A Checklist of the Arachnids from the Gulf of Guinea Islands (Excluding Ticks and Mites)

Crews, Sarah C.; Esposito, Lauren A.

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-06153-0_11

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The presence of sympatric congeneric endemic species in an archipelago indicates the groups where molecular-based studies are needed, as such species could be the result of any of the speciation modes. There are several such instances in the Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands that have not yet been investigated with molecular data including among several groups of plants (Garcia and Shevock 2022;Stévart et al 2022), mollusks (Panisi et al 2022), mushrooms (Desjardin and Perry 2022), arachnids (Crews and Esposito 2022), and insects Mendes and Bivarde-Sousa 2022; Nève et al 2022). An important limitation of molecular studies, however, is that they cannot account for the possibility that undetected extinctions have removed the true sister species of extant species.…”

Section: Box 61 Speciation On Oceanic Islandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea

Melo

Ceríaco

Bell

2022

Biodiversity of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands

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As with most archipelagos, geography played a central role in the assembly and evolution of the endemic-rich biological communities of the Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands. The islands are located at moderate distances from the species-rich African continent that surrounds them to the east and north. This proximity facilitated colonization by many branches of the tree of life, but gene flow between the islands and continent was low enough that many lineages evolved in isolation once they reached the archipelago, resulting in many endemic species. Furthermore, several of the island taxa belong to groups typically considered to be “poor dispersers” across sea barriers, which strongly supports a role for natural rafts in seeding the islands. Oceanic currents, including the freshwater pathways that extend from large river drainages into the Gulf of Guinea during the rainy season, also support this hypothesis. The distances between the islands are equivalent to those between the islands and the continent such that inter-island dispersal events appear to be relatively rare and thus few taxa are shared between them. Still, the islands present multiple cases of secondary contact leading to hybridization and genetic introgression between closely related lineages—providing several models to study the role and consequences of gene flow in evolution. Most taxa for which molecular estimates of divergence time have been derived are much younger than the ages of the islands. This pattern is consistent with high species turnover, likely resulting from a combination of small island sizes, proximity to the African continent and a long history of intense volcanic activity. The Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands provide multiple examples of classical adaptations to island life (the “island syndrome”), including giants and dwarves, ornament and color loss, among others. In addition, emerging studies of birds are highlighting the importance of competition regimes in driving phenotypic change—with examples of both character release (low inter-specific competition) and character displacement (inter-specific competition upon secondary contact). Collectively, the Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands offer unique opportunities to study adaptation and speciation in a range of taxa and contexts.

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Section: Box 61 Speciation On Oceanic Islandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea

Melo

Ceríaco

Bell

2022

Biodiversity of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands

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“…For other vertebrate groups such as mammals ( Rainho et al 2022 ) and fishes ( da Costa et al 2022 ), the rapid assembly of a complete and trustworthy country-wide DNA barcoding library is made difficult by the considerable number of taxonomic uncertainties plaguing some of its species complexes, too large numbers of occurring taxa, and few readily available samples. This situation is even more striking for the case of invertebrates for which the available taxonomic data and for which more fieldwork, collection of new vouchers, and detailed taxonomic revisions are urgently needed ( Bell et al 2022b ; Crews and Esposito 2022 ; Dijkstra et al 2022 ; Mendes and Bivar-de-Sousa 2022 ; Nève et al 2022 ; Panisi et al 2022 ). As noted by Edward O.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Illustrated keys and a DNA barcode reference library of the amphibians and terrestrial reptiles (Amphibia, Reptilia) of São Tomé and Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea, West Africa)

Ceríaco¹,

Marques²,

Sousa³

et al. 2023

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The herpetofauna of São Tomé and Príncipe consists of nine species of amphibians, all endemic, and 21 species of terrestrial reptiles, of which 17 are endemic. Our current knowledge regarding its natural history, ecology, and distribution is limited. Here two important tools are provided to support researchers, conservationists, and local authorities in the identification of the country’s herpetofauna: an illustrated key to the herpetofauna of the two islands and surroundings islets and a DNA barcode reference library. The keys allow a rapid and unambiguous morphological identification of all occurring species. The DNA barcodes for the entire herpetofauna of the country were produced from 79 specimens, all of which are deposited in museum collections. The barcodes generated are available in online repositories and can be used to provide unambiguous molecular identification of most of the species. Future applications and use of these tools are briefly discussed.

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“…Six chapters focus on invertebrate groups. Chapter 11 (Crews and Esposito 2022) explores the diverse and little-known arachnid fauna of São Tomé and Príncipe, which includes 266 recorded species of six different orders. Chapter 12 (Nève et al 2022) provides a first checklist for the beetles of the three oceanic islands, listing 403 species, of which 190 are endemic.…”

Section: Book Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: A Synthesis

Ceríaco

Lima

Bell

et al. 2022

Biodiversity of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands

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The Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands (Príncipe, São Tomé, and Annobón) are among the most endemic-rich regions of the planet. Historical scientific studies of the islands’ unique biodiversity are scattered in a variety of publications, many of which are difficult to access. More recently, there has been a growing interest in the islands, which is reflected in a burst of new studies, reports, and ongoing projects. Here we aim to provide an updated and comprehensive synthesis, covering all the key information and references on the biodiversity of these islands. The goal of the book is to be a comprehensive reference for students, researchers, and conservationists dedicated to the study and preservation of this unique biodiversity. It also intends to serve as a basis for local stakeholders to make informed decisions, namely regarding conservation actions. The book is divided into three main sections: (1) a general overview of the islands and their biodiversity, including aspects of natural and human history (six chapters); (2) detailed accounts on different taxonomic groups (16 chapters); and (3) the conservation, environmental education, and research challenges that lie ahead (three chapters).

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A Checklist of the Arachnids from the Gulf of Guinea Islands (Excluding Ticks and Mites)

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea

Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea

Illustrated keys and a DNA barcode reference library of the amphibians and terrestrial reptiles (Amphibia, Reptilia) of São Tomé and Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea, West Africa)

Biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: A Synthesis

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A Checklist of the Arachnids from the Gulf of Guinea Islands (Excluding Ticks and Mites)

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea

Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea

﻿Illustrated keys and a DNA barcode reference library of the amphibians and terrestrial reptiles (Amphibia, Reptilia) of São Tomé and Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea, West Africa)

Biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: A Synthesis

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Product

Resources

About

Illustrated keys and a DNA barcode reference library of the amphibians and terrestrial reptiles (Amphibia, Reptilia) of São Tomé and Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea, West Africa)