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Coniferous forests are under severe threat of the rapid anthropogenic climate warming. Abies (firs), the fourth‐largest conifer genus, is a keystone component of the boreal and temperate dark‐coniferous forests and harbors a remarkably large number of relict taxa. However, the uncertainty of the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of Abies significantly impedes our prediction of future dynamics and efficient conservation of firs. In this study, using 1,533 nuclear genes generated from transcriptome sequencing and a complete sampling of all widely recognized species, we have successfully reconstructed a robust phylogeny of global firs, in which four clades are strongly supported and all intersectional relationships are resolved, although phylogenetic discordance caused mainly by incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization was detected. Molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction suggest a Northern Hemisphere high‐latitude origin of Abies during the Late Cretaceous, but all extant firs diversified during the Miocene to the Pleistocene, and multiple continental and intercontinental dispersals took place in response to the late Neogene climate cooling and orogenic movements. Notably, four critically endangered firs endemic to subtropical mountains of China, including A. beshanzuensis, A. ziyuanensis, A. fanjingshanensis and A. yuanbaoshanensis from east to west, have different origins and evolutionary histories. Moreover, three hotspots of species richness, including western North America, central Japan, and the Hengduan Mountains, were identified in Abies. Elevation and precipitation, particularly precipitation of the coldest quarter, are the most significant environmental factors driving the global distribution pattern of fir species diversity. Some morphological traits are evolutionarily constrained, and those linked to elevational variation (e.g., purple cone) and cold resistance (e.g., pubescent branch and resinous bud) may have contributed to the diversification of global firs. Our study sheds new light on the spatiotemporal evolution of global firs, which will be of great help to forest management and species conservation in a warming world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wyeomyia smithii, the pitcher-plant mosquito, has evolved from south to north and from low to high elevations in eastern North America. Along this seasonal gradient, critical photoperiod has increased while apparent involvement of the circadian clock has declined in concert with the evolutionary divergence of populations. Response to classical experiments used to test for a circadian basis of photoperiodism varies as much within and among populations of W. smithii as have been found in the majority of all other insects and mites. The micro-evolutionary processes revealed within and among populations of W. smithii, programmed by a complex underlying genetic architecture, illustrate a gateway to the macro-evolutionary divergence of biological timing among species and higher taxa in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clownfish (subfamily Amphiprioninae) are an iconic group of coral reef fish that evolved a mutualistic interaction with sea anemones, which triggered the adaptive radiation of the clade. Within clownfishes, the "skunk complex" is particularly interesting. Besides ecological speciation, interspecific gene flow and hybrid speciation are thought to have shaped the evolution of the group. We investigated the mechanisms characterizing the diversification of this complex. By taking advantage of their disjunct geographical distribution, we obtained whole‐genome data of sympatric and allopatric populations of the three main species of the complex (Amphiprion akallopisos, A. perideraion and A. sandaracinos). We examined population structure, genomic divergence and introgression signals and performed demographic modelling to identify the most realistic diversification scenario. We excluded scenarios of strict isolation or hybrid origin of A. sandaracinos. We discovered moderate gene flow from A. perideraion to the ancestor of A. akallopisos + A. sandaracinos and weak gene flow between the species in the Indo‐Australian Archipelago throughout the diversification of the group. We identified introgressed regions in A. sandaracinos and detected in A. perideraion two large regions of high divergence from the two other species. While we found that gene flow has occurred throughout the species' diversification, we also observed that recent admixture was less pervasive than initially thought, suggesting a role of host repartition or behavioural barriers in maintaining the genetic identity of the species in sympatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The staghorn fern genus Platycerium is one of the most commonly grown ornamental ferns, and it evolved to occupy a typical pantropical intercontinental disjunction. However, species-level relationships in the genus have not been well resolved, and the spatiotemporal evolutionary history of the genus also needs to be explored. Methods Plastomes of all the 18 Platycerium species were newly sequenced. Using plastome data, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among Polypodiaceae members with a focus on Platycerium species, and further conducted molecular dating and biogeographical analyses of the genus. Key Results The present analyses yielded a robustly supported phylogenetic hypothesis of Platycerium. Molecular dating results showed that Platycerium split from its sister genus Hovenkampia ~35.2 million years ago (Ma) near the Eocene–Oligocene boundary and began to diverge ~26.3 Ma during the late Oligocene, while multiple speciation events within Platycerium occurred during the middle to late Miocene. Biogeographical analysis suggested that Platycerium originated in tropical Africa and then dispersed eastward to southeast Asia–Australasia and westward to neotropical areas. Conclusions Our analyses using a plastid phylogenomic approach improved our understanding of the species-level relationships within Platycerium. The global climate changes of both the Late Oligocene Warming and the cooling following the mid-Miocene Climate Optimum may have promoted the speciation of Platycerium , and transoceanic long-distance dispersal is the most plausible explanation for the pantropical distribution of the genus today. Our study investigating the biogeographical history of Platycerium provides a case study not only for the formation of the pantropical intercontinental disjunction of this fern genus but also the 'out of Africa' origin of plant lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Blepharisma (Alveolata, Ciliophora) is a unicellular organism distributed worldwide, even in extreme environments, and comprises numerous species. While usually proliferating through cell division, Blepharisma undergoes sexual reproduction (conjugation) when cells are moderately starved. Conjugation is initiated by mating pheromones (gamone 1 and gamone 2) secreted by complementary mating-type cells. Gamone 1, a glycoprotein, functions in a species-specific manner, while gamone 2, an amino acid derivative, is a common molecule across species. The specific function of gamone 1 suggests the possibility that mutations in gamone 1 might have led to reproductive isolation during the evolutionary process, triggering species diversification. In this study, by comparing the amino acid sequences of gamone 1 homologs from 15 strains (representing five species), we found that mutations resulting in distinct amino acid properties occur across species boundaries and are mainly concentrated at two specific regions within gamone 1. These mutations potentially alter the binding affinity of gamone 1 to its receptors, suggesting their effect in causing reproductive isolation. The interspecies artificial conjugation conducted previously and the molecular phylogenetic tree constructed using the gamone 1 homolog sequences in this study provide insights into the speciation process within the genus Blepharisma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The host plants and the symbiotic relationship between bacteria and herbivorous insects play important roles in the population differentiation of phytophagous insects. However, current studies have paid limited attention to the connection between host-related differentiation and symbiotic bacterial communities in phytophagous insects. This study constructed phylogenetic trees using 58 Aphis odinae samples collected from different host plants and analyzed the symbiotic bacterial communities of samples from five commonly occurring host plants. The results indicate a partial correlation between differentiation related to host plants and the symbiotic bacterial communities in A. odinae, providing insights into the microevolutionary process between bacterial symbionts and insects. Host plants play a vital role in insect population differentiation, while symbiotic associations between bacteria and insects are ubiquitous in nature. However, existing studies have given limited attention to the connection between host-related differentiation and symbiotic bacterial communities in phytophagous insects. In this study, we collected 58 samples of Aphis odinae from different host plants in southern China and constructed phylogenetic trees to investigate their differentiation in relation to host plants. We also selected aphid samples from the five most preferred host plants and analyzed their symbiotic bacterial composition using Illumina sequencing of the V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. The phylogeny and symbiotic bacterial community structure of A. odinae populations on different host plants showed that samples from Triadica sebifera (Euphorbiaceae) had a consistent presence of Wolbachia as the predominant secondary symbiont and suggested the possibility of undergoing differentiation. Conversely, although differentiation was observed in samples from Rhus chinensis (Anacardiaceae), no consistent presence of predominant secondary symbionts was found. Additionally, the samples from Heptapleurum heptaphyllum (Araliaceae) consistently carried Serratia, but no host differentiation was evident. In summary, this study reveals a partial correspondence between symbiotic bacterial communities and host-related differentiation in A. odinae. The findings contribute to our understanding of the microevolutionary influencing the macroevolutionary relationships between bacterial symbionts and phytophagous insects. The identification of specific symbionts associated with host-related differentiation provides valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of insect-bacteria interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) is a coastal pelagic migratory fish species of tropical and subtropical waters, where it is an important game fish and it has been commercially expanded in offshore aquaculture systems. Understanding population connectivity is of utmost importance to the sustainable use and conservation of aquatic resources, and information on genetic diversity and structure is key element in unraveling differentiation when no clear physical barriers exist. In the present study, cobia genetic diversity and structure were depicted using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequencing and microsatellite genotyping in samples from the Southwestern Atlantic and showed that a major single population inhabits the southern hemisphere. Cytochrome b sequencing also suggested that the Indian Ocean is the center of origin for this species' diversification. A hierarchical analysis of AMOVA compared sampling locations from the Northwestern Atlantic (from a previous study) with the Southwestern ones using nine shared microsatellite markers. Differentiation among groups (FCT = 0.41), Bayesian clustering analysis, and complementary ordination analyses (by discriminant analysis of principal components [DAPC] and factorial correspondence analysis [3D‐FCA]) presented a clear separation between the two hemispheres, supported by a Lagrangian model that explained the ocean dynamics over larval retention on the Western Atlantic. Another genetic subgroup intermingled with the main Southwestern group may also exist further south, probably associated with the Vitória‐Trindade Ridge and the local current systems. The distribution of this species in metapopulations is of extreme relevance for fisheries and fish hatcheries management in the Atlantic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The genus Buxus has high levels of endemism in the Caribbean flora, with ~ 50 taxa. In Cuba, 82 % grow on ultramafic substrates and 59 % are nickel (Ni) accumulators or Ni hyperaccumulators. Hence it is an ideal model group to study if this diversification could be related to adaptation to ultramafic substrates and to Ni hyperaccumulation. Methods We generated a well-resolved molecular phylogeny, including nearly all of the Neotropical and Caribbean Buxus taxa. To obtain robust divergence times we tested for the effects of different calibration scenarios, and we reconstructed ancestral areas and ancestral character states. Phylogenetic trees were examined for trait-independent shifts in diversification rates and we used multi-state models to test for state-dependent speciation and extinction rates. Storms could have contributed to Cuba acting as a species pump and to Buxus reaching other Caribbean islands and northern South America'. Key Results We found a Caribbean Buxus clade with Mexican ancestors, encompassing three major subclades, which started to radiate during the middle Miocene (13.25 Mya). Other Caribbean islands and northern South America were reached from ~3 Mya onwards. Conclusions An evolutionary scenario is evident in which Buxus plants able to grow on ultramafic substrates by exaptation became ultramafic substrate endemics and evolved stepwise from Ni tolerance through Ni accumulation to Ni hyperaccumulation, which has triggered species diversification of Buxus in Cuba. Storms could have contributed to Cuba acting as a species pump and to Buxus reaching other Caribbean islands and northern South America'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. Cirsium ("thistles"), the most speciose genus in the Compositae (Asteraceae) subfamily Carduoideae native to North America, comprises a rapid endemic radiation. Hummingbird pollination is rare in Compositae, but approximately 10% of all Cirsium in North America are adapted to this pollination syndrome. Although Cirsium is an example of a continent-wide evolutionary radiation, the biotic and abiotic factors contributing to this remarkable diversification have never been studied. Methodology. Sixty-four taxa of Cirsium representing its distribution in North America were sequenced using the MYbaits Compositae 1061 1kv1 kit. These results were used to infer a time-calibrated phylogeny to estimate divergence times and diversification rates. Ancestral area reconstructions for eight biogeographical areas and 10 habitats were performed with BioGeoBEARS. A model-fitting approach was used to test whether (1) different environmental variables were related to diversification, (2) pollinator type was related to differences in environment, and (3) pollinator type was related to diversification. Phylogenetic least squares models against diversification rates were used to test whether environmental variables, pollinator type, or morphological traits influenced diversification. Pivotal results. Cirsium in North America originated approximately 2 mya, with the majority of the diversification occurring in three nearly simultaneous bursts during the onset of the Pleistocene ice age. Although most traits showed evidence of phylogenetic signal, there were no significant morphological innovations that contributed to overall diversification in Cirsium. Precipitation and semiaridity were the main catalysts for diversification. Hummingbird pollination was associated with near-significant lower rates of diversification than insect pollination. Conclusions. The integrated effects of niche conservatism and glacial-interglacial cycles played a role in shaping current distributional patterns, particularly in alpine mountain systems and canyons of the Colorado Plateau. Although hummingbird pollination was associated with lower rates of diversification in Cirsium , the switch to this syndrome may have facilitated expansion across post-Pleistocene fragmented landscapes. Ultimately, this study offers important insights into the drivers of a rapid, continent-wide radiation and the impact of Pleistocene glaciation cycles on the flora of North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently there has been increased interest in species diversification in aquaculture as a strategy to adapt to climate change. Since species diversification is a long-term strategy, climate change and future farming conditions must be considered. The aim of this study was to evaluate how changing temperatures under different IPCC climate scenarios may affect marine aquaculture species diversification in Norway. Since farm conditions vary between locations, this study focused on four geographic areas (South, West, North and Arctic) and three farms within each area. Using a climate model downscaling of three climate scenarios (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways; SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, and SSP5–8.5), daily temperatures from the years 2020–2099 were evaluated at each farm location to identify challenging conditions for 34 species. A Challenging Conditions Index (CCI) was developed based on species thermal tolerances to compare the 34 potential aquaculture species. The results showed differences in the number of challenging days (hot and cold) between areas, and even within areas, highlighting the need to consider site-specific conditions. For warm-water species more commonly farmed in the Mediterranean (e.g. European seabass, gilthead seabream), the calibrated model projections at the investigated Norwegian farm sites suggest that cold temperatures would still be challenging. Differences in the number of challenging days between the climate scenarios become more apparent towards the mid and end of century, though all scenarios show interannual variation rather than a constant change in conditions over time. Hence, any species selected for diversification purposes will have to be able to tolerate a range of temperature conditions, and species with narrower tolerance ranges could be a risk. These findings underline the importance of considering the interannually varying conditions that species will be exposed to rather than focusing solely on long-term averages. Establishing a new large-scale commercial aquaculture species takes a considerable amount of time and resources. Therefore, to support interpretation of the results and further studies on diversification under climate change, this study also introduces Aquaculture Readiness Level (ARL ®) as a consistent evaluation of the research and development status, progress towards commercialisation and climate action orientated production. As species will have to be able to tolerate a range of temperature conditions over different years, the level of knowledge, resources, and innovation will have to be continually enhanced to improve adaptive capacity. • Climate change will affect aquaculture diversification in Norway. • Considered 34 species, 12 farms in 4 regions, 3 climate scenarios over 80 years. • Challenging Conditions Index was developed to describe different levels of challenges. • Future aquaculture candidates must tolerate a range of temperature conditions. • Aquaculture Readiness Levels embed climate action at the heart of diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, climate change is altering both seasonal climates and the occurrence of extreme climate events, resulting in a drive to ensure our forests are resilient to these changes and the challenges they will bring. In Great Britain (GB), there has been a reliance on a limited number of species grown in monospecific plantations and concerns over the resilience of these forests is leading to a growing recognition of the need to diversify tree species composition. However, evidence of the relative growth rate and survival of alternative tree species and provenances during the critical establishment phase (typically within five or six years of planting) is often limited, hampering consideration of the wider adoption of many potentially suitable species. To address this knowledge gap, we compared tree height and survival data six years after planting from 34 provenances across 18 tree species at five experimental sites established across GB in 2012 in monospecific plots. For coniferous species, we found that Larix decidua , Larix x marschlinsii and Pinus radiata (on drier sites) were consistently amongst the tallest species, but survival could be variable. Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus pinaster also showed good early growth, matching the growth rate of Picea sitchensis (the most widely planted conifer in GB) when co-occurring and often exhibited good survival. In contrast Picea orientalis was slow to establish and amongst the smallest species at all five sites after six years, with Cedrus atlantica also performing poorly where planted. Surprisingly, we found very few differences in both mean tree height and survival between most provenances of the same species across all experimental sites, though more obvious differences may emerge as these trees mature. Only a small number of broadleaf species were available for analysis at age six in this study, but as expected Betula pendula generally performed well, while Acer macrophyllum often had very high mortality. While there are concerns around the susceptibility of pine species to Dothistroma septosporum and the future use of larch species in GB forestry is currently limited by the disease Phytophthora ramorum , our results highlight the potential for these species to establish well and exhibit good initial growth and survival on drier sites, with the same true of P. menziesii on moister sites. Future work should aim to understand whether further differences between species and provenances emerge with age and explore the potential of these emerging species as components of mixed-species stands to increase GB forest resilience to climate change. • Diversifying productive UK forests is crucial to increase resilience to climate change. • Tree height and survival from 34 provenances across 18 tree species was compared. • Very few differences between provenances were detected after six years. • Larch, Douglas fir, radiata pine and birch consistently showed fast height growth. • Oriental spruce (slow height growth) and Atlas cedar (high mortality) were slow to establish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host plants play a vital role in insect population differentiation, while symbiotic associations between bacteria and insects are ubiquitous in nature. However, existing studies have given limited attention to the connection between host-related differentiation and symbiotic bacterial communities in phytophagous insects. In this study, we collected 58 samples of Aphis odinae from different host plants in southern China and constructed phylogenetic trees to investigate their differentiation in relation to host plants. We also selected aphid samples from the five most preferred host plants and analyzed their symbiotic bacterial composition using Illumina sequencing of the V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. The phylogeny and symbiotic bacterial community structure of A. odinae populations on different host plants showed that samples from Triadica sebifera (Euphorbiaceae) had a consistent presence of Wolbachia as the predominant secondary symbiont and suggested the possibility of undergoing differentiation. Conversely, although differentiation was observed in samples from Rhus chinensis (Anacardiaceae), no consistent presence of predominant secondary symbionts was found. Additionally, the samples from Heptapleurum heptaphyllum (Araliaceae) consistently carried Serratia, but no host differentiation was evident. In summary, this study reveals a partial correspondence between symbiotic bacterial communities and host-related differentiation in A. odinae. The findings contribute to our understanding of the microevolutionary influencing the macroevolutionary relationships between bacterial symbionts and phytophagous insects. The identification of specific symbionts associated with host-related differentiation provides valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of insect-bacteria interactions.

The genus Blepharisma (Alveolata, Ciliophora) is a unicellular organism distributed worldwide, even in extreme environments, and comprises numerous species. While usually proliferating through cell division, Blepharisma undergoes sexual reproduction (conjugation) when cells are moderately starved. Conjugation is initiated by mating pheromones (gamone 1 and gamone 2) secreted by complementary mating-type cells. Gamone 1, a glycoprotein, functions in a species-specific manner, while gamone 2, an amino acid derivative, is a common molecule across species. The specific function of gamone 1 suggests the possibility that mutations in gamone 1 might have led to reproductive isolation during the evolutionary process, triggering species diversification. In this study, by comparing the amino acid sequences of gamone 1 homologs from 15 strains (representing five species), we found that mutations resulting in distinct amino acid properties occur across species boundaries and are mainly concentrated at two specific regions within gamone 1. These mutations potentially alter the binding affinity of gamone 1 to its receptors, suggesting their effect in causing reproductive isolation. The interspecies artificial conjugation conducted previously and the molecular phylogenetic tree constructed using the gamone 1 homolog sequences in this study provide insights into the speciation process within the genus Blepharisma.

A new loricariin species of Sturisoma is described from the Cautário, Guaporé, Mamoré, Machado and Soteiro rivers, Madeira River basin, in Bolivia and Brazil. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the presence of a middorsal longitudinal, thin dark brown stripe on the caudal peduncle, extending from two or three plates posterior to the dorsal‐fin base, reaching the origin of the caudal fin, or one or two plates anterior to the origin of the caudal fin; small squarish anteriormost abdominal plates; and a middorsal longitudinal dark‐brown stripe from first predorsal plate to near the dorsal‐fin origin. Furthermore, the new species is diagnosed from congeners by plate morphology, counts on the median series, coalescent plates and ventrolateral thoracic plates, in addition to measurements related to body and head structures. An analysis of genetic distances using cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 gene marker of the mitochondrial genome between the new species and several congeners is presented, in addition to a likelihood analysis to illustrate the position of the new taxon within Sturisoma. An identification key for species of the genus currently recorded at the upper Amazonas River basin is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry systems (AFS) play a key role in recovering degraded areas and restoring fragmented landscapes, enabling the diversification of species that can be cultivated simultaneously. In this context, the introduction of short-cycle crops, such as sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam), in agroforestry systems is a viable and affordable option for income generation due to low production costs and the relatively short cycle of this crop. A species of the Convolvulaceae family, sweet potatoes are recommended for hot climates. In this scenario, the present study aims to evaluate the production of sweet potatoes in different agroforestry arrangements. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Federal University of Western Pará in Santarém, State of Pará, Brazil. Sweet potato was cultivated in agroforestry systems in a completely randomized design, with three plots in each treatment (full sun, African mahogany reforestation, and teak reforestation). The results showed that, in the specific conditions of this study, sweet potato did not adapt to cultivation in shaded areas. The highest production was in full sun, where the consortium with forest species still does not provide shading for cultivation. These findings highlight the importance of considering the specific characteristics of sweet potato and its sunlight needs when planning and implementing agroforestry systems. Understanding these results contributes to making informed decisions regarding the development of cultivation and management strategies aiming to optimize sweet potato production in agroforestry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both geographic isolation and polyploidization are assumed to play an important role in driving species diversification. However, this is rarely illustrated through phylogenomic analyses. The genus Eutrema (Brassicaceae), which also includes the salt‐resistant species, are distributed mainly in Asia with extensive species diversification in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) and adjacent regions. In this study, we revealed almost fully resolved backbone relationships of the genus with genome re‐sequencing data for genomes of 168 individuals from 28 species. Phylogenetic analyses of both plastomes and single‐copy nuclear genes from the whole genome recovered six well‐supported clades with almost consistent relationships. The first two clades are mainly distributed in central China and central Asia, while the other four in the QTP and adjacent regions. All of them diversified within 12 million years. Within each clade, we recovered numerous conflicts in the interspecific relationships between nuclear and plastome phylogenies, likely suggesting hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting during species diversification. Our estimation of genome size and comparison of the number of the single‐copy nuclear genes demonstrated frequent occurrences of polyploids in the genus. Except for an establishment of the backbone phylogeny, our phylogenomic analyses suggest that in addition to strong geographic isolation, polyploidization may have played an important role in species diversification of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to characterize the intestinal microbiota of wild thick-lipped grey mullets (Chelon labrosus) and explore its potential functionality on the host. Intestinal contents of anterior and posterior sections from wild fish were collected and DNA was extracted. Subsequently, the V3–V4 regions of 16S rRNA were sequenced using the Illumina technology and results were analyzed by bioinformatics pipeline. The functional profile of the microbial community was analyzed using PICRUSt software. Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were significantly higher in the posterior section of wild specimens. The overall taxonomic composition suggests a certain homogeneity in the anterior section of the intestine and heterogeneity in the posterior section. Due to this, no statistical differences were detected at any level among both intestinal sections. Predicted functions of intestinal microbiota showed the most abundant were those related to amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, membrane transport, and cell replication and repair. Furthermore, the analysis revealed microbial functional genes related to the elimination of environmental toxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dotted-Line Robust Slider, Lerista lineopunctulata (Duméril & Bibron, 1839), is widely distributed along the western coast of Western Australia. An investigation of diversity within this taxon showed a clear split between northern and southern populations in the vicinity of Jurien. Accordingly, Lerista lineopunctulata is restricted to the southern population while the northern is recognised as Lerista miopus (Günther, 1867). Both taxa are redescribed and diagnosed and a neotype for L. miopus is designated.

In dragonflies, species richness shows a marked variation between lineages. Species diversification in this lineage has been linked with habitat variation, but the role of other factors, such as wing pigmentation, arguably one of the most conspicuous traits in dragonflies, have not yet been explored.In this study, using novel methodology that takes into account state‐dependent speciation, extinction models, and ancestral reconstruction, we investigate the role of wing pigmentation (present/absent) in conjunction with habitat variation (lentic/lotic), to unveil the drivers of species diversification in dragonflies.We found that wing pigmentation is associated with a marginal increase in diversification compared to unpigmented lineages. Inhabiting a lentic habitat is associated with higher diversification rates. When considering both factors in a single model, lentic environments are associated with higher diversification compared to lotic habitats regardless of pigmentation status. In contrast with results across the whole tree, in lotic environments, wing pigmentation is associated with marginally higher diversification rates compared to non‐pigmented species. Ancestral state reconstruction revealed that the last common ancestor of dragonflies was most likely non‐pigmented and lived in lotic habitats.Our study provides evidence that wing pigmentation in conjunction with habitat has an important influence on dragonflies species diversification, with habitat being a better differentiator than wing pigmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The aquaculture sector must be well-founded to undergo robust growth and sustainable development in the years ahead. Species diversity must reflect species compatibility and complementarity to manage the complexity in polyculture systems. There is a need for the implementation of innovative strategies that facilitate sustainable aquaculture development, enhance profitability, improve resilience, and support conservation and environmental protection. An aquaculture development scenario must look beyond the economic profitability and strategize aquatic food production systems to attain food and nutrition security and benefits for all stakeholders. Intensified agrochemical-based monoculture systems worldwide are under adoption to meet the challenge of human population growth and the ever-growing global demand for food. However, this path has been opposed and criticized because it involves overexploitation of land, monoculture of few species, excessive input of agrochemicals, and adverse impacts on human health and the environment. The wide diversity among polyculture systems practiced across the globe has created confusion over the priority of a single strategy towards sustainable aquaculture development and safer products. Herein, we highlight the significance of polyculture and integrated aquaculture practices in conveying the successful transition of the aquaculture industry towards sustainable development. So far, the established thought is that the precise selection of aquatic species and a focus on compatible and complementary species combinations are supposed to facilitate rapid progress in food production with more profitability and sustainability. Therefore, the advantages of species diversification are discussed from an ecological perspective to enforce aquaculture expansion. This account asserts that a diverse range of aquaculture practices can promote synergies among farmed species, enhance system resilience, enable conservation, decrease ecological footprints, and provide social benefits such as diversified income and local food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unravelling the drivers of species diversification through geological time is of crucial importance for our understanding of long-term evolutionary processes. Numerous studies have proposed different sets of biotic and abiotic controls of speciation and extinction rates, but typically they were inferred for a single, long geological time frame. However, whether the impact of biotic and abiotic controls on diversification changes over time is poorly understood. Here, we use a large fossil dataset, a multivariate birth–death model and a comprehensive set of biotic and abiotic predictors, including a new index to quantify tectonic complexity, to estimate the drivers of diversification for European freshwater gastropods over the past 100 Myr. The effects of these factors on origination and extinction are estimated across the entire time frame as well as within sequential time windows of 20 Myr each. Our results find support for temporal heterogeneity in the factors associated with changes in diversification rates. While the factors impacting speciation and extinction rates vary considerably over time, diversitydependence and topography are consistently important. Our study highlights that a high level of heterogeneity in diversification rates is best captured by incorporating time-varying effects of biotic and abiotic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Understanding how and why rates of evolutionary diversification vary is a key issue in evolutionary biology, ecology, and biogeography. Evolutionary rates are the net result of interacting processes summarized under concepts such as adaptive radiation and evolutionary stasis. Here, we review the central concepts in the evolutionary diversification literature and synthesize these into a simple, general framework for studying rates of diversification and quantifying their underlying dynamics, which can be applied across clades and regions, and across spatial and temporal scales. Our framework describes the diversification rate (d) as a function of the abiotic environment (a), the biotic environment (b), and clade‐specific phenotypes or traits (c); thus, d ~ a,b,c. We refer to the four components (a–d) and their interactions collectively as the “Evolutionary Arena.” We outline analytical approaches to this framework and present a case study on conifers, for which we parameterize the general model. We also discuss three conceptual examples: the Lupinus radiation in the Andes in the context of emerging ecological opportunity and fluctuating connectivity due to climatic oscillations; oceanic island radiations in the context of island formation and erosion; and biotically driven radiations of the Mediterranean orchid genus Ophrys. The results of the conifer case study are consistent with the long‐standing scenario that low competition and high rates of niche evolution promote diversification. The conceptual examples illustrate how using the synthetic Evolutionary Arena framework helps to identify and structure future directions for research on evolutionary radiations. In this way, the Evolutionary Arena framework promotes a more general understanding of variation in evolutionary rates by making quantitative results comparable between case studies, thereby allowing new syntheses of evolutionary and ecological processes to emerge.

Abstract The Escape and Radiate Hypothesis posits that herbivorous insects and their host plants diversify through antagonistic coevolutionary adaptive radiation. For more than 50 years, it has inspired predictions about herbivorous insect macro‐evolution, but only recently have the resources begun to fall into place for rigorous testing of those predictions. Here, with comparative phylogenetic analyses of nymphalid butterflies, we test two of these predictions: that major host switches tend to increase species diversification and that such increases will be proportional to the scope of ecological opportunity afforded by a particular novel host association. We find that by and large the effect of major host‐use changes on butterfly diversity is the opposite of what was predicted; although it appears that the evolution of a few novel host associations can cause short‐term bursts of speciation, in general, major changes in host use tend to be linked to significant long‐term decreases in butterfly species richness.

Old World tree frogs from the family Rhacophoridae, one of the most species-rich groups of amphibians worldwide, are becoming a model in ecological and evolutionary research, notably for their tremendous diversity of breeding systems. In this study, we provide the most comprehensive temporally and spatially explicit phylogeographical framework for the tropical neo-genus Zhangixalus , with a specific focus on the evolution of inter- and intraspecific polymorphism in their egg-laying strategies. We combined ~500 sequences spanning ~4 kb of mitochondrial genes, representative of nearly all known Zhangixalus species from 373 localities. We recovered a robust timetree featuring ~60 phylogeographical lineages assigned to 36 taxa, illustrating a vast under-appreciation of the diversity of the genus. Patterns of diversification were intimately linked to climatic trends since the Mid-Miocene, leading to a remarkable biogeographical scenario for the onset of Taiwanese diversity. Finally, in contrast to the macro-evolution of conserved breeding strategies in rhacophorids, the striking variation of nesting behaviour documented across Zhangixalus species, whereby foamy egg nests are alternatively fossorial, deposited on the edge of the water or suspended on the overhanging vegetation, seems to have evolved rapidly from arboreal ancestors in all major clades, implying micro-evolutionary processes and/or phenotypic plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schedonorus-Lolium complex of the subtribe Loliinae (Poaceae) includes several economically important forage and turf grasses. This complex encompasses Lolium Linnaeus, 1753, Festuca Linnaeus, 1753 subgenus Schedonorus (P. Beauvois, 1824) Petermann, 1849 and Micropyropsis Romero Zarco et Cabezudo, 1983. New FISH results of 5S and 18S--26S rDNA sequences are presented for three species and the results are interpreted in a review of distribution patterns of 5S and 18S--26S rDNA sequences among other species in the complex. Micropyropsis tuberosa Romero Zarco et Cabezudo, 1983 (2n = 2x = 14) displayed a distribution pattern of rDNA sequences identical to that of F. pratensis Hudson, 1762, supporting a close phylogenetic relationship at the bottom of the phylogenetic tree. "Lolium multiflorum" Lamarck, 1779 accessions sourced from Morocco showed a different pattern from European L. multiflorum and could be a unique and previously uncharacterised taxon. North African Festuca simensis Hochstetter ex A. Richard, 1851 had a marker pattern consistent with allotetraploidy and uniparental loss of one 18S--26S rDNA locus. This allotetraploid has previously been suggested to have originated from a hybrid with Festuca glaucescens (Festuca arundinacea var. glaucescens Boissier, 1844). However, the distribution patterns of the two rDNA sequences in this allotetraploid do not align with F. glaucescens, suggesting that its origin from this species is unlikely. Furthermore, comparisons with other higher alloploids in the complex indicate that F. simensis was a potential donor of two sub-genomes of allohexaploid Festuca gigantea (Linnaeus) Villars, 1787. In the overall complex, the proximal locations of both rDNA markers were conserved among the diploid species. Two types of synteny of the two markers could, to a considerable extent, distinguish allo- and autogamous Lolium species. The ancestral parentage of the three Festuca allotetraploids has not yet been determined, but all three appear to have been sub-genome donors to the higher allopolypoids of sub-genus Schedonorus. Terminal locations of both the markers were absent from the diploids but were very frequently observed in the polyploids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to study the influence of environmental parameters and stocking density on growth, survival, feed utilization, and economic feasibility of a high value butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus in floating cages in a large tropical reservoir of India for 180 days. The fingerlings (11.44 ± 1.33 cm; 8.05 ± 3.27 g) were stocked at three stocking densities, viz., 15, 25 and 35 fingerlings m-3 in GI cages (32m3) in triplicates. Commercial floating pellets were fed to fish at 5–3% of fish biomass. The results indicated that the fishes at the lowest stocking density of 15 fingerlings m-3 had significantly higher (p < 0.05) growth in relation to weight gain percentage (717.67 ± 39.10) and specific growth rate (1.14 ± 0.05). Survival percentage was also significantly higher (p < 0.01) at lower stocking densities compared with 35 fingerlings m-3. Similarly, the feed conversion efficiency (0.423 ± 0.025), protein efficiency ratio (1.37 ± 0.15) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (2.37 ± 0.16) were significantly better at density of 15 fingerlings m-3. The fish growth and feed utilization efficiency did not vary significantly (p > 0.05) between stocking densities of 15 fingerlings m-3 and 25 fingerlings m-3. The condition factor was insignificantly higher at lower densities and its values close to 1 indicated congeniality of reservoir ecosystem for cage culture of the species. The coefficient of variation of weight was significantly higher (24.19 ± 1.20) at 35 fingerlings m-3. The highest economic gains in terms of benefit cost ratio (1.77) were achieved at the lowest stocking density. The present study indicated better growth and economic returns at lower stocking densities of 15–25 fingerlings m-3. The nutrient load and plankton abundance were higher at culture site, however, did not vary significantly from reference sites throughout the culture period. Although most of the environmental parameters showed significant seasonal variations, dissolved oxygen showed significant positive relation (r = 0.86) with the growth of the fish. This is the first study reporting feasibility of cage culture of this highly renumerative species in open waters. The cage culture of this species will not only ensure better economic returns to the marginal cage farmers but will aid in the conservation of this species in natural ecosystem. Being a low volume high value species, the impact on environment will be less compared with high volume low value species. This study will serve as baseline for standardization of its grow-out protocol in cages and will be a step towards much needed species diversification for sustainable small scale cage farming in tropical reservoirs of Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Questions concerning the evolution of complex biological structures are central to the field of evolutionary biology. Yet, still little information is known about the modes and temporal dynamics of three‐dimensional (3D) flower shape evolution across the history of clades.Here, we combined high‐resolution X‐ray computed tomography with 3D geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to test models of whole‐flower shape evolution in the orchid family, using an early Late Miocene clade (c. 50 spp.) of Malagasy Bulbophyllum as model system.Based on landmark data of 38 species, our high‐dimensional model fitting decisively rejects a purely neutral mode of evolution, suggesting instead that flower shapes evolved towards a primary adaptive optimum. Only a small number of recently evolved species/lineages attained alternative shape optima, resulting in an increased rate of phenotypic evolution.Our findings provide evidence of constrained 3D flower shape evolution in a small‐sized clade of tropical orchids, resulting in low rates of phenotypic evolution and uncoupled trait–diversification rates. We hypothesise that this deep imprint of evolutionary constraint on highly complex floral structures might reflect long‐term (directional and/or stabilizing) selection exerted by the group's main pollinators (flies). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sanghuangporus is a medicinal macrofungal genus typified by S. sanghuang, the very species utilized in traditional Chinese medicines by Chinese ancient people. To facilitate the medicinal application of S. sanghuang, we, for the first time, perform its genome sequencing and analyses from a monokaryon strain. A 33.34 Mb genome sequence was assembled to 26 contigs, which lead to the prediction of 8278 protein-coding genes. From these genes, the potential biosynthesis pathway of sesquiterpenoids was, for the first time, identified from Sanghuangporus, besides that of triterpenoids. While polysaccharides are the main medicinal metabolites in S. sanghuang, flavonoids are especially abundant medicinal metabolites comparing with other medicinal macrofungal groups. From the genomic perspective, S. sanghuang has a tetrapolar heterothallic mating system, and has its special nutritional strategy and advantageous medicinal properties compared with S. baumii and S. vaninii. A phylogenomics analysis indicates that Sanghuangporus emerged 15.39 million years ago and S. sanghuang has a closer phylogenetic relationship with S. baumii than S. vaninii. However, S. sanghuang shares a higher region of synteny and more orthologous genes, including carbohydrate-active enzymes with S. vaninii than S. baumii. A comparative genomics analysis with S. baumii and S. vaninii indicates that species diversification within Sanghuangporus may be driven by the translocation and translocation plus inversion of genome sequences, while the expansion and contraction of gene families may contribute to the host specificity of Sanghuangporus species. In general, the genome sequence of S. sanghuang provides insights into its medicinal application and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the relative importance of geographical and ecological drivers of evolution is paramount to understand the diversification of species and traits at the macroevolutionary scale. Here, we use an integrative approach, combining phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology and quantified phenotypes to investigate the drivers of both species and phenotypic diversification of the iconic Neotropical butterfly genus Morpho. We generated a time‐calibrated phylogeny for all known species and inferred historical biogeography. We fitted models of time‐dependent (accounting for rate heterogeneity across the phylogeny) and paleoenvironment‐dependent diversification (accounting for global effect on the phylogeny). We used geometric morphometrics to assess variation of wing size and shape across the tree and investigated their dynamics of evolution. We found that the diversification of Morpho is best explained when considering variable diversification rates across the tree, possibly associated with lineages occupying different microhabitat conditions. First, a shift from understory to canopy was characterized by an increased speciation rate partially coupled with an increasing rate of wing shape evolution. Second, the occupation of dense bamboo thickets accompanying a major host‐plant shift from dicotyledons towards monocotyledons was associated with a simultaneous diversification rate shift and an evolutionary 'jump' of wing size. Our study points to a diversification pattern driven by punctuational ecological changes instead of a global driver or biogeographic history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lengthening and diversifying crop rotations is an efficient strategy to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides, thereby improving the sustainability of cropping systems. To test this assumption, six innovative cropping system prototypes were designed, each introducing one or more agroecological practices, as alternatives to the 2-year sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)–durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) rotation widespread in southwestern France. Two 3-year rotations were implemented at INRAE, Toulouse, from 2011 to 2016. The six prototypes were composed of two low-input cropping systems (with/without cover crops) and four very low-input cropping systems (including cultivar or species mixtures, each with/without cover crops). As compared to the sunflower–wheat rotation, the prototypes aimed at reducing the use of N fertilizers by 25% (low-input) and 50% (very low-input) and pesticides by 50%. A set of agronomic, environmental, technical, and socio-economic indicators was calculated to assess the different components of sustainability. The introduction of agroecological principles resulted in a clear reduction of the use of synthetic inputs as compared to the sunflower–wheat rotation. The treatment frequency index was decreased by 56, 18 and 39% for the low-input cropping systems, very low-input cropping systems with cultivar mixtures, and very low-input cropping systems with species mixtures, respectively. However, the profitability decreased with the diversification of cropping systems as the semi-net margin decreased for the three previous cropping systems (745, 696, and 438 €·ha−1, respectively, vs. 963 €·ha−1 for the sunflower-wheat rotation). Despite the costs of inputs, the short rotation remained the most profitable. Agroecological practices succeeded in reducing the dependence of cropping systems on synthetic inputs, but their implementation needs to be improved to achieve better economic performance, using both scientific knowledge and know-how of innovative farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective breeding for improved trait performance is a promising approach for developing new species for food production. Globally, a shortage of livestock species presents a significant bottleneck, and this is particularly pronounced for the aquaculture sector. In New Zealand, the Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) is a potential candidate for aquaculture, and a breeding programme was started in 2004. Here we assess the performance of the most recent F 4 cohort in terms of growth and survival against 1) previous generations and 2) unselected offspring from wild broodstock over the first 6 months. First, we detected generational gains over the entirety of the breeding programme in growth, averaging 11.4% for length and 81.1% for weight over 3 years, and detected a strong seasonal Specific Growth Rate (SGR) increase during summer and a general decrease of growth with age. Second, when growing the F 4 and F 1 cohort side by side, we found a consistent pattern of superior performance, less growth heterogeneity, and a higher condition factor within the F 4 population. Notably, these data revealed breeding gains of 4.9% in survival, 10.5% in length and 41.4% in weight for F 4 snapper over the first 6 months from hatching. Together these results indicate that domestication gains and genetic improvement can strengthen the potential of snapper as a candidate to diversify and grow aquaculture in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to characterize the intestinal microbiota of wild thick-lipped grey mullets (Chelon labrosus) and explore its potential functionality on the host. Intestinal contents of anterior and posterior sections from wild fish were collected and DNA was extracted. Subsequently, the V3–V4 regions of 16S rRNA were sequenced using the Illumina technology and results were analyzed by bioinformatics pipeline. The functional profile of the microbial community was analyzed using PICRUSt software. Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were significantly higher in the posterior section of wild specimens. The overall taxonomic composition suggests a certain homogeneity in the anterior section of the intestine and heterogeneity in the posterior section. Due to this, no statistical differences were detected at any level among both intestinal sections. Predicted functions of intestinal microbiota showed the most abundant were those related to amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, membrane transport, and cell replication and repair. Furthermore, the analysis revealed microbial functional genes related to the elimination of environmental toxins.

Aim: Spatio‐temporal changes have likely caused range fragmentation and population isolation, which could have given rise to the observed current intraspecific differentiation in some species. Here, we test several hypotheses on the potential effect of Pleistocene glacial cycles in the diversification of Arctic shorebird species, comparing between different scenarios of fragmentation of the breeding distribution during glacial and interglacial periods. Location: Global. Taxon: Arctic migratory shorebirds. Methods: We performed species distribution models (SDMs) to explore the changes in the breeding and non‐breeding ranges of 69 species between the last glacial maximum (c. 21,000 years ago) and the present. We also included independent evidence from the fossil record and estimations on the potential extension of the tundra during glacial periods to validate the results from the SDMs. We assigned each species to one of four potential scenarios based on fragmentation and potential recolonization patterns of their breeding ranges during glaciations. Results: Our findings show that most of the species with subspecies experienced fragmentation of their ranges during the glacial, the interglacial or both periods. Meanwhile, the majority of the monotypic species maintained their ranges as a continuum. Moreover, the impacts of glacial cycles in the distribution were not homogeneous across the Arctic, and some regions were more prone to the fragmentation of breeding ranges than others. Main conclusions: Our work suggests that Pleistocene climatic cycles drove the diversification of Arctic shorebirds by creating allopatric breeding distributions. While the fragmentation of the breeding ranges occurred mainly during glacial periods, interglacials also played a part in maintaining or establishing newly isolated breeding populations for many species. Furthermore, species' distribution changes varied between different regions and habitats, which determined current shorebird diversity patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensified agrochemical-based monoculture systems worldwide are under adoption to meet the challenge of human population growth and the ever-growing global demand for food. However, this path has been opposed and criticized because it involves overexploitation of land, monoculture of few species, excessive input of agrochemicals, and adverse impacts on human health and the environment. The wide diversity among polyculture systems practiced across the globe has created confusion over the priority of a single strategy towards sustainable aquaculture development and safer products. Herein, we highlight the significance of polyculture and integrated aquaculture practices in conveying the successful transition of the aquaculture industry towards sustainable development. So far, the established thought is that the precise selection of aquatic species and a focus on compatible and complementary species combinations are supposed to facilitate rapid progress in food production with more profitability and sustainability. Therefore, the advantages of species diversification are discussed from an ecological perspective to enforce aquaculture expansion. This account asserts that a diverse range of aquaculture practices can promote synergies among farmed species, enhance system resilience, enable conservation, decrease ecological footprints, and provide social benefits such as diversified income and local food security.

PREMISE: Events of accelerated species diversification represent one of Earth's most celebrated evolutionary outcomes. Northern Andean high‐elevation ecosystems, or páramos, host some plant lineages that have experienced the fastest diversification rates, likely triggered by ecological opportunities created by mountain uplifts, local climate shifts, and key trait innovations. However, the mechanisms behind rapid speciation into the new adaptive zone provided by these opportunities have long remained unclear. METHODS: We address this issue by studying the Venezuelan clade of Espeletia, a species‐rich group of páramo‐endemics showing a dazzling ecological and morphological diversity. We performed several comparative analyses to study both lineage and trait diversification, using an updated molecular phylogeny of this plant group. RESULTS: We showed that sets of either vegetative or reproductive traits have conjointly diversified in Espeletia along different vegetation belts, leading to adaptive syndromes. Diversification in vegetative traits occurred earlier than in reproductive ones. The rate of species and morphological diversification showed a tendency to slow down over time, probably due to diversity dependence. We also found that closely related species exhibit significantly more overlap in their geographic distributions than distantly related taxa, suggesting that most events of ecological divergence occurred at close geographic proximity within páramos. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide compelling support for a scenario of small‐scale ecological divergence along multiple ecological niche dimensions, possibly driven by competitive interactions between species, and acting sequentially over time in a leapfrog pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One way to attain more sustainable aquaculture systems is through the species diversification and optimization of the feed input, such as obtained by integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture (IMTA). Macrobrachium borellii is a native freshwater prawn that reunites many useful features to be implemented in an IMTA. The aim of this study was to gather information about to which extent M. borellii can survive, grow and maintain body composition against feed limitation. The C:N ratios of feedstuffs were variable in order to simulate a hypothetical scenario of an integrated culture with fish of different trophic habits. The nutritional aspects (amino acid profile and proximal composition) of feeds and prawns were also analysed. Macrobrachium borellii could grow, survive and maintain the proximal content and C:N ratio of its muscle tissue with all feedstuffs but exhibited higher biomass gain and specific growth rate consuming feeds with lower C:N ratios. In this view, the integration of this prawn with omnivore or carnivore fish species should be recommended. The amino acid profile exhibited little variation before and after the experimental period, and was rich in lysine, leucine and arginine. In this study, it was also discussed the nutritional aspects of M. borelliii as a valuable by‐product to human and animal nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrocodon Hance (Gesneriaceae) consists of 41 species and is mainly distributed in the limestone region of South China. So far? the chromosome numbers of only four species have been reported, with the rest species in the genus remained uninvestigated yet. Furthermore, the evolutionary history of the chromosome number and ploidy in Petrocodon as well as in its sister genus Primulina remain unexplored, and particularly whether it affected their diversifications into extant species diversity remain unknown. In this study, the root tip cells of four species (including one variety) of Petrocodon (i.e. Petrocodon dealbatus var. dealbatus. Petrocodon dealbatus var. denticulatus. Petrocodon longangensis and Petrocodon sp.) which were generated by hydroponic culture method for the cutting leaves? were used for the chromosome experiments. First, the effects of various experimental treating conditions on the quality of chromosome squashing were explored and the chromosome numbers were counted. Then the evolutionary history of chromosome numbers in Petrocodon and Primulina were traced based on the molecular phylogenetic tree, and whether the diversifications of the species diversity for the two genera were impacted by changes of the chromosome number or especially the ploidy or not was discussed. The results were as follows: (1) The root tip of 1- 1.5 cm length, pretreatment for 5 h with 0. 002 mol.L-18-hydroxyquinoline solution and dissociation for 4 min was a suitable chromosome preparation condition. (2) All the four species (including one variety) investigated were diploid and the chromosome numbers were the same (2n = 2x = 36). (3) Although the reconstruction of the ancestral state of the chromosome number of Petrocodon and Primulina failed to give any resolution for the most recent common ancestors of the two genera (generic stem node) and each of the genera (generic crown nodes), the chromosome number of Petrocodon and Primulina was highly conserved with most taxa possessing 2n = 2x = 36, except for the ploidy or chromosome number changes in few species? suggesting the disproportional diversification of species diversity between Petrocodon and Primulina was not correlated to the change of the chromosome number or ploidy. This study provides a reference for the chromosome preparation of Petrocodon and its allies, and also provides basic data and implications for further research on the classification? systematic evolution and speciation of Petrocodon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Glacial–interglacial climate stability and contemporary climate could affect bird diversity through their direct effects on diversification and physiological tolerance, and indirect effects on plant species richness, which could provide more food and ecological niches. This study aims to quantitatively assess the direct and indirect effects of these drivers on species richness, phylogenetic and functional structure of bird assemblages. Location: Mainland China. Taxon: Birds. Methods: Ordinary least squares models and simultaneous autoregressive models were used to test the associations between glacial–interglacial climate anomaly, contemporary climate, plant species richness, elevation range and species richness, phylogenetic structure, functional structure of bird assemblages in mainland China. Structural equation models were used to distinguish between direct and indirect effects of these variables on bird diversity. Results: High bird species richness with phylogenetically and functionally clustered structure occurred in regions with more plant species and stable glacial–interglacial climate. Notably, the phylogenetically clustered bird assemblages were composed of young lineages. Contemporary precipitation and elevation range affected bird diversity through their indirect effects on plant species richness. Main Conclusions: These findings suggest that more plant species and stable glacial–interglacial climate may promote bird diversity through their effects on in situ diversification and species dispersal rate in southwestern China. Therefore, the well‐preserved plant and bird diversity through the long‐term climate fluctuations should be of great importance of biodiversity conservation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an updated taxonomy of Gesneriaceae, the biogeography and evolution of the Asian Gesneriaceae are outlined and discussed. Most of the Asian Gesneriaceae belongs to Didymocarpoideae, except Titanotrichum was recently moved into Gesnerioideae. Most basal taxa of the Asian Gesneriaceae are found in the Indian subcontinent and Indo-China Peninsula, suggesting Didymocarpoideae might originate in these regions. Four species diversification centers were recognized, i.e. Sino-Vietnam regions, Malay Peninsula, North Borneo and Northwest Yunnan (Hengduan Mountains). The first three regions are dominated by limestone landscapes, while the Northwest Yunnan is well-known for its numerous deep gorges and high mountains. The places with at least 25% species are neoendemics (newly evolved and narrowly endemic) which were determined as evolutionary hotspots, including Hengduan Mountains, boundary areas of Yunnan- Guizhou-Guangxi in Southwest China, North Borneo, Pahang and Terengganu in Malay Peninsula, and mountainous areas in North Thailand, North Sulawesi Island. Finally, the underlying mechanisms for biogeographical patterns and species diversification of the Asian Gesneriaceae are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how and why rates of evolutionary diversification vary is a key issue in evolutionary biology, ecology, and biogeography. Evolutionary rates are the net result of interacting processes summarized under concepts such as adaptive radiation and evolutionary stasis. Here, we review the central concepts in the evolutionary diversification literature and synthesize these into a simple, general framework for studying rates of diversification and quantifying their underlying dynamics, which can be applied across clades and regions, and across spatial and temporal scales. Our framework describes the diversification rate (d) as a function of the abiotic environment (a), the biotic environment (b), and clade‐specific phenotypes or traits (c); thus, d ~ a,b,c. We refer to the four components (a–d) and their interactions collectively as the "Evolutionary Arena." We outline analytical approaches to this framework and present a case study on conifers, for which we parameterize the general model. We also discuss three conceptual examples: the Lupinus radiation in the Andes in the context of emerging ecological opportunity and fluctuating connectivity due to climatic oscillations; oceanic island radiations in the context of island formation and erosion; and biotically driven radiations of the Mediterranean orchid genus Ophrys. The results of the conifer case study are consistent with the long‐standing scenario that low competition and high rates of niche evolution promote diversification. The conceptual examples illustrate how using the synthetic Evolutionary Arena framework helps to identify and structure future directions for research on evolutionary radiations. In this way, the Evolutionary Arena framework promotes a more general understanding of variation in evolutionary rates by making quantitative results comparable between case studies, thereby allowing new syntheses of evolutionary and ecological processes to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Escape and Radiate Hypothesis posits that herbivorous insects and their host plants diversify through antagonistic coevolutionary adaptive radiation. For more than 50 years, it has inspired predictions about herbivorous insect macro‐evolution, but only recently have the resources begun to fall into place for rigorous testing of those predictions. Here, with comparative phylogenetic analyses of nymphalid butterflies, we test two of these predictions: that major host switches tend to increase species diversification and that such increases will be proportional to the scope of ecological opportunity afforded by a particular novel host association. We find that by and large the effect of major host‐use changes on butterfly diversity is the opposite of what was predicted; although it appears that the evolution of a few novel host associations can cause short‐term bursts of speciation, in general, major changes in host use tend to be linked to significant long‐term decreases in butterfly species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture, an important source of food supply, is expected to be the main sector to satisfy growing seafood demand in the future. Being the most diversified food product in the world, aquaculture diversification can add resilience to global food security, satisfy consumer preferences, and promote price stability. Understanding the relationships between aquaculture production and diversification and their causations is crucial for developing effective strategies to support long-term sustainability and resilience of aquaculture development. This study investigates the direction of causal relationships between aquaculture production and diversification using a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model with three decades of aquaculture production data and the Effective Number of Species (ENS) values by country. Diversification is measured in terms of within-group diversity (ENS α) and between-group diversity (ENS β); this approach provides deeper insights into diversification strategies. The model results show that between-group diversification is more conducive to production expansion globally, especially in the Americas and Asia, and the positive effects are long lasting. Within-group diversification also induces more production in Europe and, to a lesser extent, in Asia. Therefore, policies and market incentives that promote diversification across different species groups in the Americas and Asia, and diversification within the same species group in Europe and Asia, are potential strategies to expand aquaculture production. Other findings include production leading within-group diversification in Asia and Europe, but not in the Americas and Africa. A possible explanation is that production expansion would accumulate experience, develop scope economies and emerging technologies, and build up capacities. These factors generate spillover effects that facilitate species diversification, considering that Asia and Europe have a longer history of aquaculture development compared to the Americas and Africa. However, no significant relationship is found indicating production leading between-group diversification. • Causal relationships between aquaculture production and diversification are investigated. • Between-group diversification is conducive to production expansion globally, in the Americas and Asia. • Within-group diversification induces more production in Europe and Asia. • Production leads within-group diversification in Asia and Europe. • No relationship is found between production leading between-group diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aristidoideae is a subfamily in the PACMAD clade of family Poaceae, including three genera, Aristida, Stipagrostis, and Sartidia. In this study, the plastomes of Aristida adscensionis and Stipagrostis pennata were newly sequenced, and a total of 16 Aristidoideae plastomes were compared. All plastomes were conservative in genome size, gene number, structure, and IR boundary. Repeat sequence analysis showed that forward and palindrome repeats were the most common repeat types. The number of SSRs ranged from 30 (Sartidia isaloensis) to 54 (Aristida purpurea). Codon usage analysis showed that plastome genes preferred to use codons ending with A/T. A total of 12 highly variable regions were screened, including four protein coding sequences (matK, ndhF, infA, and rpl32) and eight non-coding sequences (rpl16-1-rpl16-2, ccsA-ndhD, trnY-GUA-trnD-GUC, ndhF-rpl32, petN-trnC-GCA, trnT-GGU-trnE-UUC, trnG-GCC-trnfM-CAU, and rpl32-trnL-UAG). Furthermore, the phylogenetic position of this subfamily and their intergeneric relationships need to be illuminated. All Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference trees strongly support the monophyly of Aristidoideae and each of three genera, and the clade of Aristidoideae and Panicoideae was a sister to other subfamilies in the PACMAD clade. Within Aristidoideae, Aristida is a sister to the clade composed of Stipagrostis and Sartidia. The divergence between C4 Stipagrostis and C3 Sartidia was estimated at 11.04 Ma, which may be associated with the drought event in the Miocene period. Finally, the differences in carbon fixation patterns, geographical distributions, and ploidy may be related to the difference of species numbers among these three genera. This study provides insights into the phylogeny and evolution of the subfamily Aristidoideae.

Summary: The extent to which phylogenetic biome conservatism vs biome shifting determines global patterns of biodiversity remains poorly understood. To address this question, we investigated the biogeography and trajectories of biome and growth form evolution across the Caesalpinia Group (Leguminosae), a clade of 225 species of trees, shrubs and lianas distributed across the Rainforest, Succulent, Temperate and Savanna Biomes. We focused especially on the little‐known Succulent Biome, an assemblage of succulent‐rich, grass‐poor, seasonally dry tropical vegetation distributed disjunctly across the Neotropics, Africa, Arabia and Madagascar.We reconstructed a time‐calibrated phylogeny, assembled species occurrence data and assigned species to areas, biomes and growth forms. These data are used to estimate the frequency of transcontinental disjunctions, biome shifts and evolutionary transitions between growth forms and test for phylogenetic biome conservatism and correlated evolution of growth forms and biome shifts.We uncovered a pattern of strong phylogenetic Succulent Biome conservatism. We showed that transcontinental disjunctions confined within the Succulent Biome are frequent and that biome shifts to the Savanna, Rainforest and Temperate Biomes are infrequent and closely associated with shifts in plant growth forms.Our results suggest that the Succulent Biome comprises an ecologically constrained evolutionary arena spanning large geographical disjunctions across the tropics. See also the Commentary on this article by Donoghue, 222: 1667–1669. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]