2018
Genome-Wide Assessment of Diversity and Divergence Among Extant Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species
Miller J, Quinzin M, Edwards D, Eaton D, Jensen E, Russello M, Gibbs J, Tapia W, Rueda D, Caccone A. Genome-Wide Assessment of Diversity and Divergence Among Extant Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species. Journal Of Heredity 2018, 109: 611-619. PMID: 29986032, DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esy031.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGiant tortoise speciesMitochondrial DNA sequencesSingle nucleotide polymorphismsTortoise speciesGenetic diversityMicrosatellite lociDNA sequencesGenotypic dataMicrosatellite genotypic dataNuclear microsatellite lociGenome-wide markersEstimates of diversityGenome-wide assessmentGalapagos giant tortoisesSpecies radiationEvolutionary geneticsSignificant unitsMitochondrial DNAPopulation structureSpecies conservationGenetic lineagesGiant tortoisesPopulation delineationTortoise populationsDNA sequencing
2017
Theory, practice, and conservation in the age of genomics: The Galápagos giant tortoise as a case study
Gaughran S, Quinzin M, Miller J, Garrick R, Edwards D, Russello M, Poulakakis N, Ciofi C, Beheregaray L, Caccone A. Theory, practice, and conservation in the age of genomics: The Galápagos giant tortoise as a case study. Evolutionary Applications 2017, 11: 1084-1093. PMID: 30026799, PMCID: PMC6050186, DOI: 10.1111/eva.12551.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGalápagos giant tortoisesSingle nucleotide polymorphismsGenetic differentiationPopulation structureGiant tortoisesRecent single nucleotide polymorphismGenomewide single nucleotide polymorphismsGenomic single nucleotide polymorphismsGiant tortoise speciesHigh-throughput DNA sequencingStructured natural populationsHundreds of SNPsThousands of SNPsPopulation genetics theoryTraditional genetic markersAge of genomicsMitochondrial DNA analysisNonmodel organismsNonmodel speciesEvolutionary historyNatural populationsGenetic theoryTortoise speciesUnnatural groupingGenomic data
2015
Description of a New Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species (Chelonoidis; Testudines: Testudinidae) from Cerro Fatal on Santa Cruz Island
Poulakakis N, Edwards D, Chiari Y, Garrick R, Russello M, Benavides E, Watkins-Colwell G, Glaberman S, Tapia W, Gibbs J, Cayot L, Caccone A. Description of a New Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species (Chelonoidis; Testudines: Testudinidae) from Cerro Fatal on Santa Cruz Island. PLOS ONE 2015, 10: e0138779. PMID: 26488886, PMCID: PMC4619298, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138779.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMultiple independent evolutionary lineagesGiant tortoise speciesIndependent evolutionary lineagesCompelling genetic evidenceGalapagos tortoisesRank of speciesSanta Cruz IslandGenetic distinctivenessAnalysis of DNAEvolutionary lineagesEvolutionary relationshipsNatural populationsDNA charactersDistinct lineagesIsland of originTaxonomic revisionMorphological charactersMuseum specimensNew speciesGenetic evidenceTortoise speciesLineagesSpeciesTortoisesType specimen
2014
Lineage fusion in Galápagos giant tortoises
Garrick R, Benavides E, Russello M, Hyseni C, Edwards D, Gibbs J, Tapia W, Ciofi C, Caccone A. Lineage fusion in Galápagos giant tortoises. Molecular Ecology 2014, 23: 5276-5290. PMID: 25223395, DOI: 10.1111/mec.12919.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLineage fusionGiant tortoise speciesGalápagos giant tortoisesWidespread introgressive hybridizationLong generation timesWolf VolcanoCryptic lineagesReticulate evolutionIntrogressive hybridizationLineage splittingMicrosatellite dataGalápagos tortoisesPopulation geneticsEvolutionary phenomenaMate selectivityTortoise speciesGiant tortoisesLineagesGeneration timeRapid extinctionTortoisesPurebred femalesFusionIslandsHistorical reconstruction
2013
The genetic legacy of Lonesome George survives: Giant tortoises with Pinta Island ancestry identified in Galápagos
Edwards D, Benavides E, Garrick R, Gibbs J, Russello M, Dion K, Hyseni C, Flanagan J, Tapia W, Caccone A. The genetic legacy of Lonesome George survives: Giant tortoises with Pinta Island ancestry identified in Galápagos. Biological Conservation 2013, 157: 225-228. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2012.10.014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLonesome GeorgeGiant tortoise speciesFirst-generation hybridsPurebred individualsAdditional hybridsPinta IslandGeneration hybridsGenetic legacyTortoise speciesGiant tortoisesSpecies recoveryGalápagos ArchipelagoRelative abundanceIsabela IslandTortoisesUnrelated individualsAdditional individualsAncestryHybridsIslands
2012
Genetic rediscovery of an ‘extinct’ Galápagos giant tortoise species
Garrick R, Benavides E, Russello M, Gibbs J, Poulakakis N, Dion K, Hyseni C, Kajdacsi B, Márquez, Bahan S, Ciofi C, Tapia W, Caccone A. Genetic rediscovery of an ‘extinct’ Galápagos giant tortoise species. Current Biology 2012, 22: r10-r11. PMID: 22240469, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.12.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFloreana IslandHybrid individualsGiant tortoise speciesUnique evolutionary lineagesGiant Galápagos tortoisesCaptive breeding programsEvolutionary lineagesGalápagos tortoisesHybrid offspringExtinct speciesGenetic footprintsTortoise speciesBreeding programsGalápagos IslandsGenetic signaturesExtant individualsIsabela IslandGenomeSpeciesMixed ancestryTortoisesAncestryIslandsLineagesLikely mechanism
2010
DNA from the Past Informs Ex Situ Conservation for the Future: An “Extinct” Species of Galápagos Tortoise Identified in Captivity
Russello MA, Poulakakis N, Gibbs JP, Tapia W, Benavides E, Powell JR, Caccone A. DNA from the Past Informs Ex Situ Conservation for the Future: An “Extinct” Species of Galápagos Tortoise Identified in Captivity. PLOS ONE 2010, 5: e8683. PMID: 20084268, PMCID: PMC2800188, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008683.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsExtinct speciesCaptive individualsGenotypic dataExtant speciesGalápagos tortoisesNative rangeTortoise speciesMitochondrial DNA control region haplotypesHistorical DNA analysisMicrosatellite genotypic dataControl region haplotypesMitochondrial DNA haplotypesEx situ conservationSpecies recovery effortsConservation-related researchIslands of IsabelaCryptic diversityBayesian assignmentDNA haplotypesSitu conservationFloreana IslandConservation statusBreeding effortsMicrosatellite genotypesMuseum specimens
2003
Are the native giant tortoises from the Seychelles really extinct? A genetic perspective based on mtDNA and microsatellite data
Palkovacs E, Marschner M, Ciofi C, Gerlach J, Caccone A. Are the native giant tortoises from the Seychelles really extinct? A genetic perspective based on mtDNA and microsatellite data. Molecular Ecology 2003, 12: 1403-1413. PMID: 12755870, DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.01834.x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGiant tortoisesGenetic structuringGiant tortoise speciesMitochondrial DNA sequencesMitochondrial control regionWestern Indian OceanLevel of variationNuclear microsatellitesRediscovered speciesSeychelles archipelagoMicrosatellite dataReproductive isolationRecent morphological studiesTortoise speciesMicrosatellite lociControl regionSingle lineageMorphological charactersDNA sequencesCarapace morphologyCaptive conditionsTortoisesGenetic perspectiveSpeciesPotential survival
1999
A Molecular Phylogeny of Four Endangered Madagascar Tortoises Based on MtDNA Sequences
Caccone A, Amato G, Gratry O, Behler J, Powell J. A Molecular Phylogeny of Four Endangered Madagascar Tortoises Based on MtDNA Sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics And Evolution 1999, 12: 1-9. PMID: 10222157, DOI: 10.1006/mpev.1998.0594.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCyt b geneNorth American tortoisesP. planicaudaVerge of extinctionMorphological divergenceMolecular phylogenySingle colonizationMost lineagesMonophyletic originPhylogenetic relationshipsPyxis arachnoidesSister statusMtDNA sequencesSister taxaGenus GeocheloneMitochondrial DNADNA sequencesTortoise speciesB geneEndemic tortoisesGopherus polyphemusLatter genusGeocheloneSpeciesPhylogeny