Lemnaceae and Orontiaceae Are Phylogenetically and Morphologically Distinct from Araceae.

Duckweeds comprise a distinctive clade of pleustophytic monocots that traditionally has been classified as the family Lemnaceae. However, molecular evidence has called into question their phylogenetic independence, with some authors asserting instead that duckweeds should be reclassified as subfamily Lemnoideae of an expanded family Araceae. Although a close phylogenetic relationship of duckweeds with traditional Araceae has been supported by multiple studies, the taxonomic disposition of duckweeds must be evaluated more critically to promote nomenclatural stability and utility.

A phylum-level phylogenetic classification of zygomycete fungi based on genome-scale data.

Zygomycete fungi were classified as a single phylum, Zygomycota, based on sexual reproduction by zygospores, frequent asexual reproduction by sporangia, absence of multicellular sporocarps, and production of coenocytic hyphae, all with some exceptions. Molecular phylogenies based on one or a few genes did not support the monophyly of the phylum, however, and the phylum was subsequently abandoned. Here we present phylogenetic analyses of a genome-scale data set for 46 taxa, including 25 zygomycetes and 192 proteins, and we demonstrate that zygomycetes comprise two major clades that form a paraphyletic grade.

Climatic patterns in the establishment of wintering areas by North American migratory birds.

Long-distance migration in birds is relatively well studied in nature; however, one aspect of this phenomenon that remains poorly understood is the pattern of distribution presented by species during arrival to and establishment of wintering areas. Some studies suggest that the selection of areas in winter is somehow determined by climate, given its influence on both the distribution of bird species and their resources. We analyzed whether different migrant passerine species of North America present climatic preferences during arrival to and departure from their wintering areas.

Ecological niche modeling of Francisella tularensis subspecies and clades in the United States.

Two subspecies of Francisella tularensis are recognized: F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (type A) and F.

Species boundaries and cryptic lineage diversity in a Philippine forest skink complex (Reptilia; Squamata; Scincidae: Lygosominae).

In the megadiverse conservation hotspot of the Philippines, biodiversity is not uniformly distributed throughout the archipelago, but hierarchically partitioned into islands and island groups that were conjoined during the mid- to late-Pleistocene. Few species groups are widely distributed throughout the archipelago, but some exceptions exist, such as the common scincid lizards of the Sphenomorphus jagori complex (including S. jagori, S.

Origin and diversification of Philippine bulbuls.

We examine the origin and diversification of Philippine bulbuls using a phylogenetic framework. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods are used to construct trees from DNA sequences of two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes obtained from 11 Philippine bulbul species as well as 32 other Asian and African taxa. The study finds eight independent colonization events of bulbuls to the Philippines, including one clade comprising Philippine members of the genus Ixos that underwent extensive diversification within the archipelago.

Ecology and geography of avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) transmission in the Middle East and northeastern Africa.

Background: The emerging highly pathogenic avian influenza strain H5N1 ("HPAI-H5N1") has spread broadly in the past decade, and is now the focus of considerable concern. We tested the hypothesis that spatial distributions of HPAI-H5N1 cases are related consistently and predictably to coarse-scale environmental features in the Middle East and northeastern Africa.We used ecological niche models to relate virus occurrences to 8 km resolution digital data layers summarizing parameters of monthly surface reflectance and landform.

Dispersal to or from an African biodiversity hotspot?

Biodiversity hotspots are centres of endemism and thus contain many range-restricted species. In addition, within these hotspots occur widespread species that might have originated within a hotspot before dispersing to neighbouring or distant regions. We test this hypothesis with a phylogeographic analysis of a miniature leaf litter frog, Arthroleptis xenodactyloides, that has a large distribution throughout the Eastern Arc biodiversity hotspot and other regions in East Africa.

A tale of four "carp": invasion potential and ecological niche modeling.

Background: Invasive species are a serious problem in ecosystems, but are difficult to eradicate once established. Predictive methods can be key in determining which areas are of concern regarding invasion by such species to prevent establishment [1]. We assessed the geographic potential of four Eurasian cyprinid fishes (common carp, tench, grass carp, black carp) as invaders in North America via ecological niche modeling (ENM).

Structural diversity, systematics, and evolution of cnidae.

Cnidae are secreted by the Golgi apparatus of all cnidarians and only cnidarians. Of the three categories of cnidae (also called cnidocysts), nematocysts occur in all cnidarians, and are the means by which cnidarians defend themselves and obtain prey; spirocysts and ptychocysts are restricted to a minority of major taxa. A cnida discharges by eversion of its tubule; venom may be associated with the tubule of a nematocyst.

Predictable ecology and geography of West Nile virus transmission in the central United States.

West Nile virus (WNV) arrived in North America and spread rapidly through the western hemisphere. We present a series of tests to determine whether ecological factors are consistently associated with WNV transmission to humans. We analyzed human WNV cases in the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio in 2002 and 2003, building ecological niche models to associate WNV case occurrences with ecological and environmental parameters.

Monitoring biodiversity loss with primary species-occurrence data: toward national-level indicators for the 2010 target of the convention on biological diversity.

Development of effective indicators is indispensable for countries and societies to monitor effects of their actions on biodiversity, as is recognized in decision VI/26 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Good indicators would ideally be scalable, at least for the different scales that characterize biodiversity patterns and process. Existing indicators are mostly global in scope, and often based on secondary information, such as classifications of endangered species, rather than on primary data.

Historical biogeography and speciation in the neotropical highlands: molecular phylogenetics of the jay genus Cyanolyca.

Phylogenetic relationships were studied in the genus Cyanolyca, an assemblage of jays distributed from Mexico south to Bolivia. Given its fragmented distribution along the humid forests of the Neotropics, the genus Cyanolyca is a model group for exploring hypotheses on biogeography and speciation. Phylogenetic analyses were based on two mitochondrial and three nuclear loci; taxon sampling includes all species in the genus and most subspecies.

Seed ferns from the late Paleozoic and Mesozoic: Any angiosperm ancestors lurking there?

Five orders of late Paleozoic-Mesozoic seed ferns have, at one time or another, figured in discussions on the origin of angiosperms, even before the application of phylogenetic systematics. These are the Glossopteridales, Peltaspermales, Corystospermales, Caytoniales, and Petriellales. Although vegetative features have been used to suggest homologies, most discussion has focused on ovulate structures, which are generally interpreted as megasporophylls bearing seeds, with the seeds partially to almost completely enclosed by the megasporophyll (or cupule).

Nei's to Bayes': comparing computational methods and genetic markers to estimate patterns of genetic variation in Tolpis (Asteraceae).

Accurate determination of patterns of genetic variation provides a powerful inferential tool for studies of evolution and conservation. For more than 30 years, enzyme electrophoresis was the preferred method for elucidating these patterns. As a result, evolutionary geneticists have acquired considerable understanding of the relationship between patterns of allozyme variation and aspects of evolutionary process.

Development and ecological implications of dormant buds in the high-Paleolaltitude Triassic sphenophyte Spaciinodum (Equisetaceae).

Spaciinodum collinsonii, a Triassic sphenophyte from the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, is reinterpreted based on new material in order to clarify discrepancies from previous work and to detail the development and ecology of the Spaciinodum plant. Vegetative stems have alternating nodes and internodes, nodes distinguished by a solid diaphragm of tissue, internodes by the presence of vallecular (cortical) and carinal canals, and a hollow pith. Whorls of branches arise immediately above the nodes, alternating with the leaves of the subjacent nodes.

Twenty-three microsatellite DNA loci for population genetic studies and parentage assignment in orangethroat darter, Etheostoma spectabile.

The genus Etheostoma is a species-rich and ecologically important group of fishes in North America. The orangethroat darter (Etheostoma spectabile) is widely distributed and abundant in headwater streams throughout the central Midwest, and is an excellent model for ecological and mating system studies. We developed 23 novel, polymorphic, and independent microsatellite loci for E.

Influenza A virus infections in land birds, People's Republic of China.

Water birds are considered the reservoir for avian influenza viruses. We examined this assumption by sampling and real-time reverse transcription-PCR testing of 939 Asian land birds of 153 species. Influenza A infection was found, particularly among migratory species.

Shifting global invasive potential of European plants with climate change.

Global climate change and invasions by nonnative species rank among the top concerns for agents of biological loss in coming decades. Although each of these themes has seen considerable attention in the modeling and forecasting communities, their joint effects remain little explored and poorly understood. We developed ecological niche models for 1804 species from the European flora, which we projected globally to identify areas of potential distribution, both at present and across 4 scenarios of future (2055) climates.

Predictable ecology and geography of avian influenza (H5N1) transmission in Nigeria and West Africa.

The emerging virus strain termed highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HP-H5N1) has spread widely in the past decade and is now the focus of considerable concern in several sectors. We tested the hypothesis that spatial distributions of veterinary and human HP-H5N1 cases are related to coarse-scale environmental features in West Africa. We used ecological niche models to associate Nigerian HP-H5N1 occurrences with 1 km resolution digital data layers summarizing parameters of surface reflectance and landform.

Climate change effects on plague and tularemia in the United States.

Plague and tularemia are serious zoonotic diseases endemic to North America. We evaluated spatial patterns in their transmission in view of changing climates. First, we tested whether observed shifts since the 1960s are consistent with expected patterns of shift given known climate changes over that period.

Ecological niche conservatism and Pleistocene refugia in the Thrush-like Mourner, Schiffornis sp., in the neotropics.

Recent studies have increasingly implicated deep (pre-Pleistocene) events as key in the vertebrate speciation, downplaying the importance of more recent (Pleistocene) climatic shifts. This work, however, has been based almost exclusively on evidence from molecular clock inferences of splitting dates. We present an independent perspective on this question, using ecological niche model reconstructions of Pleistocene Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) potential distributions for the Thrush-like Mourner (Schiffornis turdina) complex in the neotropics.

Ecological niche modelling and understanding the geography of disease transmission.

Methods currently used to characterise geographic patterns of disease transmission usually involve loss of resolution and do not take into account the fine-scale ecological variation that underlies transmission patterns. A new suite of tools (ecological niche modelling) that permits fine-scale characterisation of geographic patterns without loss of resolution, and forecasting of invasive potential and effects of changing climate and land use on species' distributions is presented.

Fungal endophytes in a 400-million-yr-old land plant: infection pathways, spatial distribution, and host responses.

The Early Devonian Rhynie chert has been critical in documenting early land plant-fungal interactions. However, complex associations involving several fungi that enter into qualitatively different relationships with a single host plant and even interact with one another have not yet been detailed. Here, we studied petrographic thin sections of the Rhynie chert plant Nothia aphylla.

Phylogeographic patterns, molecular and vocal differentiation, and species limits in Schiffornis turdina (Aves).

Establishing species limits can be challenging for organisms in which few variable morphological characters are available, such as Schiffornis turdina, a Neotropical suboscine bird of long-debated taxonomic affinities. Apart from its dull plumage and secretive behavior, this taxon is well-known for its subtle but discrete within-species geographic variation in vocalizations. Phylogeographic reconstruction based on three mitochondrial markers sampled across much of the species' range reveals substantial structuring, concordant with recognized areas of endemism in Neotropical lowland forests.