African Herald snakes,<i>Crotaphopeltis</i>, show population structure for a widespread generalist but deep genetic divergence for forest specialists

Engelbrecht, Hanlie M.; Branch, William R.; Greenbaum, Eli; Burger, Marius; Conradie, Werner; Tolley, Krystal A.

doi:10.1111/jzs.12361

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…However, it is unclear whether the savanna biome simply shifted in latitude in response to glacial/interglacial fluctuations, rather than becoming fragmented. Nevertheless, intra‐specific genetic structuring within savanna species (Lorenzen, Heller, & Siegismund, 2012; Odee et al ., 2012; Engelbrecht et al ., 2020) linked to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations supports historical fragmentation and expansion cycles of this vegetation type.…”

Section: Major Speciation Models Of Tropical African Biodiversitymentioning

confidence: 85%

Tectonics, climate and the diversification of the tropical African terrestrial flora and fauna

et al. 2020

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Tropical Africa is home to an astonishing biodiversity occurring in a variety of ecosystems. Past climatic change and geological events have impacted the evolution and diversification of this biodiversity. During the last two decades, around 90 dated molecular phylogenies of different clades across animals and plants have been published leading to an increased understanding of the diversification and speciation processes generating tropical African biodiversity. In parallel, extended geological and palaeoclimatic records together with detailed numerical simulations have refined our understanding of past geological and climatic changes in Africa. To date, these important advances have not been reviewed within a common framework. Here, we critically review and synthesize African climate, tectonics and terrestrial biodiversity evolution throughout the Cenozoic to the mid‐Pleistocene, drawing on recent advances in Earth and life sciences. We first review six major geo‐climatic periods defining tropical African biodiversity diversification by synthesizing 89 dated molecular phylogeny studies. Two major geo‐climatic factors impacting the diversification of the sub‐Saharan biota are highlighted. First, Africa underwent numerous climatic fluctuations at ancient and more recent timescales, with tectonic, greenhouse gas, and orbital forcing stimulating diversification. Second, increased aridification since the Late Eocene led to important extinction events, but also provided unique diversification opportunities shaping the current tropical African biodiversity landscape. We then review diversification studies of tropical terrestrial animal and plant clades and discuss three major models of speciation: (i) geographic speciation via vicariance (allopatry); (ii) ecological speciation impacted by climate and geological changes, and (iii) genomic speciation via genome duplication. Geographic speciation has been the most widely documented to date and is a common speciation model across tropical Africa. We conclude with four important challenges faced by tropical African biodiversity research: (i) to increase knowledge by gathering basic and fundamental biodiversity information; (ii) to improve modelling of African geophysical evolution throughout the Cenozoic via better constraints and downscaling approaches; (iii) to increase the precision of phylogenetic reconstruction and molecular dating of tropical African clades by using next generation sequencing approaches together with better fossil calibrations; (iv) finally, as done here, to integrate data better from Earth and life sciences by focusing on the interdisciplinary study of the evolution of tropical African biodiversity in a wider geodiversity context.

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Section: Major Speciation Models Of Tropical African Biodiversitymentioning

confidence: 85%

Tectonics, climate and the diversification of the tropical African terrestrial flora and fauna

et al. 2020

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“…This is one of the most widespread African snake species. A thorough revision recently assigned the Angolan populations to two distinct clades ("clade 2" and "clade 3" of Engelbrecht et al 2020). The affiliation of the specimen collected in Uíge to one of these clades (or another) remains to be determined.…”

Section: Crotaphopeltis Hotamboeia (Laurenti 1768); (Mtd 48608)mentioning

confidence: 99%

At the edge of extinction: a first herpetological assessment of the proposed Serra do Pingano Rainforest National Park in Uíge Province, northern Angola

Ernst¹,

Lautenschläger²,

Bránquima³

et al. 2020

ZSE

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We systematically assess the herpetofaunal diversity of the Serra do Pingano Forest Ecosystem (SPFE) and additional localities throughout the northern Angolan province of Uíge during four independent Rapid Assessment (RA) field campaigns held between 2013 and 2019. These assessments represent the first systematic surveys of amphibians and reptiles from the province, and thus we provide the first province-wide species list. We collected data on the status and current threats to amphibians and reptiles in the proposed Serra do Pingano Rainforest National Park and were able to document 33 species of reptiles from Uíge province. Of the 33 species recorded from the province, 10 species are exclusively found in the SPFE. Amphibian surveys yielded 47 amphibian species from the province. These include 14 new country records and additional records that may represent undescribed species. This raises the amphibian count for Angola to at least 133 species, which includes 18 species exclusively found within the SPFE. Species-richness estimators indicate that more species should be detected if survey efforts are intensified. The species composition in the SPFE is unique and consists of a high proportion of forest specialists with restricted ranges and species found nowhere else in the country. This emphasizes today’s paramount importance of the SPFE, which is threatened by increasing agricultural encroachment and uncontrolled timber extraction and charcoal production. These principal factors need to be controlled and/or abandoned in already impacted areas. Conservation strategies should particularly consider the strict protection of remaining intact forests and both lentic and lotic aquatic systems. They are not only crucial for safeguarding a significant number of species that depend on these habitats for reproduction; they also provide key ecosystem services to the local population. Angola, and Uíge province in particular, is at a crossroads concerning decisions and trade-offs among utilization, conservation, and preservation of its forests and, thus, substantial parts of the country’s biodiversity. The establishment of a National Protected Area in the Serra do Pingano Ecosystem is therefore a necessary and urgently needed first step towards protecting Angola’s national biodiversity heritage.

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“…The species and putative species identified within Philothamnus ( Engelbrecht et al, 2019 ) and Crotaphopeltis ( Engelbrecht et al, 2020 ) were used to estimate diversification dates and to reconstruct ancestral habitats. Our analyses therefore include the currently recognised species as well as undescribed species (i.e., lineages that show species level divergence but are not yet described as species).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…for Crotaphopeltis and Philothamnus , respectively). Crotaphopeltis and Philothamnus were represented by taxa within the respective genera ( Engelbrecht et al, 2019 ; Engelbrecht et al, 2020 ). Representative species from closely related Colubridae subfamilies (Grayiinae, Calamariinae and Sibynophiinae) were used as outgroup taxa ( Pyron et al, 2014 ; Zheng & Wiens, 2016 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snakes on an African plain: the radiation of Crotaphopeltis and Philothamnus into open habitat (Serpentes: Colubridae)

Engelbrecht

Branch

Tolley

2021

PeerJ

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Background The African continent is comprised of several different biomes, although savanna is the most prevalent. The current heterogeneous landscape was formed through long-term vegetation shifts as a result of the global cooling trend since the Oligocene epoch. The overwhelming trend was a shift from primarily forest, to primarily savanna. As such, faunal groups that emerged during the Paleogene/Neogene period and have species distributed in both forest and savanna habitat should show a genetic signature of the possible evolutionary impact of these biome developments. Crotaphopeltis and Philothamnus (Colubridae) are excellent taxa to investigate the evolutionary impact of these biome developments on widespread African colubrid snakes, and whether timing and patterns of radiation are synchronous with biome reorganisation. Methods A phylogenetic framework was used to investigate timing of lineage diversification. Phylogenetic analysis included both genera as well as other Colubridae to construct a temporal framework in order to estimate radiation times for Crotaphopeltis and Philothamnus. Lineage diversification was estimated in Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis Sampling Trees (BEAST), using two mitochondrial markers (cyt–b, ND4), one nuclear marker (c–mos), and incorporating one fossil and two biogeographical calibration points. Vegetation layers were used to classify and confirm species association with broad biome types (‘closed’ = forest, ‘open’ = savanna/other), and the ancestral habitat state for each genus was estimated. Results Philothamnus showed an ancestral state of closed habitat, but the ancestral habitat type for Crotaphopeltis was equivocal. Both genera showed similar timing of lineage diversification diverging from their sister genera during the Oligocene/Miocene transition (ca. 25 Mya), with subsequent species radiation in the Mid-Miocene. Philothamnus appeared to have undergone allopatric speciation during Mid-Miocene forest fragmentation. Habitat generalist and open habitat specialist species emerged as savanna became more prevalent, while at least two forest associated lineages within Crotaphopeltis moved into Afromontane forest habitat secondarily and independently. Discussion With similar diversification times, but contrasting ancestral habitat reconstructions, we show that these genera have responded very differently to the same broad biome shifts. Differences in biogeographical patterns for the two African colubrid genera is likely an effect of distinct life-history traits, such as the arboreous habits of Philothamnus compared to the terrestrial lifestyle of Crotaphopeltis.

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African Herald snakes,Crotaphopeltis, show population structure for a widespread generalist but deep genetic divergence for forest specialists

Cited by 13 publications

References 105 publications

Tectonics, climate and the diversification of the tropical African terrestrial flora and fauna

Tectonics, climate and the diversification of the tropical African terrestrial flora and fauna

At the edge of extinction: a first herpetological assessment of the proposed Serra do Pingano Rainforest National Park in Uíge Province, northern Angola

Snakes on an African plain: the radiation of Crotaphopeltis and Philothamnus into open habitat (Serpentes: Colubridae)

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