00271nas a2200109   4500008004100000245001800041210001600059300001000075490000700085100001500092856005400107       1984                        eng d00a[TITLE BLANK]0 aTITLE BLANK  a55-750 v231 aHanken, J.  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/62302296nas a2200121   4500008004100000245008700041210006900128300001200197490000700209520185500216100002402071856007902095       1996                        eng d00aSome genetic consequences of ice ages, and their role in divergence and speciation0 aSome genetic consequences of ice ages and their role in divergen  a247-2760 v583 aThe genetic effects of pleistocene ice ages are approached by deduction from paleoenvironmental information, by induction from the genetic structure of populations and species, and by their combination to infer likely consequences. (1) Recent palaeoclimatic information indicate rapid global reversals and changes in ranges of species which would involve elimination with spreading from the edge. Leading edge colonization during a rapid expansion would be leptokurtic and lead to homozygosity and spatial assortment of genomes. In Europe and North America, ice age contractions were into southern refugia, which would promote genome reorganization. (2) The present day genetic structure of species shows frequent geographic subdivision, with parapatric genomes, hybrid zones and suture zones. A survey of recent DNA phylogeographic information supports and extends earlier work. (3) The grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus is used to illustrate such data and processes. Its range in Europe is divided on DNA sequences into five parapatric races, with southern genomes showing greater haplotype diversity - probably due to southern mountain blocks acting as refugia and northern expansion reducing diversity. (4) Comparison with other recent studies shows a concordance of such phylogeographic data over pleistocene time scales. (5) The role that ice age range changes may have played in changing adaptations is explored, including the limits of range, rapid change in new invasions and refugial differentiation in a variety of organisms. (6) The effects of these events in causing divergence and speciation are explored using Chorthippus as a paradigm. Repeated contraction and expansion would accumulate genome differences and adaptations, protected from mixing by hybrid zones, and such a composite mode of speciation could apply to many organisms.1 aHewitt, Godfrey, M.  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Documents/Literature/H/Hewitt1996.pdf02610nas a2200157   4500008004100000245009200041210006900133260000900202300001200211490000700223520209400230100002002324700001902344700002002363856006902383       1998                        eng d00aCoastal forests of eastern Africa: Status, endemism patterns and their potential causes0 aCoastal forests of eastern Africa Status endemism patterns and t  cJuly  a337-3670 v643 aEastern African coastal forests are located within the Swahili regional centre of endemism and Swahili-Maputaland regional transition zone in eastern Africa, between 1degree North and 25degree South, and 34-41degree East. Approximately 3167 km2 coastal forest remains: 2 km2 in Somalia, 660 km2 in Kenya, 697 km2 in Tanzania, 16 km2 in Malawi, 3 km2 in Zimbabwe and perhaps 1790 km2 in Mozambique. Most forests are small (ltoreq 20 km2), and all but 19 are under 30 km2 in area. Over 80% of coastal forest is located on government land, principally Forest Reserves; only B. 3 km2 is found in National Parks (6.2 km2 in Kenya (Arabuko-Sokoke), 2 km2 in Tanzania (Mafia Island) and tiny patches in Zimbabwe). Coastal forests are an important and highly threatened centre of endemism for plants (c 550 endemic species), mammals (6 species), birds (9 species), reptiles (26 species), frogs (2 species), butterflies (79 species), snails (>86 species) and millipedes (mchgt20 species). Endemic species are concentrated in the forests of the Tana River, between Malindi in Kenya to Tanga in northern Tanzania, and in southern Tanzania. Forests with highest numbers of endemics are: lower Tana River, Arabuko-Sokoke, Shimba Hills (Kenya); lowland East Usambara, Pugu Hills, Matumbi Hills, Rondo and Litipo and other plateaux near Lindi (Tanzania); the Tanzanian offshore island of Pemba; Bazaruto archipelago (Mozambique), and tiny forest remnants of southern Malawi, eastern Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Most coastal forest endemics have a narrow distributional range, often exhibiting single-site endemism or with scattered or disjunct distributional patterns. They are best interpreted as relicts and not the result of recent evolution. Relictualization probably started with the separation of the ancient Pan African rainforest into two parts during the Miocene. The coastal forests are interpreted as a ’vanishing refuge’ with the endemic species gradually becoming more and more relict (and presumably extinct) due historically to climatic desiccation and more recently to human destruction.1 aBurgess, N., D.1 aClarke, G., P.1 aRodgers, W., A.  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Literature/B/Burgess%20199802179nas a2200145   4500008004100000245006000041210005800101260001100159300001200170490000700182520172100189100002201910700002401932856007701956       2000                        eng d00aA review of colour and pattern polymorphisms in anurans0 areview of colour and pattern polymorphisms in anurans  cAugust  a633-6650 v703 aSpecies that exhibit polymorphism, the simultaneous occurrence of two or more discrete, genetically-based phenotypes in a population, are ideal for studying the microevolutionary forces that maintain genetic variation in nature. Many anuran species exhibit striking colour or dorsal pattern polymorphisms, and so provide an excellent system in which to study questions pertaining to the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms. Despite the wide occurrence of pattern or colour polymorphisms in anurans (current records cite at least 225 species representing 35 genera and 11 families) surprisingly little conclusive work has been done on the inheritance and selective maintenance of this variation. The mode of inheritance has been investigated in 26 species, but conclusively demonstrated in only two. Forty-six species have been described as undergoing ontogenetic change, and 32 species have been described as sexually dimorphic. That anuran polymorphisms are under some sort of selection has been inferred from the large number of polymorphic species, from putative cases of apparent convergent evolution and the existence of identical polymorphisms in closely related species, from cyclical fluctuations in morph frequencies, and from a few observations of non-random survival during bouts of stress. The selective mechanisms maintaining these polymorphisms have been investigated in only 19 species. Most studies looked for physiological traits correlated with the polymorphism, rather than studying the most obvious mechanism, selective predation on colour/pattern itself. Thus, anuran polymorphisms remain a rich but largely unexploited system for studying the evolution of phenotypic variation in nature.1 aHoffman, Eric, A.1 aBlouin, Michael, S.  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Literature/H/Hoffman_Blouin2000.pdf01677nas a2200133   4500008004100000245014100041210006900182260000900251300001200260490000700272520119200279100001801471856005401489       2003                        eng d00aVariation across amphibian species in the size of the nuclear genome supports a pluralistic, hierarchical approach to the C-value enigma0 aVariation across amphibian species in the size of the nuclear ge  cJune  a329-3390 v793 aAmphibians have featured prominently in discussions of the C-value enigma, the still-unresolved puzzle regarding the evolution of genome size. Their wide range in nuclear DNA contents and diverse ecological and developmental lifestyles make them excellent subjects for addressing the key elements of the C-value enigma. However, in some cases the importance of work on amphibians appears to be overstated. This is especially true of claims that patterns of variation in salamanders support a particular theory of genome size evolution to the exclusion of others. This study provides a critical re-examination of some of these claims, as well as an investigation of the relationships between genome size, cell and nuclear size, and metabolism in amphibians. The results of these analyses, combined with an overview of previous amphibian genome size literature, strongly indicate the need for a pluralistic approach to the C-value enigma. In particular, it must be recognized that evolutionary forces operating and interacting at several levels of biological organization (of which the genome itself is one) are responsible for the observed patterns in amphibian genome size distributions.1 aGregory, Ryan  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/32300563nas a2200157   4500008004100000245015000041210006900191300001200260490000700272653000800279653001800287653001500305100001700320700001500337856005300352       2008                        eng d00aMorphological, mitochondrial DNA and allozyme evolution in representative amphibians and reptiles inhabiting each side of the Strait of Gibraltar0 aMorphological mitochondrial DNA and allozyme evolution in repres  a445-4610 v9410aDNA10amitochondrial10amorphology1 aBusack, S.D.1 aLawson, R.  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/8802261nas a2200133   4500008004100000245010900041210006900150260001300219300001200232490000700244520182100251100002002072856003502092       2009                        eng d00aDiversity and evolution of male secondary sexual characters in African squeakers and long-fingered frogs0 aDiversity and evolution of male secondary sexual characters in A  cMar 2009  a553-5730 v963 aThe African frog genera Arthroleptis and Cardioglossa are unique among vertebrates in having males with extremely long third fingers. In some species, this sexual dimorphism is impressive, with male third fingers approaching 40% of body length. However, the diversity of this trait has not been documented thoroughly and several species appear to lack this trait. The present study documents the diversity of male secondary sexual traits in Arthroleptis and Cardioglossa, including elongate third fingers and digital and inguinal spines. Furthermore, it explores hypotheses of trait evolution, including explanations for the absence of male traits. Analyses of covariance suggest that the functional relationship between finger length and snout-vent length (SVL), both within and among species, is different for male finger III than for male fingers I, II, and IV, or for female finger III. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that all male traits were present in the most recent common ancestor of Arthroleptis and Cardioglossa and that reduction or loss of traits occurred later. Across species, independent contrast analyses find no correlation between SVL and either male relative third digit length or dimorphism in relative third digit length. The number of spines on male fingers II and III are positively correlated but spine number is not correlated with SVL and only weakly correlated with relative third digit length. The diversity of male traits is evolutionarily labile and is not explained by simple hypotheses of character evolution. Arthroleptis and Cardioglossa may thus provide an interesting study system for understanding how changes in sexual selection forces produce male trait diversity. (C) 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 553-573.1 aBlackburn, D.C.  u<Go to ISI>://PREV200900221754