Latest Articles from ZooKeys Latest 9 Articles from ZooKeys https://zookeys.pensoft.net/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:59 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://zookeys.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from ZooKeys https://zookeys.pensoft.net/ Utility of cytochrome c oxidase I for the deciphering of unstable phylogeny and taxonomy of gorals, genus Nemorhaedus Hamilton Smith, 1827 (Bovidae, Ovibovina) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/108019/ ZooKeys 1181: 81-110

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1181.108019

Authors: Petr Hrabina, Ludmila Pernerová, Josef Suchomel, Jan Robovský

Abstract: Gorals represent ungulate mammals of the Palearctic and Indo-Malayan realms that face habitat destruction and intense hunting pressure. Their classification has been the subject of various (mainly genetic) assessments in the last decade, but some results are conflicting, hampering some conservation-based decisions. Genetic sampling of gorals has increased considerably in recent years, at least for mitochondrial (mt) DNA. Results based on two mt genes (cytochrome b and the D-loop) are currently available. Still, the utility of cytochrome oxidase subunit I remains unanalysed, even though it belongs among the gene markers that enable a correct species identification in mammals. This study examines phylogenetic relationships and species delimitation in gorals using all currently available cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequences, including the not yet analysed goral population from Pakistan. Our results of various phylogenetic approaches, such as maximum parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian inference, and exploration of species boundaries via species delimitation support the validity of six species of goral, namely N. baileyi, N. caudatus, N. cranbrooki, N. evansi, N. goral, and N. griseus. This result accords well with results based on other mt genes, especially the cytochrome b from the highly exhaustive data sampling. Our study also summarises common sources of errors in the assessment of goral phylogeny and taxonomy and highlights future priorities in understanding goral diversification.

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Research Article Mon, 2 Oct 2023 11:00:27 +0300
Revalidation of Passalites Gloger, 1841 for the Amazon brown brocket deer P. nemorivagus (Cuvier, 1817) (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Cervidae) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/100577/ ZooKeys 1167: 241-264

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1167.100577

Authors: Jorge Alfonso Morales-Donoso, Gabrielle Queiroz Vacari, Agda Maria Bernegossi, Eluzai Dinai Pinto Sandoval, Pedro Henrique Faria Peres, David Javier Galindo, Benoit de Thoisy, Miluse Vozdova, Svatava Kubickova, José Mauricio Barbanti Duarte

Abstract: Mazama nemorivaga (Cuvier, 1817) is a gray brocket deer that inhabits the Amazon region. An assessment of previous studies revealed inconsistencies in its current taxonomic classification, suggesting the need for an update in its genus classification. A taxonomic repositioning of this species is proposed through the collection of a specimen from its type locality (French Guiana) with subsequent morphological (coloring pattern, body measurements, and craniometry), cytogenetics (G Band, C Band, conventional Giemsa, Ag-NOR staining, and BAC probe mapping), and molecular phylogenetic analysis (mitochondrial genes Cyt B of 920 bp, COI I of 658 bp, D-loop 610 bp), and comparisons with other specimens of the same taxon, as well as other Neotropical deer species. The morphological and cytogenetic differences between this and other Neotropical Cervidae confirm the taxon as a unique and valid species. The phylogenetic analysis evidenced the basal position of the M. nemorivaga specimens within the Blastocerina clade. This shows early diversification and wide divergence from the other species, suggesting that the taxon should be transferred to a different genus. A taxonomic update of the genus name is proposed through the validation of Passalites Gloger, 1841, with Passalites nemorivagus (Cuvier, 1817) as the type species. Future research should focus on evaluating the potential existence of other species within the genus Passalites, as suggested in the literature.

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Research Article Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:33:42 +0300
Corrigenda: Harding LE (2022) Available names for Rangifer (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Cervidae) species and subspecies. ZooKeys 1119: 117–151. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1119.80233 https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/94672/ ZooKeys 1122: 173-174

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1122.94672

Authors: Lee Harding

Abstract: As a result of copy-editing cut-and-past errors, incorrect authorities were given in two cases.

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Corrigendum Wed, 28 Sep 2022 17:02:47 +0300
Long-term stability in the winter diet of the Japanese serow (Artiodactyla, Caprinae) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/76486/ ZooKeys 1122: 39-51

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1122.76486

Authors: Mitsuko Hiruma, Kahoko Tochigi, Ryosuke Kishimoto, Misako Kuroe, Bruna Elisa Trentin, Shinsuke Koike

Abstract: The winter diets of northern ungulates are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and ungulate population densities. We hypothesized that the winter diets of smaller browser ungulates might not readily change in response to fluctuating environmental conditions. We analyzed long-term trends in the winter diet of the Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) by analyzing rumen contents of 532 individuals over a span of 16 years among five populations along with changes in the population densities of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan. The winter diet composition of the serow was stable over the long term despite the increase in deer population density. The little-flexible nature of the serow diet may explain the long-term stability in the winter diets.

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Research Article Tue, 20 Sep 2022 18:32:50 +0300
Available names for Rangifer (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Cervidae) species and subspecies https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/80233/ ZooKeys 1119: 117-151

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1119.80233

Authors: Lee E. Harding

Abstract: Advancements in molecular and phylogenetic analysis have revealed the need for greater taxonomic resolution since Rangifer (Reindeer and caribou: Cervidae) was last revised in 1961. Recent literature shows that many of the subspecies and several species synonymised out of existence are, in fact, valid, some names have been misapplied, and new subspecies-level clades are in need of description. This paper reviews available names for recently defined ecotypes of reindeer and caribou in compliance with ICZN rules for zoological nomenclature.

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Review Article Fri, 26 Aug 2022 18:59:48 +0300
Traces of past reintroduction in genetic diversity: The case of the Balkan chamois (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/84577/ ZooKeys 1116: 57-70

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1116.84577

Authors: Andrea Rezić, Toni Safner, Laura Iacolina, Elena Bužan, Nikica Šprem

Abstract: The translocation of wild animal species became a common practice worldwide to re-establish local populations threatened with extinction. Archaeological data confirm that chamois once lived in the Biokovo Mountain but, prior to their reintroduction in the 1960s, there was no written evidence of their recent existence in the area. The population was reintroduced in the period 1964–1969, when 48 individuals of Balkan chamois from the neighbouring mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina were released. The main objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of the existing historical data on the origin of the Balkan chamois population from the Biokovo Mountain and to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of the source and translocated populations 56 years after reintroduction. Sixteen microsatellite loci were used to analyse the genetic structure of three source chamois populations from Prenj, Čvrsnica and Čabulja Mountains and from Biokovo Mountain. Both STRUCTURE and GENELAND analyses showed a clear separation of the reintroduced population on Biokovo from Prenj’s chamois and considerable genetic similarity between the Biokovo population and the Čvrsnica-Čabulja population. This suggests that the current genetic composition of the Biokovo population does not derive exclusively from Prenj, as suggested by the available literature and personal interviews, but also from Čvrsnica and Čabulja. GENELAND analysis recognised the Balkan chamois from Prenj as a separate cluster, distinct from the populations of Čvrsnica and Čabulja. Our results thus highlight the need to implement genetic monitoring of both reintroduced and source populations of endangered Balkan chamois to inform sustainable management and conservation strategies in order to maximise the chances of population persistence.

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Short Communication Thu, 4 Aug 2022 09:41:56 +0300
Designation of a neotype for Mazama americana (Artiodactyla, Cervidae) reveals a cryptic new complex of brocket deer species https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/50300/ ZooKeys 958: 143-164

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.958.50300

Authors: Analorena Cifuentes-Rincón, Jorge Alfonso Morales-Donoso, Eluzai Dinai Pinto Sandoval, Iara Maluf Tomazella, Aline Meira Bonfim Mantellatto, Benoit de Thoisy, José Maurício Barbanti Duarte

Abstract: Mazama americana (red brocket deer) is the genus-type species (first species described for this genus) and the basis for the identity of other Mazama species. Mazama americana is one of the most abundant and widely distributed deer species in the neotropical forest. However, recent studies suggest that this taxon belongs to a species complex. Our goal was to collect an animal at the type locality (topotype) in French Guiana with the aim of characterizing the morphological (biometric, craniometric), cytogenetic (Giemsa, C-banding, G-banding and NOR) and molecular (mitochondrial DNA) features. The comparisons showed that the collected specimen was very similar morphologically to specimens from other South American populations, but it was cytogenetically and molecularly very different from any of the cytotypes already described for this species, corroborating the existence of a complex of cryptic species. The data suggest that the M. americana topotype is a different species from all the cytotypes already described in the literature and which occupy the southern region of the Amazon River. The characterization and designation of the M. americana neotype is the first step toward a taxonomic reorganization of the genus Mazama, with the potential identification of new species.

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Research Article Tue, 11 Aug 2020 13:58:15 +0300
A gene-tree test of the traditional taxonomy of American deer: the importance of voucher specimens, geographic data, and dense sampling https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/15124/ ZooKeys 697: 87-131

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.697.15124

Authors: Eliécer E. Gutiérrez, Kristofer M. Helgen, Molly M. McDonough, Franziska Bauer, Melissa T.R. Hawkins, Luis A. Escobedo-Morales, Bruce D. Patterson, Jesus E. Maldonado

Abstract: The taxonomy of American deer has been established almost entirely on the basis of morphological data and without the use of explicit phylogenetic methods; hence, phylogenetic analyses including data for all of the currently recognized species, even if based on a single gene, might improve current understanding of their taxonomy. We tested the monophyly of the morphology-defined genera and species of New World deer (Odocoileini) with phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences. This is the first such test conducted using extensive geographic and taxonomic sampling. Our results do not support the monophyly of Mazama, Odocoileus, Pudu, M. americana, M. nemorivaga, Od. hemionus, and Od. virginianus. Mazama contains species that belong to other genera. We found a novel sister-taxon relationship between “Mazama” pandora and a clade formed by Od. hemionus columbianus and Od. h. sitkensis, and transfer pandora to Odocoileus. The clade formed by Od. h. columbianus and Od. h. sitkensis may represent a valid species, whereas the remaining subspecies of Od. hemionus appear closer to Od. virginianus. Pudu (Pudu) puda was not found sister to Pudu (Pudella) mephistophiles. If confirmed, this result will prompt the recognition of the monotypic Pudella as a distinct genus. We provide evidence for the existence of an undescribed species now confused with Mazama americana, and identify other instances of cryptic, taxonomically unrecognized species-level diversity among populations here regarded as Mazama temama, “Mazama” nemorivaga, and Hippocamelus antisensis. Noteworthy records that substantially extend the known distributions of M. temama and “M.” gouazoubira are provided, and we unveil a surprising ambiguity regarding the distribution of “M.” nemorivaga, as it is described in the literature. The study of deer of the tribe Odocoileini has been hampered by the paucity of information regarding voucher specimens and the provenance of sequences deposited in GenBank. We pinpoint priorities for future systematic research on the tribe Odocoileini.

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Research Article Thu, 14 Sep 2017 06:56:45 +0300
Effects of an increase in population of sika deer on beetle communities in deciduous forests https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/9116/ ZooKeys 625: 67-85

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.625.9116

Authors: Taichi Iida, Masashi Soga, Shinsuke Koike

Abstract: The overabundance of large herbivores is now recognized as a serious ecological problem. However, the resulting ecological consequences remain poorly understood. The ecological effects of an increase in sika deer, Cervus nippon Temminck (Cervidae), on three insect groups of beetles was investigated: ground beetles (Carabidae), carrion beetles (Silphidae), and dung beetles (Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) on Nakanoshima Island, Hokkaido, northern Japan. We collected beetles on Nakanoshima Island (experimental site) and lakeshore areas (control site) and compared the species richness, abundance, diversity index, and community composition of beetles between the sites. Results showed that although both species diversity and abundance of carabid beetles were significantly higher at the lakeshore site, those of dung and carrion beetles were higher at the island site. It was additionally observed that abundance of larger carabid beetles was higher at the lakeshore site, whereas that of small-sized carabid beetles did not differ between the lakeshore and island sites. For dung beetles, abundance of smaller species was higher at the island site, whereas that of large species did not differ between the lakeshore and island sites. Abundance of two body sizes (small and large) of carrion beetles were both higher at the island site. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrated that an increase in deer population altered the insect assemblages at an island scale, suggesting further changes in ecosystem functions and services in this region.

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Research Article Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:29:02 +0300