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Biogeography of scorpions in the Pseudouroctonus minimus complex (Vaejovidae) from south-western North America: implications of ecological specialization for pre-Quaternary diversification.

Published at Journal of Biogeography presented via http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jbi.12134/full

The primary objective of this study is to reconstruct the phylogeny of the hentzispecies group and sister species in the North American tarantula genus,Aphonopelma, using a set of mitochondrial DNA markers that include the animal “barcoding gene”. An mtDNA genealogy is used to consider questions regarding species boundary delimitation and to evaluate timing of divergence to infer historical biogeographic events that played a role in shaping the present-day diversity and distribution. We aimed to identify potential refugial locations, directionality of range expansion, and test whether A. hentzi post-glacial expansion fit a predicted time frame.

Citation: Hamilton CA, Formanowicz DR, Bond JE (2011) Species Delimitation and Phylogeography of Aphonopelma hentzi (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae): Cryptic Diversity in North American Tarantulas. PLoS ONE 6(10): e26207. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026207

Link:  http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0026207

The infraorder Mygalomorphae (i.e., trapdoor spiders, tarantulas, funnel web spiders, etc.) is one of three main lineages of spiders. Comprising 15 families, 325 genera, and over 2,600 species, the group is a diverse assemblage that has retained a number of features considered primitive for spiders. Despite an evolutionary history dating back to the lower Triassic, the group has received comparatively little attention with respect to its phylogeny and higher classification. The few phylogenies published all share the common thread that a stable classification scheme for the group remains unresolved.

Citation: Bond JE, Hendrixson BE, Hamilton CA, Hedin M (2012) A Reconsideration of the Classification of the Spider Infraorder Mygalomorphae (Arachnida: Araneae) Based on Three Nuclear Genes and Morphology. PLoS ONE 7(6): e38753. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038753

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0038753

The age of lineages has become a fundamental datum in studies exploring the interaction between geological transformation and biotic diversification. However, phylogeographical studies are often biased towards lineages that are younger than the geological features of the landscapes they inhabit. A temporally deeper historical biogeography framework may be required to address episodes of biotic diversification associated with geologically older landscape changes. Signatures of such associations may be retained in the genomes of ecologically specialized (stenotopic) taxa with limited vagility. In the study presented here, genetic data from montane scorpions in the Vaejovis vorhiesi group, restricted to humid rocky habitats in mountains across southwestern North America, were used to explore the relationship between scorpion diversification and regional geological history.

Citation: Citation: Bryson RW Jr, Riddle BR, Graham MR, Smith BT, Prendini L (2013) As Old as the Hills: Montane Scorpions in Southwestern North America Reveal Ancient Associations between Biotic Diversification and Landscape History. PLoS ONE 8(1): e52822. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052822

Link: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0052822

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1.) United States @ http://scorpion-files.blogspot.com/search/label/USA

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New book released in July 2010:
Texts and photos : Roland STOCKMANN & Éric YTHIER
Foreword by Victor FET
© 2010
http://scorpionsworld.com/
Updated: 09.27.10

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Updated: 03.23.11. Removed conference details for 2010. See announcements on top of page for 2011!

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The current Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine has a nice article on tarantulas.

Click the link to follow a short read online but be sure to purchase the magazine with your local stores for more pixs and the article.   Updated archive Link (4.23.10)

Link