TY  - JOUR
A1  - Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen Rosemarie
A1  - Epp, Laura Saskia
A1  - Trauth, Martin H.
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Hidden diversity in diatoms of Kenyan Lake Naivasha a genetic approach detects temporal variation
JF  - Molecular ecology
N2  - This study provides insights into the morphological and genetic diversity in diatoms occurring in core sediments from tropical lakes in Kenya. We developed a genetic survey technique specific for diatoms utilizing a short region (7667 bp) of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) gene as genetic barcode. Our analyses (i) validated the use of rbcL as a barcoding marker for diatoms, applied to sediment samples, (ii) showed a significant correlation between the results obtained by morphological and molecular data and (iii) indicated temporal variation in diatom assemblages on the inter- and intra-specific level. Diatom assemblages from a short core from Lake Naivasha show a drastic shift over the last 200 years, as littoral species (e.g. Navicula) are replaced by more planktonic ones (e.g. Aulacoseira). Within that same period, we detected periodic changes in the respective frequencies of distinct haplotype groups of Navicula, which coincide with wet and dry periods of Lake Naivasha between 1820 and 1938 AD. Our genetic analyses on historical lake sediments revealed inter- and intra-specific variation in diatoms, which is partially hidden behind single morphotypes. The occurrence of particular genetic lineages is probably correlated with environmental factors.
KW  - diatoms
KW  - DNA barcoding
KW  - historical DNA
KW  - intra-specific variation
KW  - rbcL
KW  - tropical lake sediments
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05412.x
SN  - 0962-1083
VL  - 21
IS  - 8
SP  - 1918
EP  - 1930
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Malden
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Tritsch, Christian
A1  - Martens, Jochen
A1  - Sun, Yue-Hua
A1  - Heim, Wieland
A1  - Strutzenberger, Patrick
A1  - Päckert, Martin
T1  - Improved sampling at the subspecies level solves a taxonomic dilemma
BT  - a case study of two enigmatic Chinese tit species (Aves, Passeriformes, Paridae, Poecile)
JF  - Molecular phylogenetics and evolution
N2  - A recent full species-level phylogeny of tits, titmice and chickadees (Paridae) has placed the Chinese endemic black-bibbed tit (Poecile hypermelaenus) as the sister to the Palearctic willow tit (P. montanus). Because this sister-group relationship is in striking disagreement with the traditional affiliation of P. hypermelaenus close to the marsh tit (P. palustris) we tested this phylogenetic hypothesis in a multi locus analysis with an extended taxon sampling including sixteen subspecies of willow tits and marsh tits. As a taxonomic reference we included type specimens in our analysis. The molecular genetic study was complemented with an analysis of biometric data obtained from museum specimens. Our phylogenetic reconstructions, including a comparison of all GenBank data available for our target species, clearly show that the genetic lineage previously identified as P. hypermelaenus actually refers to P. weigoldicus because sequences were identical to that of a syntype of this taxon. The close relationship of P. weigoldicus and P. montanus - despite large genetic distances between the two taxa - is in accordance with current taxonomy and systematics. In disagreement with the previous phylogenetic hypothesis but in accordance with most taxonomic authorities, all our P. hypermelaenus specimens fell in the sister Glade of all western and eastern Palearctic P. palustris. Though shared haplotypes among the Chinese populations of the two latter species might indicate mitochondrial introgression in this part of the breeding range, further research is needed here due to the limitations of our own sampling.
KW  - Poecile hypermelaenus
KW  - Poecile weigoldicus
KW  - Multi-locus phylogeny
KW  - Phylogeography
KW  - DNA barcoding
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.014
SN  - 1055-7903
SN  - 1095-9513
VL  - 107
SP  - 538
EP  - 550
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - San Diego
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Heim, Olga
A1  - Puisto, Anna I. E.
A1  - Fukui, Dai
A1  - Vesterinen, Eero J.
T1  - Molecular evidence of bird-eating behavior in Nyctalus aviator
JF  - Acta ethologica
N2  - Insectivorous bats consume a large variety of food items. Previous observations of feathers found in feces led to the hypothesis that the birdlike noctule (Nyctalus aviator, Vespertilionidae) could prey on birds. To test the hypothesis, we analyzed fecal samples from six species (Barbastella pacifica, Murina hilgendorfi, Myotis frater, N. aviator, Plecotus sacrimontis, and Vespertilio sinensis) collected from central Hokkaido, Japan, via DNA barcoding. We identified the presence of the Middendorff’s grasshopper warbler (Locustella ochotensis) in the diet of a pregnant individual of N. aviator. All the other samples proved negative regarding bird prey DNA. This is the first time that the consumption of a bird by N. aviator is confirmed with molecular evidence. Our findings add invaluable insight into the diet of this bat and its potentially opportunistic foraging behavior.
KW  - Nyctalus aviator
KW  - Locustella ochotensis
KW  - Bird prey
KW  - DNA barcoding
KW  - Sanger sequencing
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-019-00319-5
SN  - 0873-9749
SN  - 1437-9546
VL  - 22
IS  - 3
SP  - 223
EP  - 226
PB  - Springer
CY  - Heidelberg
ER  -