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Petros Lymberakis
Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossou Avenue, 71409 Irakleio, Greece

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Journal article
Published: 13 May 2021 in Pathogens
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The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is the only wild felid living in Greece. Wildcat populations are declining due to anthropogenic and phenological unfavourable conditions, and parasites may have an additional negative impact. In the present study, the occurrence of endoparasites in wildcats in Greece and the potential threats posed to wildcats, domestic animals, and humans in the study areas has been investigated. In a six-year period, 23 road-killed wildcats and 62 wildcat faecal samples were collected from different areas of the country. Necropsy for the detection of endoparasites and standard parasitological examinations of faecal samples were performed. Parasites were morphologically identified and, in selected cases, molecularly analysed. All necropsied wildcats (100%) were infected by three to 10 different parasite taxa, with the most prevalent being Taenia taeniaeformis (73.9%), Toxocara cati (60.9%), Angiostrongylus chabaudi (56.5%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (39.1%), Cylicospirura spp. (34.8%), Troglostrongylus brevior (34.8%), and Capillaria aerophila (33.8%). Of the 62 faecal samples examined, 53 (85.5%) were positive for one or more parasite elements (larvae, eggs, or oocysts). The most frequent were T. cati (45.2%), A. chabaudi (29%), C. aerophila (24.2%), and Ancylostomatidae (17.7%). This is the first survey on endoparasites affecting wildcats in Greece. Some of the parasites here found are frequent in domestic and wild felids, while others, i.e., Oslerus rostratus and Cylicospirura petrowi, were described for the first time in the European wildcat. Most of them have a significant pathogenic potential, causing severe to hazardous diseases to infected felids and some, under specific circumstances, can also threaten human health.

ACS Style

Anastasia Diakou; Despina Migli; Dimitris Dimzas; Simone Morelli; Angela Di Cesare; Dionisios Youlatos; Petros Lymberakis; Donato Traversa. Endoparasites of European Wildcats (Felis silvestris) in Greece. Pathogens 2021, 10, 594 .

AMA Style

Anastasia Diakou, Despina Migli, Dimitris Dimzas, Simone Morelli, Angela Di Cesare, Dionisios Youlatos, Petros Lymberakis, Donato Traversa. Endoparasites of European Wildcats (Felis silvestris) in Greece. Pathogens. 2021; 10 (5):594.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anastasia Diakou; Despina Migli; Dimitris Dimzas; Simone Morelli; Angela Di Cesare; Dionisios Youlatos; Petros Lymberakis; Donato Traversa. 2021. "Endoparasites of European Wildcats (Felis silvestris) in Greece." Pathogens 10, no. 5: 594.

Resource article
Published: 15 March 2021 in Molecular Ecology Resources
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Embryos, juveniles, and even adults of many bird species lack pronounce external sexually dimorphic characteristics. Accurate identification of sex is crucial for research (e.g. developmental, population, and evolutionary studies), management of wildlife species, and captive breeding programs for both conservation and poultry. An accurate molecular sexing method applicable across the entire bird radiation is theoretically possible thanks to the long‐term stability of their ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, but current methods are not applicable in a wide range of bird lineages. Here, we developed a novel molecular sexing method based on the comparison of gene copy number variation by quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) in conserved Z‐specific genes (CHRNA6, DDX4, LPAR1, TMEM161B, VPS13A), i.e. genes linked to Z but absent from W chromosomes. We tested the method across three paleognath and 70 neognath species covering the avian phylogeny. In addition, we designed primers for four Z‐specific genes (DOCK8, FUT10, PIGG and PSD3) for qPCR‐based molecular sexing in three paleognath species. We have demonstrated that the genes DOCK8, FUT10, PIGG and PSD3 can identify sex in paleognath birds and the genes CHRNA6, DDX4, TMEM161B, and VPS13A can reveal sex in neognath birds. The gene LPAR1 can be used to accurately identify sex in both paleognath and neognath species. Along with outlining a novel method of practical importance for molecular sexing in birds, our study also documents in detail the conservation of sex chromosomes across the avian phylogeny.

ACS Style

Sofia Mazzoleni; Pavel Němec; Tomáš Albrecht; Petros Lymberakis; Lukáš Kratochvíl; Michail Rovatsos. Long‐term stability of sex chromosome gene content allows accurate qPCR‐based molecular sexing across birds. Molecular Ecology Resources 2021, 21, 2013 -2021.

AMA Style

Sofia Mazzoleni, Pavel Němec, Tomáš Albrecht, Petros Lymberakis, Lukáš Kratochvíl, Michail Rovatsos. Long‐term stability of sex chromosome gene content allows accurate qPCR‐based molecular sexing across birds. Molecular Ecology Resources. 2021; 21 (6):2013-2021.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sofia Mazzoleni; Pavel Němec; Tomáš Albrecht; Petros Lymberakis; Lukáš Kratochvíl; Michail Rovatsos. 2021. "Long‐term stability of sex chromosome gene content allows accurate qPCR‐based molecular sexing across birds." Molecular Ecology Resources 21, no. 6: 2013-2021.

Original paper
Published: 13 February 2021 in Biodiversity and Conservation
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Global environmental goals mandate the expansion of the protected area network to halt biodiversity loss. The European Union’s Natura 2000 network covers 27.3% of the terrestrial area of Greece, one of the highest percentages in Europe. However, the extent to which this network protects Europe’s biodiversity, especially in a biodiverse country like Greece, is unknown. Here, we overlap the country’s Natura 2000 network with the ranges of the 424 species assessed as threatened on the IUCN Red List and present in Greece. Natura 2000 overlaps on average 47.6% of the mapped range of threatened species; this overlap far exceeds that expected by random networks (21.4%). Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation (non-exclusive subsets of Natura 2000 sites) overlap 33.4% and 38.1% respectively. Crete and Peloponnese are the two regions with the highest percentage of threatened species, with Natura 2000 sites overlapping on average 62.3% with the threatened species’ ranges for the former, but only 30.6% for the latter. The Greek ranges of all 62 threatened species listed in Annexes 1 and II to the Birds and Habitats Directives are at least partially overlapped by the network (52.0%), and 18.0% of these are fully overlapped. However, the ranges of 27 threatened species, all of which are endemic to Greece, are not overlapped at all. These results can inform national policies for the protection of biodiversity beyond current Natura 2000 sites.

ACS Style

Konstantina Spiliopoulou; Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos; Thomas M. Brooks; Gabriela Kelaidi; Kaloust Paragamian; Vassiliki Kati; Anthi Oikonomou; Dimitris Vavylis; Panayiotis Trigas; Petros Lymberakis; William Darwall; Maria Th. Stoumboudi; Kostas A. Triantis. The Natura 2000 network and the ranges of threatened species in Greece. Biodiversity and Conservation 2021, 30, 945 -961.

AMA Style

Konstantina Spiliopoulou, Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos, Thomas M. Brooks, Gabriela Kelaidi, Kaloust Paragamian, Vassiliki Kati, Anthi Oikonomou, Dimitris Vavylis, Panayiotis Trigas, Petros Lymberakis, William Darwall, Maria Th. Stoumboudi, Kostas A. Triantis. The Natura 2000 network and the ranges of threatened species in Greece. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2021; 30 (4):945-961.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Konstantina Spiliopoulou; Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos; Thomas M. Brooks; Gabriela Kelaidi; Kaloust Paragamian; Vassiliki Kati; Anthi Oikonomou; Dimitris Vavylis; Panayiotis Trigas; Petros Lymberakis; William Darwall; Maria Th. Stoumboudi; Kostas A. Triantis. 2021. "The Natura 2000 network and the ranges of threatened species in Greece." Biodiversity and Conservation 30, no. 4: 945-961.

Journal article
Published: 03 October 2020 in Journal of Fungi
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Infectious diseases are major drivers of biodiversity loss. The risk of fungal diseases to the survival of threatened animals in nature is determined by a complex interplay between host, pathogen and environment. We here predict the risk of invasion of populations of threatened Mediterranean salamanders of the genus Lyciasalamandra by the pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans by combining field sampling and lab trials. In 494 samples across all seven species of Lyciasalamandra, B. salamandrivorans was found to be absent. Single exposure to a low (1000) number of fungal zoospores resulted in fast buildup of lethal infections in three L. helverseni. Thermal preference of the salamanders was well within the thermal envelope of the pathogen and body temperatures never exceeded the fungus’ thermal critical maximum, limiting the salamanders’ defense opportunities. The relatively low thermal host preference largely invalidates macroclimatic based habitat suitability predictions and, combined with current pathogen absence and high host densities, suggests a high probability of local salamander population declines upon invasion by B. salamandrivorans. However, the unfavorable landscape that shaped intraspecific host genetic diversity, lack of known alternative hosts and rapid host mortality after infection present barriers to further, natural pathogen dispersal between populations and thus species extinction. The risk of anthropogenic spread stresses the importance of biosecurity in amphibian habitats.

ACS Style

Zhimin Li; An Martel; Sergé Bogaerts; Bayram Göçmen; Panayiotis Pafilis; Petros Lymberakis; Tonnie Woeltjes; Michael Veith; Frank Pasmans. Landscape Connectivity Limits the Predicted Impact of Fungal Pathogen Invasion. Journal of Fungi 2020, 6, 205 .

AMA Style

Zhimin Li, An Martel, Sergé Bogaerts, Bayram Göçmen, Panayiotis Pafilis, Petros Lymberakis, Tonnie Woeltjes, Michael Veith, Frank Pasmans. Landscape Connectivity Limits the Predicted Impact of Fungal Pathogen Invasion. Journal of Fungi. 2020; 6 (4):205.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhimin Li; An Martel; Sergé Bogaerts; Bayram Göçmen; Panayiotis Pafilis; Petros Lymberakis; Tonnie Woeltjes; Michael Veith; Frank Pasmans. 2020. "Landscape Connectivity Limits the Predicted Impact of Fungal Pathogen Invasion." Journal of Fungi 6, no. 4: 205.

Journal article
Published: 18 April 2020 in Sustainability
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Nature-based solutions (NBS) are actions that use natural processes in a resource efficient manner to solve societal challenges. The lack of supportive legislature, and financial, communication and social barriers complicate the process of NBS implementation. It is an urgent need to develop approaches to design and implement NBS that would act as drivers to overcome potential barriers and enhance the social acceptability of the project. The vision-based decision-making methodology and participatory process created in this study has been carried out in the Koiliaris Critical Zone Observatory in Crete to design erosion and flood protection NBS and restore the riparian forest. The methodology consists of four distinct steps as follows: i) develop a vision of the area, ii) conduct a baseline assessment study, iii) NBS design and co-design, and iv) procurement and implementation. The methodology overcame multiple barriers because of the effective stakeholder engagement and the vision “drove” the project and created the necessary consensus that is necessary to achieve the objective of converting privately owned prime agricultural land to riparian forest. It offers an exemplar of a functional ecosystem restoration project that protects the river in a sustainable way, improves its biodiversity and water quality and improves the quality of life and social cohesion.

ACS Style

Maria A. Lilli; Sofia D. Nerantzaki; Christos Riziotis; Manolis Kotronakis; Dionissis Efstathiou; Dimitris Kontakos; Petros Lymberakis; Manolis Avramakis; Antonis Tsakirakis; Konstantinos Protopapadakis; Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis. Vision-Based Decision-Making Methodology for Riparian Forest Restoration and Flood Protection Using Nature-Based Solutions. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3305 .

AMA Style

Maria A. Lilli, Sofia D. Nerantzaki, Christos Riziotis, Manolis Kotronakis, Dionissis Efstathiou, Dimitris Kontakos, Petros Lymberakis, Manolis Avramakis, Antonis Tsakirakis, Konstantinos Protopapadakis, Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis. Vision-Based Decision-Making Methodology for Riparian Forest Restoration and Flood Protection Using Nature-Based Solutions. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (8):3305.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria A. Lilli; Sofia D. Nerantzaki; Christos Riziotis; Manolis Kotronakis; Dionissis Efstathiou; Dimitris Kontakos; Petros Lymberakis; Manolis Avramakis; Antonis Tsakirakis; Konstantinos Protopapadakis; Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis. 2020. "Vision-Based Decision-Making Methodology for Riparian Forest Restoration and Flood Protection Using Nature-Based Solutions." Sustainability 12, no. 8: 3305.

Original article
Published: 24 September 2019 in Zoologica Scripta
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Lacerta pamphylica and Lacerta trilineata are two currently recognized green lizard species with a historically problematic taxonomy. In cases of tangled phylogenies, next‐generation sequencing and double‐digest restriction‐site‐associated DNA protocols can provide a wealth of genomic data and resolve difficult taxonomic issues. Here, we generated genome‐wide SNPs and mitochondrial sequences, and applied molecular species delimitation approaches to provide a stable taxonomy for the Aegean green lizards. Mitochondrial gene trees, genetic cluster delimitation and population structure analyses converged into recognizing the populations of (a) L. pamphylica, (b) east Aegean islands, Anatolia and Thrace (diplochondrodes lineage), (c) central Aegean islands (citrovittata), and (d) remaining Balkan populations and islands (trilineata), as separate clusters. Phylogenomic analyses revealed a split into two major clades, east and west of the Aegean Barrier, unambiguously showing a sister–clade relationship between pamphylica and diplochondrodes, rendering L. trilineata paraphyletic. Species delimitation models were tested in a Bayesian framework using the genomic SNPs: lumping all populations into a single ‘species’ had the lowest likelihood but the current taxonomy was also outperformed by all other models. All lines of evidence support the Pamphylian green lizard as a valid species; thus, east Aegean L. trilineata should also be considered a distinct species under the name Lacerta diplochondrodes. Finally, evidence from the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes is overwhelmingly in favour of recognizing the morphologically distinct Cycladian green lizards as a distinct species. We propose their elevation to full species under the name Lacerta citrovittata. All remaining insular and continental populations of the Balkan Peninsula represent the species L. trilineata.

ACS Style

Panagiotis Kornilios; Evanthia Thanou; Petros Lymberakis; Çetin Ilgaz; Yusuf Kumlutaş; Adam Leaché. A phylogenomic resolution for the taxonomy of Aegean green lizards. Zoologica Scripta 2019, 49, 14 -27.

AMA Style

Panagiotis Kornilios, Evanthia Thanou, Petros Lymberakis, Çetin Ilgaz, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Adam Leaché. A phylogenomic resolution for the taxonomy of Aegean green lizards. Zoologica Scripta. 2019; 49 (1):14-27.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Panagiotis Kornilios; Evanthia Thanou; Petros Lymberakis; Çetin Ilgaz; Yusuf Kumlutaş; Adam Leaché. 2019. "A phylogenomic resolution for the taxonomy of Aegean green lizards." Zoologica Scripta 49, no. 1: 14-27.

Journal article
Published: 03 July 2019 in Scientific Reports
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Using a recently developed approach for testing endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs) in amphibians, comprising synchronized tadpole exposure plus genetic and histological sexing of metamorphs in a flow-through-system, we tested the effects of 17β-Trenbolone (Tb), a widely used growth promoter in cattle farming, in three deeply diverged anuran families: the amphibian model species Xenopus laevis (Pipidae) and the non-models Bufo(tes) viridis (Bufonidae) and Hyla arborea (Hylidae). Trenbolone was applied in three environmentally and/or physiologically relevant concentrations (0.027 µg/L (10−10 M), 0.27 µg/L (10−9 M), 2.7 µg/L (10−8 M)). In none of the species, Tb caused sex reversals or masculinization of gonads but had negative species-specific impacts on gonad morphology and differentiation after the completion of metamorphosis, independently of genetic sex. In H. arborea and B. viridis, mounting Tb-concentration correlated positively with anatomical abnormalities at 27 µg/L (10−9 M) and 2.7 µg/L (10−8 M), occurring in X. laevis only at the highest Tb concentration. Despite anatomical aberrations, histologically all gonadal tissues differentiated seemingly normally when examined at the histological level but at various rates. Tb-concentration caused various species-specific mortalities (low in Xenopus, uncertain in Bufo). Our data suggest that deep phylogenetic divergence modifies EDC-vulnerability, as previously demonstrated for Bisphenol A (BPA) and Ethinylestradiol (EE2).

ACS Style

Beata Rozenblut-Kościsty; Maria Ogielska; Juliane Hahn; Denise Kleemann; Ronja Kossakowski; Stephanie Tamschick; Viola Schöning; Angela Krüger; Ilka Lutz; Petros Lymberakis; Werner Kloas; Matthias Stöck. Impacts of the synthetic androgen Trenbolone on gonad differentiation and development – comparisons between three deeply diverged anuran families. Scientific Reports 2019, 9, 1 -15.

AMA Style

Beata Rozenblut-Kościsty, Maria Ogielska, Juliane Hahn, Denise Kleemann, Ronja Kossakowski, Stephanie Tamschick, Viola Schöning, Angela Krüger, Ilka Lutz, Petros Lymberakis, Werner Kloas, Matthias Stöck. Impacts of the synthetic androgen Trenbolone on gonad differentiation and development – comparisons between three deeply diverged anuran families. Scientific Reports. 2019; 9 (1):1-15.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beata Rozenblut-Kościsty; Maria Ogielska; Juliane Hahn; Denise Kleemann; Ronja Kossakowski; Stephanie Tamschick; Viola Schöning; Angela Krüger; Ilka Lutz; Petros Lymberakis; Werner Kloas; Matthias Stöck. 2019. "Impacts of the synthetic androgen Trenbolone on gonad differentiation and development – comparisons between three deeply diverged anuran families." Scientific Reports 9, no. 1: 1-15.

Original article
Published: 28 June 2019 in Molecular Ecology
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Cryptic phylogeographic diversifications provide unique models to examine the role of phylogenetic divergence on the evolution of reproductive isolation, without extrinsic factors such as ecological and behavioural differentiation. Yet, to date very few comparative studies have been attempted within such radiations. Here, we characterize a new speciation continuum in a group of widespread Eurasian amphibians, the Pelobates spadefoot toads, by conducting multilocus (restriction site associated DNA sequencing and mitochondrial DNA) phylogenetic, phylogeographic and hybrid zone analyses. Within the P. syriacus complex, we discovered species‐level cryptic divergences (>5 million years ago [My]) between populations distributed in the Near‐East (hereafter P. syriacus sensu stricto [s.s.]) and southeastern Europe (hereafter P. balcanicus), each featuring deep intraspecific lineages. Altogether, we could scale hybridizability to divergence time along six different stages, spanning from sympatry without gene flow (P. fuscus and P. balcanicus, >10 My), parapatry with highly restricted hybridization (P. balcanicus and P. syriacus s.s., >5 My), narrow hybrid zones (~15 km) consistent with partial reproductive isolation (P. fuscus and P. vespertinus, ~3 My), to extensive admixture between Pleistocene and refugial lineages (≤2 My). This full spectrum empirically supports a gradual build up of reproductive barriers through time, reversible up until a threshold that we estimate at ~3 My. Hence, cryptic phylogeographic lineages may fade away or become reproductively isolated species simply depending on the time they persist in allopatry, and without definite ecomorphological divergence.

ACS Style

Christophe Dufresnes; Ilias Strachinis; Nataliia Suriadna; Galyna Mykytynets; Dan Cogălniceanu; Paul Székely; Tanja Vukov; Jan W. Arntzen; Ben Wielstra; Petros Lymberakis; Eli Geffen; Sarig Gafny; Yusuf Kumlutaş; Çetin Ilgaz; Kamil Candan; Edvárd Mizsei; Márton Szabolcs; Krzysztof Kolenda; Nazar Smirnov; Philippe Géniez; Simeon Lukanov; Pierre-André Crochet; Sylvain Dubey; Nicolas Perrin; Spartak Litvinchuk; Mathieu Denoël. Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates ). Molecular Ecology 2019, 28, 3257 -3270.

AMA Style

Christophe Dufresnes, Ilias Strachinis, Nataliia Suriadna, Galyna Mykytynets, Dan Cogălniceanu, Paul Székely, Tanja Vukov, Jan W. Arntzen, Ben Wielstra, Petros Lymberakis, Eli Geffen, Sarig Gafny, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Çetin Ilgaz, Kamil Candan, Edvárd Mizsei, Márton Szabolcs, Krzysztof Kolenda, Nazar Smirnov, Philippe Géniez, Simeon Lukanov, Pierre-André Crochet, Sylvain Dubey, Nicolas Perrin, Spartak Litvinchuk, Mathieu Denoël. Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates ). Molecular Ecology. 2019; 28 (13):3257-3270.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christophe Dufresnes; Ilias Strachinis; Nataliia Suriadna; Galyna Mykytynets; Dan Cogălniceanu; Paul Székely; Tanja Vukov; Jan W. Arntzen; Ben Wielstra; Petros Lymberakis; Eli Geffen; Sarig Gafny; Yusuf Kumlutaş; Çetin Ilgaz; Kamil Candan; Edvárd Mizsei; Márton Szabolcs; Krzysztof Kolenda; Nazar Smirnov; Philippe Géniez; Simeon Lukanov; Pierre-André Crochet; Sylvain Dubey; Nicolas Perrin; Spartak Litvinchuk; Mathieu Denoël. 2019. "Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates )." Molecular Ecology 28, no. 13: 3257-3270.

Journal article
Published: 24 May 2019 in Scientific Reports
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Amniotes possess variability in sex determination, from environmental sex determination (ESD), where no sex chromosomes are present, to genotypic sex determination (GSD) with highly differentiated sex chromosomes. Some evolutionary scenarios postulate high stability of differentiated sex chromosomes and rare transitions from GSD to ESD. However, sex chromosome turnovers and two independent transitions from highly differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes to ESD were previously reported in the lacertid lizards. Here, we examined the homology of sex chromosomes in the wide phylogenetic spectrum of lacertids and their outgroups by comparing gene copy numbers between sexes in genes previously found to be Z-specific in some lacertids. Our current sampling covers 45 species from 26 genera including lineages supposed to possess a derived sex determining systems. We found that all tested lacertids share homologous differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, which were present already in their common ancestor living around 85 million years ago. These differentiated sex chromosomes are not present in amphisbaenians and teiid lizards, the close relatives of lacertids. Our study demonstrates how inaccuracies in data can influence the outcome of phylogenetic reconstructions of evolution of sex determination, in this case they overestimated the number of shifts from GSD to ESD and the rate in turnovers of sex chromosomes.

ACS Style

Michail Rovatsos; Jasna Vukić; Agata Mrugała; Grzegorz Suwala; Petros Lymberakis; Lukáš Kratochvíl. Little evidence for switches to environmental sex determination and turnover of sex chromosomes in lacertid lizards. Scientific Reports 2019, 9, 1 -9.

AMA Style

Michail Rovatsos, Jasna Vukić, Agata Mrugała, Grzegorz Suwala, Petros Lymberakis, Lukáš Kratochvíl. Little evidence for switches to environmental sex determination and turnover of sex chromosomes in lacertid lizards. Scientific Reports. 2019; 9 (1):1-9.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Michail Rovatsos; Jasna Vukić; Agata Mrugała; Grzegorz Suwala; Petros Lymberakis; Lukáš Kratochvíl. 2019. "Little evidence for switches to environmental sex determination and turnover of sex chromosomes in lacertid lizards." Scientific Reports 9, no. 1: 1-9.

Journal article
Published: 02 May 2018 in BMC Evolutionary Biology
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Debated aspects in speciation research concern the amount of gene flow between incipient species under secondary contact and the modes by which post-zygotic isolation accumulates. Secondary contact zones of allopatric lineages, involving varying levels of divergence, provide natural settings for comparative studies, for which the Aegean (Eastern Mediterranean) geography offers unique scenarios. In Palearctic green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup or Bufotes), Plio-Pleistocene (~ 2.6 Mya) diverged species show a sharp transition without contemporary gene flow, while younger lineages, diverged in the Lower-Pleistocene (~ 1.9 Mya), admix over tens of kilometers. Here, we conducted a fine-scale multilocus phylogeographic analysis of continental and insular green toads from the Aegean, where a third pair of taxa, involving Mid-Pleistocene diverged (~ 1.5 Mya) mitochondrial lineages, earlier tentatively named viridis and variabilis, (co-)occurs. We discovered a new lineage, endemic to Naxos (Central Cyclades), while coastal islands and Crete feature weak genetic differentiation from the continent. In continental Greece, both lineages, viridis and variabilis, form a hybrid swarm, involving massive mitochondrial and nuclear admixture over hundreds of kilometers, without obvious selection against hybrids. The genetic signatures of insular Aegean toads appear governed by bathymetry and Quaternary sea level changes, resulting in long-term isolation (Central Cyclades: Naxos) and recent land-bridges (coastal islands). Conversely, Crete has been isolated since the end of the Messinian salinity crisis (5.3 My) and Cretan populations thus likely result from human-mediated colonization, at least since Antiquity, from Peloponnese and Anatolia. Comparisons of green toad hybrid zones support the idea that post-zygotic hybrid incompatibilities accumulate gradually over the genome. In this radiation, only one million years of divergence separate a scenario of complete reproductive isolation, from a secondary contact resulting in near panmixia.

ACS Style

Christophe Dufresnes; Petros Lymberakis; Panagiotis Kornilios; Romain Savary; Nicolas Perrin; Matthias Stöck. Phylogeography of Aegean green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup): continental hybrid swarm vs. insular diversification with discovery of a new island endemic. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2018, 18, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Christophe Dufresnes, Petros Lymberakis, Panagiotis Kornilios, Romain Savary, Nicolas Perrin, Matthias Stöck. Phylogeography of Aegean green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup): continental hybrid swarm vs. insular diversification with discovery of a new island endemic. BMC Evolutionary Biology. 2018; 18 (1):1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christophe Dufresnes; Petros Lymberakis; Panagiotis Kornilios; Romain Savary; Nicolas Perrin; Matthias Stöck. 2018. "Phylogeography of Aegean green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup): continental hybrid swarm vs. insular diversification with discovery of a new island endemic." BMC Evolutionary Biology 18, no. 1: 1-12.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Aquatic Toxicology
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Amphibians are undergoing a global decline. One poorly investigated reason could be the pollution of aquatic habitats by endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). We tested the susceptibility to the synthetically stabilized estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in three deeply diverged anuran species, differing in sex determination systems, types of gonadogenesis and larval ecologies. To understand whether data from the amphibian model Xenopus laevis (Pipidae) are analogous and applicable to only distantly related non-model amphibians, tadpoles of X. laevis, Hyla arborea (Hylidae) and Bufo viridis (Bufonidae) were simultaneously exposed to 50, 500 and 5,000 ng/L EE2 from hatching until completion of metamorphosis, using a flow-through-system under identical experimental conditions. Comparing molecularly established genetic with histologically assessed phenotypic sex in all species, we have recently shown that EE2 provoked numerous genetic-male-to-phenotypic-female sex reversals and mixed sex individuals. In the present study, we focus on the influence of EE2 on gonadal and somatic development. Anatomy and histology revealed several species-specific effects. In both non-model species, H. arborea and B. viridis, high numbers of anatomically impaired gonads were observed. In H. arborea exposed to 5,000 ng/L EE2, numerous underdeveloped gonads were detected. Whereas EE2 did not alter snout-to-vent length and body weight of X. laevis metamorphs, H. arborea showed a treatment-dependent decrease, while B. viridis exhibited an increase in body weight and snout-to-vent length. Apart from a concentration-dependent occurrence of yellowish skin color in several H. arborea, no organ-specific effects were detected. Since EE2 ubiquitously occurs in many aquatic ecosystems and affects sexual and somatic development, among EDCs, it may indeed contribute to amphibian decline. The inter-species variation in developmental EE2-effects corroborates species-specific vulnerability differences towards EDCs between deeply diverged amphibian groups.

ACS Style

Stephanie Tamschick; Beata Rozenblut-Kościsty; Maria Ogielska; Andreas Lehmann; Petros Lymberakis; Frauke Hoffmann; Ilka Lutz; Rudolf J. Schneider; Werner Kloas; Matthias Stöck. Impaired gonadal and somatic development corroborate vulnerability differences to the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol among deeply diverged anuran lineages. Aquatic Toxicology 2016, 177, 503 -514.

AMA Style

Stephanie Tamschick, Beata Rozenblut-Kościsty, Maria Ogielska, Andreas Lehmann, Petros Lymberakis, Frauke Hoffmann, Ilka Lutz, Rudolf J. Schneider, Werner Kloas, Matthias Stöck. Impaired gonadal and somatic development corroborate vulnerability differences to the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol among deeply diverged anuran lineages. Aquatic Toxicology. 2016; 177 ():503-514.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stephanie Tamschick; Beata Rozenblut-Kościsty; Maria Ogielska; Andreas Lehmann; Petros Lymberakis; Frauke Hoffmann; Ilka Lutz; Rudolf J. Schneider; Werner Kloas; Matthias Stöck. 2016. "Impaired gonadal and somatic development corroborate vulnerability differences to the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol among deeply diverged anuran lineages." Aquatic Toxicology 177, no. : 503-514.

Journal article
Published: 29 December 2015 in BMC Genomics
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The current extensive use of the domestic goat (Capra hircus) is the result of its medium size and high adaptability as multiple breeds. The extent to which its genetic variability was influenced by early domestication practices is largely unknown. A common standard by which to analyze maternally-inherited variability of livestock species is through complete sequencing of the entire mitogenome (mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA). We present the first extensive survey of goat mitogenomic variability based on 84 complete sequences selected from an initial collection of 758 samples that represent 60 different breeds of C. hircus, as well as its wild sister species, bezoar (Capra aegagrus) from Iran. Our phylogenetic analyses dated the most recent common ancestor of C. hircus to ~460,000 years (ka) ago and identified five distinctive domestic haplogroups (A, B1, C1a, D1 and G). More than 90 % of goats examined were in haplogroup A. These domestic lineages are predominantly nested within C. aegagrus branches, diverged concomitantly at the interface between the Epipaleolithic and early Neolithic periods, and underwent a dramatic expansion starting from ~12–10 ka ago. Domestic goat mitogenomes descended from a small number of founding haplotypes that underwent domestication after surviving the last glacial maximum in the Near Eastern refuges. All modern haplotypes A probably descended from a single (or at most a few closely related) female C. aegagrus. Zooarchaelogical data indicate that domestication first occurred in Southeastern Anatolia. Goats accompanying the first Neolithic migration waves into the Mediterranean were already characterized by two ancestral A and C variants. The ancient separation of the C branch (~130 ka ago) suggests a genetically distinct population that could have been involved in a second event of domestication. The novel diagnostic mutational motifs defined here, which distinguish wild and domestic haplogroups, could be used to understand phylogenetic relationships among modern breeds and ancient remains and to evaluate whether selection differentially affected mitochondrial genome variants during the development of economically important breeds.

ACS Style

Licia Colli; Hovirag Lancioni; Irene Cardinali; Anna Olivieri; Marco Rosario Capodiferro; Marco Pellecchia; Marcin Rzepus; Wahid Zamani; Saeid Naderi; Francesca Gandini; Seyed Mohammad Farhad Vahidi; Saif Agha; Ettore Randi; Vincenza Battaglia; Maria Teresa Sardina; Baldassare Portolano; Hamid Reza Rezaei; Petros Lymberakis; Frédéric Boyer; Eric Coissac; François Pompanon; Pierre Taberlet; Paolo Ajmone Marsan; Alessandro Achilli. Whole mitochondrial genomes unveil the impact of domestication on goat matrilineal variability. BMC Genomics 2015, 16, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Licia Colli, Hovirag Lancioni, Irene Cardinali, Anna Olivieri, Marco Rosario Capodiferro, Marco Pellecchia, Marcin Rzepus, Wahid Zamani, Saeid Naderi, Francesca Gandini, Seyed Mohammad Farhad Vahidi, Saif Agha, Ettore Randi, Vincenza Battaglia, Maria Teresa Sardina, Baldassare Portolano, Hamid Reza Rezaei, Petros Lymberakis, Frédéric Boyer, Eric Coissac, François Pompanon, Pierre Taberlet, Paolo Ajmone Marsan, Alessandro Achilli. Whole mitochondrial genomes unveil the impact of domestication on goat matrilineal variability. BMC Genomics. 2015; 16 (1):1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Licia Colli; Hovirag Lancioni; Irene Cardinali; Anna Olivieri; Marco Rosario Capodiferro; Marco Pellecchia; Marcin Rzepus; Wahid Zamani; Saeid Naderi; Francesca Gandini; Seyed Mohammad Farhad Vahidi; Saif Agha; Ettore Randi; Vincenza Battaglia; Maria Teresa Sardina; Baldassare Portolano; Hamid Reza Rezaei; Petros Lymberakis; Frédéric Boyer; Eric Coissac; François Pompanon; Pierre Taberlet; Paolo Ajmone Marsan; Alessandro Achilli. 2015. "Whole mitochondrial genomes unveil the impact of domestication on goat matrilineal variability." BMC Genomics 16, no. 1: 1-12.

Journal article
Published: 08 August 2015 in BMC Evolutionary Biology
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Hybridization between incipient species is expected to become progressively limited as their genetic divergence increases and reproductive isolation proceeds. Amphibian radiations and their secondary contact zones are useful models to infer the timeframes of speciation, but empirical data from natural systems remains extremely scarce. Here we follow this approach in the European radiation of tree frogs (Hyla arborea group). We investigated a natural hybrid zone between two lineages (Hyla arborea and Hyla orientalis) of Mio-Pliocene divergence (~5 My) for comparison with other hybrid systems from this group. We found concordant geographic distributions of nuclear and mitochondrial gene pools, and replicated narrow transitions (~30 km) across two independent transects, indicating an advanced state of reproductive isolation and potential local barriers to dispersal. This result parallels the situation between H. arborea and H. intermedia, which share the same amount of divergence with H. orientalis. In contrast, younger lineages show much stronger admixture at secondary contacts. Our findings corroborate the negative relationship between hybridizability and divergence time in European tree frogs, where 5 My are necessary to achieve almost complete reproductive isolation. Speciation seems to progress homogeneously in this radiation, and might thus be driven by gradual genome-wide changes rather than single speciation genes. However, the timescale differs greatly from that of other well-studied amphibians. General assumptions on the time necessary for speciation based on evidence from unrelated taxa may thus be unreliable. In contrast, comparative hybrid zone analyses within single radiations such as our case study are useful to appreciate the advance of speciation in space and time.

ACS Style

Christophe Dufresnes; Alan Brelsford; Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailović; Nikolay Tzankov; Petros Lymberakis; Nicolas Perrin. Timeframe of speciation inferred from secondary contact zones in the European tree frog radiation (Hyla arborea group). BMC Evolutionary Biology 2015, 15, 155 .

AMA Style

Christophe Dufresnes, Alan Brelsford, Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailović, Nikolay Tzankov, Petros Lymberakis, Nicolas Perrin. Timeframe of speciation inferred from secondary contact zones in the European tree frog radiation (Hyla arborea group). BMC Evolutionary Biology. 2015; 15 (1):155.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christophe Dufresnes; Alan Brelsford; Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailović; Nikolay Tzankov; Petros Lymberakis; Nicolas Perrin. 2015. "Timeframe of speciation inferred from secondary contact zones in the European tree frog radiation (Hyla arborea group)." BMC Evolutionary Biology 15, no. 1: 155.

Journal article
Published: 12 December 2013 in Zoologica Scripta
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The four‐lined snake, Elaphe quatuorlineata, has a fragmented distribution, restricted in continental regions and islands of the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and includes several morphologically described subspecies. In this study, mtDNA sequences are used to investigate its evolutionary and biogeographical history, to explore the role of palaeogeography, palaeoclimate and human activities in shaping the observed phylogeographical patterns and to discuss whether current subspecific taxonomy is consistent with the intraspecific phylogeny. The phylogeography of the species is a result of both vicariant and dispersal events, some of them transmarine and even human mediated. Its diversification began approximately 3.5 Mya and continued during the Pleistocene glacial periods, when the four‐lined snake's range was restricted in the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and subsequently expanded from subrefugia, which acted as ‘biodiversity pockets’. Our study supports the recognition of three genetic lineages that roughly correspond to the morphological subspecies, although the morphological characters used for their discrimination should be re‐evaluated. It seems that the current morphological subspecies correspond to ecomorphs associated with body size change in island snakes and the island‐dwarfism phenomenon.

ACS Style

Panagiotis Kornilios; Evanthia Thanou; Petros Lymberakis; Roberto Sindaco; Cristiano Liuzzi; Sinos Giokas. Mitochondrial phylogeography, intraspecific diversity and phenotypic convergence in the four-lined snake (Reptilia, Squamata). Zoologica Scripta 2013, 43, 149 -160.

AMA Style

Panagiotis Kornilios, Evanthia Thanou, Petros Lymberakis, Roberto Sindaco, Cristiano Liuzzi, Sinos Giokas. Mitochondrial phylogeography, intraspecific diversity and phenotypic convergence in the four-lined snake (Reptilia, Squamata). Zoologica Scripta. 2013; 43 (2):149-160.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Panagiotis Kornilios; Evanthia Thanou; Petros Lymberakis; Roberto Sindaco; Cristiano Liuzzi; Sinos Giokas. 2013. "Mitochondrial phylogeography, intraspecific diversity and phenotypic convergence in the four-lined snake (Reptilia, Squamata)." Zoologica Scripta 43, no. 2: 149-160.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2012 in BMC Evolutionary Biology
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The evolutionary history of the biota of North Africa and Arabia is inextricably tied to the complex geological and climatic evolution that gave rise to the prevalent deserts of these areas. Reptiles constitute an exemplary group in the study of the arid environments with numerous well-adapted members, while recent studies using reptiles as models have unveiled interesting biogeographical and diversification patterns. In this study, we include 207 specimens belonging to all 12 recognized species of the genus Stenodactylus. Molecular phylogenies inferred using two mitochondrial (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) and two nuclear (c-mos and RAG-2) markers are employed to obtain a robust time-calibrated phylogeny, as the base to investigate the inter- and intraspecific relationships and to elucidate the biogeographical history of Stenodactylus, a genus with a large distribution range including the arid and hyper-arid areas of North Africa and Arabia.

ACS Style

Margarita Metallinou; Edwin Nicholas Arnold; Pierre-André Crochet; Philippe Geniez; José Carlos Brito; Petros Lymberakis; Sherif Baha El Din; Roberto Sindaco; Michael Robinson; Salvador Carranza. Conquering the Sahara and Arabian deserts: systematics and biogeography of Stenodactylus geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). BMC Evolutionary Biology 2012, 12, 258 -258.

AMA Style

Margarita Metallinou, Edwin Nicholas Arnold, Pierre-André Crochet, Philippe Geniez, José Carlos Brito, Petros Lymberakis, Sherif Baha El Din, Roberto Sindaco, Michael Robinson, Salvador Carranza. Conquering the Sahara and Arabian deserts: systematics and biogeography of Stenodactylus geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). BMC Evolutionary Biology. 2012; 12 (1):258-258.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Margarita Metallinou; Edwin Nicholas Arnold; Pierre-André Crochet; Philippe Geniez; José Carlos Brito; Petros Lymberakis; Sherif Baha El Din; Roberto Sindaco; Michael Robinson; Salvador Carranza. 2012. "Conquering the Sahara and Arabian deserts: systematics and biogeography of Stenodactylus geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)." BMC Evolutionary Biology 12, no. 1: 258-258.

Journal article
Published: 16 February 2010 in Diversity
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The area of the Aegean can be described as one of nature’s most active laboratories. The contemporary geomorphology of the Aegean is a result of diverse and still ongoing geological events, which coupled with climate changes, have created mountains and thousands of islands. The Aegean bridges three continents, where human activity has been recorded for at least 10,000 years. Herpetofauna diversity offered early researchers the possibility of describing patterns in the Aegean, especially as the distributional limit for several species and faunal elements. The patterns initially described at a rather coarse scale formed the frame on which the application of new techniques opened new views and permitted finer analyses. Here, we assess recent works on the Aegean’s herpetofauna, outlining the role of sea barriers, especially the Mid Aegean Trench (MAT). We propose four basic patterns (pre-MAT, post-MAT, newcomers, and that of an outlier) and discuss exceptions to these patterns, to interpret the diversity recorded. The interdisciplinary study of taxonomy helps explaining the observed diversity and provides powerful arguments for how exploring diversity can be used to explain more than biological processes.

ACS Style

Petros Lymberakis; Nikos Poulakakis. Three Continents Claiming an Archipelago: The Evolution of Aegean’s Herpetofaunal Diversity. Diversity 2010, 2, 233 -255.

AMA Style

Petros Lymberakis, Nikos Poulakakis. Three Continents Claiming an Archipelago: The Evolution of Aegean’s Herpetofaunal Diversity. Diversity. 2010; 2 (2):233-255.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Petros Lymberakis; Nikos Poulakakis. 2010. "Three Continents Claiming an Archipelago: The Evolution of Aegean’s Herpetofaunal Diversity." Diversity 2, no. 2: 233-255.