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- Review of the leaf-litter skinks (Scincidae: Panaspis) from the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands, with the description of a new speciesPublication . Soares, Leonor B.; Ceríaco, Luis M. P.; Marques, Mariana P.; Bastos-Silveira, Cristiane; Scheinberg, Lauren A.; Harris, D. James; Brehm, António; Jesus, JoséLeaf-litter skinks of the genus Panaspis are currently represented in the oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea by two species, Panaspis africana and P. annobonensis. Here we describe a third species, Panaspis thomensis sp. nov., endemic to São Tomé Island. Data from previous studies and a new phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial 16S gene shows that the new species is genetically divergent and reciprocally monophyletic with respect to P. africana. Morphological data (scalation and morphometry) identify consistent, yet subtle, phenotypic differences between the two island populations. We also confirm that P. annobonensis represents a valid species, sister to the species pair P. africana + P. thomensis sp. nov., based on both molecular and morphological evidence. This description raises the number of known Panaspis species in the Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands to three, with consequences for the interpretation of local endemicity.
- Genetic identity of Pipistrellus maderensis from the Madeira archipelago: a first assessment, and implications for conservationPublication . Jesus, José; Teixeira, Sérgio; Freitas, Tamira; Teixeira, David; Brehm, AntonioAccording to the IUCN global Red List, Pipistrellus maderensis is among the most endangered bat species in Europe. Its populations are scattered across some islands of the Atlantic Ocean, particularly Madeira and the Canary archipelagoes. This geographical pattern is likely to result in significant genetic differences between populations which would have important implications to set conservation priorities. To test this hypothesis, we analyze cytochrome b sequences and compared populations from Madeira and the Canary islands. Five sequences from Madeiran individuals were analysed and compared to 30 sequences extracted from GenBank from Pipistrellus maderensisfrom the Canary islands and Pipistrellus kuhli. Our results indicate a significant divergence between the two groups, smaller than between true species, but higher that intra-group divergence. However, further research on the Madeiran popula tion is needed, including the use of sequences of other mitochondrial markers and nuclear marker and microsatellites
- Structure and genetic variation of the mitochondrial control region in the honey bee Apis melliferaPublication . Gonçalves, Rita; Freitas, Ana Isabel; Jesus, José; De la Rúa, Pilar; Brehm, AntonioAlthough the mitochondrial molecule of the honey bee is completely sequenced, the control region is rarely used for genetic inferences as in other invertebrates, due to several constraints mainly a biased A plus T content and extensive variable length repeats. Herein, we have analyzed the control region of honey bees from the Iberian Peninsula and North Atlantic islands. The information retrieved when comparing individuals from different populations was crucial to understand and characterize how the control region is organized in this species. As expected, this region in Apis mellifera appears to contain valuable although limited genetic information at the population level. Furthermore, the comparisons of the A. mellifera control region with other species of the same genus highlight the structural role of particular sequences within the A+T rich control region as proposed here.