The biogeographical history of giant earthworms of the Metaphire formosae species group (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Archipelago, with the description of a new species from Yonagunijima, Southern Ryukyus

Shen, Huei‐Ping; Chang, Chih-Han; Ota, Hidetoshi

doi:10.1007/s13127-021-00529-5

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…In New Guinea, 106 of the 113 known earthworm species are contained within the Megascolecidae (Aspe 2016), a group that dominates earthworm diversity across the Pacific. In reviewing the phylogenetics and biogeography of megascolecids of Taiwan, Shen et al (2022) classified these worm species based on elevational preference, either as "hill species" (<1,000 meters) or "mountain species" (>1,000 meters). These earthworms are quite large, with some species reaching lengths of up to 2 m (Sims and Easton 1972;Fahri et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Serpentes, Elapidae, Toxicocalamus Boulenger, 1896) from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Roberts¹,

Iova²,

Austin³

2022

ZSE

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We describe a new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Elapidae: Toxicocalamus) from a specimen in the reptile collection of the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery. Toxicocalamus longhagensp. nov. can be easily distinguished from other species of this genus by the presence of paired subcaudals, a preocular scale unfused from the prefrontal scale, a prefrontal distinct from the internasal scale that contacts the supralabials, a single large posterior temporal and two postocular scales. The new taxon is currently known only from one specimen, which was collected from Mt. Hagen Town in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea in 1967. The new species was originally identified as T. loriae, but the unique head scalation and postfrontal bone morphology revealed through micro-computed tomography scanning easily distinguish the new species from T. loriaesensu stricto. This is the first species of this genus described from Western Highlands Province.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Serpentes, Elapidae, Toxicocalamus Boulenger, 1896) from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Roberts¹,

Iova²,

Austin³

2022

ZSE

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“…Trace fossils (such as cocoons and galleries) and closely related annelid fossils have been implemented as a compromise [43], but the vast temporal scale and deep genetic divergence between the outgroups and the ingroup resulted in wide confidence intervals, which require cautious interpretation of results. Paleogeographic events and their correlation with splits between sister taxa have been implemented as an alternative to fossils [44,45], yet this approach has been criticized as relying on the assumption of vicariance; divergence between taxa being older than the paleogeographic event cannot be ruled out, resulting in divergence time estimation that are in practice only a minimum estimate. External substitution rates (obtained from previous analyses) should be used with caution as substitution rates for the same gene change between taxa even within the same family [22]; they often come from vicariance-based analyses [46] but they have also been obtained from more robust fossil-based analyses [47,48].…”

Section: Advancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While important work has been conducted in other earthworm families (for example Rhinodrilidae (Benham 1890) [27,73], Megascolecidae (Rosa 1891) [41,45,74,75]), several families have received very little attention relative to the large percentage of earthworm diversity and occupied land masses they represent. Africa, South America, and North America display the strongest deficit of molecular phylogenetic research.…”

Section: Other Families: Remaining Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives in Earthworm Molecular Phylogeny: Recent Advances in Lumbricoidea and Standing Questions

et al. 2022

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Earthworm systematics have been limited by the small number of taxonomically informative morphological characters and high levels of homoplasy in this group. However, molecular phylogenetic techniques have yielded significant improvements in earthworm taxonomy in the last 15 years. Several different approaches based on the use of different molecular markers, sequencing techniques, and compromises between specimen/taxon coverage and phylogenetic information have recently emerged (DNA barcoding, multigene phylogenetics, mitochondrial genome analysis, transcriptome analysis, targeted enrichment methods, and reduced representation techniques), providing solutions to different evolutionary questions regarding European earthworms. Molecular phylogenetics have led to significant advances being made in Lumbricidae systematics, such as the redefinition or discovery of new genera (Galiciandrilus, Compostelandrilus, Vindoboscolex, Castellodrilus), delimitation and revision of previously existing genera (Kritodrilus, Eophila, Zophoscolex, Bimastos), and changes to the status of subspecific taxa (such as the Allolobophorachaetophora complex). These approaches have enabled the identification of problems that can be resolved by molecular phylogenetics, including the revision of Aporrectodea, Allolobophora, Helodrilus, and Dendrobaena, as well as the examination of small taxa such as Perelia, Eumenescolex, and Iberoscolex. Similar advances have been made with the family Hormogastridae, in which integrative systematics have contributed to the description of several new species, including the delimitation of (formerly) cryptic species. At the family level, integrative systematics have provided a new genus system that better reflects the diversity and biogeography of these earthworms, and phylogenetic comparative methods provide insight into earthworm macroevolution. Despite these achievements, further research should be performed on the Tyrrhenian cryptic complexes, which are of special eco-evolutionary interest. These examples highlight the potential value of applying molecular phylogenetic techniques to other earthworm families, which are very diverse and occupy different terrestrial habitats across the world. The systematic implementation of such approaches should be encouraged among the different expert groups worldwide, with emphasis on collaboration and cooperation.

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“…Even during the Pleistocene glacial cycles with lowered sea levels c. 85–130 m (Peltier & Fairbanks, 2006; Zhai et al., 2012), land bridges likely did not form across the Tokara and Kerama Gaps due to their depth exceeding 1000 m (Inoue et al., 2020; Kimura, 2002). The formation of permanent marine barriers to dispersal by terrestrial animals and the repeated cycles of connection and disconnection of several smaller islands (separated by channel depths of ≤120–180 m) within each region during the Last Glacial Maxima (LGM) have been interpreted as having contributed strongly to the assembly and formation of the Ryukyu Archipelago's endemic flora and fauna (Chiu et al., 2017; Nakamura et al., 2015; Shen et al., 2022). During the Pleistocene, the southern portion of the Ryukyus was repeatedly linked to Taiwan via ephemeral land bridges (Kimura, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A shift in the host web occupancy of dew‐drop spiders associated with genetic divergence in the Southwest Pacific

Elias,

Responte,

et al. 2024

Journal of Biogeography

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AimWe assessed the population genetic structure of the kleptoparasitic spider Argyrodes bonadea across the Southwestern Pacific islands. Our aim is to evaluate the impact of overseas distances and, in particular, the Kerama gap, as potential drivers of genetic differentiation. If no relationship exists, then we assume dispersal following adaptive change as alternative non‐vicariant mechanism that generates divergence.LocationSouthwestern Pacific Islands.Taxon Argyrodes bonadea. MethodsWe used mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (CO1) gene sequences and Restriction Site‐associated DNA Sequencing (RAD‐seq) for our analyses.ResultsTwo strongly supported lineages, an Amami‐Okinawa Lineage (AOL) and an Austral‐Asia Lineage (AAL), correspond to two separate clades, roughly divided by the Kerama Gap, in phylogenetic trees estimated here. However, species delimitation led to the interpretation of only a single species present. The AOL exhibits complex, geographically structured host web spider species specificity, wherein the Amami population utilizes Cyrtophora, but AOL samples in Okinawa associate exclusively with Nephila—and yet all broadly distributed AAL populations show no evidence of host web spider species specificity.Main ConclusionThe population boundary between AOL and AAL likely results from local adaptation to novel hosts—instead of isolation by the Kerama Gap—following long‐distance dispersal and range expansion. Our results suggest kleptoparasitic spiders have the capacity to overcome permanent deep‐sea barriers and colonize distant landmasses. Whereas peripheral populations (AOL) demonstrate the capacity for specialization to a single host, which may have contributed to genetic differentiation and isolation, the broadly distributed AAL persists and has successfully expanded its geographical range as a host generalist, which may contribute to ongoing gene flow inferred in this study.

show abstract

The biogeographical history of giant earthworms of the Metaphire formosae species group (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Archipelago, with the description of a new species from Yonagunijima, Southern Ryukyus

Cited by 7 publications

References 38 publications

A new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Serpentes, Elapidae, Toxicocalamus Boulenger, 1896) from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

A new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Serpentes, Elapidae, Toxicocalamus Boulenger, 1896) from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Perspectives in Earthworm Molecular Phylogeny: Recent Advances in Lumbricoidea and Standing Questions

A shift in the host web occupancy of dew‐drop spiders associated with genetic divergence in the Southwest Pacific

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