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1. Species level identification of Antillogorgia spp. recruits identifies multiple pathways of octocoral success on Caribbean reefs

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-020-02014-5  

   Lasker, Howard R.; Porto-Hannes, Isabel (October 2020, Coral Reefs)

   null (Ed.)

   Successful recruitment is critical to the maintenance and resilience of populations and may be at the core of the transition from scleractinian to octocoral dominated faunas on some Caribbean reefs. For sessile invertebrates, recruitment incorporates the composite effects of larval supply, settlement and survival. The relative success of these processes differs between species and successful recruitment may be achieved through different life history strategies. Recruitment of six abundant and widespread Antillogorgia spp. was assessed at six sites on Little Bahama Bank from 2009–2012. Identification of recruits to species level, based on microsatellite analyses, revealed differences in recruitment and survival between species, sites and ears. The broadcast spawning species, A. americana and A. acerosa had low rates of early recruitment and postsettlement survival. Higher levels of recruitment success were achieved among brooding and surface brooding species following somewhat different patterns of early recruitment and survival. The internal brooder Antillogorgia hystrix had the highest recruitment at five of the sites but low survival dramatically reduced its abundance and after a year it had similar densities as the surface brooding species, A. elisabethae and A. bipinnata. The brooders have smaller colonies and will produce fewer larvae than the broadcast spawning species, but they release competent larvae which probably accounts for their higher recruitment rates. The Antillogorgia illustrate the diversity of successful reproductive strategies exhibited by octocorals, and differences in the life history strategies among these congeners are best characterized by their mode of larval development. 

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2. Mitochondrial DNA and other lines of evidence clarify species diversity in the Peromyscus truei species group (Cricetidae: Neotominae)

   https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2021-0146  

   Hernández-Canchola, Giovani; León-Paniagua, Livia; Esselstyn, Jacob A. (January 2022, Mammalia)

   Abstract Deer mice (genus Peromyscus ) are among the commonest small mammals in the Nearctic zoogeographic region. Nevertheless, systematic relationships are only partially settled and numerous taxonomic questions await resolution. For instance, researchers have found that some members of the Peromyscus truei species group contain high levels of genetic divergence that could indicate the presence of cryptic species. We analyzed the systematics and phylogenetic relationships of the P. truei group using new and previously published mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. Our analyses verify several earlier conclusions, but we also detected new clades that deserve recognition. Considering their mitochondrial distinctiveness, allopatric ranges, and previously reported molecular, biochemical, chromosomal, morphological, and ecological differences, we elevate three previously described taxa to species. We support the recognition of two subgroupings. The first comprises P. gratus , P. truei , and possibly P. cf. martirensis and P. cf.  zapotecae . The second contains to P. amplus , P. attwateri , P. collinus , P. difficilis , P. felipensis , P. laceianus , P. nasutus , P. ochraventer , and P. pectoralis. Placement of P. bullatus will likely remain unknown until genetic data are available. Further research could improve our understanding of the evolutionary history of Peromyscus , but in some cases taxonomic issues must be resolved first. 

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3. Morphology and molecular phylogenetics of the rockpens

   Ni, Ethan; Williams, Gary (October 2023, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science - 2023 NDiSTEM)

   Previous research supports the idea that all sea pens anchor to soft sediment using a long, basal, peduncle. The discovery of several pennatulacean sea pen species (rockpens) with an adaptation to bind to rocky substrata alters this understanding. The evolutionary history of octocorals, including these sea pens, has long been poorly understood due to a slow rate of mitochondrial gene evolution and a consequent lack of phylogenetically informative molecular markers to distinguish species. The objective of this project is to analyze three species of rockpens (Calibelemnon francei, Anthoptilum gowlettholmesae, Anthoptilum sp. Alaska) and other octocorals to construct a phylogeny to better understand the evolutionary relationships between these taxa. Using preserved specimens from the California Academy of Sciences' Department of Invertebrate Zoology, the genes of ten octocoral species were analyzed. This project sequenced three protein-coding mitochondrial genes, ND2, ND6, and msh1, and phylogenetic tree construction and analysis were done using Geneious and R Studio. Additionally, SEM photographs of the sclerites were used to morphologically characterize the taxa. We hypothesize that all rockpens actually belong to the genus Anthoptilum and form a monophyletic clade with other species of the genus that do not inhabit rocky substrata. Future research will require investigating how other non-rock inhabiting species in the genus Anthoptilum are phylogenetically related to the rockpens. 

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4. Redescription of type material of the genus Cladiella Gray, 1869 (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea, Cladiellidae) from the Red Sea

   https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5674.1.1  

   LAZAR, EINAV; MCFADDEN, CATHERINE S; HUCHON, DOROTHÉE; BENAYAHU, YEHUDA (August 2025, Zootaxa)

   Zooxanthellate octocorals of the genus Cladiella Gray, 1869 are common on Indo-Pacific coral reefs, including in the Red Sea. Among the 61 species listed in WoRMS, 27 species were originally described from the Red Sea, mostly based on material collected in the 19th century. The latter includes the type species of the genus as well as the three other oldest known species of the genus. The goals of the present study were to locate the various natural history museum depositories of the 27 Red Sea types and to redescribe the types for the first time since their initial description. All type colonies were found and re-described using whole-colony photography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to depict their sclerites. SEM images provide the dimensions and the detailed surface-microstructure of all sclerite types present across all type materials. These findings led us to a revised diagnosis of the genus and an updated description of all 27 types. The results present a comprehensive overview of all of the Red Sea Cladiella type colonies, constituting the first step towards a complete taxonomic revision of this speciose genus.  

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5. Hidden in the Dark: A Review of Galagid Systematics and Phylogenetics

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-024-00430-w  

   Penna, Anna; Pozzi, Luca (May 2024, International Journal of Primatology)

   An accurate representation of species diversity is critical in primatology; most of the questions in evolutionary biology, ecology, and conservation hinge on species as a fundamental unit of analysis. Galagos are among the least-known primates. Because of their cryptic morphology, broad distribution, and sampling challenges arising from elusive habits and political instability, substantial knowledge gaps about their taxonomy, evolutionary history, and biogeography remain. Despite these limitations, recent research that integrated field surveys, acoustic, morphological, and genetic analyses helped us to better understand the taxonomic diversity of this primate group. In this paper, we (1) review the current status of galagid taxonomy; (2) synthesize our current understanding of their phylogenetics, origins, and biogeography; and (3) explore current and future approaches to elucidate galagid cryptic species diversity. The onset of galago systematics dates back to the early 19th century, with taxonomic descriptions following natural history expeditions and comparative anatomy studies. Although morphology has historically dominated systematic research on galagos, the coupling of acoustic analyses with genetic data has revolutionized the field. Taxonomic rearrangements include the discovery of new species in the wild (e.g., Galagoides kumbirensis) and the description of a new genus (Paragalago). Technological advances have allowed the collection of acoustic data in remote areas, and molecular techniques have the potential to help researchers fill important geographic gaps. Improving the resolution of galago species diversity also has implications for the conservation of wild populations, as a better understanding of species boundaries and ranges can aid in the implementation of conservation strategies. 

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