<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" 
    xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
    xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
    xmlns:admin="http://webns.net/mvcb/"
    xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
    xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
	<channel>
<title>Phelsuma</title><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/index.php</link><description>phelsuma publications and News</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2009 Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:rights><dc:date>2013-07-14T07:57:00+02:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
<sy:updateBase>2000-01-01T12:00+00:00</sy:updateBase>
<lastBuildDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:50:58 +0100</lastBuildDate><item><title>The Phelsuma lineata-group unraffled?</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Taxonomy</category><category>Biogeography</category><dc:date>2013-07-14T07:57:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/86c1640c8b6b13ea1be304bbd711022f-14.php#unique-entry-id-14</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/86c1640c8b6b13ea1be304bbd711022f-14.php#unique-entry-id-14</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[We apply phylogenetic and phylogeographic methods to examine the biogeography and taxonomy of these lizards, including explicit tests of various biogeographic predictions and based on a molecular data set covering much of the distribution ranges of all species and subspecies of P. lineata, P. dorsivittata, P. comorensis, P. hoeschi, P. kely, and P. pusilla in Madagascar (and the Comoros archipelago for P. comorensis). 


...Mismatch distribution of samples together with rejection of neutrality, the results of Bayesian Skyline Plots analysis, and a star-like network suggests a recent demographic expansion for the P. l. lineata lineage into the eastern lowlands, while the highland (P. l. elanthana) and northern clades (P. dorsivittata and P. l. punctulata) show signatures of rather stable populations.


...Our analysis points to numerous unsolved taxonomic problems in this group of geckos, especially in the small-sized taxa (P. hoeschi, P. kely, P. pusilla), and provides a basis for a future comprehensive taxonomic revision, which will require integrative analysis of molecular, morphological and chromatic data as well as careful examination of type specimens.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Trade Restrictions on Phelsuma comorensis and Phelsuma v-nigra from the Comoros </title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>News</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T11:51:09+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/b121caf7ecd3b56faa270681a32baf1f-13.php#unique-entry-id-13</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/b121caf7ecd3b56faa270681a32baf1f-13.php#unique-entry-id-13</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Fish & Wildlife Service received notice from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Secretariat that the Comoros failed to satisfy the CITES Parties that the required non-detriment findings are being made when issuing permits for certain CITES-listed species.  

...Article III of CITES states that permits and certificates are valid only when the exporting country has made the required determination that trade in the specimens will not be detrimental to the wild population.  

...Based upon the lack of required non-detriment findings, the United States cannot establish that current trade in these species is sustainable and not detrimental to the wild population.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Molecular analysis of the genus Phelsuma brings more clarity in evolutionary relationships</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Taxonomy</category><dc:date>2009-05-27T11:17:35+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/f1746a999a8e112251ec35bdd8e6a8c6-11.php#unique-entry-id-11</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/f1746a999a8e112251ec35bdd8e6a8c6-11.php#unique-entry-id-11</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A similar situation can be found in clade K with Phelsuma laticauda, which is the sister taxon to the Comoro Islands members; Phelsuma pasteuri, Phelsuma robertmertensi and Phelsuma v-nigra. 

...Phelsuma serraticauda is not closely related with Phelsuma laticauda and Phelsuma antanosy as previously suggested (Glaw et al.,1999; Austin et al., 2004; Van Heygen, 2004; Raxworthy et al., 2007 and Harmon et al., 2008), but represents an early diverging lineage. 


...The recently described Phelsuma ravenala (Raxworthy et al., 2007) is probably a synonym of Phelsuma dubia and Phelsuma cf. dubia from Antsalova represents probably a subspecies, or even a species. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>New phelsuma species and three subspecies of Phelsuma madagascariensis elevated to full species status</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Taxonomy</category><dc:date>2007-12-24T08:57:19+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/658137a18a99549e7a2c7a95f9b27b55-9.php#unique-entry-id-9</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/658137a18a99549e7a2c7a95f9b27b55-9.php#unique-entry-id-9</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Abstract: Although the systematic utility of ecological niche modeling is generally well known (e.g., concerning the recognition and discovery of areas of endemism for biogeographic analyses), there has been little discussion of applications concerning species delimitation, and to date, no empirical evaluation has been conducted. ...  Here we present results for two taxonomically problematic groups of Phelsuma day geckos from Madagascar, where we integrate ecological niche modeling with mitochondrial DNA and morphological data to evaluate species limits. ...  Based on these results, we elevate three subspecies of Phelsuma madagascariensis to species rank and describe a new species of Phelsuma from the P. dubia species group. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Remarks on the Phelsuma barbouri&#x2014; and Phelsuma klemmeri&#x2014; phenetic groups&#x2c; Phelsuma Gray&#x2c; 1825</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Taxonomy</category><dc:date>2004-08-20T13:50:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/taxonomy.php#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/taxonomy.php#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[2000, Roesler 2000 & Lerner 2004, of which only P. kely was designated to a existing species group; the P. lineata-group (Sch&ouml;necker et. al 2004).


...Phelsuma barbouri-group.&mdash; Glaw et. al (1999) placed P. barbouri together with P. pronki in the P. barbouri-group based on two criteria; the fact that both species are egg gluers, and the &ldquo;similarities&rdquo; between the two species. 

...Current temporary status.&mdash; This status only consists of the typical Malagasy taxa and is only temporarily since P. hielscheri, P. malamakibo and P. vanheygeni can not be designated to any of the existing groups, making a complete revision necessary.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Dispersal of the Genus Phelsuma in the Mascarenes&#xa;</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Biogeography</category><dc:date>2003-07-01T13:47:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/dispersal.php#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/dispersal.php#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Especially the presence of another semi-nocturnal species, Phelsuma gigas (now extinct), on the very young island of Rodrigues (1.5 Million years) indicates that this species has reached the island recently from a much older source pool.


...The young age of Mauritius does not suspect this, meaning that the ancestor of the Mascarene forms probably used the islands of the Nazareth bank and the Cargados Carajos Shoals as stepping stones to colonize in a later stage Mauritius.


...When Mauritius, Rodrigues and later R&eacute;union where colonized with forms that slowly evolved here, adaptive radiation became more frequent and the speciation process was supported by the many topographic features and the ecological niches on the islands.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The role of the ice ages in the dispersal of the genus Phelsuma.</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Biogeography</category><dc:date>2003-07-01T13:39:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/ice_ages.php#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/ice_ages.php#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The separation of the Mascarene Plateau was accompanied by a tremendous outpouring of basaltic lava from this hotspot, giving birth to a mass of igneous rock called the Deccan Traps, which today covers much of western India. 

...This process started 64 Ma, after the separation of the Mascarene Plateau and India, about 35 Ma the Saya de Malha bank was formed, later the Nazareth bank and the Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon). 

...The young age of Mauritius does not suspect this, meaning that the ancestor of the Mascarene forms probably used the islands of the Nazareth bank and the Cargados Carajos Shoals as stepping stones to colonize in a later stage Mauritius.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Dodo&#x27;s stepping stones the same as Phelsuma?</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Biogeography</category><dc:date>2003-07-01T12:00:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/3cabfd1a44c4f4d27713d4d8f6ae3540-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/3cabfd1a44c4f4d27713d4d8f6ae3540-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Studies indicate that the proto-dodo/solitaire and the ancestor of the genus Caloenas ,the closest relative of the Dodo, diverged in the mid to late Eocene, around 43 Ma, whereas the dodo and the solitaire separated in the late Oligocene, about 26 Ma. 

...The similarity between the timing of the dodo/solitaire divergence and the first geological evidence of land in the Mascarene island chain is striking and suggests that island steppingstones may have been used before the two species eventually found their way to Mauritius and Rodrigues. 

...Recent studies suggest that the solitaire of R&eacute;union (Threskiornis solitarius) was apparently a flightless ibis closely related to the Sacred Ibis of Africa, though early travellers who reported the "solitaire" did not mention an ibis at all.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The genus Phelsuma on the Ampasindava peninsula&#x2c; Madagascar</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>Biogeography</category><dc:date>2004-08-20T13:14:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/ampasindava.php#unique-entry-id-1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/ampasindava.php#unique-entry-id-1</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Some Phelsuma species seem to benefit from deforestation and are more abundant in open or cultivated areas then in their natural habitat (Glaw &Vences 1994), but others like P. seippi are only found in or on the edge of primary forests.   The Ampasindava peninsula has a high degree of secondary mature vegetation which also can be considered as beneficial for many species of Phelsuma, since they seem to be more adaptive then other reptile genera or their predators.


...In the secondary vegetation areas the species can be found on the larger trees, Cocos nucifera, Ravenala madagascariensis and in the bamboo forests together with P. klemmeri, P. seippi and P. vanheygeni. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>&#x22;Phelsuma legend&#x22; Eddie Postma missing in Ecuador</title><dc:creator>Emmanuel Van Heygen</dc:creator><category>News</category><dc:date>2004-12-20T12:00:00+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.phelsuma.org/files/ebf244dcc3e72d647181cd385af2a6ac-0.php#unique-entry-id-0</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.phelsuma.org/files/ebf244dcc3e72d647181cd385af2a6ac-0.php#unique-entry-id-0</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[He has been missing for a month and disappeared from his hotel on the Gal&aacute;pagos Islands, Ecuador.   Postma, according to his wife, was in that country for a photo session of the Ecuadorian herpetofauna. ...  Nothing was heard from him afterwards but according to the authorities the Dutchman stayed in a part which is considered safe and they exclude crime. ]]></content:encoded></item></channel>
</rss>