Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research

In this study, we revise the Oriental jumping spider genus Flacillula Strand, 1932 using two target genes (28S, COI) and provide the first hypothesis on the internal phylogenetic structure of the genus and its placement within Simaethina. Additionally, we describe seven new species: Flacillula dothalugala sp. nov., Flacillula ellaensis sp. nov., Flacillula henryi sp. nov., Flacillula hodgsoni sp. nov., Flacillula johnstoni sp. nov., Flacillula naipauli sp. nov., and Flacillula piyasenai sp. nov.

Linear morphometrics were combined with 3D geometric morphometric analysis of CT scans of crania and bony tail-shields to assess intraspecific morphological variation in Rhinophis philippinus. Cranial and tail-shield shape differences are slight, constrained perhaps by head-first burrowing. Significant sexual dimorphism was found only in ventral scales, subcaudal scales, and tail length, with no evidence in cranial or tail-shield shape and size. Lack of tail-shield sexual dimorphism suggests a common function in both sexes, likely related to predator avoidance and defense.

In the study, we found evidence for two regional patterns of Rana pseudodalmatina that diverged in the Pleistocene and are distributed in the eastern and western areas of the current species range. Moreover, we assumed during the LGM, the distribution of the R. pseudodalmatina has been concentrated in two different glacial refugia in the east and west of the distribution range. Our integrative study of R. pseudodalmatina provides support for the “refugia-within-refugia” scenario in the Hyrcanian forests.

A freshwater sponge, byssus-attaching clam, and mussel in a Mekong's tributary form the epifaunal association analogous to those discovered earlier in South America. The mussel Hyriopsis khoratensis has no genetic peculiarity, while the sponge’ and clam's identification reveals the need for taxonomic changes. The sponge morphologically corresponds to Corvospongilla siamensis, but it is genetically identical to Corvospongilla ultima from Myanmar. Conversely, the clam is phylogenetically distant from the common golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei and should be assigned to the species Limnopernasiamensis restored here.

Cover: The cover image shows an Italian barred grass snake (Natrix helvetica sicula; female from the Ferchensee near Mittenwald, Bavaria; photo: M. Franzen). This taxon was only recently discovered in Germany and is restricted to a few river valleys in southernmost Bavaria. In the Holocene, the Italian barred grass snake crossed the Alps, most likely using the Brenner Pass and/or the Reschen Pass, underlining that this mountain range is not an impermeable biogeographic barrier. Asztalos et al. show that N. h. sicula hybridizes locally with the common grass snake (Natrix natrix) at the widening of the valleys into the pre-Alpine plains. In this bimodal hybrid zone, the combination of geographic setting, intrinsic genetic factors and population-density-dependent blocking of immigrants by the resident species (N. natrix) prevents the formation of a geographically more extended hybrid zone. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, Volume 59, Issue 5, July 2021, Pages 1136–1148, Marika Asztalos, Frank Glaw, Michael Franzen, Carolin Kindler and Uwe Fritz DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12471.Copyright of picture: © M. Franzen 2021.

Semiterrestriality in tadpoles is rare, having evolved only seven times across Anura. We studied the semiterrestrial tadpoles of Cycloramphidae. After a detailed examination of their external morphology, buccopharyngeal cavity, chondrocranium, musculature, and viscera, we studied the evolution of larval characters in this family. We identified 13 novel synapomorphies for Cycloramphidae, including several unique, previously unknown character-states, and one for the genus Thoropa. Additionally, we assessed the functional significance of these characters and their convergent evolution in the semiterrestrial tadpoles.

We explored intraspecific taxonomy of Rhabdophis subminiatus based on morphological comparison and molecular phylogeny. Morphological data did not show population differentiation, and mtDNA and SNP analyses consistently uncovered two highly supported lineages or groups with large genetic distance. We suggested to elevate Rhabdophis subminiatus helleri to specific rank as Rhabdophishelleri and tentatively proposed the distributional boundary between the two species R. helleri and R. subminiatus.

​

The genus Buccinanops is a popular group of neogastropods at the SE coast of South America. All seven extant valid species of the genus were analyzed including anatomic and phylogenetic inference. The result revealed a new species—B. latus—(previously known as “B. gradatus”) and that the genus was split into two genera: Buccinanops includes three large deep-water species, while the new genus Buccinastrum includes four small and intertidal species.

We found two new species of intertidal oribatid mites, Indopacifica taiyo n. sp. and Indopacifica tyida n. sp., on coasts of the southern Japanese islands. Molecular genetic data indicate that the Tokara gap has acted as an effective biogeographic barrier for these and other organisms. The phylogeographic pattern of I. taiyo n. sp. also reflects recent expansion on the Southern and Central Ryukyus, probably due to existing land bridges during the late Pleistocene.

We expand the knowledge of Alopoglossus diversity in Amazonian lowlands, using the combination of molecular phylogenetic relationships, and species boundaries, external morphology, and hemipenial characters. Combined, our evidence supports the recognition of three new species, increasing the number of known Alopoglossus species to 18.

We obtained the mitogenome of Thysanoteuthis rhombus using next-generation sequencing sequencing. The mitogenome was found to be 20,545 bp in length, which was found the largest in oegopsids reported to date. Six genes and one long non-coding region were duplicated in the gene arrangement. The phylogenetic relationship of T. rhombus + (((Dosidicus gigas + Sthenoteuthisoualaniensis) + Ommastrephes bartramii) + (Illex argentines + Todarodes pacificus)) was highly supported by both mitochondrial gene rearrangement analyses and all the phylogenetic analyses.

We sequenced and characterized new mitogenomes for five Prochilodus species occurring in the eastern Brazilian Shield, identified divergent and informative mitogenome regions, and estimated the timing of interspecific cladogenesis. The phylogeny indicates that Early Pleistocene divergences were likely affected by geomorphological reactivation of faults and lineaments driving river captures between the São Francisco and the adjacent Jequitinhonha and Paraná basins. Results bring new insights to further study the historical biogeography of freshwater fishes in the Neotropical upland basins.

In this study, we showed that both vicariance and dispersal related to the second phase of Gondwana breakup contributed to the origin, diversification, and shaped the current distribution of cool-adapted mayflies.

Cover: A new species of deep-sea scale-worm inside gastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs collected at deep-sea floor of Japan. The species is characterized by males being dwarf, with their minute bodies always riding on the dorsal side of females, being thus the first case of extreme sexual size dimorphism in scale worms. Based on a detailed morphological, histological and molecular phylogenetic approach, Jimi et al. 2021 are here describing a new species, Eunoe issunboushi sp. nov. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, Volume 59, Issue 4, May 2021, Pages 801–818, Naoto Jimi, Natsumi Hookabe, Takeya Moritaki, Taeko Kimura and Satoshi Imura, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12463. . Copyright of picture: © Moritaki 2021.

We scanned all the pentatomomorphan cox1 sequences on BOLD aiming to provide an overview of available data; verify barcoding gaps at generic level; infer individual empirical threshold values to distinguish congeneric species; and test efficiency of cox1 for specimen identification. Our final dataset comprised 12,189 sequences, covering 1068 species. Barcode gaps were detected for most of the analyzed genera. We inferred threshold values for 131 genera and found a global identification performance of 74.33%.

We implement a multi-faceted approach to delimit morphologically cryptic gecko species in the genus Cyrtodactylus on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. Despite lacking clear diagnostic morphological or ecological features among the cryptic lineages, we use multilocus molecular genetic data and species delimitation methods to show that C. pubisulcus is a polyphyletic group comprising at least three distinct species. As such, we describe two new species and discuss implications and difficulties associated with recognizing cryptic diversity.

We genetically confirm that Natrix helvetica sicula crossed the Alps in the Holocene and occurs now in southern Bavaria (Germany) and Tyrol (Austria). North of the Alps, the combination of geographic setting, intrinsic genetic factors, and population-density-dependent blocking of immigrants by the resident species (Natrix natrix) prevented the formation of a geographically more extended hybrid zone between N. h. sicula and N. natrix. In contrast, the two local subspecies of N. natrix hybridize broadly north of the Alps.

Molecular phylogenetic analysis using 5 gene sections support the monophyly of the oil-collecting bee genus Lanthanomelissa Holmberg, but suggest new taxonomic combinations for the sister species. The Miocene genus’ origin, associated with its floral host and a Chacoan–Pampean region, supports the austral expansion of grasslands in South America. An ensemble of models for two past scenarios shows that species distribution expanded and retracted in response to climate cooling and warming periods.