Reaumuria is an arid adapted genus with a distribution center in Central Asia; its evolution and dispersal is investigated in this paper. Eighteen species of Reaumuria and nine species of two other genera in the Tamaricaceae, Tamarix and Myricaria, were sampled, and four markers ITS, rps16, psbB-psbH, and trnL-trnF were sequenced. The reconstructed phylogenetic tree is fundamentally consistent ...

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is common in several plant families and is often associated with succulence. Few studies have examined the occurrence of CAM from a phylogenetic perspective. The genus Pelargonium is promising for such a study because members are characterized by dramatic variation in growth form (including geophytes, shrubs, and stem succulents) and because growth form divers...

The mid-Cenozoic decline of atmospheric CO2 levels that promoted global climate change was critical to shaping contemporary arid ecosystems. Within angiosperms, two CO2 -concentrating mechanisms (CCMs)-crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) and C4 -evolved from the C3 photosynthetic pathway, enabling more efficient whole-plant function in such environments. Many angiosperm clades with CCMs are thou...

The subgenus Geckoella, the only ground-dwelling radiation within Cyrtodactylus, closely overlaps in distribution with brookii group Hemidactylus in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Both groups have Oligocene origins, the latter with over thrice as many described species. The striking difference in species richness led us to believe that Geckoella diversity is underestimated, and we sampled for ...

The identification of past glacial refugia has become a key topic for conservation under environmental change, since they contribute importantly to shaping current patterns of biodiversity. However, little attention has been paid so far to interglacial refugia despite their key role for the survival of relict species currently occurring in climate refugia. Here, we focus on the genetic conseque...

Kuhl's pipistrelle is found from Europe and North Africa all of the way to Asia, yet studies have thus far concentrated on the western limit of its distribution. Here we form a multi-marker picture of the diversity of Kuhl's pipistrelle at a mid point in the Arabian peninsula in an attempt to redress the western sampling bias and to represent a region from which no genetic data has thus far bee...

Abstract Climate change has been described as the main threat for cultivation and growth of truffles, but hydroclimate variability model uncertainty challenge regional projections adaptation strategies emerging sector. Here, we conduct a literature review to define Périgord truffle growing regions around world use 20 global climate models assess impact future trends extremes in temperature, pre...

Changes in fire ecology during warm and cold periods the geological past are important because of their effects on terrestrial ecosystems global carbon cycle. We examined charcoal concentrations Erden Obo section Inner Mongolia to reconstruct evolution wildfire relationship regional vegetation from Late Paleocene through Early Oligocene. Our data show that frequency were relatively high end beg...

Abstract We assessed the Caraboidea communities of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. Influence tropical rainfall, after a long period drought, was evaluated on alpha and beta diversity tiger- ground-beetles main habitat types park: miombo forests, mixed transitional grasslands (open savannas). Tiger- ground-beetle were sampled by pitfall traps set up 25 sites each type along three sa...

Daddy long-legs spiders are common inhabitants of tropical and subtropical caves around the globe. Numerous species have evolved troglomorphisms, including loss body pigments eyes. Here we describe first troglomorphic pholcids from Australia Réunion. Belisana coblynau Huber & Clark, sp. nov. was extracted mining boreholes in arid West Australian Pilbara region. It represents a genus that is...