Biology subjects

Rasoloharijaona, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Rasoloharijaona, S..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Not one, but multiple radiations underlie the biodiversity of Madagascar's endangered lemurs

Lemurs are often cited as an example of adaptive radiation. Since colonizing Madagascar, more than 100 extant lemur species have evolved to fill a variety of ecological niches on the island. However, recent work suggests that lemurs do not exhibit one of the hallmarks of other adaptive radiations: explosive speciation rates that decline over time. Thus, characterizing the tempo and mode of evolution in lemurs can help us understand alternative ways that hyperdiverse clades arise over time, which might differ from traditional models. We explore the evolution of lemurs using a phylogenomic dataset with broad taxonomic sampling that includes the lemurs sister group, the lorisiforms of Asia and continental Africa. Our analyses reveal multiple bursts of diversification (without subsequent declines) that explain much of todays lemur diversity. We also find higher rates of speciation in Madagascars lemurs compared to lorisiforms, and we demonstrate that the lemur clades with exceptionally high diversification rates have higher rates of genomic introgression. This suggests that hybridization in these primates is not an evolutionary dead-end, but a driving force for diversification. Considering the conservation crisis affecting strepsirrhine primates, with approximately 95% of species being threatened with extinction, this phylogenomic study offers a new perspective for explaining Madagascars exceptional primate diversity and reveals patterns of speciation, extinction, and gene flow that will help inform future conservation decisions.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

The Genomic Diversity of the Eliurus genus in northern Madagascar with a Putative New Species

Madagascar exhibits extraordinarily high level of species richness and endemism, while being severely threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation (HL&F). In front of such threat to biodiversity, conservation effort can be directed, for instance, in the documentation of species that are still unknown to science, or in investigating how species respond to HL&F. The tufted-tail rats genus (Eliurus spp.) is the most speciose genus of endemic rodents in Madagascar, with 13 described species, which occupy two major habitat types: dry or humid forests. The large species diversity and association to specific habitat types make the Eliurus genus a suitable model for investigating species adaptation to new environments, as well as response to HL&F (dry vs humid). In the present study, we investigated Eliurus spp. genomic diversity across northern Madagascar, a region covered by both dry and humid fragmented forests. From the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear genomic (RAD-seq) data of 124 Eliurus individuals sampled in poorly studied forests of northern Madagascar, we identified an undescribed Eliurus taxon (Eliurus sp. nova). We tested the hypothesis of a new Eliurus species using several approaches: i) DNA barcoding; ii) phylogenetic inferences; iii) species delimitation tests based on the Multi-Species Coalescent (MSC) model, iv) genealogical discordance index (gdi); v) the ad-hoc test of isolation-by-distance within versus between sister-taxa, vi) comparisons of %GC content patterns and vii) morphological analyses. All analyses support the recognition of the undescribed lineage as a distinct species. In addition, we show that Eliurus myoxinus, a species known from the dry forests of western Madagascar, is, surprisingly, found mostly in humid forests in northern Madagascar. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of such findings in the context of Eliurus species evolution and diversification, and use the distribution of northern Eliurus species as a proxy for reconstructing past changes in forest cover and vegetation type in northern Madagascar.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2020

How ancient forest fragmentation and riparian connectivity generate high levels of genetic diversity in a micro-endemic Malagasy tree

Understanding landscape changes is central to predicting evolutionary trajectories and defining conservation practices. While human-driven deforestation is intense throughout Madagascar, exceptions in areas like the Loky-Manambato region (North) raise questions. Such regions also harbor a rich and endemic flora, whose evolutionary origin remains poorly understood. We assessed the genetic diversity of an endangered microendemic Malagasy olive species (Noronhia spinifolia Hong-Wa) to better understand the vegetation dynamic in the Loky-Manambato region and its influence on past evolutionary processes. We characterized 72 individuals sampled across eight forests through nuclear and mitochondrial restriction associated sequencing data (RADseq) and chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSR). Combined population and landscape genetics analyses indicate that N. spinifolia diversity is largely explained by the current forest cover, highlighting a long-standing habitat mosaic in the region. This sustains a major and long-term role of riparian corridors in maintaining connectivity across those antique mosaic-habitats, calling for the study of organismal interactions that promote gene flow.

genomics↗