Call me by my name: unravelling the taxonomy of the gulper shark genus Centrophorus in the Mediterranean Sea through an integrated taxonomic approach

The current shift of fishery efforts towards the deep sea is raising concern about the vulnerability of deep-water sharks, which are often poorly studied and characterized by problematic taxonomy. For instance, in the Mediterranean Sea the taxonomy of genus Centrophorus has not been clearly unravelled yet. Since proper identification of the species is fundamental for their correct assessment and management, this study aims at clarifying the taxonomy of this genus in the Mediterranean Basin through an integrated taxonomic approach. We analysed a total of 281 gulper sharks (Centrophorus spp.) collected from various Mediterranean, Atlantic and Indian Ocean waters. Molecular data obtained from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal RNA (16S), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) and a portion of a nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA gene region (28S) have highlighted the presence of a unique mitochondrial clade in the Mediterranean Sea. The morphometric results confirmed these findings, supporting the presence of a unique and distinct morphological group comprising all Mediterranean individuals. The data strongly indicate the occurrence of a single Centrophorus species in the Mediterranean, ascribable to C. cf. uyato, and suggest the need for a revision of the systematics of the genus in the area

Phylogeographic and morphometric studies on the Eurasian pygmy shrew Sorex minutus: insights into its evolutionary history and postglacial colonisation in Europe

Here, I investigate the phylogeography and morphology of the Eurasian pygmy shrew Sorex minutus, searching for significantly differentiated lineages, colonisation routes and demographic parameters that would explain the effects of the Quaternary glaciations on the current distribution of the species. I also explore the genetic and morphological diversity and origin of pygmy shrew populations in the British Isles, particularly focusing on Ireland and the Orkney islands. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers were used for the phylogeographic analyses, and a geometric morphometrics approach was implemented on mandible and skull samples. There was an evident phylogeographic structure across Eurasia consistent with occurrence of southern glacial refugia, and there were two distinct lineages in Northern-Central Europe and near the Pyrenees supporting the existence of northern glacial refugia through the characteristics of their distribution and population expansion. Haplotypes from Britain belonged to these two northern lineages, with the Pyrenean lineage forming a peripheral ‘Celtic fringe’. I show that it is most likely that pygmy shrews on both Ireland and Orkney were introduced by humans from mainland British Celtic fringe rather than further afield, even though there is a haplotype found in Northern Spain identical to one in Ireland. Mandible size increased noticeably with decreasing latitude, but skulls showed no evident trend in size variation. Shape variation was significant but modest when analysing the sample divided into phylogeographical groups. However, the samples from different islands within the British Isles show that island evolution played an important role in morphological diversity, with mandible and skull shape divergence on small islands and low genetic diversity. These results notably expanded previous findings and indicate that S. minutus is an excellent model for understanding the effects of climate change on biological diversity, colonisation and differentiation in refugia, and island evolution, useful for the conservation of genetic and morphological diversity

Simple identification tools in FishBase

Simple identification tools for fish species were included in the FishBase information system from its inception. Early tools made use of the relational model and characters like fin ray meristics. Soon pictures and drawings were added as a further help, similar to a field guide. Later came the computerization of existing dichotomous keys, again in combination with pictures and other information, and the ability to restrict possible species by country, area, or taxonomic group. Today, www.FishBase.org offers four different ways to identify species. This paper describes these tools with their advantages and disadvantages, and suggests various options for further development. It explores the possibility of a holistic and integrated computeraided strategy

Morphological Variation in Wild and Domestic Suids

Pigs occupy a special place in the human psyche. They are kept both as stock domesticates, like cattle and sheep, and they are treated as companions and aids, like cats and dogs. There are currently nearly two billion (c.1,984,607,000) domesticated pigs in the world kept as stock animals bred for slaughter (Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), 2012). Keeping pigs as pets has become increasingly popular in western society in recent years and commensalism with pigs is a long-held tradition in Island South East Asia (McDonald-Brown, 2009). Pigs are a key economic resource; however, they are also an animal that inspires strong emotions of attachment or revulsion; seen as loyal, intelligent, courageous and resourceful or unclean, licentious, gluttonous and ignorant (Albarella et al., 2007, Phillips, 2007). As such pigs and pig products are extensively referenced in classical literature and modern pop culture; examples include George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Circe, a minor Greek goddess who transforms Odysseus’ men into pigs when they feast at her table in Homer’s Odyssey; the warthog Pumba from the movie The Lion King, Miss Piggy from The Muppets and Spiderpig in the Simpsons; pigs continued popularity is a testament to their enduring importance. As a result of this unique dual positions of pet and produce, pigs have been intensively studied both as domestic and wild animals. The earliest studies of domestic pigs, their form and origins, come from Charles Darwin (1868) and Ludwig Rutimeyer (1860, 1864), whilst the first scientific description of wild Sus was by Karl Linnaeus (1740, 1758). Here I continue the investigation of the pig, particularly the evolution of wild and domestic pigs, through a geometric morphometric analysis of cranial form. Whist the original concept of this study was derived from a grant concerned with the spread of domestic pigs across Europe at the beginning of the Neolithic, this thesis encompasses wider studies. By applying geometric morphometrics to questions of suid evolution and variability and domestication, we can effect a deeper understanding of how pigs colonised Africa, how suid morphology is affected by climate and geography, that wild and domestic pig cranial morphologies are distinct enough to discriminate between. These have implications for evolutionary studies of the suid family, explaining apparent incongruence between morphological studies and genetics. There are significant implications for archaeological studies, especially those concerned with identifying the origins of domestication where inadequacies in the traditional methodology can be overcome through the application of geometric morphometrics. We also test and reject the traditional hypothesis of heterochrony as the causal mechanism for the development of the domestic morphotype. Methodologies to test this have recently been developed for geometric morphometrics (Mitteroecker et al., 2005), but had not been applied to stock domesticates before. What is seen in suid ontogeny is not explained by the traditional language of heterochrony, nor are domestic pigs paedomorphic wild pigs. This leaves the cause of morphological changes observed during domestication unexplained, which should be a focus of future work

On The Cranial Osteology of \u3cem\u3eEremiascincus\u3c/em\u3e and Its Use For Identification.

A persistent problem for Australian paleontology has been a lack of diagnostic characters for identifying lizard fossils. Eremiascincus is one of the most widespread genera in Australia, so it was examined for distinguishing features and how it fits into a model of skink evolution. Skulls of Eremiascincus were examined within five separate contexts: 1) a description of the cranial osteology, 2) a qualitative comparison of individual cranial elements of Eremiascincus to closely related Ctenotus, 3) a description of the cranial allometry in Eremiascincus using linear morphometrics, 4) using cranial morphometrics of skinks to deduce their phylogeny, and 5) using geometric morphometrics to distinguish between individual elements of Eremiascincus and Ctenotus. Although linear morphometrics is adept at describing allometric changes to the skull during ontogeny, it only displayed a phylogenetic signal for small, closely related groups. Also, geometric morphometrics was just as capable distinguishing Eremiascincus from Ctenotus as qualitative characters