Anwesha Saha

Polish Academy of Sciences | PAN · Roman Kozłowski Institute of Paleobiology

The Seychelles archipelago is unique among isolated oceanic islands because it features an endemic radiation of caecilian amphibians (Gymnophiona). In order to develop population genetics resources for this system, we identified microsatellite loci using unassembled Illumina MiSeq data generated from a genomic library of Grandisonia alternans, a sp...

Effective conservation action relies on access to the best-available species data. Reptiles have often been overlooked in conservation prioritization, especially because of a paucity of population data. Using data for 549 reptile populations representing 194 species from the Living Planet database, we provide the first detailed analysis of this dat...

The pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis (Merriam, 1891) is the smallest extant leporid, which naturally occurs in the Great Basin and adjacent areas in western parts of the United States of America. Its distribution is strongly associated with the sagebrush (Artemisia ssp.) vegetation. Here we present, for the first time, the complete mitochondrial...

Snails of the genus Cremnoconchus-the only freshwater members of the gastropod family Littorinidae-are endemic to the spray zones of numerous waterfalls in the Western Ghats of India. Cremnoconchus consists of nine described and possibly numerous undescribed species as many of these appear to be restricted to specific waterfalls. This is the first...

The Afghan pika Ochotona rufescens (Gray, 1842) is widely distributed across the mountains of Afghanistan, Iran, Pak- istan, and southwestern Turkmenistan, most often at eleva- tions between 2,0 0 0 and 3,0 0 0 m. Here we present, for the first time, the complete mitochondrial genomes of two spec- imens of the nominotypical subspecies Ochotona rufe...

Genetic diversity within a species can be shaped by abiotic factors, such as climate and geography. We aimed to ascertain the relative importance of these two abiotic factors to Indrella ampulla, a monotypic snail species from the Western Ghats, India, that has three colour morphs with some overlapping distributions. We also wanted to investigate w...

Over the last 50 years, access to new data and analytical tools has expanded the study of analytical paleobiology, contributing to innovative analyses of biodiversity dynamics over Earth's history. Despite-or even spurred by-this growing availability of resources, analytical paleobiology faces deep-rooted obstacles that stem from the need for more...

Crinoids were among the most abundant marine benthic animals throughout the Palaeozoic, but their body size evolution has received little attention. Here, we compiled a comprehensive database on crinoid calyx biovolumes throughout the Palaeozoic. A model comparison approach revealed contrasting and complex patterns in body size dynamics between the...

The middle Eocene in Nei Mongol (China) was an interval of profound faunal changes as regards the basal Glires and gliriform mammals in general. A major diversification of rodent lineages (ctenodactyloids) and more modern small-sized lagomorphs was accompanied by a decline of mimotonids (Gomphos and Mimolagus) and anagalids. The latter was an enigm...

Isolation of high molecular weight DNA from gastropod molluscs and its subsequent PCR amplification is considered difficult due to excessive mucopolysaccharides secretion which co-precipitate with DNA and obstruct successful amplification. In an attempt to address this issue, we describe a modified CTAB DNA extraction method that proved to work sig...

The “Mixodontia”, a paraphyletic group of early Glires partitioned between Eurymylidae and Mimotonidae, is known from the Paleocene to the earliest Oligocene of China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. This array of ca. 20 species is morphologically closer to lagomorphs than rodents, but overall presents a mosaic of dental and skeletal characters found i...

A new species of microhylid frog Microhyla kodial sp. nov. from the west coast of India is described in this paper. It is distinct from all described species of Microhyla occurring in South and Southeast Asia as revealed by a combination of morphological, molecular and acoustic characters. The new species is characterized by absence of lateral body...

A new species of microhylid frog Microhyla kodial sp. nov. from the west coast of India is described in this paper. It is distinct from all described species of Microhyla occurring in South and Southeast Asia as revealed by a combination of morphological, molecular and acoustic characters. The new species is characterized by absence of lateral body...

Cannibalistic behaviour of Indian Rat snake

Kolkata is one of the most polluted cities of the world. The city has been plagued by one of the most prominent pollution problems of the of the world, the air pollution. The time period of 2000-2008 saw a huge number of vehicles hitting Kolkata’s streets, which has lead to a significant increase in air pollution. Realising this, the Supreme Court...