UV-reflectivity of parafocal eyespot elements on butterfly wings in normal and abnormal specimens

An unusual specimen of Aglais urticae, lacking characteristic UV-reflecting parafocal eyespot elements along the margins of both fore and hind wings, is compared with normal, wild-type specimens. Wing scales, responsible for generating structural coloration, aremissing in the abnormal individual and have been replaced with a type that is typical of pigment-based colours. Other modifications seen in the abnormal specimen include firstly, a distal expansion of a uniformly brown region, that otherwise occupies a proximal position on the hind wings of the wild type, and secondly, the lack of a characteristic orange cross-vein band that runs proximal to the parafocal eyespot elements on the hindwing. The differences in coloration between abnormal and wild type are seen as evidence of a proximal-distal developmental axis (originally proposed by Nijhout 1991) and support a view recently aired by Beldade and Brakefield (2003). It is now clear that studies on butterfly eyespot development must consider not only pigmentcontaining scales, but also the structurallymodified scales responsible for physical colours, i.e. UV reflectivity

Evolutionary History of the Odd-Nosed Monkeys and the Phylogenetic Position of the Newly Described Myanmar Snub-Nosed Monkey Rhinopithecus strykeri

Odd-nosed monkeys represent one of the two major groups of Asian colobines. Our knowledge about this primate group is still limited as it is highlighted by the recent discovery of a new species in Northern Myanmar. Although a common origin of the group is now widely accepted, the phylogenetic relationships among its genera and species, and the biogeographic processes leading to their current distribution are largely unknown. To address these issues, we have analyzed complete mitochondrial genomes and 12 nuclear loci, including one X chromosomal, six Y chromosomal and five autosomal loci, from all ten odd-nosed monkey species. The gene tree topologies and divergence age estimates derived from different markers were highly similar, but differed in placing various species or haplogroups within the genera Rhinopithecus and Pygathrix. Based on our data, Rhinopithecus represent the most basal lineage, and Nasalis and Simias form closely related sister taxa, suggesting a Northern origin of odd-nosed monkeys and a later invasion into Indochina and Sundaland. According to our divergence age estimates, the lineages leading to the genera Rhinopithecus, Pygathrix and Nasalis+Simias originated in the late Miocene, while differentiation events within these genera and also the split between Nasalis and Simias occurred in the Pleistocene. Observed gene tree discordances between mitochondrial and nuclear datasets, and paraphylies in the mitochondrial dataset for some species of the genera Rhinopithecus and Pygathrix suggest secondary gene flow after the taxa initially diverged. Most likely such events were triggered by dramatic changes in geology and climate within the region. Overall, our study provides the most comprehensive view on odd-nosed monkey evolution and emphasizes that data from differentially inherited markers are crucial to better understand evolutionary relationships and to trace secondary gene flow

Nuclear versus mitochondrial DNA: evidence for hybridization in colobine monkeys

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colobine monkeys constitute a diverse group of primates with major radiations in Africa and Asia. However, phylogenetic relationships among genera are under debate, and recent molecular studies with incomplete taxon-sampling revealed discordant gene trees. To solve the evolutionary history of colobine genera and to determine causes for possible gene tree incongruences, we combined presence/absence analysis of mobile elements with autosomal, X chromosomal, Y chromosomal and mitochondrial sequence data from all recognized colobine genera.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Gene tree topologies and divergence age estimates derived from different markers were similar, but differed in placing <it>Piliocolobus/Procolobus </it>and langur genera among colobines. Although insufficient data, homoplasy and incomplete lineage sorting might all have contributed to the discordance among gene trees, hybridization is favored as the main cause of the observed discordance. We propose that African colobines are paraphyletic, but might later have experienced female introgression from <it>Piliocolobus</it>/<it>Procolobus </it>into <it>Colobus</it>. In the late Miocene, colobines invaded Eurasia and diversified into several lineages. Among Asian colobines, <it>Semnopithecus </it>diverged first, indicating langur paraphyly. However, unidirectional gene flow from <it>Semnopithecus </it>into <it>Trachypithecus </it>via male introgression followed by nuclear swamping might have occurred until the earliest Pleistocene.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Overall, our study provides the most comprehensive view on colobine evolution to date and emphasizes that analyses of various molecular markers, such as mobile elements and sequence data from multiple loci, are crucial to better understand evolutionary relationships and to trace hybridization events. Our results also suggest that sex-specific dispersal patterns, promoted by a respective social organization of the species involved, can result in different hybridization scenarios.</p

Genetic diversity in endangered Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi): contrasting results from microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data.

To evaluate the conservation status of a species or population it is necessary to gain insight into its ecological requirements, reproduction, genetic population structure, and overall genetic diversity. In our study we examined the genetic diversity of Rhinopithecus brelichi by analyzing microsatellite data and compared them with already existing data derived from mitochondrial DNA, which revealed that R. brelichi exhibits the lowest mitochondrial diversity of all so far studied Rhinopithecus species. In contrast, the genetic diversity of nuclear DNA is high and comparable to other Rhinopithecus species, i.e. the examined microsatellite loci are similarly highly polymorphic as in other species of the genus. An explanation for these differences in mitochondrial and nuclear genetic diversity could be a male biased dispersal. Females most likely stay within their natal band and males migrate between bands, thus mitochondrial DNA will not be exchanged between bands but nuclear DNA via males. A Bayesian Skyline Plot based on mitochondrial DNA sequences shows a strong decrease of the female effective population size (Nef) starting about 3,500 to 4,000 years ago, which concurs with the increasing human population in the area and respective expansion of agriculture. Given that we found no indication for a loss of nuclear DNA diversity in R. brelichi it seems that this factor does not represent the most prominent conservation threat for the long-term survival of the species. Conservation efforts should therefore focus more on immediate threats such as development of tourism and habitat destruction

Geographical position of FNNR (marked by a black dot) in Guizhou Province, China (A) and a sketch of FNNR (B).

<p>Collection of samples for genetic analyses was carried out in the gray region around the Yangaoping field station.</p

Genetic parameters for eight microsatellite loci in <i>Rhinopithecus brelichi</i>.

<p>N_a  =  no. of alleles; N_e  =  no. of effective alleles; H_o  =  observed heterozygosity; H_e  =  expected heterozygosity; F_is  =  fixation index; * = p<0.05.</p

Bayesian Skyline Plot (BSP) displaying changes in female effective population size (N_ef) through time in <i>R. brelichi</i>.

<p>Calculations are based on 603 bp of the mitochondrial HVI region. Shown are the median (black) and the 95% highest posterior probability density (dashed lines) around the estimate. The arrow indicates the start of a reduction in N_ef.</p

Expected (H_e) and observed (H_o) heterozygosity across six loci for <i>Rhinopithecus brelichi</i> and <i>R. bieti</i> (data for <i>R. bieti</i> from Liu et al. [46]).

<p>Expected (H_e) and observed (H_o) heterozygosity across six loci for <i>Rhinopithecus brelichi</i> and <i>R. bieti</i> (data for <i>R. bieti</i> from Liu et al. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0073647#pone.0073647-Liu1" target="_blank">[46]</a>).</p

List of microsatellite loci.

<p>T_a: annealing temperature.</p