Gyllenhaal, E. F. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2024

Taxonomy and nomenclature of the giant hummingbirds (Patagona spp.) (Aves: Trochilidae)

Giant hummingbirds (Patagona spp.) are extraordinarily large hummingbirds whose taxonomy has been muddled for two centuries. Patagona systematics were recently redefined in a study of migration, physiology, and genomics, revealing two species: the Southern Giant Hummingbird and Northern Giant Hummingbird. Here, we re-evaluate taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus in light of its newly-clarified biology and species limits, analyzing data from 608 specimens and wild-caught individuals spanning 1864-2023. The forms gigas and peruviana were both described based on multiple syntypes. No adequate syntypes for P. gigas are extant, so we designate a neotype for this taxon. We then critically consider the identity and usage of gigas and peruviana, respectively, and examine identification challenges that have fostered taxonomic uncertainty. We endorse the names Patagona gigas for the Southern Giant Hummingbird and P. peruviana for the Northern Giant Hummingbird. The genetic identity of the peruviana lectotype remains untested, but its plumage appears to match the northern species. We found that [~]33% of Patagona gigas specimens in major museum collections are misidentified as peruviana; we provide this list to correct the historical record. To facilitate identification and future study of these two cryptic species, we provide comprehensive information on plumage, measurements, and seasonal ranges.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2023

Extraordinary levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in vertebrate animals at a New Mexico desert oasis: multiple pathways for wildlife and human exposure

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) threaten human and wildlife health, but their movement through food webs remains poorly understood. Contamination of the physical environment is widespread, but particularly concentrated at military installations. Here we measured 17 PFAS in wild, free-living mammals and migratory birds at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico, USA, where wastewater catchment lakes form biodiverse oases. PFAS concentrations were among the highest ever reported in animal tissues, and high levels have persisted for at least three decades. The hazardous long carbon-chain form, perfluorooctanosulfonic acid (PFOS), was most abundant, with liver concentrations averaging tens of thousands of ng/g wet weight (ww), reaching as high 97,000 ng/g (ww) in a 1994 specimen of white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and 38,000 ng/g ww in a duck, the American wigeon (Mareca americana). Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) averaged thousands of ng/g ww in the livers of birds and house mice, but one order of magnitude lower in the livers of upland desert rodent species. PFAS levels were strikingly lower at control sites, even for highly mobile migratory species. Tissue concentrations were correlated within individuals, and consistently higher in liver than in muscle or blood. Twenty of 23 vertebrate species sampled at Holloman AFB were heavily contaminated, representing multiple trophic levels and microhabitats, and implicating a range of pathways for PFAS spread: ingestion of surface water, sediments, and dust; foraging on aquatic invertebrates and plants by secondary consumers; and preying upon small vertebrates by higher level consumers, including consumption of game species by hunters. Unlike in other aquatic systems, piscivory was not an important pathway of PFAS uptake. In sum, legacy PFAS at a desert wetland have permeated the local food web across a period of decades, severely contaminating resident and migrant animals, and likely exposing humans via game meat consumption and outdoor recreation. Five highlightsO_LIA biodiverse, wetland food web at a military base is heavily contaminated with PFAS. C_LIO_LILittoral-zone mice and aquatic birds had high liver PFOS, up to 97,000 ng/g ww. C_LIO_LISpecies and ecological variation were high among 16 PFAS detected in animal tissues. C_LIO_LIGame species had dangerously contaminated meat and can transport it long distances. C_LIO_LIBiorepositories provide key temporal and spatial sampling for contaminant studies. C_LI Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=130 SRC="FIGDIR/small/561778v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (75K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@96a640org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@7cd7f4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@45fb67org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@7c33a4_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

PleistoDist: A toolbox for visualising and quantifying the effects of Pleistocene sea-level change on island archipelagos

O_LIPleistocene sea-level change played a significant role in the evolution and assembly of island biotas. The formation of land bridges between islands during Quaternary glacial maxima, when sea levels were up to 120 metres below present-day sea levels, often facilitated historical dispersal and gene flow between islands that are today geographically disconnected. C_LIO_LIDespite this, relatively few studies have attempted to quantify the effects of Pleistocene sea-level change on the evolution of island species assemblages. C_LIO_LIHere we present PleistoDist, an R package that allows users to visualise and quantify the effects of Pleistocene sea-level change on islands over time, and test multiple temporally explicit hypotheses of inter-island dispersal and community assembly. C_LIO_LIRe-analysing published datasets, we demonstrate how using PleistoDist to account for historical sea-level change can provide greater explanatory power when analysing extant island communities, and show how population genetic simulations can be used to generate spatiotemporally explicit neutral expectations of population genetic structure across island archipelagos. C_LI

bioinformatics↗