Spatiotemporal distribution of neural crest cells in the common wall lizard Podarcis muralis.

Background: Neural crest cells (NCCs) are migratory embryonic stem cells that give rise to a diverse set of cell types. Here we describe the dynamic distribution of NCCs in developing embryos of the common wall lizard Podarcis muralis inferred from 10 markers. Our aim is to provide insights into the NCC development of lacertid lizards and to infer evolutionary modifications by comparisons to other tetrapods.

A single locus regulates a female-limited color pattern polymorphism in a reptile.

Animal coloration is often expressed in periodic patterns that can arise from differential cell migration, yet how these processes are regulated remains elusive. We show that a female-limited polymorphism in dorsal patterning (diamond/chevron) in the brown anole is controlled by a single Mendelian locus. This locus contains the gene that is adjacent to, and coexpressed with, the gene, explaining why the polymorphism is female limited.

Towards unravelling Wolbachia global exchange: a contribution from the Bicyclus and Mylothris butterflies in the Afrotropics.

Background: Phylogenetically closely related strains of maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria are often found in phylogenetically divergent, and geographically distant insect host species. The interspecies transfer of the symbiont Wolbachia has been thought to have occurred repeatedly, facilitating its observed global pandemic. Few ecological interactions have been proposed as potential routes for the horizontal transfer of Wolbachia within natural insect communities.