Parasites,such as flatworms,nematodes,and pentastomes,are commonly found inhabiting reptiles.In this study,we examined parasite infection status in 10 squamate species,including 5 snake species and 5 lizard species.We...Parasites,such as flatworms,nematodes,and pentastomes,are commonly found inhabiting reptiles.In this study,we examined parasite infection status in 10 squamate species,including 5 snake species and 5 lizard species.We identified one genuslevel and nine species-level parasites in these hosts,which belong to the phyla Platyhelminthes,Nemathelminthes,and Arthropoda.The overall infection rate was 45%,with significant differences in infection rates between lizard and snake species.Parasites in snakes included the Kalicephalus sp.,Ophidascaris filaria,Ophiotaenia bungari,Raillietiella orientalis and Spirometra erinaceieuropaei,and parasitic parasites in lizards were mainly composed of Meteterakis japonica,Plagiorchis koreanus,Spauligodon carbonelli,Spauligodon saxicolae and Strongyluris calotis,respectively.There were significant differences in infection rates among different species and regions,and even among different tissues of the same species.The overall investigation of squamate parasites in China will provide some basic information for public health safety.展开更多
Organisms inhabiting arid environments face challenges to obtain dietary water.To prevent desiccation,some organisms possess unique adaptations to harvest water from infrequent and unpredictable rainfall,including sev...Organisms inhabiting arid environments face challenges to obtain dietary water.To prevent desiccation,some organisms possess unique adaptations to harvest water from infrequent and unpredictable rainfall,including several squamates(snakes and lizards).While most squamates consume precipitation as it pools in the environment,a small number engage in behaviors to enhance water collection by capturing precipitation from their own skin,referred to as rain-harvesting behavior(RHB).Details of this behavior remain unclear,particularly the sequence of behaviors associated with RHB.We developed a method to simulate rainfall to observe RHB in prairie rattlesnakes(Crotalus viridis)in situ and recorded 72 events in 94 snakes,the most robust sampling of RHB to date.Using video analysis,we describe the postures and kinematics of RHB and develop the first illustrated ethogram of this behavior for any vertebrate.Our results demonstrate that RHB contains fixed and variable patterns useful in cross-species comparisons and in exploring proximate causes of the behavior.In addition,we describe novel features of RHB including suspended head drinking,body levering,and drinking from neighboring snakes.Our results reveal RHB to be an intricate suite of movements and actions,some of which allude to acute sensory abilities of these animals that warrant further study.Furthermore,observations of RHB at dens and rookeries suggest a potential,novel benefit of snake aggregation is the formation of large,communal surfaces for rain harvesting.We suggest that the extremely elongated body plan of snakes may be well-suited for a rapidly deployed,modular rain-harvesting system effective at capitalizing on fleeting rainstorms characteristic of arid ecosystems of the world.展开更多
Limb loss shows recurrent phenotypic evolution across squamate lineages.Here,based on three de novo-assembled genomes of limbless lizards from different lineages,we showed that divergence of conserved non-coding eleme...Limb loss shows recurrent phenotypic evolution across squamate lineages.Here,based on three de novo-assembled genomes of limbless lizards from different lineages,we showed that divergence of conserved non-coding elements(CNEs)played an important role in limb development.These CNEs were associated with genes required for limb initiation and outgrowth,and with regulatory signals in the early stage of limb development.Importantly,we identified the extensive existence of insertions and deletions(In Dels)in the CNEs,with the numbers ranging from 111 to 756.Most of these CNEs with In Dels were lineagespecific in the limbless squamates.Nearby genes of these In Del CNEs were important to early limb formation,such as Tbx4,Fgf10,and Gli3.Based on functional experiments,we found that nucleotide mutations and In Dels both affected the regulatory function of the CNEs.Our study provides molecular evidence underlying limb loss in squamate reptiles from a developmental perspective and sheds light on the importance of regulatory element In Dels in phenotypic evolution.展开更多
Long-PCR amplification, clone and primer-walking sequencing methods were employed in determine the complete sequence of mitochondrial genome of tokay (Gekko gecko). The genome is 16 435 bp in size, contains 13 protein...Long-PCR amplification, clone and primer-walking sequencing methods were employed in determine the complete sequence of mitochondrial genome of tokay (Gekko gecko). The genome is 16 435 bp in size, contains 13 protein-coding, 2 ribosomal and 22 transfer RNA genes. The mt genome of Gekko is similar to most of the vertebrates in gene components, order, orientation, tRNA structures, low percentage of guanine and high percentage of thymine, and skews of base GC and AT. Base A was preferred at third codon positions for protein genes is similar to amphibians and fishes rather than amnion vertebrates. The standard stop codes (TAA) present only in three protein genes, less than those of most vertebrates. Transfer RNA genes range in length from 63 to 76 nt, their planar structure present characteristic clover leaf, except for tRNA-Cys and tRNA-Ser (AGY) because of lacking the D arm.展开更多
In a region where lizard fossils are rare,this study explores a groundbreaking discovery of squamate lizard materials from the upper part of Nenjiang Formation(early Campanian)in Jilin Province,Northeast China.Despite...In a region where lizard fossils are rare,this study explores a groundbreaking discovery of squamate lizard materials from the upper part of Nenjiang Formation(early Campanian)in Jilin Province,Northeast China.Despite the fragmentary nature of the dentaries,they exhibit distinct tooth morphological characteristics of squamate lizards,suggesting insectivorous and omnivorous diets for these small reptiles.This finding not only represents a significant addition to the squamate lizard fossil records from the Late Cre-taceous in Northeast China but also contributes to our understanding of the paleogeographic distribution of squamate lizards.Furthermore,it sheds new light on the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Cretaceous Songliao Basin.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171498 and 32171495)the Finance Science and Technology Project of Hainan Province (ZDYF2018219)the Hainan Key Program of Science and Technology (ZDXM20110008)。
文摘Parasites,such as flatworms,nematodes,and pentastomes,are commonly found inhabiting reptiles.In this study,we examined parasite infection status in 10 squamate species,including 5 snake species and 5 lizard species.We identified one genuslevel and nine species-level parasites in these hosts,which belong to the phyla Platyhelminthes,Nemathelminthes,and Arthropoda.The overall infection rate was 45%,with significant differences in infection rates between lizard and snake species.Parasites in snakes included the Kalicephalus sp.,Ophidascaris filaria,Ophiotaenia bungari,Raillietiella orientalis and Spirometra erinaceieuropaei,and parasitic parasites in lizards were mainly composed of Meteterakis japonica,Plagiorchis koreanus,Spauligodon carbonelli,Spauligodon saxicolae and Strongyluris calotis,respectively.There were significant differences in infection rates among different species and regions,and even among different tissues of the same species.The overall investigation of squamate parasites in China will provide some basic information for public health safety.
文摘Organisms inhabiting arid environments face challenges to obtain dietary water.To prevent desiccation,some organisms possess unique adaptations to harvest water from infrequent and unpredictable rainfall,including several squamates(snakes and lizards).While most squamates consume precipitation as it pools in the environment,a small number engage in behaviors to enhance water collection by capturing precipitation from their own skin,referred to as rain-harvesting behavior(RHB).Details of this behavior remain unclear,particularly the sequence of behaviors associated with RHB.We developed a method to simulate rainfall to observe RHB in prairie rattlesnakes(Crotalus viridis)in situ and recorded 72 events in 94 snakes,the most robust sampling of RHB to date.Using video analysis,we describe the postures and kinematics of RHB and develop the first illustrated ethogram of this behavior for any vertebrate.Our results demonstrate that RHB contains fixed and variable patterns useful in cross-species comparisons and in exploring proximate causes of the behavior.In addition,we describe novel features of RHB including suspended head drinking,body levering,and drinking from neighboring snakes.Our results reveal RHB to be an intricate suite of movements and actions,some of which allude to acute sensory abilities of these animals that warrant further study.Furthermore,observations of RHB at dens and rookeries suggest a potential,novel benefit of snake aggregation is the formation of large,communal surfaces for rain harvesting.We suggest that the extremely elongated body plan of snakes may be well-suited for a rapidly deployed,modular rain-harvesting system effective at capitalizing on fleeting rainstorms characteristic of arid ecosystems of the world.
基金the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB31000000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32220103004,32000296)+2 种基金the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(2019QZKK0501)the International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(151751KYSB20190024)the Sichuan Science and Technology Program(2021JDJQ0002)。
文摘Limb loss shows recurrent phenotypic evolution across squamate lineages.Here,based on three de novo-assembled genomes of limbless lizards from different lineages,we showed that divergence of conserved non-coding elements(CNEs)played an important role in limb development.These CNEs were associated with genes required for limb initiation and outgrowth,and with regulatory signals in the early stage of limb development.Importantly,we identified the extensive existence of insertions and deletions(In Dels)in the CNEs,with the numbers ranging from 111 to 756.Most of these CNEs with In Dels were lineagespecific in the limbless squamates.Nearby genes of these In Del CNEs were important to early limb formation,such as Tbx4,Fgf10,and Gli3.Based on functional experiments,we found that nucleotide mutations and In Dels both affected the regulatory function of the CNEs.Our study provides molecular evidence underlying limb loss in squamate reptiles from a developmental perspective and sheds light on the importance of regulatory element In Dels in phenotypic evolution.
文摘Long-PCR amplification, clone and primer-walking sequencing methods were employed in determine the complete sequence of mitochondrial genome of tokay (Gekko gecko). The genome is 16 435 bp in size, contains 13 protein-coding, 2 ribosomal and 22 transfer RNA genes. The mt genome of Gekko is similar to most of the vertebrates in gene components, order, orientation, tRNA structures, low percentage of guanine and high percentage of thymine, and skews of base GC and AT. Base A was preferred at third codon positions for protein genes is similar to amphibians and fishes rather than amnion vertebrates. The standard stop codes (TAA) present only in three protein genes, less than those of most vertebrates. Transfer RNA genes range in length from 63 to 76 nt, their planar structure present characteristic clover leaf, except for tRNA-Cys and tRNA-Ser (AGY) because of lacking the D arm.
基金Supported by Fund from the Key Laboratory of Stratigraphy and P alaeontology,Ministry of Natural Resources(No.KLSP SP202301).
文摘In a region where lizard fossils are rare,this study explores a groundbreaking discovery of squamate lizard materials from the upper part of Nenjiang Formation(early Campanian)in Jilin Province,Northeast China.Despite the fragmentary nature of the dentaries,they exhibit distinct tooth morphological characteristics of squamate lizards,suggesting insectivorous and omnivorous diets for these small reptiles.This finding not only represents a significant addition to the squamate lizard fossil records from the Late Cre-taceous in Northeast China but also contributes to our understanding of the paleogeographic distribution of squamate lizards.Furthermore,it sheds new light on the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Cretaceous Songliao Basin.
