Conolophus marthaeEvolution and Conservation of the Galapagos land Iguanas
People
G.Gentile, A.Fabiani, A.Fulvo, M.Ciambotta, L.Di Giambattista
It is an international and multidisciplinary project, running since 2003, in partnership with the Galápagos National Park and in collaboration with several Italian and foreign institutions.
Molecular genetics for the study of Evolution and Conservation
we use molecular genetics to investigate tempo and modes of evolution of Galapagos iguanas. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies are performed to understand evolution and colonization dynamics. In addition, we use molecular data to investigate past demographic histories and future demographic scenarios of populations, addressing the estimation of population parameters, inbreeding, hybridization. Molecular genetics is also used to resolve taxonomic uncertainties in forensic cases and conservation. This research led to the discovery and description of the Galápagos Pink Land Iguana (Conolophus marthae).
Microbiology of Galapagos and Caribbean iguanas
in collaboration with M.C. Thaller, L. Migliore (Biology Dept. - Tor Vergata University), and other colleagues, we investigate the commensal microbiota of iguanas and its associate resistance to antibiotics. One of the most relevant achievement of this research is to provide evidence that levels of antibiotic resistance are tightly and positively associated with levels of human impact and presence. Humans may spread resistance to wildlife, which can then return it to humans.
Physiology, hematology, and parasitology of land iguanas
The collection of this information is aimed at the creation of a database of individual profiles that may allow to study in detail the correlation between fitness, evolutionary potential, genetic variability, immune function, energy trade-off.
Gentile G, Ciambotta M, Tapia W (2013) Illegal wildlife trade in Galápagos: molecular tools help the taxonomic identification of confiscated iguanas and guide their rapid repatriation. Conservation Genetics Resources. doi:10.1007/s12686-013-9915-7.
Gentile, G. (2012) Conolophus marthae. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. www.iucnredlist.org.
Fabiani, A., Trucchi, E., Rosa, S., Marquez, C., Snell, H., Snell, H., Tapia, W., Gentile, G. 2011. Conservation of Galápagos land iguanas: genetic monitoring and predictions of a long-term program on the island of Santa Cruz. Animal Conservation, 14(4), 419-429.
Franco, A., Hendriksen, R., Lorenzetti, S., Onorati, R., Gentile, G., Dell'Omo, G., Aarestrup, F.P., Battisti, A. 2011. Characterization of Salmonella Occurring at High Prevalence in a Population of the Land Iguana Conolophus subcristatus in Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. PLoS one, 6(8), e23147.
Márquez, CM; Muñoz, EA; Gentile G; Tapia, W; Zabala, FJ; Naranjo, S; Llerena, AJ. 2010. Estado poblacional de las iguanas terrestres (Conolophus subcristatus, C. pallidus y C. marthae: Squamata, Iguanidae), Islas Galápagos. Boletín Técnico 9, Laboratorios IASA I, Serie Zoológica 6: 25-43.
Steinfartz S, Glaberman S, Lanterbecq D, Russello, M., Rosa, S., Hanley, T., Marquez, C., Snell, H., Snell, H., Gentile, G., Dell’Omo, G., Powell, A. and A. Caccone 2010. Progressive colonization and restricted gene flow shape island-dependent population structure in Galápagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). BCM Evolutionary Biology 9:297.
Thaller, M.C., Ciambotta, M., Sapochetti, M., Migliore, L., Tapia, W., Cedeño, V., Gentile, G. 2010. Uneven frequency of Vibrio alginolyticus-group isolates among different populations of Galápagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2(1), 179-184.
Thaller, M.C., Migliore, L., Marquez, C., Tapia, W., Cedeño, V., Rossolini, G.M., Gentile, G. 2010. Tracking acquired antibiotic resistance in commensal bacteria of Galápagos land iguanas: no man, no resistance. PLoS one, 5(2), e8989.
Gentile, G. and Snell, H. 2009. Conolophus marthae sp.nov. (Squamata, Iguanidae), a new species of land iguana from the Galápagos archipelago. Zootaxa, 2201: 1-10.
Gentile, G., Fabiani, A., Marquez, C., Snell, H.L., Snell, H.M., Tapia, W. & Sbordoni, V. 2009. An overlooked, pink species of land iguana in the Galápagos. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 106: 507–511.
Costantini, D., Dell'Omo, G., De Filippis, S.P., Marquez, C., Snell, H.L., Snell, H.M., Tapia, W., Brambilla, G., Gentile, G. 2009. Temporal and Spatial Covariation of Gender and Oxidative Stress in the Galapagos Land Iguana Conolophus subcristatus. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 82(5), 430-437.
Tzika AC, Rosa SF, Fabiani A, Snell HL, Snell HM, Marquez C, Tapia W, Rassmann K, Gentile G, Milinkovitch MC. 2008. Population genetics of Galápagos land iguana (genus Conolophus) remnant populations. Molecular Ecology, 17: 4943-4952.
Costantini, D., Dell'Omo, G., Casagrande, S., Fabiani, A., Carosi, M., Bertacche, V., Marquez, C. , Snell, H.L., Snell, H.M., Tapia, W., Gentile, G. 2005. Inter-population variation of carotenoids in Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 142(2), 239-244.