We present a combined molecular and morphological phylogenetic analysis of the Loricariinae, with emphasis on the Harttiini (Cteniloricaria, Harttia, and Harttiella) and Farlowellini (Aposturisoma, ...Farlowella, Lamontichthys, Pterosturisoma, Sturisoma, and Sturisomatichthys). Character sampling comprised seven molecular markers (the mitochondrial Cytb, nd2, 12S and 16S, and the nuclear MyH6, RAG1 and RAG2) and 196 morphological characters. A total of 1,059 specimens, and 159 tissue samples were analized, representing 100 species. A Bayesian Inference analysis was performed using the concatenated data matrix, which is comprised of 6,819 characters. The Loricariinae were found to comprise the tribes (Hartiini (Loricariini, Farlowellini)), the latter two elevated from subtribes. A Maximum Parsimony analysis was also performed using the same data matrix in order to reveal phenotypical synapomorphies to diagnose each clade. Two MP trees were found with a length of 14,704 steps, consistency index of 0.29 and retention index of 0.61, which were summarized in a strict consensus tree. Harttiini includes (Harttiella (Cteniloricaria, Harttia), and Farlowellini includes (Lamontichthys (Pterosturisoma (Sturisoma (Sturisomatichthys, Farlowella))). Aposturisoma was recovered nested within Farlowella and is synonymyzed to the latter. Sturisoma was corroborated as strictly cis-Andean, while Sturisomatichthys encompasses, besides the valid species already included in the genus, the trans-Andean species once belonging to Sturisoma sensu lato. Identification keys and phylogenetic diagnoses of family-group taxa and genera of both the Harttiini and the Farlowellini are provided.
Freshwater ecosystems provide irreplaceable services for both nature and society. The quality and quantity of freshwater affect biogeochemical processes and ecological dynamics that determine ...biodiversity, ecosystem productivity, and human health and welfare at local, regional and global scales. Freshwater ecosystems and their associated riparian habitats are amongst the most biologically diverse on Earth, and have inestimable economic, health, cultural, scientific and educational values. Yet human impacts to lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and groundwater are dramatically reducing biodiversity and robbing critical natural resources and services from current and future generations. Freshwater biodiversity is declining rapidly on every continent and in every major river basin on Earth, and this degradation is occurring more rapidly than in terrestrial ecosystems. Currently, about one third of all global freshwater discharges pass through human agricultural, industrial or urban infrastructure. About one fifth of the Earth’s arable land is now already equipped for irrigation, including all the most productive lands, and this proportion is projected to surpass one third by midcentury to feed the rapidly expanding populations of humans and commensal species, especially poultry and ruminant livestock. Less than one fifth of the world’s preindustrial freshwater wetlands remain, and this proportion is projected to decline to under one tenth by midcentury, with imminent threats from water transfer megaprojects in Brazil and India, and coastal wetland drainage megaprojects in China. The Living Planet Index for freshwater vertebrate populations has declined to just one third that of 1970, and is projected to sink below one fifth by midcentury. A linear model of global economic expansion yields the chilling prediction that human utilization of critical freshwater resources will approach one half of the Earth’s total capacity by midcentury. Although the magnitude and growth of the human freshwater footprint are greater than is generally understood by policy makers, the news media, or the general public, slowing and reversing dramatic losses of freshwater species and ecosystems is still possible. We recommend a set of urgent policy actions that promote clean water, conserve watershed services, and restore freshwater ecosystems and their vital services. Effective management of freshwater resources and ecosystems must be ranked amongst humanity’s highest priorities.
Otocinclus cocama, a uniquely colored species of the loricariid catfish genus Otocinclus described solely from the type locality in the lower Ucayali River in northern Peru, is reported occurring in ...the Tigre River, a tributary to the Marañón River that drains a different section of the Andean Mountain range in the western Amazon. Both populations differ in the number of dark bars spanning the flanks of the body, and we investigated whether these morphotypes constitute distinct species. The body shapes of populations from the Tigre and Ucayali rivers were compared using geometric morphometrics. Although principal component analysis detected a broad overlap between populations, multivariate analysis of variance and linear driscriminat analysis revealed a subtle differentiation between the populations of the two hydrographic basins. Average body shape of the Ucayali River population tend to be slightly higher than that of the Tigre River, with the caudal peduncle stretched vertically in the Ucayali population. Multivariate regression of shape and centroid size revealed an allometric effect of 10.7% (p < 0.001), suggesting that the variation between Tigre and Ucayali populations was purely shape variation. Molecular data of coI, cytb, nd2, and 16S mitochondrial genes indicated a nucleotide diversity range from 0.001 to 0.003, and haplotypic diversity range from 0.600 ± 0.11 to 0.79 ± 0.07. The median‐joining haplotype network for the concatenated matrix exhibited two divergent haplogroups related to the geographic area and separated by <10 mutational steps. The molecular species delimitation methods based on distance (automatic barcode gap discovery and assemble species by automatic partitioning) recovered two molecular lineages evolving independently, being one of the lineages formed by individuals from both populations. Tree‐based methods (generalized mixed Yule coalescent and Bayesian implementation of the Poisson tree process) recovered similar topologies and supported single lineage recognition. Methods of molecular delimitation of species disclosed the high similarity between the two populations of Otocinclus cocama, further supported by the presence of old haplotypes common to both groups which could indicate that the populations still maintain gene flow. Although the morphological data reveal a subtle variation between both river basins, the molecular data suggest a weak population structuration based on hydrographic areas, but not different species lineages, therefore Otocinclus cocama is composed of a single lineage with two distinct morphotypes.
Abstract
The present work aimed to analyze the distribution of the electrosensory pores of the Daggernose Shark
Carcharhinus oxyrhynchus
identifying the organ's importance in the natural history of ...the species. By examining photographs and digital microscope videos, we found that
C
.
oxyrhynchus
possesses the highest abundance of pores among Carcharhiniformes. This suggests a well‐developed electroreceptor system, which may have maximized its evolutionary success in high turbidity environments. Furthermore, as a morphologically derived species,
C
.
oxyrhynchus
comprises a more complex and specialized electrosensory system. Notably, the species exhibits ontogenetic variation in pore abundance, highlighting the importance of a high‐resolution system for adults. The higher density of pores in the ventral region indicates a preference for benthic prey, despite also feeding on pelagic items. Moreover, the species has a high‐resolution electrosensory system and a high density of pores in the snout, which emphasizes the importance of the elongated snout that expands the electroreception search area coverage. Evolutionary convergence was observed in the development of the electrosensory system, as
C
.
oxyrhynchus
shares characteristics of pore distribution and abundance with phylogenetically unrelated species.
The fish faunas of continental South and Central America constitute one of the greatest concentrations of aquatic diversity on Earth, consisting of about 10 percent of all living vertebrate species. ...Historical Biogeography of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes explores the evolutionary origins of this unique ecosystem. The chapters address central themes in the study of tropical biodiversity: why is the Amazon basin home to so many distinct evolutionary lineages? What roles do ecological specialization, speciation, and extinction play in the formation of regional assemblages? How do dispersal barriers contribute to isolation and diversification? Focusing on whole faunas rather than individual taxonomic groups, this volume shows that the area's high regional diversity is not the result of recent diversification in lowland tropical rainforests. Rather, it is the product of species accumulating over tens of millions of years and across a continental arena.
Pareiorhaphis hystrix is a widely distributed species, occurring in the upper and middle Uruguay River and in the Taquari River basin, Patos Lagoon system, southern Brazil. Morphological variation ...has been detected throughout the distribution of P. hystrix, and this work seeks to test the conspecific nature of populations in several occurrence areas. Specimens from six areas in the Uruguay River basin and three in the Taquari River basin were compared. Variance analysis (ANOVA) was performed for the meristic data, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) were conducted for morphometric data. Molecular analyses used coI, cytb, 12S and 16S mitochondrial genes, examining nucleotide diversity, haplotype diversity, genetic distance, and delimitation of possible multiple species through the Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) method. Phylogenetic relationships of studied populations were also investigated through Bayesian inference. While PCA indicated a tendency of overlap between areas, ANOVA and LDA detected a subtle differentiation between populations from the two hydrographic basins. Yet, both latter analyses recovered the population from Pelotas River, a tributary to Uruguay River, as more similar to populations from Taquari River, which is congruent to morphological observations of anterior abdominal plates. The molecular data indicated a nucleotide diversity lower than the haplotypic diversity, suggestive of recent expansion. The concatenated haplotype network points to slight differentiation between areas, with each locality presenting unique and non-shared haplotypes, although with few mutational steps in general. The species delimitation by coalescence analysis suggested the presence of a variable number of OTUs depending on the inclusion or exclusion of an outgroup. In general, the morphological data suggest a subtle variation by river basin, while the genetic data indicates a weak population structuration by hydrographic areas, especially the Chapecó and Passo Fundo rivers. However, there is still not enough differentiation between the specimens to suggest multiple species. The iterative analyses indicate that Pareiorhaphis hystrix is composed of a single, although variable, species.
Armored catfishes of the genus Eurycheilichthys are endemic to Southern Brazil and Misiones (Argentina) comprising nine species of small size, with a high degree of sympatry and species diversity ...distributed in two river basins. Here we use new genome-wide data to infer a species phylogeny and test species boundaries for this poorly known group. We estimate 1) the phylogenetic relationships of the species of Eurycheilichthys based on 29,350 loci in 65 individuals of nine species plus outgroups, and 2) the population structure and differentiation based on 43,712 loci and 62 individuals to estimate how geography may have acted on speciation and formation of the sympatric species groups. Analyses support the monophyly of the genus and suggest two species-inclusive clades (East and West) with high support and very recently diverged species. Western clade contains E. limulus (from upper Jacuí River basin) that is sister to Western species of the Taquari-Antas basin plus E. paucidens. The Eastern clade contains E. pantherinus (from Uruguay River basin) sister to the Eastern species of the Taquari-Antas basin E. coryphaenus, plus the central-distributed species E. planus and E. vacariensis, and the more widely-distributed species E. luisae. Eurycheilichthys luisae is not monophyletic and may contain one or more cryptic species or hybrid individuals. A stronger diversity on structure of lineages on the Taquari-Antas, when compared to upper Uruguay and Jacuí River basins, and the fact that most of the sympatrically distributed taxa have non-sister relationships suggest a scenario of mainly allopatric speciation and may indicate a more dynamic landscape with headwater capture events among these tributaries.
Abstract A new genus of Hypopopomatinae armored catfish is described from the northern portions of South America, namely the Amazon, Orinoco and Guianan coastal drainages. The new genus is diagnosed ...from all remaining hypoptopomatines by having the canal cheek plate on the ventral surface of the head posteriorly elongated and contacting the cleithrum, in addition to other features that distinguish the new genus from specific genera. Five new species are described and 18 species currently allocated in Parotocinclus, Hisonotus, and Curculionichthys are transferred to the new genus and rediagnosed. Parotocinclus amazonensis and P. aripuanensis are considered junior synonyms of P. britskii. The secondary sexual dimorphism of the members of the new genus is detailed and illustrated. Morphological characters are used to delimit four phenotypic groups of species that might have phylogenetic significance, which still have to be properly tested. A key to the species is offered and diagnoses, illustrations, and distribution maps are provided for all species.
Resumo Um novo gênero de cascudo da subfamília Hypopopomatinae é descrito das porções do norte da América do Sul, a saber, as drenagens costeiras da Amazônia, Orinoco e Guiana. O novo gênero é diagnosticado de todos os demais hypoptopomatineos por possuir a placa com canal da bochecha na superfície ventral da cabeça, alongada posteriormente e em contato com o cleitro, além de outras características que distinguem o novo gênero de gêneros específicos. Cinco novas espécies são descritas e 18 espécies atualmente alocadas em Parotocinclus, Hisonotus e Curculionichthys são transferidas para o novo gênero e rediagnosticadas. Parotocinclus amazonensis e P. aripuanensis são considerados sinônimos juniores de P. britskii. O dimorfismo sexual secundário dos membros do novo gênero é detalhado e ilustrado. Caracteres morfológicos são usados para delimitar quatro grupos fenotípicos de espécies que podem ter significado filogenético, que ainda precisam ser devidamente testados. Uma chave para as espécies é apresentada e diagnoses, ilustrações e mapas de distribuição são fornecidos para todas as espécies.
Abstract A comprehensive phylogeny of species relationships of the Auchenipteridae is reconstructed here with a large-scale taxon sampling based on combined morphological and molecular datasets. The ...hypothesized phylogeny includes most species of Auchenipteridae (97 of 124 valid species) and multiple members of siluriform families as an outgroup (32 species) to embrace the diversity of forms among related catfishes. As the first large-scale phylogeny of the Auchenipteridae, comparison between taxa included information from both morphology (264 characters) and mitochondrial and nuclear molecular markers (3490 nucleotides) from five genes: coI, 16S, rag2, myh6 and SH3PX3. Trees were generated under two different optimality criteria (Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference). A new classification for the family is presented herein to bring the taxonomy more in line with the new phylogenetic hypothesis. The strict consensus tree corroborates the monophyly of superfamily Doradoidea, family Auchenipteridae and its two subfamilies, Centromochlinae and Auchenipterinae. The new classification scheme proposes nine tribes in Auchenipteridae, based on the monophyly of major groups in both subfamilies. Centromochlus, Glanidium and Tatia are each recovered as paraphyletic. To maintain a monophyletic classification, some species treated as Tatia and Centromochlus are assigned to genera not previously recognized as valid.
Hyalinizing trabecular tumors of the thyroid are rare and mostly benign epithelial neoplasms of follicular cell origin, which have recently been shown to be underpinned by the PAX8‐GLIS3 fusion gene. ...In our study, we sought to investigate the potential oncogenic mechanisms of the PAX8‐GLIS3 fusion gene. Forced expression of PAX8‐GLIS3 was found to increase proliferation, clonogenic potential and migration of human nonmalignant thyroid (Nthy‐ori 3‐1) and embryonic kidney (HEK‐293) cells. Moreover, in xenografts, Nthy‐ori 3‐1 PAX8‐GLIS3 expressing cells generated significantly larger and more proliferative tumors compared to controls. These oncogenic effects were found to be mediated through activation of the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway. Targeting of smoothened (SMO), a key protein in the SHH pathway, using the small molecule inhibitor Cyclopamine partially reversed the increased proliferation, colony formation and migration in PAX8‐GLIS3 expressing cells. Our data demonstrate that the oncogenic effects of the PAX8‐GLIS3 fusion gene are, at least in part, due to an increased activation of the SHH pathway.
What's new?
In the thyroid, 98% of hyalinizing trabecular tumors (HTTs) express a fusion gene combining PAX8 and GLIS3. While most of these tumors are benign, the authors of this study found that overexpression of the PAX8‐GLIS3 fusion protein can induce malignant characteristics in thyroid cells. They also found that inhibition of “smoothened” (SMO), a key protein in the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway, reverses these characteristics. SMO inhibitors may, therefore, offer a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with HTTs that are not amenable to surgical resection.
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