Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research

We explored mandibular form variation in a sample of extant bear species. Both size and shape of the mandible are taxonomically informative and allow discriminating species and subspecies. In particular for the brown bear (Ursus arctos), we confirmed the morphological uniqueness of isolated populations belonging to the Apennine and Isabelline subspecies. A pervasive impact of climate on mandibular shape variation was detected in the whole family although this does not significantly impact the morphological differentiation of brown bear subspecies.

The phylogenetic placement of the moss bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coleorrhyncha), either close to true bugs (Heteroptera: right) or plant- and leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha: left), has been highly controversial, with apparent conflict between morphological and genomic data. The morphological data selecting from the wing base structure provide unambiguous support for the clade Coleorrhyncha + Auchenorrhyncha, in agreement with the result from the phylogenomic study.

We reconstructed the molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of cave crickets belonging to the genus Troglophilus from caves in eastern Mediterranean, using both mitochondrial and nuclear genes. The well-resolved phylogeny showed three main clades representing the Balkan, the Anatolian, and the Cycladian–Cretan lineages. Both dispersal and vicariance events, occurred especially in the ancestral populations, can explain the current distribution of Troglophilus species whose radiation likely started from the Aegean and proceeded eastward to Anatolia and westward to the Balkan region.

New insights into the systematics of Malagasy mongoose-like carnivorans (Carnivora, Eupleridae, Galidiinae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. Géraldine Veron, Délia Dupré, Andrew P. Jennings, Charlie J. Gardner, Alexandre Hassanin, Steven M. Goodman. This is the first detailed molecular genetic study on the Galidiinae, a subfamily of the endemic Malagasy Eupleridae. Our results suggest the recognition of four species in the Galidiinae, rendering each genus monospecific, and not recognizing the recently described Galidictis grandidieri and Salanoia durrelli. Low levels of intraspecific divergence revealed some geographic structure for certain Galidiinae taxa, suggesting that environmental barriers have isolated certain populations in recent geological time. All taxa are forest dwelling and of urgent conservation concern associated with habitat degradation. Galidictis fasciata (top) and Salanoia concolor (bottom) (drawings by Velizar Simeonovski and previously published in Goodman 2012).

Morphological, acoustic, and genetic analyses on Rhinolophus macrotis complex and other taxa of the philippinensis group in Vietnam and nearby countries were conducted. Results show that the complex includes several distinct species which are distinguishable from genuine R. macrotis and R. siamensis by morphological and/or genetic features. Interspecific divergences in mtDNA sequences among taxa in the philippinensis group are surprisingly low and can be explained by recent allopatric speciation or ancient introgression events during the Pleistocene.