De Luna, E. 2016.

Typification, taxonomy, and worldwide distribution of Braunia secunda (Hook.) Bruch & Schimp. (Hedwigiaceae). Journal of Bryology 38: 286-294.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03736687.2016.1170319

Abstract:
Diagnosis and illustrations are given for Braunia secunda (Hook.) Bruch & Schimp., and a Humboldt and Bonpland specimen (BM) is selected as the lectotype. Also a collection by Arséne (BM) is designated as the lectotype for B. secunda var. crassiretis Thér. This variety is retained as synonym of B. secunda. The species concept of B. secunda is revised and a provisional key is provided to help in the identification of 23 species of Braunia, based on examination of herbarium specimens worldwide. About half of specimens from Mexico actually represent another species, B. andrieuxii Lorentz. All material examined from India, previously identified as B. secunda belongs to B. macropelma (Müll.Hal.) A.Jaeger, whereas collections from Africa are actually B. rupestris (Mitt.) A.Jaeger, B. entodonticarpa Müll.Hal., or B. diaphana (Müll.Hal.) A.Jaeger. These and other species should no longer be considered synonyms of B. secunda. The worldwide distribution of the species is documented for the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, and Bolivia.

Keywords: Hedwigiales, keys, lectotypification, moss, nomenclature, systematics.
eprint: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/Rfd4q4DGRqcND5nYYunA/full

Becerra-Hernández C, D. González, E. De Luna y J. Mena-Portales. 2016

First Report of Pleoanamorphy in Gyrothrix verticiclada with an Idriella-Like Synanamorph. Cryptogamie, Mycologie 37(2): 241-252. 
http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.7872/crym/v37.iss2.2016.241

Abstract

Pleoanamorphy with two types of conidia is reported for the first time in Gyrothrix verticiclada. The first conidial type has the normal morphology already known for G. verticiclada, but the second conidial type is identified here as an Idriella-like synanamorph. Both conidial types were isolated, then cultivated separately, photographed, and deposited in the Mycothèque de l'Université Catholique de Louvain (BCCM™/MUCL). The morphological similarities of both types of conidia were examined in comparison with conidia in other species of Idriella and Gyrothrix guided by a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences from three gene regions and morphological data. Phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum parsimony as the optimality criterion using the program TNT. Results indicated that one individual of Gyrothrix verticiclada is associated with Idriella cubensis and seven with species of both genera. Both types of conidia, Gyrothrix verticiclada (MUCL54065) and the Idriella-like synanamorph (MUCL54064) were recovered as homologous. In addition to knowledge about pleomorphism of G. verticiclada, a BLAST search was made using ITS and LSU sequences in order to find the teleomorphic relationship of G. verticiclada. The teleomorphic connection suggests a correspondence with named genera belonging to the order Xylariales.

Keywords: Anamorphic fungi, pleomorphism, phylogeny, ITS, LSU, tef-1alpha

Ramírez-Sánchez MM, E. De Luna y C. Cramer. 2016

Geometric and traditional morphometrics for the assessment of character state identity: multivariate statistical analyses of character variation in the water mite genus Arrenurus (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Arrenuridae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 177: 720–749.
 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/enhanced/doi/10.1111/zoj.12384/

Abstract
Geometric and traditional morphometric approaches are tested to describe and reveal taxonomic characters and character states in variation of shape and size of idiosoma morphology in the Arrenuridae. Patterns of variation of idiosoma and glandularia features of males from 11 Mexican species of Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) and two species of subgenus Dadayella were explored with five landmark configurations and three sets of interlandmark distances. Separate principal component analyses (PCA) and canonical variate analyses (CVA) were performed for each data set. The eight multivariate analyses of variance among 13 a priori groups (species) detected significantly different morphometric variants, which were interpreted as different taxonomic character states. Patterns of character state similarity among species were examined with unweighted-pair grouping method using averages (UPGMA) cluster analyses on Mahalanobis distances. Analyses of five landmark configurations revealed important taxonomical variation in the anterior idiosoma outline (10 character states), the outline of the posterior region or cauda (13 states), the distribution of postocularia, and the second and third pairs of dorsoglandularia (nine states), the fourth pair of dorsoglandularia (three states), and ventroglandularia on the posterior side of idiosoma (nine character states). Multivariate analyses of three sets of distance measurements also resulted in the detection of potential taxonomic characters related to idiosoma size (12 character states), postocularia and dorsoglandularia (13 states), and ventroglandularia (nine character states). Morphometric analyses of distances and shapes provide a formal basis for the interpretation of taxonomic characters, and for the discovery of character states. These characters should be investigated further in a wider sample of species for the phylogenetic systematics of these water mites. In the meantime, idiosoma regions and structures were tested for congruence in a phylogenetic analysis, and were proposed as homologous among the species sampled.

 Additional keywords: cauda shape – character homology – glandularia – idiosoma shape – idiosoma size – Megaluracarus – taxonomic characters.

Figure 7. Shape variation in the dorsal view of the cauda outline (Data set 2). Scatterplot of

canonical variates scores (Root 1 versus Root 2), deformation grids of shape changes

relative to the mean shape are shown for both axes (A). Overall pattern of shape similarity

among 11 Megaluracarus species and two Dadayella species based on Mahalanobis

distances computed from the canonical variates analysis (B). All species resulted

significantly different from each other and therefore 13 character states were discovered in

the cauda outline. Branches in the UPGMA phenogram are labeled according to

discrimination order defined by the CVs. Symbols in the plot and in the phenogram are as

in Figure 6.

Figure. 14. Single most parsimonious tree selected in our phylogenetic analysis of the

combined morphometric data with TNT (score 95.8119). The character matrix included

continuous values of three distance sets and five landmark configurations. Only one shape

character, the cauda outline (Data set 2), is optimised in this tree. Landmark configurations

of the cauda shape at terminal nodes are those as observed in each species. The numbers on

each configuration indicate shapes that are significantly different, as evaluated by the CVA

and MANOVA for landmark Data set 2, as illustrated and labelled in Fig. 7B. In all

hypothetical landmark configurations of the cauda shape at internal nodes, deformation

vectors at each point indicate displacements relative to the ancestral shape as optimised

with TNT.

Ospina S., E De Luna, L. G. Herrera y J. J. Flores. 2016

Cranial shape and diet variation in Myotis species (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): testing the relationship between form and function. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 18(1): 163-180.
doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2016.18.1.007

Abstract: The relationship between cranial morphology and diet has long been investigated in bats. Bats of the genus Myotis include insectivorous, facultatively piscivorous, and piscivorous species. We tested the hypothesis that facultatively piscivorous (five Myotis species) and piscivorous species (M. vivesi) present cranial morphological and functional changes with respect to insectivorous taxa (16 Myotis species). Cranial shapes in skull and mandible modules were described with four geometric landmark configurations in these dietary groups. Gape capacity was measured with the stretch factors for temporal and masseter muscles. Geometric configurations from two skull and two mandible shapes were analyzed to detect differences in cranial morphology in relation to diet. Differences in cranial morphology were found between piscivorous and insectivorous species involving the mandibular process where masticatory muscles are attached. Linear regression analysis of Procrustes distances and gape capacity showed that the shape of the mandibular process region was highly correlated with the stretch factor of the masseter muscle in piscivorous and facultatively piscivorous species. These results suggest differences in cranial morphology and performance among diets but the hypothesis of gradual changes in cranial shape among diets was only accepted for the mandible and not for the skull. Myotis vivesi appears to improve mechanical advantage of masticatory muscles at lower gapes, presumably allowing more efficient chewing of slippery prey.

Key words: Myotis, geometric morphometrics, piscivory, stretch factor, masticatory muscles.