, are predominant. KW - Haemoproteus KW - Hypsipetes philippinus KW - Comparative phylogeography KW - mtDNA Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2011.10.024 SN - 1567-1348 VL - 12 IS - 1 SP - 127 EP - 136 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Taguchi, Mioko A1 - Goto, Mutsuo A1 - Matsuoka, Koji A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Pastene, Luis A. T1 - Population genetic structure of Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera brydei) on the central and western North Pacific feeding grounds JF - Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences N2 - The genetic structure of Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei) on the central and western North Pacific feeding grounds was investigated using a total of 1195 mitochondrial control region sequences and 1182 microsatellite genotypes at 17 loci in specimens collected from three longitudinal areas, 1W (135 degrees E-165 degrees E), 1E (165 degrees E-180 degrees), and 2 (180 degrees-155 degrees W). Genetic diversities were similar among areas and a haplotype network did not show any geographic structure, while an analysis of molecular variance found evidence of genetic structure in this species. Pairwise FST and G'ST estimates and heterogeneity tests attributed this structure to weak but significant differentiation between areas 1W/1E and 2. A Mantel test and a high-resolution analysis of genetic diversity statistics showed a weak spatial cline of genetic differentiation. These findings could be reconciled by two possible stock structure scenarios: (1) a single population with kin-association affecting feeding ground preference and (2) two populations with feeding ground preference for either area 1W or area 2. An estimated dispersal rate between areas 1W and 2 indicates that both scenarios should be considered as a precautionary principle in stock assessments. KW - stock structure KW - stock assessment KW - fisheries management KW - conservation KW - cetacean Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0005 SN - 0706-652X SN - 1205-7533 VL - 80 IS - 1 SP - 142 EP - 155 PB - Canadian science publishing CY - Ottawa ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Foerster, Verena A1 - Asrat, Asfawossen A1 - Ramsey, Christopher Bronk A1 - Brown, Erik T. A1 - Chapot, Melissa S. A1 - Deino, Alan A1 - Düsing, Walter A1 - Grove, Matthew A1 - Hahn, Annette A1 - Junginger, Annett A1 - Kaboth-Bahr, Stefanie A1 - Lane, Christine S. A1 - Opitz, Stephan A1 - Noren, Anders A1 - Roberts, Helen M. A1 - Stockhecke, Mona A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Vidal, Celine M. A1 - Vogelsang, Ralf A1 - Cohen, Andrew S. A1 - Lamb, Henry F. A1 - Schaebitz, Frank A1 - Trauth, Martin H. T1 - Pleistocene climate variability in eastern Africa influenced hominin evolution JF - Nature geoscience N2 - Despite more than half a century of hominin fossil discoveries in eastern Africa, the regional environmental context of hominin evolution and dispersal is not well established due to the lack of continuous palaeoenvironmental records from one of the proven habitats of early human populations, particularly for the Pleistocene epoch. Here we present a 620,000-year environmental record from Chew Bahir, southern Ethiopia, which is proximal to key fossil sites. Our record documents the potential influence of different episodes of climatic variability on hominin biological and cultural transformation. The appearance of high anatomical diversity in hominin groups coincides with long-lasting and relatively stable humid conditions from similar to 620,000 to 275,000 years bp (episodes 1-6), interrupted by several abrupt and extreme hydroclimate perturbations. A pattern of pronounced climatic cyclicity transformed habitats during episodes 7-9 (similar to 275,000-60,000 years bp), a crucial phase encompassing the gradual transition from Acheulean to Middle Stone Age technologies, the emergence of Homo sapiens in eastern Africa and key human social and cultural innovations. Those accumulative innovations plus the alignment of humid pulses between northeastern Africa and the eastern Mediterranean during high-frequency climate oscillations of episodes 10-12 (similar to 60,000-10,000 years bp) could have facilitated the global dispersal of H. sapiens. KW - Evolutionary ecology KW - Limnology KW - Palaeoclimate Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01032-y SN - 1752-0894 SN - 1752-0908 VL - 15 IS - 10 SP - 805 EP - 811 PB - Nature Publ. 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 - Struck, Torsten H. A1 - Paul, Christiane A1 - Hill, Natascha A1 - Hartmann, Stefanie A1 - Hoesel, Christoph A1 - Kube, Michael A1 - Lieb, Bernhard A1 - Meyer, Achim A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Purschke, Guenter A1 - Bleidorn, Christoph T1 - Phylogenomic analyses unravel annelid evolution JF - Nature : the international weekly journal of science N2 - Annelida, the ringed worms, is a highly diverse animal phylum that includes more than 15,000 described species and constitutes the dominant benthic macrofauna from the intertidal zone down to the deep sea. A robust annelid phylogeny would shape our understanding of animal body-plan evolution and shed light on the bilaterian ground pattern. Traditionally, Annelida has been split into two major groups: Clitellata (earthworms and leeches) and polychaetes (bristle worms), but recent evidence suggests that other taxa that were once considered to be separate phyla (Sipuncula, Echiura and Siboglinidae (also known as Pogonophora)) should be included in Annelida(1-4). However, the deep-level evolutionary relationships of Annelida are still poorly understood, and a robust reconstruction of annelid evolutionary history is needed. Here we show that phylogenomic analyses of 34 annelid taxa, using 47,953 amino acid positions, recovered a well-supported phylogeny with strong support for major splits. Our results recover chaetopterids, myzostomids and sipunculids in the basal part of the tree, although the position of Myzostomida remains uncertain owing to its long branch. The remaining taxa are split into two clades: Errantia (which includes the model annelid Platynereis), and Sedentaria (which includes Clitellata). Ancestral character trait reconstructions indicate that these clades show adaptation to either an errant or a sedentary lifestyle, with alteration of accompanying morphological traits such as peristaltic movement, parapodia and sensory perception. Finally, life history characters in Annelida seem to be phylogenetically informative. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09864 SN - 0028-0836 VL - 471 IS - 7336 SP - 95 EP - U113 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London 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 - Wiesner, Kerstin R. A1 - Loxdale, Hugh D. A1 - Köhler, Günter A1 - Schneider, Anja R. R. A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Weisser, Wolfgang W. T1 - Patterns of local and regional genetic structuring in the meadow grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus (Orthoptera: Acrididae), in Central Germany revealed using microsatellite markers JF - Biological journal of the Linnean Society : a journal of evolution N2 - The meadow grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus (Zetterstedt), is common and widespread in Central Europe, with a low dispersal range per generation. A population study in Central Germany (Frankenwald and Thuringer Schiefergebirge) showed strong interpopulation differences in abundance and individual fitness. We examined genetic variability using microsatellite markers within and between 22 populations in a short-to long-distance sampling (19 populations, Frankenwald, Schiefergebirge, as well as a southern transect), and in the Erzgebirge region (three populations), with the latter aiming to check for effects as a result of historical forest cover. Of the 671 C. parallelus captured, none was macropterous (functionally winged). All populations showed a high level of expected and observed heterozygosity (mean 0.80-0.90 and 0.60-0.75, respectively), whereas there was evidence of inbreeding (F(IS) values all positive). Allelic richness for all locus-population combinations was high (mean 9.3-11.2), whereas alleles per locus ranged from 15-62. At a local level, genic and genotypic differences were significant. Pairwise F(ST) values were in the range 0.00-0.04, indicating little interpopulation genetic differentiation. Similarly, the calculated gene flow was very high, based on the respective F(ST) (19.5) and using private alleles (7.7). A Neighbour-joining tree using Nei's D(A) and principal coordinate analysis separated two populations that were collected in the Erzgebirge region. Populations from this region may have escaped the effects of the historical forest cover. The visualization of the spatial arrangement of genotypes revealed one geographical barrier to gene flow in the short-distance sampling. KW - adaptation KW - gene flow KW - diversity KW - landscape structure KW - wing polyphenism Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01698.x SN - 0024-4066 VL - 103 IS - 4 SP - 875 EP - 890 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Korniienko, Yevheniia A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Vater, Marianne A1 - Kirschbaum, Frank T1 - Ontogeny of the electric organ discharge and of the papillae of the electrocytes in the weakly electric fish Campylomormyrus rhynchophorus (Teleostei: Mormyridae) JF - The journal of comparative neurology N2 - The electric organ of the mormyrid weakly electric fish,Campylomormyrus rhynchophorus(Boulenger, 1898), undergoes changes in both the electric organ discharge (EOD) and the light and electron microscopic morphology as the fish mature from the juvenile to the adult form. Of particular interest was the appearance of papillae, surface specializations of the uninnervated anterior face of the electrocyte, which have been hypothesized to increase the duration of the EOD. In a 24.5 mm long juvenile the adult electric organ (EO) was not yet functional, and the electrocytes lacked papillae. A 40 mm long juvenile, which produced a short biphasic EOD of 1.3 ms duration, shows small papillae (average area 136 mu m(2)). In contrast, the EOD of a 79 mm long juvenile was triphasic. The large increase in duration of the EOD to 23.2 ms was accompanied by a small change in size of the papillae (average area 159 mu m(2)). Similarly, a 150 mm long adult produced a triphasic EOD of comparable duration to the younger stage (24.7 ms) but featured a prominent increase in size of the papillae (average area 402 mu m(2)). Thus, there was no linear correlation between EOD duration and papillary size. The most prominent ultrastructural change was at the level of the myofilaments, which regularly extended into the papillae, only in the oldest specimen-probably serving a supporting function. Physiological mechanisms, like gene expression levels, as demonstrated in someCampylomormyrusspecies, might be more important concerning the duration of the EOD. KW - Campylomormyrus KW - electric organ discharge KW - electrocyte ontogeny KW - electrocyte ultrastructure KW - papillae Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.25003 SN - 0021-9967 SN - 1096-9861 VL - 529 IS - 5 SP - 1052 EP - 1065 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nguyen, Manh Duy Linh A1 - Mamonekene, Victor A1 - Vater, Marianne A1 - Bartsch, Peter A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Kirschbaum, Frank T1 - Ontogeny of electric organ and electric organ discharge in Campylomormyrus rhynchophorus (Teleostei: Mormyridae) JF - Journal of comparative physiology; A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology N2 - The aim of this study was a longitudinal description of the ontogeny of the adult electric organ of Campylomormyrus rhynchophorus which produces as adult an electric organ discharge of very long duration (ca. 25 ms). We could indeed show (for the first time in a mormyrid fish) that the electric organ discharge which is first produced early during ontogeny in 33-mm-long juveniles is much shorter in duration and has a different shape than the electric organ discharge in 15-cm-long adults. The change from this juvenile electric organ discharges into the adult electric organ discharge takes at least a year. The increase in electric organ discharge duration could be causally linked to the development of surface evaginations, papillae, at the rostral face of the electrocyte which are recognizable for the first time in 65-mm-long juveniles and are most prominent at the periphery of the electrocyte. KW - Weakly electric fish KW - Development KW - Electric organ discharge KW - Electric KW - organ KW - Electrocyte features Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-020-01411-z SN - 0340-7594 SN - 1432-1351 VL - 206 IS - 3 SP - 453 EP - 466 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ; Heidelberg 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 - Schröder, Christiane A1 - Bleidorn, Christoph A1 - Hartmann, Stefanie A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Occurrence of Can-SINEs and intron sequence evolution supports robust phylogeny of pinniped carnivores and their terrestrial relatives N2 - Investigating the dog genome we found 178965 introns with a moderate length of 200-1000 bp. A screening of these sequences against 23 different repeat libraries to find insertions of short interspersed elements (SINEs) detected 45276 SINEs. Virtually all of these SINEs (98%) belong to the tRNA-derived Can-SINE family. Can-SINEs arose about 55 million years ago before Carnivora split into two basal groups, the Caniformia (doglike carnivores) and the Feliformia (cat-like carnivores). Genome comparisons of dog and cat recovered 506 putatively informative SINE loci for caniformian phylogeny. In this study we show how to use such genome information of model organisms to research the phylogeny of related non-model species of interest. Investigating a dataset including representatives of all major caniformian lineages, we analysed 24 randomly chosen loci for 22 taxa. All loci were amplifiable and revealed 17 parsimony- informative SINE insertions. The screening for informative SINE insertions yields a large amount of sequence information, in particular of introns, which contain reliable phylogenetic information as well. A phylogenetic analysis of intron- and SINE sequence data provided a statistically robust phylogeny which is congruent with the absence/presence pattern of our SINE markers. This phylogeny strongly supports a sistergroup relationship of Musteloidea and Pinnipedia. Within Pinnipedia, we see strong support from bootstrapping and the presence of a SINE insertion for a sistergroup relationship of the walrus with the Otariidae. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03781119 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2009.06.012 SN - 0378-1119 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Di Giacomo, Adrian S. A1 - Di Giacomo, Alejandro G. A1 - Kliger, Rafi A1 - Reboreda, Juan C. A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Mahler, Bettina T1 - No evidence of genetic variation in microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers among remaining populations of the Strange-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus risora, an endangered grassland species JF - Bird conservation international N2 - The Strange-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus risora (Aves: Tyrannidae) is an endemic species of southern South American grasslands that suffered a 90% reduction of its original distribution due to habitat transformation. This has led the species to be classified as globally Vulnerable. By the beginning of the last century, populations were partially migratory and moved south during the breeding season. Currently, the main breeding population inhabits the Ibera wetlands in the province of Corrientes, north-east Argentina, where it is resident all year round. There are two remaining small populations in the province of Formosa, north-east Argentina, and in southern Paraguay, which are separated from the main population by the Parana-Paraguay River and its continuous riverine forest habitat. The populations of Corrientes and Formosa are separated by 300 km and the grasslands between populations are non-continuous due to habitat transformation. We used mtDNA sequences and eight microsatellite loci to test if there were evidences of genetic isolation between Argentinean populations. We found no evidence of genetic structure between populations (Phi(ST) = 0.004, P = 0.32; Fst = 0.01, P = 0.06), which can be explained by either retained ancestral polymorphism or by dispersal between populations. We found no evidence for a recent demographic bottleneck in nuclear loci. Our results indicate that these populations could be managed as a single conservation unit on a regional scale. Conservation actions should be focused on preserving the remaining network of areas with natural grasslands to guarantee reproduction, dispersal and prevent further decline of populations. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270914000203 SN - 0959-2709 SN - 1474-0001 VL - 25 IS - 2 SP - 127 EP - 138 PB - Cambridge Univ. Press CY - New York ER -