Download or read book Biological Relationships Between Africa and South America written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book African Biodiversity written by Bernhard A. Huber and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-04-29 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In May 2004, the Alexander Koenig Zoological Research Museum hosted the Fifth International Symposium on Tropical Biology. This series was established at the ZFMK in the early 1980s, and has variably focused on systematics and ecology of tropical organisms, with an emphasis on Africa. Previous volumes are those edited by Schuchmann (1985), Peters and Hutterer (1990), Ulrich (1997), and Rheinwald (2000). The symposium in 2004 was organized by the Entomology Department under the direction of Michael Schmitt. The intention was to focus on Africa rather than on a particular taxon, and to highlight biodiversity at all levels ranging from molecules to ecosystems. This focus was timely partly because of the currently running BIOTA Africa programmes (BIOdiversity Monitoring Transect Analysis in Africa). BIOTA is an interdisciplinary research project focusing on sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity in Africa (http://www.biote-africa.de). Session titles were Biogeography and Speciation Processes, Phylogenetic Patterns and Systematics, Diversity Declines and Conservation, and Applied Biodiversity Informatics. Each session was opened by an invited speaker, and all together 77 lectures and 59 posters were presented. There were over 200 participants and it was gratifying to us to meet colleagues from 26 nations, including Russia, Ukraine, Japan, USA, and ten African countries. We thank all participants for their valuable contributions.

Download or read book Molecular Phylogeny Biogeography and an e Monograph of the Papaya Family Caricaceae as an Example of Taxonomy in the Electronic Age written by Fernanda Antunes Carvalho and published by Springer Spektrum. This book was released on 2015-06-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fernanda Antunes Carvalho addresses an issue of key importance to the field of systematics, namely how to foster taxonomic work and the dissemination of scientific knowledge about species by taking full advantage of electronic data and bioinformatics tools. The first part focuses on the development of an electronic monograph of the papaya family (Caricaceae) using existing infrastructures of Information Technology (IT) and bioinformatic tools that together set the stage for a new era of systematics. Based on the plastid and nuclear DNA data, the author inferred historical processes in the second part that may have shaped the evolution of the Caricaceae and explain their current geographic distribution. The last part is dedicated to the evolution of chromosome numbers in the Caricaceae and includes counts for species from three genera (Cylicomorpha, Horovitzia, Jarilla) that have never been investigated before.

Download or read book The Africa South America Connection written by Wilma B. George and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The origins of the present-day fauna and flora of Africa and South America have been a fascinating puzzle for hundreds of years. Research in this area has additionally provided a remarkable example of the catalytic effect of interdisciplinary cooperation. This volume brings together biological perspectives on the latest information and theories about the interrelation between plate tectonics, paleontology, and the present distribution of plants and animals. Chapters on the history of the problem and the paleogeography and paleoclimatic history of the area are followed by in-depth accounts of groups of plants and animals of particular interest, including aroids, acricians, rodents, and monkeys. This book will be of great interest to those in the fields of biogeography, paleontology, botany, and evolutionary biology.

Download or read book Phylogeny of the genus corchorus Malvacea S L and diversity analyses in selected species written by Solomon Benor Belay and published by Cuvillier Verlag. This book was released on 2011-11-02 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation focuses on the molecular systematic analysis of the genus Corchorus (Malvaceae s.l.), investigated for the first time using nuclear rDNA ITS sequences, and addresses diversity of selected species, which were conducted using morphological, molecular, and flow cytometry methods. Prior to this study, little information was available regarding the biodiversity and potential use of jute (Corchorus species) in Ethiopian agriculture. The present study summarizes species’ ecological distribution, use, and ethnobotany of Corchorus species in Ethiopia. About 13 species were recorded, ranking the country second in the total number of species in Africa. The study revealed low similarity in species composition between the regional states, indicating that each region has its own unique set of species. Farmers’ perception, indigenous knowledge and folk taxonomy of jute species are more comprehensive in the southwest than other studied regions of the country. Although several jute species are found in Ethiopia, they are neither cultivated nor popularly used as leafy vegetables. This part of the dissertation emphasizes the need for creating of public awareness of jute in Ethiopian agriculture and recommends conservation measures for some threatened species. In addition to the species collected from Ethiopia, I included several other jute species in order to infer the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Corchorus. A molecular phylogenetic analysis was conducted using sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) for 144 accessions representing about 48 species from entire pantropical distribution of the genus. In all phylogenetic analyses (maximum likelihood, Bayesian approaches, maximum parsimony), Corchorus is monophyletic when Pseudocorchorus is included. The majority of African Corchorus species formed a statistically highly supported and distinct clade separated from the rest of pantropically-distributed species. Species from Australia, New Caledonia and tropical America were nested within the African clade, indicating dispersals to the rest of pantropics out of Africa. Based on the taxa included in this study, the two cultivated species (C. olitorius and C. capsularis) shared a common ancestry with wild species of C. africanus, C. brevicornatus, C. pseudocapsularis, C. pseudo-olitorius, C. urticifolius, C. pilosus, C. orinocensis, and C. cunninghamii. The phylogenetic study indicated for the first time that Pseudocorchorus species were found to be members of Corchorus and shared a common ancestry especially with C. siliquosus, a species endemic to tropical America, and C. depressus, which is common to Africa and Asia. The monophyly of Corchorus/Pseudocorchorus seems, therefore, in accord with the overall very high morphological and anatomical similarities between both taxa. Thus, inclusion of the six Pseudocorchorus species into Corchorus might be appropriate. Nevertheless, I do not suggest a new formal classification of Corchorus/Pseudocorchorus, as additional molecular markers should be used to clarify the phylogenetic position of the taxa before taxonomic changes are made. Flow cytometric investigation of genome size variation in C. olitorius resulted in a 2C nuclear DNA content from 0.882 ± 0.004 pg to 0.942 ± 0.004 pg, with a mean of 0.918 ± 0.011 pg. The mean genome size variation in C. olitorius accessions from Africa was higher than in Asia. Genome size was positively correlated to seed surface area and growing elevation, and negatively to days to flowering. The estimated genome size of C. olitorius (449 Mbp) and C. capsularis (392 Mbp) is smaller than that of many of the cultivated crops and is closer to rice, indicating a general advantage for any efforts into genomics or sequencing approaches of these species. For Corchorus olitorius, genetic diversity and relationships in worldwide collections was also investigated based on molecular (AFLP) and morphological methods. Both methods showed similar results. High level of morphological variation, gene diversity, percent polymorphism, and number of private fragments were detected in African populations, and the neighbor-joining analysis in the AFLP study showed Asian materials to be nested within the African accessions, supporting that Africa is the center of origin for C. olitorius. The high genetic relationship of Asian materials with those from North and East Africa might therefore indicate a possible route for the dispersal and spread of C. olitorius out of Africa into Asia.

Download or read book Phylogenetic Relationships and Morphology of Cytospora Species and Related Teleomorphs Ascomycota Diaporthales Valsaceae from Eucalyptus written by Pedro W. Crous and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cytospora species and their Valsa teleomorphs are commonly found on Eucalyptus trees and some of these have been associated with stem canker diseases. The taxonomy of these fungi has been confused and has in many cases hindered pathology studies. This study was based on extensive collections of Cytospora species and their teleomorphs from Eucalyptus trees in Africa, Australia, Central and South America, Southeast Asia and California. Sixty-two Cytospora and three Cytospora-like isolates from Eucalyptus, yielding 33 unique ITS-rDNA sequences, were compared for homology to Cytospora species from other hosts. Phylogenetic analysis clustered isolates of Cytospora from Eucalyptus into at least 15 unrelated groups. The Cytospora-like isolates that morphologically resembled Cytospora clustered in a separate group, which is related to Phomopsis. Morphology of the fungi was examined on natural subtrates and in culture in order to identify distinctive characters linked to the phylogenetic lineages emerging from DNA sequence analyses. The specimens from Eucalyptus included morphological features encompassing the Cytospora infrageneric sections Cytospora, Lamyella, Leucocytospora, and Torsellia with the majority residing in sect. Lamyella. Several species exhibited morphological characteristics of more than one section and other species had unique characteristics not represented in the established sections. Phylogenetic inference did not support the sections that have been established based on morphological characteristics. The concepts underlying the establishment of sections in Valsa and Cytospora were, therefore, discarded and descriptive terms have been introduced to distinguish between ascostroma and locule forms. Descriptions of Cytospora australiae, C. eucalyptina, C. eucalypticola, and the anamorphs of Valsa eucalypti and Leucostoma sequoiae have been emended based on morphological studies of cross-sections of holotype and isotype specimens. Teleomorphs associated with Cytospora specimens on Eucalyptus have been described from Australia, California, Chile, Congo, Hawaii, India and Uganda. Each teleomorph had unique morphological characteristics and DNA sequence but several conformed to the broad description of Valsa ceratosperma, even though they resided in separate phylogenetic lineages. Additionally, sequences for V. ceratosperma on hosts other than Eucalyptus resided in separate lineages and were different from all of the isolates from Eucalyptus. One of the lineages, commonly found on Quercus, was recognised as corresponding to the original species concept and was designated as V. ceratosperma sensu stricto (= V. ceratophora). Results of this study have shown that numerous genetically distinct lineages of Cytospora and Cytospora-like fungi occur on Eucalyptus, and that the current description of V. ceratosperma encompases several distinctly different fungi. Leucostoma sequoiae and V. eugeniae were found on Eucalyptus, and V. eucalypti and L. sequoiae have been synonymised. Cultural characteristics including colony colour, pycnidium structure, cardinal temperatures for growth, and tolerance to cycloheximide have been described for the species. Several new species of Valsa and Cytospora from Eucalyptus have also been delimited based on morphological characteristics. This wide-ranging study should contribute to a better understanding of the taxonomy of Cytospora spp. and their teleomoprhs, particularly on Eucalyptus. It is also hoped that this will lead to improved management strategies for diseases associated with these fungi.

Download or read book Perspectives in Animal Phylogeny and Evolution written by Alessandro Minelli and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2008-12-18 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Animal phylogeny is undergoing a major revolution due to the availability of an exponentially increasing amount of molecular data and the application of novel methods of phylogenetic reconstruction, as well as the many spectacular advances in palaeontology and molecular developmental biology. Traditional views of the relationships among major phyla have been shaken and new, often unexpected, relationships are now being considered. At the same time, the emerging discipline of evolutionary developmental biology, or 'evo-devo', has offered new insights into the origin and evolvability of major traits of animal architecture and life cycle. All these developments call for a revised interpretation of the pathways along which animal structure and development has evolved since the origin of the Metazoa. Perspectives in Animal Phylogeny and Evolution takes on this challenge, successfully integrating morphological, fossil and molecular evidence to produce a novel reinterpretation of animal evolution. Central to the book's approach is an 'evo-devo' perspective on animal evolution (with all the fresh insights this has given into the origin of animal organization and life cycles), complementary to the more traditional perspectives of pattern (cladistics, comparative anatomy and embryology), mechanisms (developmental biology) and adaptation (evolutionary biology). The author advocates the need to approach the study of animal evolution with a critical attitude towards many key concepts of comparative morphology and developmental biology. Particular attention in the book is paid to the evolution of life cycles and larval forms.

Download or read book Morphology Molecules Evolution and Phylogeny in Polychaeta and Related Taxa written by Universität Osnabrück and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-03-30 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recently, evidence has been accumulated which shows that some of the groups formerly regarded as independent "phyla" such as Pogonophora (now recognized as Siboglinidae), Echiura, Myzostomida and perhaps Sipuncula, are most probably nothing else than greatly modified Annelida. The extreme morphological diversity found especially in Polychaeta displays the plasticity of a simple segmented organisation that basically is nothing else but a serial repetition of identical units. Thus, annelids are highly important to our understanding of fundamental questions about morphological and adaptive diversity, as well as clarifying evolutionary changes and phylogenetic relationships. The book aims to summarize our knowledge on Polychaetes polychaetes and their allies and gives an overview of recent advances gained by studies that employed conventional and modern methods plus, increasingly and importantly, the use of molecular markers and computer-assisted kinship analyses. It also reflects the state of art in polychaete sciences and presents new questions and controversies. As such it will significantly influence the direction of research on Polychaeta and their related taxa.

Download or read book Molecular Evolution written by Roderick D.M. Page and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-07-14 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of evolution at the molecular level has given the subject of evolutionary biology a new significance. Phylogenetic 'trees' of gene sequences are a powerful tool for recovering evolutionary relationships among species, and can be used to answer a broad range of evolutionary and ecological questions. They are also beginning to permeate the medical sciences. In this book, the authors approach the study of molecular evolution with the phylogenetic tree as a central metaphor. This will equip students and professionals with the ability to see both the evolutionary relevance of molecular data, and the significance evolutionary theory has for molecular studies. The book is accessible yet sufficiently detailed and explicit so that the student can learn the mechanics of the procedures discussed. The book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in molecular evolution/phylogenetic reconstruction. It will also be a useful supplement for students taking wider courses in evolution, as well as a valuable resource for professionals. First student textbook of phylogenetic reconstruction which uses the tree as a central metaphor of evolution. Chapter summaries and annotated suggestions for further reading. Worked examples facilitate understanding of some of the more complex issues. Emphasis on clarity and accessibility.

Download or read book Phylogenetics written by E. O. Wiley and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-10-11 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The long-awaited revision of the industry standard on phylogenetics Since the publication of the first edition of this landmark volume more than twenty-five years ago, phylogenetic systematics has taken its place as the dominant paradigm of systematic biology. It has profoundly influenced the way scientists study evolution, and has seen many theoretical and technical advances as the field has continued to grow. It goes almost without saying that the next twenty-five years of phylogenetic research will prove as fascinating as the first, with many exciting developments yet to come. This new edition of Phylogenetics captures the very essence of this rapidly evolving discipline. Written for the practicing systematist and phylogeneticist, it addresses both the philosophical and technical issues of the field, as well as surveys general practices in taxonomy. Major sections of the book deal with the nature of species and higher taxa, homology and characters, trees and tree graphs, and biogeography—the purpose being to develop biologically relevant species, character, tree, and biogeographic concepts that can be applied fruitfully to phylogenetics. The book then turns its focus to phylogenetic trees, including an in-depth guide to tree-building algorithms. Additional coverage includes: Parsimony and parsimony analysis Parametric phylogenetics including maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches Phylogenetic classification Critiques of evolutionary taxonomy, phenetics, and transformed cladistics Specimen selection, field collecting, and curating Systematic publication and the rules of nomenclature Providing a thorough synthesis of the field, this important update to Phylogenetics is essential for students and researchers in the areas of evolutionary biology, molecular evolution, genetics and evolutionary genetics, paleontology, physical anthropology, and zoology.

Download or read book Phylogeny Ecology and Behavior written by Daniel R. Brooks and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The merits of this work are many. A rigorous integration of phylogenetic hypotheses into studies of adaptation, adaptive radiation, and coevolution is absolutely necessary and can change dramatically our collective 'gestalt' about much in evolutionary biology. The authors advance and illustrate this thesis beautifully. The writing is often lucid, the examples are plentiful and diverse, and the juxtaposition of examples from different biological systems argues forcefully for the validity of the thesis. Many new insights are offered here, and the work is usually accessible to both the practiced phylogeneticist and the naive ecologist."—Joseph Travis, Florida State University "[Phylogeny, Ecology, and Behavior] presents its arguments forcefully and cogently, with ample . . .support. Brooks and McLennan conclude as they began, with the comment that evolution is a result, not a process, and that it is the result of an interaction of a variety of processes, environmental and historical. Evolutionary explanations must consider all these components, else they are incomplete. As Darwin's explanations of descent with modification integrated genealogical and ecological information, so must workers now incorporate historical and nonhistorical, and biological and nonbiological, processes in their evolutionary perspective."—Marvalee H. Wake, Bioscience "This book is well-written and thought-provoking, and should be read by those of us who do not routinely turn to phylogenetic analysis when investigating adaptation, evolutionary ecology and co-evolution."—Mark R. MacNair, Journal of Natural History

Download or read book Phylogeny and Conservation written by Andy Purvis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-09-22 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phylogeny is a potentially powerful tool for conserving biodiversity. This book explores how it can be used to tackle questions of great practical importance and urgency for conservation. Using case studies from many different taxa and regions of the world, the volume evaluates how useful phylogeny is in understanding the processes that have generated today's diversity and the processes that now threaten it. The urgency with which conservation decisions have to be made as well as the need for the best possible decisions make this volume of great value to researchers, practitioners and policy-makers.

Download or read book The Timetree of Life written by S. Blair Hedges and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2009-04-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The evolutionary history of life includes two primary components: phylogeny and timescale. Phylogeny refers to the branching order (relationships) of species or other taxa within a group and is crucial for understanding the inheritance of traits and for erecting classifications. However, a timescale is equally important because it provides a way to compare phylogeny directly with the evolution of other organisms and with planetary history such as geology, climate, extraterrestrialimpacts, and other features.The Timetree of Life is the first reference book to synthesize the wealth of information relating to the temporal component of phylogenetic trees. In the past, biologists have relied exclusively upon the fossil record to infer an evolutionary timescale. However, recent revolutionary advances in molecular biology have made it possible to not only estimate the relationships of many groups of organisms, but also to estimate their times of divergence with molecular clocks. The routineestimation and utilization of these so-called 'time-trees' could add exciting new dimensions to biology including enhanced opportunities to integrate large molecular data sets with fossil and biogeographic evidence (and thereby foster greater communication between molecular and traditional systematists). Theycould help estimate not only ancestral character states but also evolutionary rates in numerous categories of organismal phenotype; establish more reliable associations between causal historical processes and biological outcomes; develop a universally standardized scheme for biological classifications; and generally promote novel avenues of thought in many arenas of comparative evolutionary biology.This authoritative reference work brings together, for the first time, experts on all major groups of organisms to assemble a timetree of life. The result is a comprehensive resource on evolutionary history which will be an indispensable reference for scientists, educators, and students in the life sciences, earth sciences, and molecular biology. For each major group of organism, a representative is illustrated and a timetree of families and higher taxonomic groups is shown. Basic aspects ofthe evolutionary history of the group, the fossil record, and competing hypotheses of relationships are discussed. Details of the divergence times are presented for each node in the timetree, and primary literature references are included. The book is complemented by an online database(www.timetree.net) which allows researchers to both deposit and retrieve data.

Download or read book Deep Metazoan Phylogeny The Backbone of the Tree of Life written by J. Wolfgang Wägele and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2014-02-27 with total page 764 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The growing success of molecular methods has challenged traditional views of animal evolution and a large number of alternative hypotheses are hotly debated today. For the deep metazoan phylogeny project, data sets of hitherto unmatched quality and quantity were compiled and analysed with innovative bioinformatics tools. The book begins at the base of the tree of life to discuss the origin of animals and early branches of the phylogenetic tree. The following section presents special data sets gained from mitochondrial genomes and from morphology, with a focus on nervous systems. The final section is dedicated to theoretical aspects of data analysis and new bioinformatics tools. The book closes with a unique general discussion of all hypotheses contained in previous chapters. This work provides the most comprehensive overview available of the state of the art in this exciting field of evolutionary research.

Download or read book Phylogeny Biogeography and Systematics of Soldanella L and Primula L Sect Auricula Duby Primulaceae Based on Molecular and Morphological Evidence written by Li-Bing Zhang and published by Cuvillier Verlag. This book was released on 2002 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Systematics and Evolution written by P. Hovenkamp and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Current Topics in Phylogenetics and Phylogeography of Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems written by Kesara Anamthawat-Jónsson and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2012-03-07 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mapping phylogenetics on geographical scales is one of the most important scientific aspects of bioscience research. Changes in the environment have evidently shaped the geographical distribution of organisms on land and in the oceans seen today. Overexploitation of key species has caused not only changes in the distribution and diversity of organisms and composition of the ecosystems, but is also leading to species extinction at accelerating rates. It is our duty as scientists to find ways of protecting the species endangered with extinction and preventing other species from entering the endangered stage. To manage this effectively, we need to map species distribution, understand life-history traits, define genetic variation within species and populations, identify lineages - especially at the molecular level - and correlate the historical, phylogenetic components with the spatial distributions of gene lineages. In this book, phylogenetics and phylogeography of a diverse range of organisms are reviewed: from microorganisms causing gastroenteritis in humans, fishes in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean and spiders of the western Indian Ocean, to mountain tapirs in South America and birch tree species of the Arctic tundra.