摘要: The Pseudogastromyzon genus, consisting of species predominantly distributed throughout southeastern China, has garnered increasing market attention in recent years due to its ornamental appeal. However, the overlapping diagnostic attributes render the commonly accepted criteria for interspecific identification unreliable, leaving the phylogenetic relationships among Pseudogastromyzon species unexplored. In the present study, we undertake molecular phylogenetic and morphological examinations of the Pseudogastromyzon genus. Our phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genes distinctly segregated Pseudogastromyzon species into two clades: the Pseudogastromyzon clade and the Labigastromyzon clade. A subsequent morphological assessment revealed that the primary dermal ridge (specifically, the second ridge) within the labial adhesive apparatus serves as an effective and precise interspecific diagnostic characteristic. Moreover, the distributional ranges of Pseudogastromyzon and Labigastromyzon are markedly distinct, exhibiting only a narrow area of overlap. Considering the morphological heterogeneity of the labial adhesive apparatus and the substantial division within the molecular phylogeny, we advocate for the elevation of the Labigastromyzon subgenus to the status of a separate genus. Consequently, we have ascertained the validity of the Pseudogastromyzon and Labigastromyzon species, yielding a total of six valid species. To facilitate future research, we present comprehensive descriptions of the redefined species and introduce novel identification keys.

摘要: Scatter-hoarding rodents play important roles in plant regeneration and species coexistence in many forest ecosystems. Cache pilferage, the behavior of rodents seeking or relocating seeds cached by other individuals, is ubiquitous during the scatter-hoarding process. The effects of canopy openness on cache pilferage have received considerable attention, most of which have focused on the comparison between full canopy cover and completely open areas, such as forest gaps. However, little attention has been given to whether the subtle variation in forest canopy openness affects cache pilferage, although subtle variation in light environments exists in many forests, especially tropical and subtropical forests, where the overall canopy is large and the forest window is relatively small. Here, we directly tested these questions by simulating 400 artificial caches, each containing one seed from four selected tree species, in a subtropical forest in southwestern China. The overall canopy openness of the forest was relatively small (with a mean value of 11.1%), but subtle spatial variation still existed (ranging from 5.7% to 19.5%). Overall, caches with lower canopy openness were more likely to be pilfered and removed faster, although not all species showed the same pattern. Our study highlights that subtle variation in forest canopy openness, even in a closed primary forest, has significant effects on cache pilferage by rodents, which may influence the following seed germination and forest regeneration processes. Additionally, seedling species composition may further be altered because the canopy effects on cache pilferage are species-specific. Our study highlights that subtle variation in forest canopy openness, even in a closed primary forest, has significant effects on cache pilferage by rodents. Caches with lower canopy openness were more likely to be pilfered and removed faster, which may influence the following seed germination and forest regeneration processes. Seedling species composition may further be altered because the canopy effects on cache pilferage are species-specific. image

摘要: Mining can significantly alter landscapes, impacting wildlife and ecosystem functionality. Natural recovery in open-pit mines is vital for habitat restoration and ecosystem re-establishment, although few empirical studies have examined this process. Here, we assessed temporal and spatial responses of small rodents at the community, population, and individual levels during natural mine recovery. We examined the abundance, reproductive potential, and individual health of small rodents at active mines and at former mine sites left to recover naturally for approx. 10 and 20 years. We also assessed the effects of disturbance on rodent recovery processes at three distances from the mine boundary. Rodent numbers peaked after 10-13 years of recovery and exhibited the strongest male bias in the sex ratio. The Chinese white-bellied rat (Niviventer confucianus) was the most abundant species, achieving its highest population abundance at sites abandoned for 10-13 years and thriving at locations closer to the mine boundary. Only Chevrier's field mouse exhibited morphological responses to the mine recovery category. Ectoparasite load was unaffected by mine or distance-disturbance categories. Both Chevrier's field mouse (Apodemus chevrieri) and the South China field mouse (Apodemus draco) were affected significantly by vegetation layer cover during recovery succession. Our study highlights the complexities of ecological succession, with a peak in abundance as pioneer communities transition toward a climax seral stage. Careful prior planning and active site management are necessary to optimize abandoned mine recovery. Efforts to accelerate mine recovery through technical restoration should promote conditions that initiate and perpetuate the establishment and succession of wildlife assemblages. We examine the response of spatiotemporal dynamics within the community of small rodents as they respond to the natural recovery of open-pit marble mining sites at the community, population, and individual levels. We found various effects of the stage of mine recovery on rodent numbers, although without any effects of distance-disturbance categories and with morphological effects limited to a single species. image

摘要: Collection specimens provide valuable and often overlooked biological material that enables addressing relevant, long-unanswered questions in conservation biology, historical biogeography, and other research fields. Here, we use preserved specimens to analyze the historical distribution of the black francolin (Francolinus francolinus, Phasianidae), a case that has recently aroused the interest of archeozoologists and evolutionary biologists. The black francolin currently ranges from the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent, but, at least since the Middle Ages, it also had a circum-Mediterranean distribution. The species could have persisted in Greece and the Maghreb until the 19th century, even though this possibility had been questioned due to the absence of museum specimens and scant literary evidence. Nevertheless, we identified four 200-year-old stuffed black francolins-presumably the only ones still existing-from these areas and sequenced their mitochondrial DNA control region. Based on the comparison with conspecifics (n = 396) spanning the entirety of the historic and current species range, we found that the new samples pertain to previously identified genetic groups from either the Near East or the Indian subcontinent. While disproving the former occurrence of an allegedly native westernmost subspecies, these results point toward the role of the Crown of Aragon in the circum-Mediterranean expansion of the black francolin, including the Maghreb and Greece. Genetic evidence hints at the long-distance transport of these birds along the Silk Road, probably to be traded in the commerce centers of the Eastern Mediterranean.

摘要: Many species exhibit color polymorphisms which have distinct physiological and behavioral characteristics. However, the consistency of morph trait covariation patterns across species, time, and ecological contexts remains unclear. This trait covariation is especially relevant in the context of invasion biology and urban adaptation. Specifically, physiological traits pertaining to energy maintenance are crucial to fitness, given their immediate ties to individual reproduction, growth, and population establishment. We investigated the physiological traits of Podarcis muralis, a versatile color polymorphic species that thrives in urban environments (including invasive populations in Ohio, USA). We measured five physiological traits (plasma corticosterone and triglycerides, hematocrit, body condition, and field body temperature), which compose an integrated multivariate phenotype. We then tested variation among co-occurring color morphs in the context of establishment in an urban environment. We found that the traits describing physiological status and strategy shifted across the active season in a morph-dependent manner-the white and yellow morphs exhibited clearly different multivariate physiological phenotypes, characterized primarily by differences in plasma corticosterone. This suggests that morphs have different strategies in physiological regulation, the flexibility of which is crucial to urban adaptation. The white-yellow morph exhibited an intermediate phenotype, suggesting an intermediary energy maintenance strategy. Orange morphs also exhibited distinct phenotypes, but the low prevalence of this morph in our study populations precludes clear interpretation. Our work provides insight into how differences among stable polymorphisms exist across axes of the phenotype and how this variation may aid in establishment within novel environments.

摘要: Bats, members of the Chiroptera order, rank as the second most diverse group among mammals. Recent molecular systematic studies on bats have successfully classified 21 families within two suborders: Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera. Nevertheless, the phylogeny within these 21 families has remained a subject of controversy. In this study, we have employed a balanced approach to establish a robust family-level phylogenetic hypothesis for bats, utilizing a more comprehensive molecular dataset. This dataset includes representative species from all 21 bat families, resulting in a reduced level of missing genetic information. The resulting phylogenetic tree comprises 21 lineages that are strongly supported, each corresponding to one of the bat families. Our findings support to place the Emballonuroidea superfamily as the basal lineage of Yangochiroptera, andthat Myzopodidae should be situated as a basal lineage of Emballonuroidea, forming a sister relationship with the clade consisting of Nycteridae and Emballonuridae. Finally, we have conducted dating analyses on this newly resolved phylogenetic tree, providing divergence times for each bat family. Collectively, our study has employed a relatively comprehensive molecular dataset to establish a more robust phylogeny encompassing all 21 bat families. This improved phylogenetic framework will significantly contribute to our understanding of evolutionary processes, ecological roles, disease dynamics, and biodiversity conservation in the realm of bats.

摘要: Rising global temperatures have a wide range of effects at organismal, population, and ecosystem levels. Increased winter temperatures are expected to alter the energetics of species that are dormant during this time. Hatchling painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) spend their first similar to 8 months in shallow nests on land, where they putatively rely on residual yolk reserves to fuel energetic demands during this period of inactivity before they emerge in the spring. We performed a laboratory experiment to characterize changes in residual yolk quantity in hatchling C. picta and experimentally tested the effect of temperature on residual yolk, hatchling size, and survival over the winter brumation period. We manipulated winter nest temperature by simulating two natural thermal regimes (low vs high treatments) and one regime that approximates warmer temperatures expected by 2100 (future treatment). Because high temperature increases metabolism, we predicted that the future temperature treatment would decrease the amount of residual yolk remaining by the end of winter and reduce hatchling mass and survival. Residual yolk over winter did not differ from that before winter, and the temperature had no effect on the quantity of residual yolk or hatchling survival by the following spring. However, hatchlings that experienced future temperatures lost more mass over winter than those from the other treatments. These results correspond with previous work indicating that residual yolk does not fuel the energetic needs of hatchlings during winter. The effect of future warming temperatures on body mass may have negative consequences during energetically demanding activities during spring emergence and dispersal.

摘要: Adaptation or acclimation of thermal requirements to environmental conditions can reduce thermoregulation costs and increase fitness, especially in ectotherms, which rely heavily on environmental temperatures for thermoregulation. Insight into how thermal niches have shaped thermal requirements across evolutionary history may help predict the survival of species during climate change. The lizard genus Sceloporus has a widespread distribution and inhabits an ample variety of habitats. We evaluated the effects of geographical gradients (i.e. elevation and latitude) and local environmental temperatures on thermal requirements (i.e. preferred body temperature, active body temperature in the field, and critical thermal limits) of Sceloporus species using published and field-collected data and performing phylogenetic comparative analyses. To contrast macro- and micro-evolutional patterns, we also performed intra-specific analyses when sufficient reports existed for a species. We found that preferred body temperature increased with elevation, whereas body temperature in the field decreased with elevation and increased with local environmental temperatures. Critical thermal limits were not related to the geographic gradient or environmental temperatures. The apparent lack of relation of thermal requirements to geographic gradient may increase vulnerability to extinction due to climate change. However, local and temporal variations in thermal landscape determine thermoregulation opportunities and may not be well represented by geographic gradient and mean environmental temperatures. Results showed that Sceloporus lizards are excellent thermoregulators, have wide thermal tolerance ranges, and the preferred temperature was labile. Our results suggest that Sceloporus lizards can adjust to different thermal landscapes, highlighting opportunities for continuous survival in changing thermal environments.

摘要: Identifying climatic niche shift and its influencing factors is of great significance in predicting the risk of alien species invasions accurately. Previous studies have attempted to identify the factors related to the niche shift of alien species in their invaded ranges, including changes in introduction history, selection of exact climate predictors, and anthropogenic factors. However, the effect of species-level traits on niche shift remains largely unexplored, especially those reflecting the species' adaptation ability to new environments. Based on the occurrence data of 117 successful alien bird invaders at a global scale, their native and invaded climatic niches were compared, and the potential influencing factors were identified. Our results show the niche overlap was low, with more than 75% of the non-native birds representing climatic niche shift (i.e. >10% niche expansion). In addition, 85% of the species showed a large proportion (mean +/- SD, 39% +/- 21%) of niche unfilling. Relative brain size (RBS) after accounting for body size had no direct effect on niche shift, but path analysis showed that RBS had an indirect effect on niche shift by acting on behavioral innovation primarily on technical innovation rather than consumer innovation. These findings suggested the incorporation of species' important behavioral adaptation traits may be promising to develop future prediction frameworks of biological invasion risk in response to the continued global change.

摘要: Global climate change is expected to have a profound effect on species distribution. Due to the temperature constraints, some narrow niche species could shift their narrow range to higher altitudes or latitudes. In this study, we explored the correlation between species traits, genetic structure, and geographical range size. More specifically, we analyzed how these variables are affected by differences in fundamental niche breadth or dispersal ability in the members of two sympatrically distributed stream-dwelling amphibian species (frog, Quasipaa yei; salamander, Pachyhynobius shangchengensis), in Dabie Mountains, East China. Both species showed relatively high genetic diversity in most geographical populations and similar genetic diversity patterns (JTX, low; BYM, high) correlation with habitat changes and population demography. Multiple clustering analyses were used to disclose differentiation among the geographical populations of these two amphibian species. Q. yei disclosed the relatively shallow genetic differentiation, while P. shangchengensis showed an opposite pattern. Under different historical climatic conditions, all ecological niche modeling disclosed a larger suitable habitat area for Q. yei than for P. shangchengensis; these results indicated a wider environment tolerance or wider niche width of Q. yei than P. shangchengensis. Our findings suggest that the synergistic effects of environmental niche variation and dispersal ability may help shape genetic structure across geographical topology, particularly for species with extremely narrow distribution. We determined stable isotope values of hairs from QIN and SC pandas and sympatric species. The QIN pandas had a larger isotopic trophic niche width than that of SC pandas, and both populations possessed a unique trophic position in the ecosystem.image