Biology subjects

Aravind, N. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Aravind, N. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies of Indrella ampulla, a terrestrial gastropod endemic to the Western Ghats

Indrella ampulla is a polymorphic, brightly coloured, forest-dwelling land snail endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Studying and understanding evolutionary processes occurring within this species has remained a challenge largely due to a paucity of genomic resources. We present high-quality annotated nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies of I. ampulla. The nuclear genome is assembled through a hybrid approach using Illumina short reads and Oxford Nanopore long reads, with an N50 value of 632 kb and 90.3% BUSCO genome completeness. The mitogenome is 13,887 bp long. The demographic history reconstruction based on the genomic data exhibits signatures of population decline during the last 100,000 years. This genome will aid in deciphering the colour polymorphism in I. ampulla and augmenting the general understanding of the evolution of gastropods. SignificanceIndrella ampulla is a terrestrial gastropod endemic to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, and exhibits color polymorphism. The genome of I. ampulla provides a valuable resource for understanding molluscan biology, coloration genetics, adaptation, and other evolutionary processes. Our historical demographic analysis offers insights into past population dynamics of this species endemic to the Western Ghats of India, contributing to broader research on biodiversity patterns in tropical ecosystems. The bioinformatics pipeline used in this study provides a reliable framework for assembling high-quality genomes with long-read coverage as low as 10X, making it especially useful for gastropods and other species where obtaining high coverage data is a challenge. Overall, this genome will complement future studies in phylogenomics, comparative genomics, and conservation of molluscs.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2021

An insight into the evolutionary history of Indoplanorbis exustus (Bulinidae: Gastropoda)at the scale of population and species

The history of a lineage is intertwined with the history of the landscape it resides in. Here we showcase how the geo-tectonic and climatic evolution in South Asia and surrounding landmasses have shaped the biogeographic history of Indoplanorbis exustus, a tropical Asian, freshwater, pulmonated snail. We amplified partial COI gene fragment from all over India and combined this with a larger dataset from South and Southeast Asia to carry out phylogenetic reconstruction, species delimitation analysis, and population genetic analyses. Two nuclear genes were also amplified from one individual per putative species to carry out divergence dating and ancestral area reconstruction analyses. The results suggest that Indoplanorbis dispersed out of Africa into India during Eocene. Furthermore, molecular data suggests Indoplanorbis is a species complex consisting of multiple putative species. The primary diversification took place in Northern Indian plains or the Northeast India. The speciation events appear to be primarily allopatric caused by a series of aridification events starting from late Miocene to early Pleistocene. None of the species seemed to have any underlying genetic structure suggestive of high vagility. All the species underwent population fluctuations during the Pleistocene likely driven by the Quaternary climatic fluctuations.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Cryptic speciation in freshwaters: are speciation in lentic species shaped by paleohydrological events?

The Indian subcontinent is extremely diverse in terms of its flora and fauna. However, there is a severe underestimation of the biotic diversity in invertebrate groups as well as a lack of understanding of the processes generating diversity in these groups. Here we aimed to jointly estimate the cryptic diversity of two freshwater snail species complexes - Pila globosa and Pila virens, and uncover the processes behind the speciation in these groups. We employed phylogenetic, morphometric, population genetic and niche modelling technique to address these questions. We found out that both species complexes consist of several genetically and ecologically distinct putative species. The speciation was primarily driven by allopatric isolation into different river basins. A combination of paleoclimatic and paleohydrological changes during the Miocene have shaped the speciation events. Local climatic adaptation also could have contributed towards some of the speciation events. The study sheds light on the complex interaction between the biology of the species and the environment that shape the diversification patterns in a group.

evolutionary biology↗