A5069353808- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant and animal studies
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography
- Biochemical and Structural Characterization
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Insect and Pesticide Research
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
2013-2024
The University of Melbourne
2009-2010
Systematic (Netherlands)
2005-2008
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2008
Boston University
2004
Natural History Museum
2004
Université Libre de Bruxelles
2004
The fossil record of modern amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and caecilians) provides no evidence for major extinction or radiation episodes throughout most the Mesozoic early Tertiary. However, long-term gradual diversification is difficult to reconcile with sensitivity present-day amphibian faunas rapid ecological changes incidence similar environmental perturbations in past that have been associated high turnover rates other land vertebrates. To provide a comprehensive overview history...
The apparent biotic affinities between the mainland and island in Western Ghats–Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot have been interpreted as result of frequent migrations during recent periods low sea level. We show, using molecular phylogenies two invertebrate four vertebrate groups, that interchange these areas has much more limited than hitherto assumed. Despite several extended land connection past 500,000 years, Sri maintained a fauna is largely distinct from Indian mainland. Future...
Recent studies have identified range expansion as a potential driver of speciation. Yet it remains poorly understood how, under identical extrinsic settings, differential tendencies for geographic movement taxa originate and subsequently affect diversification. We multiple traits that predict large distributional ranges in extant species toads (Bufonidae) used statistical methods to define phylogenetically reconstruct an optimal range-expansion phenotype. Our results indicate...
Current models for the early diversification of living frogs inferred from morphological, ontogenetic, or DNA sequence data invoke very different scenarios character evolution and biogeography. To explore central controversies on phylogeny Anura, we analyzed nearly 4000 base pairs mitochondrial nuclear major frog lineages. Likelihood-based analyses this set are congruent with morphological evidence in supporting a paraphyletic arrangement archaeobatrachian frogs, an (Ascaphus + Leiopelma)...
The predatory ecology of Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon) has been a subject long-standing interest and considerable conjecture. Here, we investigate the roles potential interplay between cranial mechanics, toxic bacteria, venom. Our analyses point to presence sophisticated combined-arsenal killing apparatus. We find that lightweight skull is relatively poorly adapted generate high bite forces but better resist pulling loads. reject popular notion regarding bacteria utilization. Instead,...
Abstract Visual systems adapt to different light environments through several avenues including optical changes the eye and neurological in how signals are processed interpreted. Spectral sensitivity can evolve via visual pigments housed retinal photoreceptors gene duplication loss, differential coexpression, sequence evolution. Frogs provide an excellent, yet understudied, system for evolution research due their diversity of ecologies (including biphasic aquatic-terrestrial life cycles)...
Overseas dispersals are often invoked when Southern Hemisphere terrestrial and freshwater organism phylogenies do not fit the sequence or timing of Gondwana fragmentation. We used dispersal-vicariance analyses molecular timetrees to show that two species-rich frog groups, Microhylidae Natatanura, display congruent patterns spatial temporal diversification among Gondwanan plates in Late Cretaceous, long after presumed major tectonic break-up events. Because amphibians notoriously...
Anurans (frogs and toads) are unique among land vertebrates in possessing a free-living larval stage that, parallel to adult frogs, diversified into an impressive range of ecomorphs. The tempo mode at which tadpole morphology evolved through anuran history as well its relationship lineage diversification remain elusive. We used molecular phylogenetic framework examine patterns morphological evolution tadpoles light observed episodes accelerated diversification. Our reconstructions show that...
Venom has only been recently discovered to be a basal trait of the Anguimorpha lizards. Consequently, very little is known about timings toxin recruitment events, venom protein molecular evolution, or even relative physical diversifications system itself. A multidisciplinary approach was used examine evolution across full taxonomical range this ∼130 million-year-old clade. Analysis cDNA libraries revealed complex transcriptomes. Most notably, three new cardioactive peptide types were...
The origin and evolution of venom proteins in helodermatid lizards were investigated by multidisciplinary techniques. Our analyses elucidated novel toxin types resultant from three unique domain-expression processes: 1) first full-length sequences lethal isoforms (helofensins) revealed this type to be constructed an ancestral monodomain, monoproduct gene (beta-defensin) that underwent tandem domain duplications encode a tetradomain, with possible protein fold; 2) monodomain (encoding...
Although it has been established that all toxicoferan squamates share a common venomous ancestor, remained unclear whether the maxillary and mandibular venom glands are evolving on separate gene expression trajectories or if they remain under shared genetic control. We show identical transcripts simultaneously expressed not only in glands, but also enigmatic snake rictal gland. Toxin molecular frameworks recovered this study were three-finger toxin (3FTx), CRiSP, crotamine (beta-defensin),...
Animals using toxic peptides and proteins for predation or defense typically depend on specialized morphological structures, like fangs, spines, a stinger, effective intoxication. Here we show that amphibian poisons instead incorporate their own molecular system toxin delivery to attacking predators. Skin-secreted peptides, generally considered part of the immune system, permeabilize oral epithelial tissue enable fast access cosecreted toxins predator's bloodstream organs. This...
The skin secretion of many amphibians contains an arsenal bioactive molecules, including hormone-like peptides (HLPs) acting as defense toxins against predators, and antimicrobial (AMPs) providing protection infectious microorganisms. Several amphibian taxa seem to have independently acquired the genes produce skin-secreted peptide arsenals, but it remains unknown how these originated from a non-defensive ancestral gene evolved diverse functions predators pathogens. We conducted...
Chemical signaling in animals often plays a central role eliciting variety of responses during reproductive interactions between males and females. One the best-known vertebrate courtship pheromone systems is sodefrin precursor-like factors (SPFs), family two-domain three-finger proteins with female-receptivity enhancing function, currently only known from salamanders. The oldest divergence active components single salamander species dates back to Late Paleozoic, indicating that these...
Abstract Chemical sensing in vertebrates is crucial their lives, and efforts are undertaken towards deciphering chemical language. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) a group of chemicals believed to play an essential role wide variety animal interactions. Therefore, understanding what animals sense themselves untangling the ecological volatile cues can be accomplished by analysing VOC emissions. A proton‐transfer‐reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (PTR‐TOF‐MS) instrument that measures...
Predatory innovations impose reciprocal selection pressures upon prey. The evolution of snake venom alpha-neurotoxins has triggered the corresponding resistance in post-synaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors prey a complex chemical arms race. All other things being equal, animals like caecilians (an Order legless amphibians) are quite vulnerable to predation by fossorial elapid snakes and their powerful alpha-neurotoxic venoms; thus, they under strong selective pressure. Here, we...
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key molecules in the innate immune defence of vertebrates with rapid action, broad antimicrobial spectrum, and ability to evade pathogen resistance mechanisms. To date, amphibians major group from which most AMPs have been characterised, but studies focused on bioactive skin secretions anurans (frogs toads). In this study, we analysed complete genomes and/or transcriptomes eight species caecilian (order Gymnophiona) characterised diversity, molecular...
Abstract Natural selection can drive organisms to strikingly similar adaptive solutions, but the underlying molecular mechanisms often remain unknown. Several amphibians have independently evolved highly adhesive skin secretions (glues) that support a effective antipredator defence mechanism. Here we demonstrate glue of Madagascan tomato frog, Dyscophus guineti , relies on two interacting proteins: derived member widespread glycoprotein family and galectin. Identification homologous proteins...