Dasia

Phylogeny of <i>Dasia</i> <p> The heuristic search of the MP analysis produced one most parsimonious tree with a tree length of 956 (CI = 0.46, HI = 0.53 and RI = 0.50). The GTR+G+I model was selected for the data Using MODELTEST (Posada <i>&</i> Crandall 1998). The ML analysis for combined data revealed a single tree with a negative log-likelihood score (–ln <i>L</i>) of - 5411.14. The branching pattern of the ML, MP and the Bayesian trees were identical (fig. 7). Bayesian analyses provided higher values for posterior probabilities as support for the node, when compared with bootstrap supports from ML and MP analyses.</p> <p> All the analyses supported monophyly of the genus <i>Dasia</i>. The South India and Sri Lanka clade was monophyletic, but the Southeast Asian <i>Dasia</i> were polyphyletic. The new species identified through this study (<i>D. johnsinghi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>) was distinct from <i>D. haliana</i> and <i>D. subcaeruleum</i>. The support for the node distinguishing the two species were significant (≥ 95%) in all the analyses (ML, MP and Bayesian). The closest relative of <i>D. johnsinghi</i> was <i>D. haliana</i> from Sri Lanka. In the Bayesian analysis, <i>D. grisea</i> was basal to all the other <i>Dasia</i> species. The African (<i>Trachylepis</i>) and the Asian (<i>Dasia, Eutropis</i>) clades were different and were deeply divided. Within the genus <i>Dasia</i>, interspecific distance varied from 0.03–0.09. In the case of <i>D. olivacea</i> from Peninsular Malaysia and Great Nicobar Island, the intraspecific distance was 0.03, which overlapped with known interspecific distances.</p>Published as part of <i>Vasudevan, Karthikeyan, Silva, Anslem De, Kar, Niladri Bhusan, Naniwadekar, Rohit, Lalremruata, Albert, Prasoona, Rebekah & Aggarwal, Ramesh K, 2012, Phylogeography of Dasia Gray, 1830 (Reptilia: Scincidae), with the description of a new species from southern India, pp. 37-51 in Zootaxa 3233</i> on pages 46-47, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/211627">10.5281/zenodo.211627</a&gt

Dasia subcaeruleum Boulenger 1891, sp. nov.

Redescription of <i>Dasia subcaeruleum</i> (Boulenger, 1891) <p>Suggested common English name: Boulenger’s tree skink</p> <p> <i>Dasia subcaerulea</i> Smith, 1935, 1949</p> <p> <i>Dasia subcaeruleum</i> Das, 1996</p> <p> <b>Holotype.</b> BM 1946.8.15.55 from Bodinaikanur, presently in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India at an altitude of 1,100 feet (ca. 335 m asl)</p> <p> <b>Paratype.</b> BMNH 1949.1.8.51 collected by Angus F. Hutton from High Wavy Mountains, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu State, India at an altitude of 5,700 feet (ca. 1,700 m asl).</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Specimen is placed in genus <i>Dasia</i> Gray, 1839 by a combination of following characters: palatal notch not extending forwards to between the front of the eyes; eyelids being well developed; lower eyelid scaly; nostril in the nasal; supranasal present; prefrontals, frontoparietals and interparietal being distinct; ear opening small and tympanum sunk. A relatively small and slender species of the genus, characterized by feebly keeled dorsal scales on posterior body, 28 scale rows around the body; 14–16 lamellae under the fourth toe.</p> <p>The redescription is based on a new specimen, and the details of which are as follows: ZSIC 25945; male collected by M. S. Chaitra, on 19 November 2005, from Singsar game road (elevation 750 m asl), Kudremukh Range (latitude N 13.21339°, longitude E 75.18583°; WGS 84 datum), Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka State, India.</p> <p> <b>Redescription.</b> A small sized skink (SVL 64.3 mm); head longer than broad (HL/HW ratio 1.17); snout pointed; rostral broad, wider than high; a pair of separated internasals, almost as long as nasals; a rhomboid frontonasal, wider than long, and in contact with anterior loreal scale; a pair of prefrontals not in contact with each other; prefrontals medially in contact with frontonasal, anterior and posterior loreals, first supraciliary, first supraocular and frontal; frontal lanceolate (divided in our specimen); a pair of frontoparietals in contact with each other; frontoparietals in contact with frontal, 2nd, 3rd and 4th supraoculars, parietal and interparietal; interparietal lanceolate and barely separated from nuchals; four supraoculars, second one largest; the second supraocular is posterior most supraocular in contact with frontal (Greer & Broadley 2000); eight supraciliaries, first one largest; nostril in the middle of the nasal; a single postnasal present only on the left side; two loreals, anterior and posterior loreals longer than high; lower eyelid scaly; eight supralabials on right side and seven on the left side; sixth supralabial largest and in contact with the eye on the right side while fifth is largest and in contact with the eye on the left side; seven infralabials on both the sides; three pretemporal scales and three temporal scales; temporal scales imbricate, smooth and cycloid; ear opening elliptical and small; a single post mental scale and two pairs of chin shields; the anterior pair in contact with each other; posterior pair separated by a scale; gular scales similar to ventrals in size; a pair of wide nuchal scales; the neck scales are smaller laterally; dorsal scales cycloid, imbricate and almost smooth anteriorly; posterior body scales very feebly keeled, almost smooth; ventrals similar to dorsals; no distinct boundary between dorsals, laterals and ventrals; 52 vertebral scales, not enlarged; 54 ventral scales; 26 scales around the mid–body; a pair of enlarged preanal scales; fore- and hind limbs touch each other when adpressed against the body; palms covered in slightly enlarged tubercles with approximately 10 enlarged tubercles on the heels; toe length in the following order 1 <2 <5 ≈ 3 <4; 16 lamellae under the fourth toe.</p> <p> <b>Variation in new specimen.</b> The specimen ZSIC 25945 was asymmetrical in the number of supralabials on each side; the right side had eight while the left side had seven supralabials. Also the post nasal was absent on the right side but present on the left side. In this case the prefrontals were well separated from one another. Thus, it shows that both the characters (number of supralabials and prefrontals in contact with one another) could not be used to differentiate this species. It had 26 scale rows around the body, compared to 28 in the holotype.</p> <p> Wickramasinghe <i>et al</i>. (2011) used the paratype of <i>D. johnsighi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> to redescribe <i>D. subcaeruleum</i>, overlooking the fact that the <i>D. subcaeruleum</i> holotype had a count of 28 midbody scale rows whereas, the specimen they used had only 24. They have overlooked: (i) the smooth nature of dorsal scales in <i>D. subcaeruleum</i>; (ii) the scattered black and white spots in the type of <i>D. subcaeruleum</i>, and no dorsal cross-bars as seen in <i>D. johnsinghi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b></p> <p> <b>Colouration in life.</b> Dorsum was grayish brown. There was a dark stripe extending from rostral to eye and then going beyond the eye to the front of the shoulder (fig. 5). Posterior to the eye, the edges of the stripe are dark. Two distinct broad stripes extended from the second supraocular to behind the neck. The dark bands are approximately two scales wide on the torso. There was a series of black spots along the lateral side of the body extending from the forelimbs to the tail and then going further down the tail. Belly colour is pale bluish. Rostral, supralabials, infralabials and mental are light yellow in color. Palm and sole are brown in color. Both the presence of blue color on the belly and the two bands extending from the head to nape are similar as in the holotype.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> The holotype (fig. 6) was collected from Bodinaikanur (Boulenger 1891) and the paratype was collected from High Wavy Hills (Smith 1949), both presently in Madurai district of State of Tamil Nadu. Although the two locations are in southern Western Ghats and not far from each other, there is an altitudinal difference of about 1,400 m between the two. The present specimen is from Kudremukh National Park, situated in the state of Karnataka, in the central Western Ghats. This greatly extends the known range of this species, as the current locality is ca. 450 km north of the previous collection localities (fig. 1). This specimen was collected from middle elevations (ca. 750 m asl). Among the congeners, <i>D. olivacea</i> occupies riverine forests, coconut plantations and coastal forests in Southeast Asia (Grismer <i>et al</i>. 2001, 2004; Escobar <i>et al</i>. 2003). <i>D. grisea</i> is found throughout the Sunda Shelf and the Philippines (Brown & Alcala 1980), where it too occupies riverine forests (Brown <i>et al</i>. 2000). <i>D. nicobarensis</i> is found in the coastal lowland forests of the Nicobar Islands, and are common in coconut plantations (Das 1999; Pers. Obs.). <i>D. subcaeruleum</i> is the only species that occupies evergreen forest at high elevations> 750 m asl adjoining grasslands. When compared the other species that were associated with riparian forest or costal low land forest, <i>D. subcaeruleum</i> contrasts in its distribution and habitat use.</p> <p> <b>Comparison with congeners.</b> <i>D. subcaeruleum</i> can be distinguished from all other congeners by a combination of characters; body scales nearly smooth, 26–28 in number around the mid-body; 14–16 lamellae on the fourth toe; a pattern of two black dorsal stripes running from second supraocular to behind the shoulder. From <i>D. haliana</i> and <i>D. johnsinghi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, it is easily distinguished by its higher mid-body scale count (26–28 as opposed to 22–24 in the other two species) and its relatively smooth posterior dorsal scales.</p>Published as part of <i>Vasudevan, Karthikeyan, Silva, Anslem De, Kar, Niladri Bhusan, Naniwadekar, Rohit, Lalremruata, Albert, Prasoona, Rebekah & Aggarwal, Ramesh K, 2012, Phylogeography of Dasia Gray, 1830 (Reptilia: Scincidae), with the description of a new species from southern India, pp. 37-51 in Zootaxa 3233</i> on pages 44-46, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/211627">10.5281/zenodo.211627</a&gt

Dasia johnsinghi Vasudevan, Silva, Kar, Naniwadekar, Lalremruata, Prasoona & Aggarwal, 2012, sp. nov.

<i>Dasia johnsinghi</i> sp. nov. <p>Suggested common English name: Barred tree skink</p> <p> <b>Holotype.</b> ZSIC 25946, adult male, collected from Servalar, Kani Kudi (latitude N 8.65354°, longitude E 77.31387°; WGS 84 datum) in a riverine forest habitat, Mundanthurai plateau, Tamil Nadu, India, on January 25, 2005 by the second author (KV).</p> <p> <b>Paratype.</b> BNHS 1391 Collected from Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the riverine forest of Tamaraparani River in Mundanthurai, in the southern Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. The specimen was collected on August 18, 1984 by Justus Joshua and deposited by A. J. T. Johnsingh.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> The specimens are placed in the genus <i>Dasia</i> Gray, 1839 on account of possession of the following characters: palatal notch not extending forwards to between the front of the eyes; eyelids well developed; lower eyelid scaly; nostril within the nasal; supranasals present; prefrontals, frontoparietals and interparietal distinct; ear opening small and tympanum sunk.</p> <p>The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: second pair of genials widely separated from each other; a single large anterior temporal in contact with supralabials and parietal; vertical slitlike ear opening with a projecting flap-like scale on its anterior inner border; 17 or 18 subdigital lamellae under fourth toe; scales on posterior dorsal body strongly keeled; body colour greenish brown with seven or eight broken, narrow, black cross-bands, each of which is one scale wide and spotted with white; no cross-bands on the neck which has two dorsal and two lateral black stripes; dorsal stripes start on the frontal shield and extend backward up to 13th vertebral scale; lateral stripes starting on the posterior part of anterior loreal and extend backward to the same level as the dorsal stripes</p> <p> <b>Description of holotype.</b> A medium sized skink (SVL 91.2 mm); head longer than broad (HL/HW ratio 1.16); body elongate (HL/SVL ratio 0.16); snout pointed; head not distinct from neck; rostral shield in contact with first supralabial, anterior nasal, supranasal and frontonasal; supranasals separated from each other; frontonasal about twice as long as prefrontals; prefrontals large and just separated from each other; frontal almost twice as long as frontonasal and longer than its distance from the tip of the snout; frontoparietals about half as long as frontal; interparietal more than half the length of the frontal; parietals separated by interparietal; seven supralabials and six infralabials on both side; nasal divided vertically with nostril in the middle; anterior loreal shorter than posterior loreal; two preoculars and a presubocular on either side; four small postoculars; 7–8 supraciliaries on either side, anterior most being the largest; three smooth cycloid temporal scales; single anterior temporal just touching the parietal with its lower edge wedged between the last two supralabials; a pair of transversely enlarged smooth nuchal scales; mental followed by a single postmental shield; an anterior pair of chin shields in broad contact with each other; posterior pair of chin scales widely separated by a scale; tympanum small and sunken; ear opening a vertical slit with a small projecting flap-like scale on its anterior border; mid-body scales in 22 transverse rows, smooth on the anterior body and ventrals while distinctly keeled on posterior dorsal body and dorsal part of base of tail; posterior dorsal scales with three distinct keels; scales on the dorsal part of base of tail and hind limbs also with two or three strong keels; 48 vertebral scales on a line from nuchal scales to level of cloaca; 57 ventral scales on a line from the scale separating the posterior genial to the enlarged scale row on the anterior border of cloaca; six enlarged preanal scales in a row bordering the anterior margin of the cloaca; 61 enlarged scales under the tail; vertebral scales about 1.7 times larger than ventrals; 18/17 (right/left) subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; palms with two distinctly enlarged rounded tubercles; heels with five enlarged rounded tubercles; relative length of fingers 4>3>5≥2>1; relative length of toes 4>3>5>2>1.</p> <p> <b>Colouration in life.</b> The body was bronze-brown dorsally, becoming greenish on the sides. The ventrals were pale bluish white and the lower jaw and sides of the neck were bright yellowish green in life. There were two black stripes on the head, each one scale wide, starting on the third supraocular and adjacent edge of frontal scale and extending parallel to each other, to the level of 13th vertebral scale (fig. 2). Additionally, there was a lateral black stripe about two scale rows wide starting on the posterior part of anterior loreal, passing through the eye, tympanum and extending to the level of 13th vertebral scale along the side of the neck (fig. 3). The lateral and dorsal stripes did not meet. There were no black cross-bands on the neck. The body had seven broken black cross-bands, each of which was one scale wide (fig. 4). Each black scale had a white spot on its posterior edge. These bands were present only on the dorsal and lateral parts of the body and did not continue around the belly. The tail had more than eight similarly colored bands.</p> <p> <b>Variation in paratype.</b> The paratype agrees well with the holotype except for the following characters: snoutvent length (SVL) 86.3 mm; tail length (TaL) 88.1 mm; head longer than broad (HL/HW ratio 1.31); frontonasal about twice as long as prefrontal; frontal about 1.5 times longer than frontonasal; frontoparietal about 3/4 the length of frontal; eight supralabials and eight infralabials on both sides; 8/9 (right/left) supraciliaries; midbody scales in 24 transverse rows; 43 vertebral scales; 51 ventral scales; 71 transversely enlarged subcaudal scales; and heels with five distinctly enlarged rounded tubercles. Table 1 gives the morphometric measurements of the holotype and the paratype. This specimen was erroneously identified as <i>Dasia subcaeruleum</i> by Wickramasinghe <i>et al</i>. (2011). They report 52 vertebral scales and 56 ventral scales, which differs from our data from the same specimen.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> Named after Dr. Asir Jawahar Thomas Johnsingh, who deposited the paratype in the collection of Bombay Natural History Society and has made numerous valuable contributions to natural history studies in India</p> <p> <b>Ecology and distribution.</b> The holotype was observed at a height of ca. 10 m on a tamarind tree (<i>Tamarindus indicus</i>) in riparian habitat. Five other individuals were observed on five different trees. All were at heights of ca. 3/ 4 of the tree’s height. The highest trees in this habitat were ca. 15– 20m. All individuals tried to escape into tree holes when approached. Two of them, including the paratype, were basking on branches (10 and 13 m height), ca. 0 900 h and three of them were near tree holes, ca. 10, 8 and 13 m heights at ca. 1500 h. In August 1983, Ajai Desai of Bombay Natural History Society captured an individual of the species from a <i>Vitex leucoxylon</i> tree, but it escaped (Vickram & Johnsingh 1985). A colour photograph of this individual was printed in page 156 of Johnsingh (2006). In May 1985, the paratype was found when it fell from a tree, and when it was chased, it hurriedly burrowed in the sand in a riverine forest along Tamaraparani River (Vickram & Johnsingh 1985). It was collected and identified as <i>D. haliana</i> by Aloysius Gnana Shekar of Bombay Natural History Society (Vickram & Johnsingh 1985). All the individuals of <i>D. johnsinghi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> described here were found inside Kalakkad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve located in the southern Western Ghats.</p> <p> <b>Comparison with congeners.</b> The new species is easily distinguished from all the other species inhabiting Southeast Asia (<i>D. olivacea</i>, <i>D. nicobarensis</i>, <i>D. grisea</i>, <i>D. griffini</i> and <i>D. semicincta</i>) by its lower midbody scale count (22–24 versus over 28 in all species inhabiting Southeast Asia) and its distinctive colour pattern. From <i>D. subcaeruleum</i> it is distinguished by having keeled posterior dorsal scales (smooth in <i>D. subcaeruleum</i>); black cross-bands on the body (no cross-bands on body in <i>D. subcaeruleum</i>); 22–24 scales around body (vs. 26–28 in <i>D.</i></p> <p> <i>subcaeruleum</i>). The new species is most similar to <i>D. haliana</i>, which occurs in Sri Lanka. From <i>D. haliana</i>, it is distinguished by the following characters: posterior genials more separated from each other than in <i>D. haliana</i>; a large anterior temporal in contact with the parietal and last two supralabials (temporal not touching parietal in <i>D. haliana</i>); presence of a projecting flap-like scale on the anterior wall of the ear opening (no projecting scale in <i>D. haliana</i>); dorsal black stripes starting on the head extending to the level of 13th vertebral scale (dorsal black stripes on head extending only to the level of the nuchals where they join each other to form a broken collar in <i>D. haliana</i>); no black cross-bands on the neck (black cross-band on neck in <i>D. haliana</i>); black cross-bands on body spotted with white (no white spots on black cross-bands in <i>D. haliana</i>). The distinctive characters of South Indian and Sri Lankan species are listed in Table 2.</p>Published as part of <i>Vasudevan, Karthikeyan, Silva, Anslem De, Kar, Niladri Bhusan, Naniwadekar, Rohit, Lalremruata, Albert, Prasoona, Rebekah & Aggarwal, Ramesh K, 2012, Phylogeography of Dasia Gray, 1830 (Reptilia: Scincidae), with the description of a new species from southern India, pp. 37-51 in Zootaxa 3233</i> on pages 40-44, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/211627">10.5281/zenodo.211627</a&gt

Regulatory role of miRNAs in Wnt signaling pathway linked with cardiovascular diseases

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are discovered in science about 23 years ago. These are short, a series of non-coding, single-stranded and evolutionary conserved RNA molecules found in eukaryotic cells. It involved post-transcriptional fine-tune protein expression and repressing the target of mRNA in different biological processes. These miRNAs binds with the 3′-UTR region of specific mRNAs to phosphorylate the mRNA degradation and inhibit the translation process in various tissues. Therefore, aberrant expression in miRNAs induces numerous cardiovascular diseases and developmental defects. Subsequently, the miRNAs and Wnt singling pathway are regulating a cellular process in cardiac development and regeneration, maintain the homeostasis and associated heart diseases. In Wnt signaling pathway majority of the signaling components are expressed and regulated by miRNAs, whereas the inhibition or dysfunction of the Wnt signaling pathway induces cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, inadequate studies about the important role of miRNAs in heart development and diseases through Wnt signaling pathway has been exist still now. For this reason in present review we summarize and update the involvement of miRNAs and the role of Wnt signaling in cardiovascular diseases. We have discussed the mechanism of miRNA functions which regulates the Wnt components in cellular signaling pathway. The fundamental understanding of Wnt signaling regulation and mechanisms of miRNAs is quite essential for study of heart development and related diseases. This approach definitely enlighten the future research to provide a new strategy for formulation of novel therapeutic approaches against cardiovascular diseases