Person:
Novo Rodríguez, Marta

First Name

Marta

Last Name

Novo Rodríguez

Affiliation

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Faculty / Institute

Ciencias Biológicas

Department

Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 11

Predicting soil micro-variables and the distribution of an endogeic earthworm species through a model based on large-scale variables
(Elsevier, 2015-02) Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Refoyo Román, Pablo; Novo Rodríguez, Marta; Fernández García, Rosa Mª; Trigo Aza, María Dolores; Díaz Cosín, Darío J.
Studies on spatial patterns of distributions of soil dwelling animals have usually relied on soil micro-variables or statistical analyses based on presence/absence data. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allow easy access to large-scale variables to build species distribution models. In this study, we used MaxEnt to model the distribution of the endogeic earthworm Hormogaster elisae. Significant differences were found between the predicted suitability values of localities where the species was present and those where it was absent, validating the predictive model. Most of the large-scale training variables showed significant correlation with soil micro-variables known to influence the biology of the species, proving the ability of the model to predict (to an extent) soil variables from environmental ones. The methodology could be extended to other soil fauna.
Pinpointing cryptic borders: Fine-scale phylogeography and genetic landscape analysis of the Hormogaster elisae complex (Oligochaeta,Hormogastridae)
(Elsevier, 2017-07) Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Fernández, Rosa; Sosa, Irene de; Díaz Cosín, Darío J.; Novo Rodríguez, Marta
Spatial and temporal aspects of the evolution of cryptic species complexes have received less attention than species delimitation within them. The phylogeography of the cryptic complex Hormogaster elisae (Oligochaeta, Hormogastridae) lacks knowledge on several aspects, including the small-scale distribution of its lineages or the palaeogeographic context of their diversification. To shed light on these topics, a dense specimen collection was performed in the center of the Iberian Peninsula – resulting in 28 new H. elisae collecting points, some of them as close as 760 m from each other- for a higher resolution of the distribution of the cryptic lineages and the relationships between the populations. Seven molecular regions were amplified: mitochondrial subunit 1 of cytochrome c oxidase (COI), 16S rRNA and tRNA Leu, Ala, and Ser (16S t-RNAs), one nuclear ribosomal gene (a fragment of 28S rRNA) and one nuclear protein-encoding gene (histone H3) in order to infer their phylogenetic relationships. Different representation methods of the pairwise divergence in the cytochrome oxidase I sequence (heatmap and genetic landscape graphs) were used to visualize the genetic structure of H. elisae. A nested approach sensu Mairal et al. (2015) (connecting the evolutionary rates of two datasets of different taxonomic coverage) was used to obtain one approximation to a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree based on external Clitellata fossils and a wide molecular dataset. Our results indicate that limited active dispersal ability and ecological or biotic barriers could explain the isolation of the different cryptic lineages, which never co-occur. Rare events of long distance dispersal through hydrochory appear as one of the possible causes of range expansion.
Macroecological inferences on soil fauna through comparative niche modeling: The case of Hormogastridae (Annelida, Oligochaeta)
(Elsevier, 2016-07) Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Refoyo Román, Pablo; Fernández, Rosa; Novo Rodríguez, Marta; Sosa, Irene de; Díaz Cosín, Darío J.
Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) through MaxEnt and quantitative comparison techniques using ENMtools could facilitate ecological inferences in problematic soil dwelling taxa. Despite its ecological relevance in the Western Mediterranean basin, the ecology of the endemic family Hormogastridae (Annelida, Oligochaeta) is poorly known. Applying this comparative approach to the main clades of Hormogastridae would allow a better understanding of their ecological preferences and differences. One hundred twenty-four occurrence data belonging to four clades within this earthworm family were used as input to infer separate MaxEnt models, including seven predictor variables. Niche breadth, niche overlap and identity tests were calculated in ENMtools; a spatial Principal Components Analysis (sPCA) was performed to contrast with the realized niches. The highly suitable predicted ranges varied in their ability to reflect the known distribution of the clades. The different analyses pointed towards different ecological preferences and significant ecological divergence in the four above-mentioned clades. These results are an example of wide-scale ecological inferences for soil fauna made possible by this promising methodology, and show how ecological characterization of relevant taxonomic units could be a useful support for systematic revisions.
Local adaptation fuels cryptic speciation in terrestrial annelids
(Elsevier, 2020-02-17) Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Novo Rodríguez, Marta; Sánchez Santos, Nuria; Domínguez, Jorge; Díaz Cosín, Darío J.; Fernández, Rosa
Uncovering the genetic and evolutionary basis of cryptic speciation is a major focus of evolutionary biology. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) allows the identification of genome-wide local adaptation signatures, but has rarely been applied to cryptic complexes - particularly in the soil milieu - as it is the case with integrative taxonomy. The earthworm genus Carpetania, comprising six previously suggested putative cryptic lineages, is a promising model to study the evolutionary phenomena shaping cryptic speciation in soil-dwelling lineages. Genotyping-By-Sequencing (GBS) was used to provide genome-wide information about genetic variability between 17 populations, and geometric morphometrics analyses of genital chaetae were performed to investigate unexplored cryptic morphological evolution. Genomic analyses revealed the existence of three cryptic species, with half of the previously-identified potential cryptic lineages clustering within them. Local adaptation was detected in more than 800 genes putatively involved in a plethora of biological functions (most notably reproduction, metabolism, immunological response and morphogenesis). Several genes with selection signatures showed shared mutations for each of the cryptic species, and genes under selection were enriched in functions related to regulation of transcription, including SNPs located in UTR regions. Finally, geometric morphometrics approaches partially confirmed the phylogenetic signal of relevant morphological characters such as genital chaetae. Our study therefore unveils that local adaptation and regulatory divergence are key evolutionary forces orchestrating genome evolution in soil fauna.
Bless this phylogeographic mess e Comparative study of Eiseniella tetraedra (Annelida, Oligochaeta) between an Atlantic area and a continental Mediterranean area in Spain
(Elsevier, 2017-01) Sosa, Irene de; Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Novo Rodríguez, Marta; Almodóvar Pérez, Ana María
Due to the influence of Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, Spain has different climates, from desert to Atlantic. We sampled the parthenogenetic earthworm Eiseniella tetraedra in two different biogeographical zones in Spain, in order to study their genetic diversity and test their potential distinctiveness. Moreover, we evaluated the presence or absence of two different lineages (Eurosiberian and Mediterranean) found in other parthenogenetic earthworms such as Aporrectodea trapezoides and A. rosea. We studied the molecular markers COI, 16S and 28S. E. tetraedra presents a high diversity in Spain (one COI haplotype every two individuals were found) and no clear geographical patterns except for diffuse patterns along the Guadarrama River basin. In contrast, worldwide localities were more homogeneous with low diversity, to be confirmed with further samples. After morphological study, no correlation was found between phylogenetic relationships and the diagnostic characters for the previously described subspecies in E. tetraedra.
Insights into the origin of parthenogenesis in oligochaetes: Strong genetic structure in a cosmopolitan earthworm is not related to reproductive mode
(Elsevier, 2017-07) Sosa, Irene de; Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Novo Rodríguez, Marta; Díaz Cosín, Darío J.; Giribet, Gonzalo; Fernández García, Rosa Mª
Little is known about the origin and spatial pattern of the common phenomenon of parthenogenesis in earthworms. Aporrectodea trapezoides is unique in having a global distribution, where asexual forms are broadly known. Here we report two populations in Plasencia (Spain) and Karkra (Algeria) with multiple instances of co-occurrence of sexual and parthenogenetic individuals. We thus studied these populations where the two stages coexist with the aim of understanding the origins of parthenogenesis in earthworms. Two mitochondrial (COII and 16S rRNA) and three nuclear (ITS2, histone H3 and 28S rRNA) genes where evaluated to shed light on the mode, timing and frequency of origin of parthenogenetic forms. A population genetic study showed that in all cases sexual and parthenogenetic earthworms shared mitochondrial and nuclear sequence types, and that there is a strong genetic structure at the geographic level. Genetic divergence in both mitochondrial genes was high (up to 9.61% in COII and 6.12% in 16S rRNA), and ITS2 sequences were identical in individuals from closely related localities within a population. The haplotype networks, AMOVAs, Mantel tests and FST values all support the existence of strong genetic structure at the level of locality, but not due to reproductive mode, therefore providing evidence of multiple recent origins of parthenogenesis in this species.
Cryptic characters for cryptic taxa: On the taxonomic utility of the genital chaetae in earthworms (Oligochaeta, Hormogastridae)
(Elsevier, 2016-09) Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Sánchez, Nuria; Novo Rodríguez, Marta; Fernández, Rosa
Hard anatomical characters have successfully been used in invertebrate systematics. Besides their chaetae, this kind of characters is virtually absent from earthworms (a taxonomically challenging group). This work explores the taxonomic utility of genital chaetae, which have been demonstrated to play an important role in earthworm reproduction. Genital chaetae were collected from different clades in the family Hormogastridae, some of them comprising cryptic complexes. The morphology of these structures was studied in detail with scanning electron microscopy and differential interference contrast microscopy with the aim of finding relevant phylogenetic information at different levels: putative diagnostic characters for clades, phylogenetic relationships between clades, and support for cryptic species delimitation. Our results revealed wide morphological variability in the distal tip of the genital chaetae between the different clades (summarized in five qualitative characters) and cryptic lineages. Canonical Variate Analysis based on dorsal landmarks was able to separate chaetae from the cryptic lineages in non-overlapping clusters and Discriminant Function Analysis allowed to assess its reliability. Some complex structures in the tip of genital chaetae, such as denticles and pores, highlighted the necessity of further research on their role in the reproduction of the different earthworm families. Our results support the potential of genital chaetae as a systematic character to resolve conflicting phylogenetic relationships of earthworms, being also potentially suitable for disentangling cryptic species complexes.
Understanding the diversification and functional radiation of Aporrectodea (Crassiclitellata, Lumbricidae) through molecular phylogenetics of its endemic species
(Elsevier, 2023-09-28) Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Martínez Navarro, Alejandro; Jiménez Pinadero, Sergio; Gerard, Sylvain; Hedde, Mickaël; Domínguez, Jorge; Decaëns, Thibaud; Novo Rodríguez, Marta
The genus Aporrectodea includes some of the most conspicuous earthworm species, but its taxonomic history is among the most complex within the family Lumbricidae. Molecular phylogenetic studies have produced some advances by assigning former Aporrectodea species to other monophyletic clades and by detecting species level lineages within the cosmopolitan caliginosa-trapezoides complex. However, little attention has been devoted to endemic taxa of Aporrectodea such as Ap. rubra, Ap. arverna, Ap. gogna, Ap. balisa, Ap. velox, Ap. giardi voconca and Ap. longa ripicola. These earthworms (and additional populations of Ap. longa and Ap. nocturna) were included in a molecular phylogenetic framework in order to reconstruct the ancestral range of the genus, as well as to help understand its diversification within its native range and to perform a systematic revision. Species delimitation, ancestral area reconstruction and Bayesian inference of the phylogenetic relationships were performed using a large gene sequence (COI) dataset and a narrower dataset composed of 5 mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Phylogenetic position and species delimitation indicated that Ap. giardi voconca and Ap. longa ripicola constitute species-level entities not closely related to Ap. giardi or Ap. longa, and they were thus redescribed as Aporrectodea voconca stat. nov. and Aporrectodea ripicola stat. nov. Ancestral area reconstruction enabled location of the origin of Aporrectodea in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alps, in Southeastern France. The study findings provide some insight into the evolution of functional traits in this ecologically successful genus. Ap. rubra and Ap. arverna (small, reddish, epigeic/epianecic) and Ap. gogna (very large, dark, anecic) were recovered as the earliest branching taxa, suggesting a complex evolution of functional traits within this genus.
Unearthing the historical biogeography of Mediterranean earthworms (Annelida:Hormogastridae)
(Wiley, 2015-04) Novo Rodríguez, Marta; Fernández, Rosa; Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Trigo Aza, María Dolores
Aim: The genetic diversity and distribution of earthworm species in the Mediterranean Basin has been influenced by their low vagility, as well as by the basin’s complex geological and climatic history. Within this context, our objective was to evaluate the evolutionary history of hormogastrid earthworms by exploring their phylogeny, reconstructing ancestral areas and identifying potential vicariance and dispersal events. Location: Western Mediterranean region, encompassing the geographical range of the family Hormogastridae (four genera, 30 species and subspecies). Methods: We sampled the easternmost area of the hormogastrid range and integrated 606 new sequences with all the molecular data available from previous studies on the westernmost area. Mitochondrial and nuclear markers were amplified and sequenced, and the hormogastrid phylogeny (using Bayesian and likelihood methods) and networks were investigated. Ancestral-area reconstructions were implemented in rasp. Results: Ancestral-area reconstructions provided similar results for alternative phylogenetic hypotheses, placing the origin of Hormogastridae between southern France and the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, and highlighting north–central Sardinia as a key ancestral area for diversification of eastern Hormogastridae (Hormogaster redii and H. samnitica). Multiple vicariance and dispersal events were detected, indicating a complex evolutionary history. Sardinian populations of H. samnitica and H. redii were not monophyletic but were related to populations from other areas, suggesting that Sardinia is a more complex biogeographical region than anticipated. Our results identified a phylogenetic relationship between the southern Sardinian fauna and that of Sicily, as well as relationships between the fauna of north-eastern Sardinia and those of the Italian Peninsula and the Tuscan Archipelago. Main conclusions: Our results suggest a complex evolutionary history for hormogastrid earthworms, showing the possibility of many dispersal and vicariance events and multiple faunal interchanges between land-masses, which may reflect the biogeographical complexity of the Mediterranean Basin.
Perspectives in Earthworm Molecular Phylogeny: Recent Advances in Lumbricoidea and Standing Questions
(MDPI, 2022-01-04) Fernández Marchán, Daniel; Decaëns, Thibaud; Domínguez, Jorge; Novo Rodríguez, Marta
Earthworm systematics have been limited by the small number of taxonomically informative morphological characters and high levels of homoplasy in this group. However, molecular phylogenetic techniques have yielded significant improvements in earthworm taxonomy in the last 15 years. Several different approaches based on the use of different molecular markers, sequencing techniques, and compromises between specimen/taxon coverage and phylogenetic information have recently emerged (DNA barcoding, multigene phylogenetics, mitochondrial genome analysis, transcriptome analysis, targeted enrichment methods, and reduced representation techniques), providing solutions to different evolutionary questions regarding European earthworms. Molecular phylogenetics have led to significant advances being made in Lumbricidae systematics, such as the redefinition or discovery of new genera (Galiciandrilus, Compostelandrilus, Vindoboscolex, Castellodrilus), delimitation and revision of previously existing genera (Kritodrilus, Eophila, Zophoscolex, Bimastos), and changes to the status of subspecific taxa (such as the Allolobophorachaetophora complex). These approaches have enabled the identification of problems that can be resolved by molecular phylogenetics, including the revision of Aporrectodea, Allolobophora, Helodrilus, and Dendrobaena, as well as the examination of small taxa such as Perelia, Eumenescolex, and Iberoscolex. Similar advances have been made with the family Hormogastridae, in which integrative systematics have contributed to the description of several new species, including the delimitation of (formerly) cryptic species. At the family level, integrative systematics have provided a new genus system that better reflects the diversity and biogeography of these earthworms, and phylogenetic comparative methods provide insight into earthworm macroevolution. Despite these achievements, further research should be performed on the Tyrrhenian cryptic complexes, which are of special eco-evolutionary interest. These examples highlight the potential value of applying molecular phylogenetic techniques to other earthworm families, which are very diverse and occupy different terrestrial habitats across the world. The systematic implementation of such approaches should be encouraged among the different expert groups worldwide, with emphasis on collaboration and cooperation.