@article {JZO:JZO609, title = {Morphological and biochemical variation in populations of Dugesia (G.) tigrina (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Paludicola) from the western Mediterranean: biogeographical and taxonomical implications}, journal = {Journal of Zoology}, volume = {218}, number = {4}, year = {1989}, pages = {609{\textendash}626}, publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Ltd}, abstract = {

Dugesia (Girardia) tigrina is a Nearctic freshwater triclad native to North America, now amply distributed in most European countries as the result of a reportedly unique introduction into north-west Europe early this century and its dispersal southwards and eastwards in the last decades. All European populations described so far are externally spotted, with a pigmented pharynx, and, apart from two sexual populations recently described in England, they are fissiparous. This uniformity contrasts with the variability reported in its native area, thus supporting the hypothesis of a single introduction. However, thorough morphological, karyological and biochemical comparative studies of European populations have never been properly done.We have undertaken such a study comparing 24 populations present in a restricted area of the western Mediterranean. The results show an unexpectedly ample variation in external and pharyngeal pigmentation patterns, the presence of sexually reproducing populations, and ample variation in their biochemical patterns as revealed by isoelectric-focusing. This is an indication that European Dugesia (G.) tigrina is far more diverse than previously thought, suggesting that several, independent introductions from its native area have recently occurred, and the implications of these findings in biogeographical and taxonomic terms are discussed.

}, issn = {1469-7998}, doi = {10.1111/j.1469-7998.1989.tb05003.x}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1989.tb05003.x}, author = {Maria Ribas and Marta Riutort and Jaume Bagu{\~n}{\`a}} } @article {8, title = {A robust molecular phylogeny of the Tricladida (Platyhelminthes: Seriata) with a discussion on morphological synapomorphies}, journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, volume = {265(1396)}, year = {1998}, month = {04/1998}, pages = {631-640}, chapter = {631}, url = {http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1689013\&blobtype=pdf}, author = {Salvador Carranza and D T Littlewood and K A Clough and I Ruiz-Trillo and Jaume Bagu{\~n}{\`a} and Marta Riutort} } @inbook {642, title = {Molecular taxonomy and phylogeny of the Tricladida}, booktitle = {Interrelationships of the Platyhelminthes}, year = {2001}, pages = {49-56}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, organization = {Taylor \& Francis}, chapter = {6}, address = {London}, author = {Jaume Bagu{\~n}{\`a} and Salvador Carranza and Jordi Paps and I{\~n}aki Ruiz-Trillo and Marta Riutort} } @article {9, title = {Molecular phylogeny of land and freshwater planarians (Tricladida, Platyhelminthes): from freshwater to land and back}, journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution}, volume = {47}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {05/2008}, pages = {555-568}, chapter = {555}, abstract = {

The suborder Tricladida (phylum Platyhelminthes) comprises the well-known free-living flatworms, taxonomically grouped into three infraorders according to their ecology: Maricola (marine planarians), Paludicola (freshwater planarians), and Terricola (land planarians). Molecular analyses have demonstrated that the Paludicola are paraphyletic, the Terricola being the sister group of one of the three paludicolan families, the Dugesiidae. However, neither 18S rDNA nor COI based trees have been able to resolve the relationships among species of Terricola and Dugesiidae, particularly the monophyly of Terricola. Here, we present new molecular data including sequences of nuclear genes (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA) and a mitochondrial gene (COI) of a wider sample of dugesiid and terricolan species. The new sequences have been analyzed, together with those previously obtained, in independent and concatenated analyses using maximum likelihood and bayesian methods. The results show that, although some parts of the trees remain poorly resolved, they support a monophyletic origin for Terricola followed by a likely return of some species to freshwater habitats. Relationships within the monophyletic group of Dugesiidae are clearly resolved, and relationships among some terricolan subfamilies are also clearly established and point to the need for a thorough revision of Terricola taxonomy.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.032}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790308000390}, author = {Marta {\'A}lvarez-Presas and Jaume Bagu{\~n}{\`a} and Marta Riutort} } @article {57, title = {Molecular analysis of the diversity of terrestrial planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Continenticola) in the Iberian Peninsula}, journal = {Zoologica Scripta}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, pages = {637-649}, chapter = {637}, issn = {1463-6409}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2009.00398.x}, author = {Mateos, Eduardo and Cabrera, Cristina and Salvador Carranza and Marta Riutort} } @article {158, title = {A new higher classification of planarian flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida)}, journal = {Journal of Natural History}, volume = {43}, year = {2009}, pages = {1763{\textendash}1777}, chapter = {1763}, url = {http://each.uspnet.usp.br/planarias/Artigos/Geoplanidae/2009-Sluys-et-al-A\%20new\%20higher\%20classification\%20of\%20planarian\%20fl.pdf}, author = {Ronald Sluys and Masaharu Kawakatsu and Marta Riutort and Jaume Bagu{\~n}{\`a}} } @article {58, title = {Plan{\'a}rias terrestres : Modelo de estudo para a prote{\c c}{\~a}o da mata atl{\^a}ntica no corredor da Serra do Mar}, journal = {Ci{\^e}ncia Hoje}, volume = {45}, number = {267}, year = {2010}, pages = {44-49}, chapter = {44}, author = {Carbayo, Fernando and Marta {\'A}lvarez-Presas and Julio Rozas and Marta Riutort} } @article {18, title = {Molecular barcoding and phylogeography of sexual and asexual freshwater planarians of the genus Dugesia in the Western Mediterranean (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae).}, journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {09/2009}, pages = {835-845}, chapter = {835}, abstract = {

Planarians of the genus Dugesia have a worldwide distribution with high species diversity in the Mediterranean area. In this area, populations with a triploid karyotype that reproduce by fissiparity are exceptionally frequent, outnumbering the sexual populations. This situation poses interesting questions, such as the age of these asexual lineages, whether they all belong to the same species or whether the triploidization event is recurrent, and what factors (climatic, geographical, historical...) explain the prevalence of these asexual forms. However, asexual populations cannot be assigned to a species due to the lack of copulatory apparatus - the main structure used in species identification. In this study, we have developed a DNA barcoding method, based on COI and ITS-1 sequences, which allows the assignment of the fissiparous forms to sexual species. At the same time, phylogenetic analysis from species of the western Mediterranean have unveiled the presence of species with highly differentiated populations alongside species with a wide distribution and almost no genetic variation. The roles of habitat instability, dispersal capacity and human activities are briefly discussed.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2009.04.022}, author = {Eva M. L{\'a}zaro and Ronald Sluys and Maria Pala and Giacinta Angela Stocchino and Jaume Bagu{\~n}{\`a} and Marta Riutort} } @article {162, title = {Schmidtea mediterranea phylogeography: an old species surviving on a few Mediterranean islands?}, journal = {BMC Evolutionary Biology}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, chapter = {274}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2148-11-274}, url = {http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2148-11-274.pdf}, author = {Eva M. L{\'a}zaro and Harrath, Abdul Halim and Stocchino, Giacinta and Maria Pala and Jaume Bagu{\~n}{\`a} and Marta Riutort} } @article {72, title = {Mata Atlantica y biodiversidad. Un estudio sobre planarias terrestres}, journal = {Quercus}, volume = {291}, year = {2010}, pages = {80-82}, chapter = {80}, author = {Marta {\'A}lvarez-Presas and Carbayo, Fernando and Julio Rozas and Marta Riutort} } @article {153, title = {Land planarians (Platyhelminthes) as a model organism for fine-scale phylogeographic studies: understanding patterns of biodiversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot}, journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Biology}, volume = {24}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, pages = {887-896}, chapter = {887}, abstract = {

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the richest biodiversity hotspots of the world. Paleoclimatic models have predicted two large stability regions in its northern and central parts, whereas southern regions might have suffered strong instability during Pleistocene glaciations. Molecular phylogeographic and endemism studies show, nevertheless, contradictory results: although some results validate these predictions, other data suggest that paleoclimatic models fail to predict stable rainforest areas in the south. Most studies, however, have surveyed species with relatively high dispersal rates whereas taxa with lower dispersion capabilities should be better predictors of habitat stability. Here, we have used two land planarian species as model organisms to analyse the patterns and levels of nucleotide diversity on a locality within the Southern Atlantic Forest. We find that both species harbour high levels of genetic variability without exhibiting the molecular footprint of recent colonization or population expansions, suggesting a long-term stability scenario. The results reflect, therefore, that paleoclimatic models may fail to detect refugia in the Southern Atlantic Forest, and that model organisms with low dispersal capability can improve the resolution of these models.

}, doi = {10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02220.x}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02220.x/abstract}, author = {Marta {\'A}lvarez-Presas and Carbayo, Fernando and Julio Rozas and Marta Riutort} } @article {274, title = {Evolutionary history of the Tricladida and the Platyhelminthes: an up-to-date phylogenetic and systematic account}, journal = {International Journal of Developmental Biology}, volume = {56}, year = {2012}, pages = {5-17}, chapter = {5}, abstract = {

Within the free-living platyhelminths, the triclads, or planarians, are the best-known group, largely as a result of long-standing and intensive research on regeneration, pattern formation and Hox gene expression. However, the group\’s evolutionary history has been long debated, with controversies ranging from their phyletic structure and position within the Metazoa to the relationships among species within the Tricladida. Over the the last decade, with the advent of molecular phylogenies, some of these issues have begun to be resolved. Here, we present an up-to-date summary of the main phylogenetic changes and novelties with some comments on their evolutionary implications. The phylum has been split into two groups, and the position of the main group (the Rhabdithophora and the Catenulida), close to the Annelida and the Mollusca within the Lophotrochozoa, is now clear. Their internal relationships, although not totally resolved, have been clarified. Tricladida systematics has also experienced a revolution since the implementation of molecular data. The terrestrial planarians have been demonstrated to have emerged from one of the freshwater families, giving a different view of their evolution and greatly altering their classification. The use of molecular data is also facilitating the identification of Tricladida species by DNA barcoding, allowing better knowledge of their distribution and genetic diversity. Finally, molecular phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses, taking advantage of recent data, are beginning to give a clear picture of the recent history of the Dugesia and Schmidtea species in the Mediterranean.

}, doi = {10.1387/ijdb.113441mr}, url = {http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/paper.php?doi=113441mr}, author = {Marta Riutort and Marta {\'A}lvarez-Presas and Eva M. L{\'a}zaro and Eduard Sol{\`a} and Jordi Paps} } @article {307, title = {Freshwater planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from the Palearctic section of the African continent: new records, with the description of a new species}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {3182}, year = {2012}, pages = {1-15}, author = {Harrath, A. H. and Ronald Sluys and Merzoug, D. and Yacoubi-Khebiza, M. and Saleh Alwasel and Marta Riutort} } @article {483, title = {Integrative delineation of species of Mediterranean freshwater planarians (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Dugesiidae)}, journal = {Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society}, volume = {169}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {11/2013}, pages = {523{\textendash}547}, chapter = {523}, abstract = {

The paper presents an integrative taxonomic study on dugesiid freshwater flatworms from the north-eastern Mediterranean region by applying both morphological and molecular criteria in the formulation of stable species hypotheses. The morphological information obtained for the specimens was used in a traditional way by comparing the organismal traits of the various populations and candidate species with those of known species, as documented in the taxonomic literature and as revealed by examination of histological sections of museum specimens. In the molecular species delimitation the General Mixed Yule-Coalescent method (GMYC) was used. Results of this study (1) supported the presence of 13 Dugesia species in the Hellenic area (including D. sicula Lepori, 1948, a pan-Mediterranean species), (2) culminated in the description of four new Dugesia species, (3) suggested the presence of two Confirmed Candidate Species, (4) pointed to 12 GMYC-delimited units in Greece and two in Slovakia as Unconfirmed Candidate Species and (5) revealed the presence of an entirely new genus, represented by two newly described species and a third Unconfirmed Candidate Species. Our results revealed a high diversity of dugesiid species in this relatively small region. It is concluded that the morphological features used by taxonomists in comparative studies of dugesiid flatworms generally result in reliable identifications and delineations of species taxa, except in the case of cryptic species.

}, doi = {10.1111/zoj.12077}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zoj.12077/abstract}, author = {Ronald Sluys and Eduard Sol{\`a} and Gritzalis, Konstantinos and Miquel Vila-Farr{\'e} and Mateos, Eduardo and Marta Riutort} } @article {524, title = {Dugesia sicula (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida): the colonizing success of an asexual Planarian}, journal = {BMC Evolutionary Biology}, volume = {13}, year = {2013}, chapter = {268}, abstract = {

Background Dugesia sicula is the only species of its genus not presenting an endemic or restricted distribution within the Mediterranean area. It mostly comprises fissiparous populations (asexual reproduction by body division and regeneration), most likely sexually sterile, and characterized by an extremely low genetic diversity interpreted as the consequence of a recent anthropic expansion. However, its fissiparous reproduction can result in an apparent lack of diversity within the species, since genetic variation within individuals can be as large as between them because most individuals within a population are clones. We have estimated haplotype and nucleotide diversity of cytochrome oxidase I within and among individuals along the species distribution of a broad sample of D. sicula, including asexual and the two only sexual populations known today; and predicted its potential distribution based on climatic variables. Our aim was to determine the centre of colonisation origin, whether the populations are recent, and whether the species is expanding. Results The species presents 3 most frequent haplotypes, differing in a maximum of 11 base pairs. As expected from their fissiparous mode of reproduction, in half of all the analysed localities many individuals have multiple heteroplasmic haplotypes. The distribution of haplotypes is not geographically structured; however, the distribution of haplotypes and heteroplasmic populations shows higher diversity in the central Mediterranean region. The potential distribution predicted by climatic variables based modelling shows a preference for coastal areas and fits well with the observed data. Conclusions The distribution and frequency of the most frequent haplotypes and the presence of heteroplasmic individuals allow us to gain an understanding of the recent history of the species, together with previous knowledge on its phylogenetic relationships and age: The species most probably originated in Africa and dispersed through the central Mediterranean. After one or multiple populations became triploid and fissiparous, the species colonized the Mediterranean basin, likely both by its own means and helped by human activities. Its present distribution practically fulfils its potential distribution as modelled with climatic variables. Its prevalence in coastal regions with higher water temperatures predicts a likely future expansion to northern and more interior areas following the increase in temperatures due to climate change.

}, doi = {doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-268}, url = {http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2148-13-268.pdf}, author = {Eva M. L{\'a}zaro and Marta Riutort} } @article {774, title = {Diversity of introduced terrestrial flatworms in the Iberian Peninsula: a cautionary tale}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {06/2014}, chapter = {e430}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.430}, author = {Marta {\'A}lvarez-Presas and Mateos, Eduardo and {\`A}ngels Tud{\'o} and Hugh D. Jones and Marta Riutort} } @article {770, title = {Planarian (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) Diversity and Molecular Markers: A New View of an Old Group}, journal = {Diversity}, volume = {6}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, pages = {323-338}, author = {Marta {\'A}lvarez-Presas and Marta Riutort} } @article {312, title = {Fluvial basin history in the northeastern Mediterranean region underlies dispersal and speciation patterns in the genus Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae)}, journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution}, volume = {66}, year = {2013}, month = {2013/3//}, pages = {877 - 888}, abstract = {

In this study we analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of eastern Mediterranean freshwater planarians of the genus Dugesia, estimated divergence times for the various clades, and correlated their phylogeographic patterns with geological and paleoclimatic events, in order to discover which evolutionary processes have shaped the present-day distribution of these animals. Specimens were collected from freshwater courses and lakes in continental and insular Greece. Genetic divergences and phylogenetic relationships were inferred by using the mitochondrial gene subunit I of cytochrome oxidase (COI) and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) from 74 newly collected individuals from Greece. Divergence time estimates were obtained under a Bayesian framework, using the COI sequences. Two alternative geological dates for the isolation of Crete from the mainland were tested as calibration points. A clear phylogeographic pattern was present for Dugesia lineages in the Eastern Mediterranean. Morphological data, combined with information on genetic divergences, revealed that eight out of the nine known species were represented in the samples, while additional new, and still undescribed species were detected. Divergence time analyses suggested that Dugesia species became isolated in Crete after the first geological isolation of the island, and that their present distribution in the Eastern Mediterranean has been shaped mainly by vicariant events but also by dispersal. During the Messinian salinity crisis these freshwater planarians apparently were not able to cross the sea barrier between Crete and the mainland, while they probably did disperse between islands in the Aegean Sea. Their dependence on freshwater to survive suggests the presence of contiguous freshwater bodies in those regions. Our results also suggest a major extinction of freshwater planarians on the Peloponnese at the end of the Pliocene, while about 2 Mya ago, when the current Mediterranean climate was established, these Peloponnese populations probably began to disperse again. At the end of the Pliocene or during the Pleistocene, mainland populations of Dugesia colonized the western coast, including the Ionian Islands, which were then part of the continent.

}, keywords = {Aegean, Biogeography, COI, Divergence times, Freshwater planarians, ITS-1, Molecular clock, Phylogeography}, isbn = {1055-7903}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2012.11.010}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790312004423}, author = {Eduard Sol{\`a} and Ronald Sluys and Gritzalis, Konstantinos and Marta Riutort} }