Feather mites (Acariformes, Astigmata) from marine birds of the Barton Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica), with descriptions of two new species.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Han YD
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8505394 | biostudies-literature | 2021
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Feather mites (Acariformes, Astigmata) from marine birds of the Barton Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica), with descriptions of two new species.
Han Yeong-Deok YD Mironov Sergey V SV Kim Jeong-Hoon JH Min Gi-Sik GS
ZooKeys 20211004
We report on the first investigation of feather mites associated with birds living on the Barton Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica). We found seven feather mite species of the superfamily Analgoidea from four host species. Two new species are described from two charadriiform hosts: Alloptes (Sternalloptes) antarcticus<b>sp. nov.</b> (Alloptidae) from <i>Stercorariusmaccormicki</i> Saunders (Stercorariidae), and <i>Ingrassiachionis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> (Xolalgidae) from <i>Chionisalbus</i> ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:The Macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus is a small crested penguin. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of E. chrysolophus is revealed for the first time. The mitogenome sequence is circular and 17,059 bp in length. It contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes similar to other Spheniscidae species. The total nucleotide composition is 30.53% (A), 32.86% (C), 13.96% (G), and 22.66% (T), and 46.81% for overall GC contents. The phylogenetic analysis shows a close relationship between E. chrysolophus and E. schlegeli. Our findings would be useful for further studies on phylogenetics and evolutionary history of the genus Eudyptes.
| S-EPMC7995847 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Carotenoids are isoprenoid pigments used by pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and feed industry as antioxidants and colorants. Although traditional sources of carotenoids are fruits, vegetables and chemical synthesis, prospecting for alternative sinks of common and/or unusual carotenoids is important for the development of natural carotenoid industry. In this work, 30 pigmented bacterial strains from Fildes Peninsula in King George Island, Antarctica, were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and classified in three phyla, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. After cells extraction, ten different carotenoids were identified based on the chromatographic and spectroscopic characteristic obtained by HPLC-PDA and HPLC-PDA-APCI-MS analyses. Strains assigned to Bacteroidetes affiliated to Flavobacterium, Chryseobacterium and Zobellia genera, presented a pigment profile composed of zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene. Firmicutes strains of Planococcus genus produced a C50 carotenoid, identified as C.p. 450 glucoside. Actinobacteria isolates were mainly assigned to Arthrobacter genus, and few to Salinibacterium and Cryobacterium genera. Arthrobacter strains produced C50 carotenoids such as decaprenoxanthin and its glucosylated derivatives, as well as some C40 carotenoids such as lycopene which is used as synthesis precursors of the C50 carotenoids. Salinibacterium and Cryobacterium genera produced C.p. 450 free form and its glucosylated derivatives. Although most isolates produce carotenoids similar in diversity and quantity than those already reported in the literature, novel sources for C50 carotenoids results from this work. According to their carotenoid content, all isolates could be promising candidates for carotenoids production.
| S-EPMC6348148 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Two new species of feather mites are described from two individuals of the black-tailed godwit, Limosalimosa (Linnaeus, 1758), in Korea: Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosaesp. nov. (Analgoidea, Alloptidae) and Phyllochaetalimosae sp. nov. (Pterolichoidea, Syringobiidae). Males of A. (C.) neolimosaesp. nov. are distinguished from A. (C.) limosae in having the hysteronotal shield with a straight anterior margin, setae h2 enlarged and slightly flattened in the basal half, and the terminal lamella monotonously transparent without sclerotized patches; females differ in having legs IV with ambulacral discs extending to or slightly beyond the level of setae f2. The discovery of P.limosae sp. nov. represents the first record of the feather mite genus Phyllochaeta on godwits of the genus Limosa Brisson, 1760 (Scolopacidae, Limosinae). Males of P.limosae sp. nov. are distinguished from P.secunda in having the terminal cleft semi-ovoid with a length-to-width ratio of 1.7, and the terminal membranes with 15 or 16 finger-shaped denticles; females differ in having the hysteronotal shield bearing faint longitudinal striations in the posterior third and lacking lacunae, and setae c1 situated posterior to the level of setae c2. Additionally, we obtained partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from A. (C.) neolimosaesp. nov. and estimated genetic distances from 10 other Alloptes species based on comparisons of COI sequences.
| S-EPMC8924123 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionEukaryotic algae in the top few centimeters of fellfield soils of ice-free Maritime Antarctica have many important effects on their habitat, such as being significant drivers of organic matter input into the soils and reducing the impact of wind erosion by soil aggregate formation. To better understand the diversity and distribution of Antarctic terrestrial algae, we performed a pilot study on the surface soils of Meseta, an ice-free plateau mountain crest of Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, being hardly influenced by the marine realm and anthropogenic disturbances. It is openly exposed to microbial colonization from outside Antarctica and connected to the much harsher and dryer ice-free zones of the continental Antarctic. A temperate reference site under mild land use, SchF, was included to further test for the Meseta algae distribution in a contrasting environment.MethodsWe employed a paired-end metabarcoding analysis based on amplicons of the highly variable nuclear-encoded ITS2 rDNA region, complemented by a clone library approach. It targeted the four algal classes, Chlorophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, Ulvophyceae, and Xanthophyceae, representing key groups of cold-adapted soil algae.ResultsA surprisingly high diversity of 830 algal OTUs was revealed, assigned to 58 genera in the four targeted algal classes. Members of the green algal class Trebouxiophyceae predominated in the soil algae communities. The major part of the algal biodiversity, 86.1% of all algal OTUs, could not be identified at the species level due to insufficient representation in reference sequence databases. The classes Ulvophyceae and Xanthophyceae exhibited the most unknown species diversity. About 9% of the Meseta algae species diversity was shared with that of the temperate reference site in Germany.DiscussionIn the small portion of algal OTUs for which their distribution could be assessed, the entire ITS2 sequence identity with references shows that the soil algae likely have a wide distribution beyond the Polar regions. They probably originated from soil algae propagule banks in far southern regions, transported by aeolian transport over long distances. The dynamics and severity of environmental conditions at the soil surface, determined by high wind currents, and the soil algae's high adaptability to harsh environmental conditions may account for the high similarity of soil algal communities between the northern and southern parts of the Meseta.
| S-EPMC10332270 | biostudies-literature
Project description:It has been proposed that Antarctic environments select microorganisms with unique biochemical adaptations, based on the tenet 'Everything is everywhere, but, the environment selects' by Baas-Becking. However, this is a hypothesis that has not been extensively evaluated. This study evaluated the fundamental prediction contained in this hypothesis-in the sense that species are structured in the landscape according to their local habitats-, using as study model the phylogenetic diversity of the culturable bacteria of Fildes Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica). Eighty bacterial strains isolated from 10 different locations in the area, were recovered. Based on phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, the isolates were grouped into twenty-six phylotypes distributed in three main clades, of which only six are exclusive to Antarctica. Results showed that phylotypes do not group significantly by habitat type; however, local habitat types had phylogenetic signal, which support the phylogenetic niche conservatism hypothesis and not a selective role of the environment like the Baas-Becking hypothesis suggests. We propose that, more than habitat selection resulting in new local adaptations and diversity, local historical colonization and species sorting (i.e. differences in speciation and extinction rates that arise by interaction of species level traits with the environment) play a fundamental role on the culturable bacterial diversity in Antarctica.
| S-EPMC5478107 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Understanding the variation of biodiversity along environmental gradients and multiple spatial scales is relevant for theoretical and management purposes. Hereby, we analysed the spatial variability in diversity and structure of intertidal and subtidal macrobenthic Antarctic communities along vertical environmental stress gradients and across multiple horizontal spatial scales. Since biotic interactions and local topographic features are likely major factors for coastal assemblages, we tested the hypothesis that fine-scale processes influence the effects of the vertical environmental stress gradients on the macrobenthic diversity and structure. We used nested sampling designs in the intertidal and subtidal habitats, including horizontal spatial scales ranging from few centimetres to 1000s of metres along the rocky shore of Fildes Peninsula, King George Island. In both intertidal and subtidal habitats, univariate and multivariate analyses showed a marked vertical zonation in taxon richness and community structure. These patterns depended on the horizontal spatial scale of observation, as all analyses showed a significant interaction between height (or depth) and the finer spatial scale analysed. Variance and pseudo-variance components supported our prediction for taxon richness, community structure, and the abundance of dominant species such as the filamentous green alga Urospora penicilliformis (intertidal), the herbivore Nacella concinna (intertidal), the large kelp-like Himantothallus grandifolius (subtidal), and the red crustose red alga Lithothamnion spp. (subtidal). We suggest that in coastal ecosystems strongly governed by physical factors, fine-scale processes (e.g. biotic interactions and refugia availability) are still relevant for the structuring and maintenance of the local communities. The spatial patterns found in this study serve as a necessary benchmark to understand the dynamics and adaptation of natural assemblages in response to observed and predicted environmental changes in Antarctica.
| S-EPMC4067381 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ice-free areas are habitats for most of Antarctica's terrestrial biodiversity. Although fungal communities are an important element of these habitats, knowledge of their assemblages and ecological functions is still limited. Herein, we investigated the diversity, composition, and ecological functionality of fungal communities inhabiting sediments from ice-free areas across pristine and anthropogenically impacted sites in the Fildes Peninsula on King George Island, Antarctica. Samples were collected from both pristine and disturbed areas. We used the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) region via Illumina sequencing of 34 sediment samples for fungal identification. The Ascomycota (14.6%) and Chytridiomycota (11.8%) were the most dominant phyla, followed by Basidiomycota (8.1%), Rozellomycota (7.0%), Mucoromycota (4.0%), while 34.9% of the fungal diversity remained unidentified. From a total of 1073 OTUs, 532 OTUs corresponded to 114 fungal taxa at the genus level, and 541 OTUs remained unassigned taxonomically. The highest diversity, with 18 genera, was detected at site A-3. At the genus level, there was no preference for either pristine or disturbed sites. The most widely distributed genera were Betamyces (Chytridiomycota), occurring in 29 of the 34 sites, and Thelebolus (Ascomycota), detected in 8 pristine sites and 7 disturbed sites. The Glomeraceae gen. incertae sedis was more common in disturbed sites. A total of 23 different ecological guilds were recorded, with the most abundant guilds being undefined saprotrophs, plant pathogens, plant saprotrophs, pollen saprotrophs, and endophytes. The fungal communities did not show significant differences between pristine and disturbed sites, suggesting that the anthropogenic impact is either not too intense or prolonged, that the spatial distance between the sampled sites is small, and/or that the environmental factors are similar. Although our study revealed a high fungal diversity with various ecological specializations within these communities, nearly one-third of the diversity could not be assigned to any specific taxonomic category. These findings highlight the need for further taxonomic research on fungal species inhabiting ice-free areas. Without identifying the species present, it is difficult to assess potential biodiversity loss due to environmental changes and/or human activities.
| S-EPMC11753637 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Endangered species of hosts are coupled with endangered species of parasites, which share the risk of co-extinction. Conservation efforts sometimes include breeding of rare species in captivity. Data on parasites of captive populations of endangered species is scarce and the ability of small numbers of captive host individuals to support the biodiversity of native parasites is limited. Examination of ectosymbionts of the critically endangered Philippine eagles and the endangered Mindanao Hawk-Eagle kept at the Philippine Eagle Center, Philippines, revealed three feather mite species despite regular treatment with insecticide powder. No other ectosymbiont taxa were detected. Studies in morphology and molecular phylogeny of these feather mites based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers indicate that species found were typical for Accipitridae. Three new pterolichoid feather mite species (Acari: Pterolichoidea) were described from two species of eagles (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) endemic to the Philippines: Hieracolichus philippinensis sp. n. (Gabuciniidae) and Pseudalloptinus pithecophagae sp. n. (Pterolichidae) from the Great Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi Ogilvie-Grant, 1896, and Pseudogabucinia nisaeti sp. n. (Kramerellidae) from the Mindanao Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus pinskeri Gould, 1863. The presence of H. philippinensis on P. jefferyi supports the recent finding that the Great Philippine Eagle belongs to the lineage of serpent eagles (Circaetinae) rather than to the Harpy and other eagles.
| S-EPMC6031967 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Global warming has a strong impact on polar regions. Particularly, the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands have experienced a marked warming trend in the past 50 years. Therefore, higher methane (CH4) emissions from this area could be expected in the future. Since mitigation of these emissions can be carried out by microbial oxidation, understanding this biological process is crucial since to our knowledge, no related studies have been performed in this area before. In this work, the aerobic CH4 oxidation potential of five freshwater lake sediments of Fildes Peninsula (King George Island, South Shetland Islands) was determined with values from 0.07 to 10 μmol CH4 gdw-1 day-1 and revealed up to 100-fold increase in temperature gradients (5, 10, 15, and 20°C). The structure and diversity of the bacterial community in the sediments were analyzed by next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) of 16S rRNA and pmoA genes. A total of 4,836 ASVs were identified being Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, and Bacteroidota the most abundant phyla. The analysis of the pmoA gene identified 200 ASVs of methanotrophs, being Methylobacter Clade 2 (Type I, family Methylococcaceae) the main responsible of the aerobic CH4 oxidation. Moreover, both approaches revealed the presence of methanotrophs of the classes Gammaproteobacteria (families Methylococcaceae and Crenotrichaceae), Alphaproteobacteria (family Methylocystaceae), Verrucomicrobia (family Methylacidiphilaceae), and the candidate phylum of anaerobic methanotrophs Methylomirabilota. In addition, bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) biomarkers were studied as a proxy for aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria and confirmed these results. Methanotrophic bacterial diversity was significantly correlated with pH. In conclusion, our findings suggest that aerobic methanotrophs could mitigate in situ CH4 emissions in a future scenario with higher temperatures in this climate-sensitive area. This study provides new insights into the diversity of methanotrophs, as well as the influence of temperature on the CH4 oxidation potential in sediments of freshwater lakes in polar regions of the southern hemisphere.
| S-EPMC8969513 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The coasts of the West Antarctic Peninsula are strongly influenced by glacier meltwater discharge. The spatial structure and biogeochemical composition of inshore habitats are shaped by large quantities of terrigenous particulate material deposited in the vicinity of the coast, which impacts the pelagic and benthic ecosystems. We used a multitude of geochemical and environmental variables to identify the radius extension of the meltwater impact from the Fourcade Glacier into the fjord system of Potter Cove, King George Island. The k-means cluster algorithm, canonical correspondence analysis, variance analysis and Tukey's post hoc multiple comparison tests were applied to define and cluster coastal meltwater habitats. A minimum of 10 clusters were needed to classify the 8 km2 study area into meltwater fjord habitats (MFHs), fjord habitats and marine habitats. Strontium content in surface sediments is the main geochemical indicator for lithogenic creek discharge in Potter Cove. Furthermore, bathymetry, glacier distance and geomorphic positioning are the essential habitats explaining variables. The mean and maximum MFH extent amounted to 1 km and 2 km, respectively. Extrapolation of the identified meltwater impact ranges to King George Island coastlines, which are presently ice-covered bays and fjord areas, indicated an overall coverage of 200-400 km2 MFH, underpinning the importance of better understanding the biology and biogeochemistry in terrestrial marine transition zones.This article is part of the theme issue 'The marine system of the West Antarctic Peninsula: status and strategy for progress in a region of rapid change'.
| S-EPMC5954476 | biostudies-literature