Identifying A New Phylogeographic Population of the Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) through Multi-locus Analyses.

Geographically and morphologically distinct populations within a species are frequently the focus of conservation efforts, especially when the populations are evolutionarily significant units. The Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) is a globally-threatened species confined to South and Southeast Asia. During our field surveys in western Myanmar, we discovered a distinct group of individuals that differed in their appearance relative to all other populations. We further examined the differences in their DNA sequence using three nuclear introns and three mitochondrial genes through phylogenetic analytical methods. Our results showed the population from Mount Kennedy, Chin Hills formed reciprocal monophyletic groups with the nominate subspecies from Mount Saramati, Sagaing Division. Species delimitation analyses further confirmed this differentiation. Geographical isolation by the intervening lowlands found between high elevation habitats may have been the main cause of their differentiation. Hence, we propose that the Mount Kennedy population be viewed as a distinct evolutionarily significant unit and be given special priority for conservation.

Captive breeding challenges posed by Malaysian and Bornean Peacock-pheasants (Polyplectron malacense and P. schleiermacheri).

We describe unique reproductive features of two threatened Galliformes species, the Malaysian peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron malacense) and Bornean peacock-pheasant (P. schleiermacheri). These features pose challenges to successful captive breeding to build up sustainable populations for conservation purposes. Single egg clutches in both species mean that reproductive rates are low and population increase is slow. The very rounded eggs of Bornean Peacock-pheasant cause difficulties for egg orientation in incubators. Single chicks with special requirements are poorly suited to rearing by broody bantams and successful husbandry requires increased human time, commitment, and skills.

How do Snow Partridge (Lerwa lerwa) and Tibetan Snowcock (Tetraogallus tibetanus) coexist in sympatry under high-elevation conditions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau?

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has the highest elevations of all biodiversity hotspots. Difficulties involved in fieldwork at high elevations cause challenges in researching mechanisms facilitating species coexistence. Herein, we investigated Snow Partridge (Lerwa lerwa) and Tibetan Snowcock (Tetraogallus tibetanus), the only two endemic Galliformes on the QTP, to understand species coexistence patterns and determine how they live in sympatry for the first time. We assembled occurrence data, estimated habitat suitability differences and the underlying factors between two species at different scales using ecological niche models. Niche overlap tests were used to investigate whether niche differences between these species allow for their coexistence. We found that elevation was the most important factor determining habitat suitability for both species. At the meso-scale, two species have similar ecological niches with their suitable habitats lying predominantly along ridge crests. However, ridge crests were more influential for habitat suitability by L. lerwa than for that of T. tibetanus because the latter species ranges further afield than ridge crests. Thus, differences in habitat suitability between these species lead to habitat partitioning, which allows stable coexistence. At the macro-scale, temperature and precipitation were major factors influencing habitat suitability differences between these species. Tetraogallus tibetanus extended into the hinterland of the QTP and occurred at higher elevations, where colder and drier alpine conditions are commonplace. Conversely, L. lerwa occurred along the southeastern margin of the QTP with a lower snow line, an area prone to rainy and humid habitats. Niche overlap analysis showed that habitat suitability differences between these species are not driven by niche differentiation. We concluded that the coexistence of these two pheasants under high-elevation conditions could be an adaption to different alpine conditions.

Shorebirds wintering in Southeast Asia demonstrate trans-Himalayan flights.

Many birds wintering in the Indian subcontinent fly across the Himalayas during migration, including Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus), Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides virgo) and Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea). However, little is known about whether shorebirds migrate across the Himalayas from wintering grounds beyond the Indian subcontinent. Using geolocators and satellite tracking devices, we demonstrate for the first time that Common Redshanks (Tringa totanus) and Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) wintering in Singapore can directly fly over the Himalayas to reach breeding grounds in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and north-central Russia respectively. The results also show that migratory shorebirds wintering in Southeast Asia can use both the Central Asian Flyway and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. For Redshanks, westerly-breeding birds crossed the Himalayas while more easterly breeders on the Plateau migrated east of the Himalayas. For Whimbrels, an individual that crossed the Himalayas was probably from a breeding population that was different from the others that migrated along the coast up the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The minimum required altitude of routes of trans-Himalayan Redshanks were no higher on average than those of eastern migrants, but geolocator temperature data indicate that birds departing Singapore flew at high elevations even when not required to by topography, suggesting that the Himalayan mountain range may be less of a barrier than assumed.

Disentangling the evolutionary history and biogeography of hill partridges (Phasianidae, Arborophila) from low coverage shotgun sequences.

The advent of the phylogenomic era has significantly improved our understanding of the evolutionary history and biogeography of Southeast Asia's diverse avian fauna. However, the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of many Southeast Asian birds remain poorly resolved, especially for those with large geographic ranges, which might have experienced both ancient and recent geological and environmental changes. In this study, we examined the evolutionary history and biogeography of the hill partridges (Galliformes: Phasianidae: Arborophila spp.), currently the second most speciose galliform genus, and thought to have colonized Southeast Asia from Africa. We present a well-resolved phylogeny of 14 Arborophila species inferred from ultra-conserved elements, exons, and mitochondrial genomes from both fresh and museum samples, which representing almost complete coverage of the genus. Our fossil-calibrated divergence time estimates and biogeographic modeling showed the ancestor of Arborophila arrived in Indochina during the early Miocene, but the initial divergence within Arborophila did not occur until ~10 Ma when global cooling intensified. Subsequent dispersal and diversification within Arborophila were driven by several tectonic and climatic events. In particular, we found evidence of rapid radiation in Indochinese Arborophila during the Pliocene global cooling and extensive dispersal and speciation of Sundaic Arborophila during the Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations. Taken together, these results suggest that the evolutionary history and biogeography of Arborophila were influenced by complex interactions among historical, geological and climatic events in Southeast Asia.

Tele-EEG in the UK: a report of over 1,000 patients.

Clinical neurophysiology is the medical specialty in the UK responsible for training doctors in the interpretation of electroencephalograms (EEGs). At present it is difficult to recruit doctors to train in clinical neurophysiology which causes difficulty in delivering services. We established a tele-EEG service to record and report on EEGs at a UK hospital which was unable to attract a resident clinical neurophysiologist. The EEGs were recorded in digital format and placed on a web server to be read by a clinical neurophysiologist in another part of the UK. Where possible this was done using NHS web servers and email, but a back-up system was established using other systems with suitable encryption. A total of 1007 EEGs were reported in 13 months from patients of all ages, epilepsy being the commonest reason for referral. All cases were reported within 24 h of recording. The back-up system was used in 60 cases. Tele-EEG is a feasible, secure, timely and effective method of providing an EEG service to hospitals which cannot recruit a resident clinical neurophysiologist.

DNA analysis indicates that Asian elephants are native to Borneo and are therefore a high priority for conservation.

The origin of Borneo's elephants is controversial. Two competing hypotheses argue that they are either indigenous, tracing back to the Pleistocene, or were introduced, descending from elephants imported in the 16th-18th centuries. Taxonomically, they have either been classified as a unique subspecies or placed under the Indian or Sumatran subspecies. If shown to be a unique indigenous population, this would extend the natural species range of the Asian elephant by 1300 km, and therefore Borneo elephants would have much greater conservation importance than if they were a feral population. We compared DNA of Borneo elephants to that of elephants from across the range of the Asian elephant, using a fragment of mitochondrial DNA, including part of the hypervariable d-loop, and five autosomal microsatellite loci. We find that Borneo's elephants are genetically distinct, with molecular divergence indicative of a Pleistocene colonisation of Borneo and subsequent isolation. We reject the hypothesis that Borneo's elephants were introduced. The genetic divergence of Borneo elephants warrants their recognition as a separate evolutionary significant unit. Thus, interbreeding Borneo elephants with those from other populations would be contraindicated in ex situ conservation, and their genetic distinctiveness makes them one of the highest priority populations for Asian elephant conservation.