@article {95940, title = {Comparative phylogeography between parasitic sucking lice and their host the Namaqua rock mouse, Micaelamys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae)}, journal = {Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society}, volume = {192}, year = {2021}, month = {July 2021}, pages = {1017-1028}, type = {First published No. 2020}, abstract = {

To gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms affecting parasite gene dispersal and subsequent evolution, we investigated mitochondrial and nuclear DNA phylogeographic structures of two ectoparasitic louse species, Polyplax praomydis and Hoplopleura patersoni, and compared this to their host Micaelamys namaquensis. Analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data derived from 13 geographic populations resulted in the detection of distinct phylogenetic clades within the parasite and host species. Strong support for host\–parasite co-divergence was found over larger geographic scales but failed to show complete co-divergence over fine geographic scales. This finding led to the partial rejection of the hypothesis that the evolution of species-specific permanent parasites will mirror the phylogeographic pattern of their host. JANE co-phylogenetic reconstructions support the notion that host switching best explains the discrepancies in geographic patterns. We conclude that host specificity and permanency on the host only plays a partial role in maintaining co-divergences between parasites and their hosts.

}, keywords = {host-parasite systems, phylogeography, South Africa}, issn = {0024-4082, 1096-3642}, doi = {10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa122}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa122}, author = {Johannes C. Bothma and Matthee,Sonja and Conrad A. Matthee} } @article {95701, title = {Phylogenomics reveals the origin of mammal lice out of Afrotheria}, journal = {Nature Ecology \& Evolution}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {Jul-04-2022}, pages = {1205{\textendash}1210}, abstract = {

Mammals host a wide diversity of parasites. Lice, comprising more than 5,000 species, are one group of ectoparasites whose major lineages have a somewhat patchwork distribution across the major groups of mammals. Here we explored patterns in the diversification of mammalian lice by reconstructing a higher-level phylogeny of these lice, leveraging whole genome sequence reads to assemble single-copy orthologue genes across the genome. The evolutionary tree of lice indicated that three of the major lineages of placental mammal lice had a single common ancestor. Comparisons of this parasite phylogeny with that for their mammalian hosts indicated that the common ancestor of elephants, elephant shrews and hyraxes (that is, Afrotheria) was the ancestral host of this group of lice. Other groups of placental mammals obtained their lice via host-switching out of these Afrotherian ancestors. In addition, reconstructions of the ancestral host group (bird versus mammal) for all parasitic lice supported an avian ancestral host, indicating that the ancestor of Afrotheria acquired these parasites via host-switching from an ancient avian host. These results shed new light on the long-standing question of why the major groups of parasitic lice are not uniformly distributed across mammals and reveal the origins of mammalian lice.

Supplentary Information from publisher website

Supplentary tables 1 and 2 see https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art\%3A10.1038\%2Fs41559-022-01803-1/MediaObjects/41559_2022_1803_MOESM1_ESM.pdf or attachment 95701 sup table 1.pdf

Extended data\  Fig 1 see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01803-1/figures/3 or attahment 95701 extended Fig. 1.pdf

Extended data Fig 2 see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01803-1/figures/4 or attachment 95701 extended Fig 2.pdf

Extended data Fig 3 see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01803-1/figures/5 or attachment 95701 extended Fig3. pdf

For some web reports of the publications see:

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau. \"Coevolution of mammals and their lice.\" ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 July 2022. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220704180926.htm

Lice originated on the common ancestor of Afrotheria, study by Amit Malewar, July 5, 2022 16:03 IST TECH EXPLORIST-Science -https://www.techexplorist.com/lice-originated-common-ancestor-afrotheria-study/52315/

Study explores coevolution of mammals and their lice, by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , uly 4, 2022 in Physic. Org - Biology-Evolution https://phys.org/news/2022-07-explores-coevolution-mammals-lice.html

}, keywords = {coevolution, speciation}, issn = {2397-334X}, doi = {10.1038/s41559-022-01803-1}, url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01803-1}, author = {Kevin P. Johnson and Conrad A. Matthee and Jorge Do{\~n}a} } @article {95077, title = {Two New Species of Sucking Lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae and Polyplacidae) from Grant{\textquoteright}s Rock Mouse, Micaelamys granti, in South Africa}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {106}, year = {2020}, month = {07-2020}, pages = {478}, type = {Open Access}, abstract = {

Two new species of sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura), Hoplopleura granti n. sp. (Hoplopleuridae) and Polyplax megacephalus n. sp. (Polyplacidae), are described from Grant\&$\#$39;s rock mouse, Micaelamys granti (Wroughton), from Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Adults of both sexes are illustrated via line drawings and differential interference contrast microscopy images, and are compared with previously described related species that parasitize related hosts: Hoplopleura patersoni Johnson from Aethomys chrysophilus (de Winton) (red veld rat), Aethomys kaiseri (Noack) (Kaiser\&$\#$39;s aethomys), and Micaelamys namaquensis (A. Smith) (Namaqua rock mouse); Hoplopleura aethomydis Kleynhans from M. namaquensis; Polyplax praomydis Bedford from A. chrysophilus and M. namaquensis; and Polyplax solivaga Johnson from A. chrysophilus. It is not known if these new species of lice are vectors of any pathogens.

}, keywords = {Grant{\textquoteright}s Rock Mouse, Hoplopleura granti n.sp., new species, Polyplax megacephalus n. sp., South Africa}, doi = {10.1645/19-187}, url = {https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-parasitology/volume-106/issue-4/19-187/Two-New-Species-of-Sucking-Lice-Phthiraptera--Anoplura/10.1645/19-187.full}, author = {Lance A. Durden and Matthee,Sonja and Johannes C. Bothma and Stephen E. Greiman and Conrad A. Matthee} } @article {94509, title = {Biogeography and host-related factors trump parasite life history: limited congruence among the genetic structures of specific ectoparasitic lice and their rodent hosts}, journal = {Molecular Ecology}, volume = {22}, year = {2013}, pages = {5185 - 5204}, abstract = {

Abstract
Parasites and hosts interact across both micro- and macroevolutionary scales where congruence among their phylogeographic and phylogenetic structures may be observed. Within southern Africa, the four-striped mouse genus, Rhabdomys, is para- sitized by the ectoparasitic sucking louse, Polyplax arvicanthis. Molecular data recently suggested the presence of two cryptic species within P. arvicanthis that are sympatri- cally distributed across the distributions of four putative Rhabdomys species. We tested the hypotheses of phylogeographic congruence and cophylogeny among the two parasite lineages and the four host taxa, utilizing mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data. Despite the documented host-specificity of P. arvicanthis, limited phylogeographic correspondence and nonsignificant cophylogeny was observed. Instead, the parasite\– host evolutionary history is characterized by limited codivergence and several duplica- tion, sorting and host-switching events. Despite the elevated mutational rates found for P. arvicanthis, the spatial genetic structure was not more pronounced in the para- site lineages compared with the hosts. These findings may be partly attributed to larger effective population sizes of the parasite lineages, the vagility and social behav- iour of Rhabdomys, and the lack of host-specificity observed in areas of host sympatry. Further, the patterns of genetic divergence within parasite and host lineages may also be largely attributed to historical biogeographic changes (expansion-contraction cycles). It is thus evident that the association between P. arvicanthis and Rhabdomys has been shaped by the synergistic effects of parasite traits, host-related factors and biogeogra- phy over evolutionary time.

}, keywords = {comparative phylogeography, cophylogeny, mtDNA, Polyplax, Rhabdomys, southern Africa}, doi = {10.1111/mec.12459}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.12459}, author = {du_Toit, Nina and van Vuuren, Bettine J. and Matthee,Sonja and Conrad A. Matthee} }