Biogeography of land snail genus Acusta (Gastropoda: Camaenidae): Diversification on East Asian islands.

East Asia has highly diverse and endemic biota due to its complex geological and climatic history and its diversified topography. The continental and insular distributions of land snail genus Acusta in East Asia provide a good opportunity to compare the evolutionary processes in this group under different biogeographical conditions. In this study, we inferred the evolutionary history of the land snail genus Acusta by a molecular phylogeny and investigated how the palaeogeographic events shaped species diversity and the distribution of the Acusta genus within the island arc.

Systematic revision of the Taiwanese genus Kurixalus members with a description of two new endemic species (Anura, Rhacophoridae).

Two new species of rhacophorid tree frog were identified in Taiwan. In both new taxa, derived reproductive characteristics of laying eggs in tree holes and oophagous tadpoles are shared with Kurixalus eiffingeri, but they are divergent from each other in molecular genetics, mating calls, and tadpole and adult morphology. The morphological characteristics and the molecular phylogenetic evidence support the hypothesis that the two new species, Kurixalus berylliniris sp.

A molecular forensic method for identifying species composition of processed marine mammal meats.

We used universal primers designed for the cytochrome oxidase I (CO I) sequence of the order Cetacea and the family Phocidae to prove that meat fritters sold in Taiwan contained meat from two seal, six cetacean, and one pig species. The sequence information for CO I obtained in this study was limited and population genetics data for the eight sampled marine mammalian species was insufficient to deduce where these marine mammals were hunted. Regardless of the geographic origins of the marine mammal flesh, sale and consumption of marine mammals in Taiwan violates the Wildlife Conservation Act.

Complete mitogenomes of two Puntius in Taiwan: P. semifasciolatus and P. snyderi (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae).

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of two spotted barbs native to Taiwan: Puntius semifasciolatus and Puntius snyderi. The complete mitochondrial genomes are 16,594 and 16,578 bp in size, respectively. Both of them contain 37 genes coding for 13 proteins, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and 1 control region.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Chinese rasbora Rasbora steineri (Teleostei, Cyprinidae).

We describe the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Chinese rasbora, Rasbora steineri, which is a small cyprinid distributed in southeastern Asia. The circle genome (16,530 bp) consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 1 control region. It has the typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Moltrecht's minnow, Aphyocypris moltrechti (Teleostei, Cyprinidae), in comparison with A. kikuchii.

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the Moltrecht's minnow, Aphyocypris moltrechti, which is known as an endemic species to Taiwan. The complete mitochondrial genome is 16,617 bp in size, consisting of 37 genes coding for 13 proteins, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and 1 control region. Its gene arrangement pattern was identical with most vertebrates.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Kikuchi's minnow Aphyocypris kikuchii (Teleostei, Cyprinidae).

We have sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the Kikuchi's minnow, Aphyocypris kikuchii (Oshima 1919), which is an endemic species to Taiwan. The complete mitochondrial genome is 16,601 bp in size, containing 37 genes coding for 13 proteins, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and 1 control region. It has the typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement.

High-throughput avian molecular sexing by SYBR green-based real-time PCR combined with melting curve analysis.

Background: Combination of CHD (chromo-helicase-DNA binding protein)-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with electrophoresis (PCR/electrophoresis) is the most common avian molecular sexing technique but it is lab-intensive and gel-required. Gender determination often fails when the difference in length between the PCR products of CHD-Z and CHD-W genes is too short to be resolved.

Results: Here, we are the first to introduce a PCR-melting curve analysis (PCR/MCA) to identify the gender of birds by genomic DNA, which is gel-free, quick, and inexpensive.