Browsing by Author "Ferguson, Adam W. (TTU)"
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Item Mammalia, Chiroptera, Emballonuridae, Peropteryx leucoptera Peters, 1867 and Peropteryx pallidoptera Lim, Engstrom, Reid, Simmons, Voss and Fleck, 2010: Distributional range extensions in Ecuador(2010) McDonough, Molly M. (TTU); Lim, Burton K.; Ferguson, Adam W. (TTU); Brown, Carson M.; Burneo, Santiago F.; Ammerman, Loren K.We reevaluate vouchered records of Peropteryx leucoptera in Ecuador with regard to the morphologically similar and newly described species, P. pallidoptera. The western-most distributional occurrence of P. pallidoptera is documented. Additionally, we describe a new record of P. leucoptera collected at Palma Roja, Cuyabeno Faunistic Reserve in Sucumbíos Province, Ecuador that represents the first record for this species in Sucumbíos Province and the northern-most distributional occurrence for Ecuador. © 2010 Check List and Authors.Item Mitochondrial DNA and karyotypic data confirm the presence of Mus indutus and Mus minutoides (Mammalia, Rodentia, Muridae, Nannomys) in Botswana(2013) McDonough, Molly M. (TTU); Sotero-Caio, Cibele G. (TTU); Ferguson, Adam W. (TTU); Lewis, Patrick J.; Tswiio, Matlhogonolo; Thies, Monte L.We use a combination of cytochrome b sequence data and karyological evidence to confirm the presence of Mus indutus and Mus minutoides in Botswana. Our data include sampling from five localities from across the country, including one site in northwestern Botswana where both species were captured in syntopy. Additionally, we find evidence for two mitochondrial lineages of M. minutoides in northwestern Botswana that differ by 5% in sequence variation. Also, we report that M. minutoides in Botswana have the 2n=34 karyotype with the presence of a (X.1) sex-autosome translocation. © Molly M. McDonough et al.Item Phylogeography of a widespread small carnivore, the western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis) reveals temporally variable signatures of isolation across western North America(2017) Ferguson, Adam W. (TTU); McDonough, Molly M.; Guerra, Gema I.; Rheude, Margaret; Dragoo, Jerry W.; Ammerman, Loren K.; Dowler, Robert C.We analyzed phylogeographic patterns in the western spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis Merriam, 1890 (Carnivora: Mephitidae) in relation to historical events associated with Pre-Pleistocene Divergence (PPD) and Quaternary climate change (QCC) using mitochondrial DNA from 97 individuals distributed across Western North America. Divergence times were generated using BEAST to estimate when isolation in putative refugia occurred. Patterns and timing of demographic expansion was performed using Bayesian skyline plot. Putative climatic refugia resulting from Quaternary climate change were identified using paleoecological niche modeling and divergence dates compared to major vicariant events associated with Pre-Pleistocene conditions. We recovered three major mitochondrial clades corresponding to western North America (California, Baja, and across the Great Basin), east-central North America (Texas, central Mexico, New Mexico), and southwestern Arizona/northwestern Mexico. Time to most recent common ancestor for S. gracilis occurred ~1.36 Ma. Divergence times for each major clade occurred between 0.25 and 0.12 Ma, with signature of population expansion occurring 0.15 and 0.10 Ma. Ecological niche models identified three potential climatic refugia during the Last Interglacial, (1) west coast of California and Oregon, (2) northwestern Mexico, and (3) southern Texas/northeastern Mexico as well as two refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum, (1) western USA and (2) southern Texas/northeastern Mexico. This study supports PPD in shaping species-level diversity compared to QCC-driven changes at the intraspecific level for Spilogale, similar to the patterns reported for other small mammals (e.g., rodents and bats). Phylogeographic patterns also appear to have been shaped by both habitat and river vicariance, especially across the desert southwest. Further, continuing climate change during the Holocene coupled with anthropogenic modifications during the Anthropocene appears to be removing both of these barriers to current dispersal of western spotted skunks.