1
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Oliveira IDS. An updated world checklist of velvet worms (Onychophora) with notes on nomenclature and status of names. Zookeys 2023; 1184:133-260. [PMID: 38023768 PMCID: PMC10680090 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1184.107286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
More than a decade has passed since the publication of the only world checklist available for Onychophora. During this period, numerous nomenclatural acts and taxonomic changes have been suggested within the group and a wealth of novel data has been published on many taxa. Herein, the up-to-date taxonomic scenario within Onychophora is presented, with appraisal of name status. This checklist covers both extant (Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae) and fossil taxa, and each species is accompanied by information on synonyms, type designation, holotype location, type locality, and language of original description. Additional remarks include nomenclatural inconsistencies, synonymizations, name misspellings, conflicting collecting event data, availability of taxonomically informative molecular data, etc. According to the data, 237 species are currently assigned to Onychophora: 140 of Peripatopsidae, 92 of Peripatidae, and five fossil species with unclear relationship to extant taxa. Since the previous checklist, 37 species have been added to Onychophora, representing an increase of 18.5% in the diversity described for the group. Yet, taxonomic descriptions seem slow-paced, with an average of 3.6 onychophoran species being described annually. From the taxonomic standpoint, 216 species are valid, although many of them require morphological revision and molecular characterization; 21 species exhibit major taxonomic ambiguities and have been regarded as nomina dubia. Recurrent taxonomic issues identified in the literature include inaccurate collecting event data, doubtful taxonomic assignment of molecular sequences, and non-observance of nomenclatural rules. These and other taxonomic aspects are addressed herein in the light of the directives established by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo de Sena Oliveira
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, D-34132, Kassel, GermanyUniversity of KasselKasselGermany
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
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2
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Poulhazan A, Baer A, Daliaho G, Mentink-Vigier F, Arnold AA, Browne DC, Hering L, Archer-Hartmann S, Pepi LE, Azadi P, Schmidt S, Mayer G, Marcotte I, Harrington MJ. Peculiar Phosphonate Modifications of Velvet Worm Slime Revealed by Advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Mass Spectrometry. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:20749-20754. [PMID: 37722679 PMCID: PMC10540779 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Nature is rich with examples of highly specialized biological materials produced by organisms for functions, including defense, hunting, and protection. Along these lines, velvet worms (Onychophora) expel a protein-based slime used for hunting and defense that upon shearing and dehydration forms fibers as stiff as thermoplastics. These fibers can dissolve back into their precursor proteins in water, after which they can be drawn into new fibers, providing biological inspiration to design recyclable materials. Elevated phosphorus content in velvet worm slime was previously observed and putatively ascribed to protein phosphorylation. Here, we show instead that phosphorus is primarily present as phosphonate moieties in the slime of distantly related velvet worm species. Using high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), natural abundance dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and mass spectrometry (MS), we demonstrate that 2-aminoethyl phosphonate (2-AEP) is associated with glycans linked to large slime proteins, while transcriptomic analyses confirm the expression of 2-AEP synthesizing enzymes in slime glands. The evolutionary conservation of this rare protein modification suggests an essential functional role of phosphonates in velvet worm slime and should stimulate further study of the function of this unusual chemical modification in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Poulhazan
- Department
of Chemistry, Université du Québec
à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2J6, Canada
| | - Alexander Baer
- Department
of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University
of Kassel, Kassel D-34132, Germany
| | - Gagan Daliaho
- Department
of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | | | - Alexandre A. Arnold
- Department
of Chemistry, Université du Québec
à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2J6, Canada
| | - Darren C. Browne
- Department
of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University
of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados BB11000, West Indies
| | - Lars Hering
- Department
of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University
of Kassel, Kassel D-34132, Germany
| | | | - Lauren E. Pepi
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Stephan Schmidt
- Chemistry
Department, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany
| | - Georg Mayer
- Department
of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University
of Kassel, Kassel D-34132, Germany
| | - Isabelle Marcotte
- Department
of Chemistry, Université du Québec
à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2J6, Canada
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3
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Rising A, Harrington MJ. Biological Materials Processing: Time-Tested Tricks for Sustainable Fiber Fabrication. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2155-2199. [PMID: 36508546 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve the sustainability of the materials we produce and use. Here, we explore what humans can learn from nature about how to sustainably fabricate polymeric fibers with excellent material properties by reviewing the physical and chemical aspects of materials processing distilled from diverse model systems, including spider silk, mussel byssus, velvet worm slime, hagfish slime, and mistletoe viscin. We identify common and divergent strategies, highlighting the potential for bioinspired design and technology transfer. Despite the diversity of the biopolymeric fibers surveyed, we identify several common strategies across multiple systems, including: (1) use of stimuli-responsive biomolecular building blocks, (2) use of concentrated fluid precursor phases (e.g., coacervates and liquid crystals) stored under controlled chemical conditions, and (3) use of chemical (pH, salt concentration, redox chemistry) and physical (mechanical shear, extensional flow) stimuli to trigger the transition from fluid precursor to solid material. Importantly, because these materials largely form and function outside of the body of the organisms, these principles can more easily be transferred for bioinspired design in synthetic systems. We end the review by discussing ongoing efforts and challenges to mimic biological model systems, with a particular focus on artificial spider silks and mussel-inspired materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
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4
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Treffkorn S, Mayer G, Janssen R. Review of extra-embryonic tissues in the closest arthropod relatives, onychophorans and tardigrades. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210270. [PMID: 36252224 PMCID: PMC9574629 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The so-called extra-embryonic tissues are important for embryonic development in many animals, although they are not considered to be part of the germ band or the embryo proper. They can serve a variety of functions, such as nutrient uptake and waste removal, protection of the embryo against mechanical stress, immune response and morphogenesis. In insects, a subgroup of arthropods, extra-embryonic tissues have been studied extensively and there is increasing evidence that they might contribute more to embryonic development than previously thought. In this review, we provide an assessment of the occurrence and possible functions of extra-embryonic tissues in the closest arthropod relatives, onychophorans (velvet worms) and tardigrades (water bears). While there is no evidence for their existence in tardigrades, these tissues show a remarkable diversity across the onychophoran subgroups. A comparison of extra-embryonic tissues of onychophorans to those of arthropods suggests shared functions in embryonic nutrition and morphogenesis. Apparent contribution to the final form of the embryo in onychophorans and at least some arthropods supports the hypothesis that extra-embryonic tissues are involved in organogenesis. In order to account for this role, the commonly used definition of these tissues as 'extra-embryonic' should be reconsidered. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Treffkorn
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Georg Mayer
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Geocentrum, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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5
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Biogeographical and Diversification Analyses of Indian Pseudoscorpions Reveal the Western Ghats as Museums of Ancient Biodiversity. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 175:107495. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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6
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Shi C, Wang S, Cai HH, Zhang HR, Long XX, Tihelka E, Song WC, Feng Q, Jiang RX, Cai CY, Lombard N, Li X, Yuan J, Zhu JP, Yang HY, Liu XF, Xiang QP, Zhao ZT, Long CL, Schneider H, Zhang XC, Peng H, Li DZ, Fan Y, Engel MS, Wang YD, Spicer RA. Fire-prone Rhamnaceae with South African affinities in Cretaceous Myanmar amber. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:125-135. [PMID: 35102275 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-01091-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rapid Cretaceous diversification of flowering plants remains Darwin's 'abominable mystery' despite numerous fossil flowers discovered in recent years. Wildfires were frequent in the Cretaceous and many such early flower fossils are represented by charcoalified fragments, lacking complete delicate structures and surface textures, making their similarity to living forms difficult to discern. Furthermore, scarcity of information about the ecology of early angiosperms makes it difficult to test hypotheses about the drivers of their diversification, including the role of fire in shaping flowering plant evolution. We report the discovery of two exquisitely preserved fossil flower species, one identical to the inflorescences of the extant crown-eudicot genus Phylica and the other recovered as a sister group to Phylica, both preserved as inclusions together with burned plant remains in Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (~99 million years ago). These specialized flower species, named Phylica piloburmensis sp. nov. and Eophylica priscastellata gen. et sp. nov., exhibit traits identical to those of modern taxa in fire-prone ecosystems such as the fynbos of South Africa, and provide evidence of fire adaptation in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Shi
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
- Fushun Amber Institute, Fushun, China.
| | - Hao-Hong Cai
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Hong-Rui Zhang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Xuan Long
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Erik Tihelka
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
| | - Wei-Cai Song
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Qi Feng
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Ri-Xin Jiang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Chen-Yang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Natasha Lombard
- Biosystematics and Biodiversity Collections Division, National Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Xiong Li
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ji Yuan
- Shanghai World Expo Museum, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Ping Zhu
- College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Hui-Yu Yang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Liu
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Qiao-Ping Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zun-Tian Zhao
- College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Chun-Lin Long
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Harald Schneider
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xian-Chun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Peng
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yong Fan
- Fushun Amber Institute, Fushun, China
| | - Michael S Engel
- Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Yong-Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Robert A Spicer
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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7
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Bolotov IN, Pasupuleti R, Subba Rao NV, Unnikrishnan SK, Chan N, Lunn Z, Win T, Gofarov MY, Kondakov AV, Konopleva ES, Lyubas AA, Tomilova AA, Vikhrev IV, Pfenninger M, Düwel SS, Feldmeyer B, Nesemann HF, Nagel KO. Oriental freshwater mussels arose in East Gondwana and arrived to Asia on the Indian Plate and Burma Terrane. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1518. [PMID: 35087130 PMCID: PMC8795121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05257-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater mussels cannot spread through oceanic barriers and represent a suitable model to test the continental drift patterns. Here, we reconstruct the diversification of Oriental freshwater mussels (Unionidae) and revise their taxonomy. We show that the Indian Subcontinent harbors a rather taxonomically poor fauna, containing 25 freshwater mussel species from one subfamily (Parreysiinae). This subfamily most likely originated in East Gondwana in the Jurassic and its representatives arrived to Asia on two Gondwanan fragments (Indian Plate and Burma Terrane). We propose that the Burma Terrane was connected with the Indian Plate through the Greater India up to the terminal Cretaceous. Later on, during the entire Paleogene epoch, these blocks have served as isolated evolutionary hotspots for freshwater mussels. The Burma Terrane collided with mainland Asia in the Late Eocene, leading to the origin of the Mekong’s Indochinellini radiation. Our findings indicate that the Burma Terrane had played a major role as a Gondwanan “biotic ferry” alongside with the Indian Plate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan N Bolotov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia. .,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia. .,SSC/IUCN - Mollusc Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.
| | - Rajeev Pasupuleti
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBT), Technical University of Graz, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Suresh Kumar Unnikrishnan
- Regional Facility for DNA Fingerprinting (RFDF), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Trivandrum, 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Nyein Chan
- Fauna & Flora International - Myanmar Programme, 34 D/9 San Yae Twin Street, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, 11201, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Zau Lunn
- Fauna & Flora International - Myanmar Programme, 34 D/9 San Yae Twin Street, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, 11201, Yangon, Myanmar.,Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, PO Box 5050, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Than Win
- Department of Zoology, Dawei University, 14043, Dawei, Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar
| | - Mikhail Y Gofarov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alexander V Kondakov
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina S Konopleva
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Artyom A Lyubas
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alena A Tomilova
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ilya V Vikhrev
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia.,SSC/IUCN - Mollusc Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sophie S Düwel
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Karl-Otto Nagel
- Malacological Section, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M., Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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8
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Baker CM, Buckman-Young RS, Costa CS, Giribet G. Phylogenomic Analysis of Velvet Worms (Onychophora) Uncovers an Evolutionary Radiation in the Neotropics. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5391-5404. [PMID: 34427671 PMCID: PMC8662635 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Onychophora ("velvet worms") are charismatic soil invertebrates known for their status as a "living fossil," their phylogenetic affiliation to arthropods, and their distinctive biogeographic patterns. However, several aspects of their internal phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved, limiting our understanding of the group's evolutionary history, particularly with regard to changes in reproductive mode and dispersal ability. To address these gaps, we used RNA sequencing and phylogenomic analysis of transcriptomes to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships and infer divergence times within the phylum. We recovered a fully resolved and well-supported phylogeny for the circum-Antarctic family Peripatopsidae, which retains signals of Gondwanan vicariance and showcases the evolutionary lability of reproductive mode in the family. Within the Neotropical clade of Peripatidae, though, we found that amino acid-translated sequence data masked nearly all phylogenetic signal, resulting in highly unstable and poorly supported relationships. Analyses using nucleotide sequence data were able to resolve many more relationships, though we still saw discordant phylogenetic signal between genes, probably indicative of a rapid, mid-Cretaceous radiation in the group. Finally, we hypothesize that the unique reproductive mode of placentotrophic viviparity found in all Neotropical peripatids may have facilitated the multiple inferred instances of over-water dispersal and establishment on oceanic islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Baker
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca S Buckman-Young
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cristiano S Costa
- Laboratório de Sistemática e Taxonomia de Artrópodes Terrestres, Departamento de Biologia e Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Gonzalo Giribet
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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9
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Jouault C, Maréchal A, Condamine FL, Wang B, Nel A, Legendre F, Perrichot V. Including fossils in phylogeny: a glimpse into the evolution of the superfamily Evanioidea (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) under tip-dating and the fossilized birth–death process. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Using a fossilized birth–death model, a new phylogeny of the superfamily Evanioidea (including ensign wasps, nightshade wasps and hatchet wasps) is proposed, with estimates of divergence times for its constitutive families and for corroborating the monophyly of Evanioidea. Additionally, our Bayesian analyses demonstrate the monophyly of †Anomopterellidae, †Othniodellithidae, †Andreneliidae, Aulacidae, Gasteruptiida and Evaniidae, whereas †Praeaulacidae and †Baissidae appear to be paraphyletic. Vectevania vetula and Hyptiogastrites electrinus are transferred to Aulacidae. We estimate the divergence time of Evanioidea to be in the Late Triassic (~203 Mya). Additionally, three new othniodellithid wasps are described and figured from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber as the new genus Keratodellitha, with three new species: Keratodellitha anubis sp. nov., Keratodellitha basilisci sp. nov. and Keratodellitha kirin sp. nov. We also document a temporal shift in relative species richness between Ichneumonoidea and Evanioidea.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fabien L Condamine
- CNRS, UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, France
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - André Nel
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Legendre
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
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10
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Foley S, Krehenwinkel H, Cheng DQ, Piel WH. Phylogenomic analyses reveal a Gondwanan origin and repeated out of India colonizations into Asia by tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). PeerJ 2021; 9:e11162. [PMID: 33868819 PMCID: PMC8034372 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of biogeography seeks taxa that share a key set of characteristics, such as timescale of diversification, dispersal ability, and ecological lability. Tarantulas are ideal organisms for studying evolution over continental-scale biogeography given their time period of diversification, their mostly long-lived sedentary lives, low dispersal rate, and their nevertheless wide circumtropical distribution. In tandem with a time-calibrated transcriptome-based phylogeny generated by PhyloBayes, we estimate the ancestral ranges of ancient tarantulas using two methods, DEC+j and BBM, in the context of their evolution. We recover two ecologically distinct tarantula lineages that evolved on the Indian Plate before it collided with Asia, emphasizing the evolutionary significance of the region, and show that both lineages diversified across Asia at different times. The most ancestral tarantulas emerge on the Americas and Africa 120 Ma-105.5 Ma. We provide support for a dual colonization of Asia by two different tarantula lineages that occur at least 20 million years apart, as well as a Gondwanan origin for the group. We determine that their current distributions are attributable to a combination of Gondwanan vicariance, continental rafting, and geographic radiation. We also discuss emergent patterns in tarantula habitat preferences through time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saoirse Foley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - William H. Piel
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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11
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Vizueta J, Escuer P, Frías-López C, Guirao-Rico S, Hering L, Mayer G, Rozas J, Sánchez-Gracia A. Evolutionary History of Major Chemosensory Gene Families across Panarthropoda. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:3601-3615. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Chemosensory perception is a fundamental biological process of particular relevance in basic and applied arthropod research. However, apart from insects, there is little knowledge of specific molecules involved in this system, which is restricted to a few taxa with uneven phylogenetic sampling across lineages. From an evolutionary perspective, onychophorans (velvet worms) and tardigrades (water bears) are of special interest since they represent the closest living relatives of arthropods, altogether comprising the Panarthropoda. To get insights into the evolutionary origin and diversification of the chemosensory gene repertoire in panarthropods, we sequenced the antenna- and head-specific transcriptomes of the velvet worm Euperipatoides rowelli and analyzed members of all major chemosensory families in representative genomes of onychophorans, tardigrades, and arthropods. Our results suggest that the NPC2 gene family was the only family encoding soluble proteins in the panarthropod ancestor and that onychophorans might have lost many arthropod-like chemoreceptors, including the highly conserved IR25a receptor of protostomes. On the other hand, the eutardigrade genomes lack genes encoding the DEG-ENaC and CD36-sensory neuron membrane proteins, the chemosensory members of which have been retained in arthropods; these losses might be related to lineage-specific adaptive strategies of tardigrades to survive extreme environmental conditions. Although the results of this study need to be further substantiated by an increased taxon sampling, our findings shed light on the diversification of chemosensory gene families in Panarthropoda and contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of animal chemical senses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Vizueta
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Escuer
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Frías-López
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Lars Hering
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Georg Mayer
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Julio Rozas
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Gracia
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Jouault C, Ngô-Muller V, Pouillon JM, Nel A. New Burmese amber fossils clarify the evolution of bethylid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Two new bethylid wasps from Cenomanian Burmese amber, one tentatively placed in †Protopristocerinae: Cretapristocera longiscapa gen. & sp. nov. and one in †Holopsenellinae: Megalopsenella pouilloni gen. & sp. nov., are described and illustrated here. They provide new data on the Cretaceous diversity of the family and extend the Cenomanian Burmese amber records to six species. We discuss their systematic placements and provide identification keys to species of †Holopsenellinae and †Protopristocerinae to assist future taxonomic studies. We phylogenetically analyse Bethylidae, adding several fossil taxa to a recent study, suggesting a new hypothesis for the relationships between the different subfamilies. We also address the distribution and underestimated diversity of the family during the Cretaceous and the evolution of the venation of their wings. Finally, we discuss the possible misplacement of the families Plumariidae and †Falsiformicidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Jouault
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, Rennes, France
| | - Valérie Ngô-Muller
- UFR Sciences du Vivant, Université Paris Diderot, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 – CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | | | - André Nel
- UFR Sciences du Vivant, Université Paris Diderot, Université de Paris, Paris, France
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Cai C, Lawrence JF, Yamamoto S, Leschen RAB, Newton AF, Ślipiński A, Yin Z, Huang D, Engel MS. Basal polyphagan beetles in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar: biogeographic implications and long-term morphological stasis. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182175. [PMID: 30963875 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin and early evolutionary history of polyphagan beetles have been largely based on evidence from the derived and diverse 'core Polyphaga', whereas little is known about the species-poor basal polyphagan lineages, which include Scirtoidea (Clambidae, Decliniidae, Eucinetidae, and Scirtidae) and Derodontidae. Here, we report two new species Acalyptomerus thayerae sp. nov. and Sphaerothorax uenoi sp. nov., both belonging to extant genera of Clambidae, from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Acalyptomerus thayerae has a close affinity to A. herbertfranzi, a species currently occurring in Mesoamerica and northern South America. Sphaerothorax uenoi is closely related to extant species of Sphaerothorax, which are usually collected in forests of Nothofagus of Australia, Chile, and New Zealand. The discovery of two Cretaceous species from northern Myanmar indicates that both genera had lengthy evolutionary histories, originated at least by the earliest Cenomanian, and were probably more widespread than at present. Remarkable morphological similarities between fossil and living species suggest that both genera changed little over long periods of geological time. The long-term persistence of similar mesic microhabitats such as leaf litter may account for the 99 Myr morphological stasis in Acalyptomerus and Sphaerothorax. Additionally, the extinct staphylinoid family Ptismidae is proposed as a new synonym of Clambidae, and its only included species Ptisma zasukhae is placed as incertae sedis within Clambidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Cai
- 1 CAS Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Nanjing 210008 , People's Republic of China.,3 School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ , UK
| | - John F Lawrence
- 4 Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO , GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601 , Australia
| | - Shûhei Yamamoto
- 5 Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History , 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605 , USA
| | - Richard A B Leschen
- 6 Landcare Research, New Zealand Arthropod Collection , Private Bag 92170, Auckland , New Zealand
| | - Alfred F Newton
- 5 Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History , 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605 , USA
| | - Adam Ślipiński
- 4 Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO , GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601 , Australia
| | - Ziwei Yin
- 7 Department of Biology, Shanghai Normal University , 100 Guilin Road, Shanghai 200234 , People's Republic of China
| | - Diying Huang
- 2 State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Nanjing 210008 , People's Republic of China
| | - Michael S Engel
- 8 Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS 66045 , USA.,9 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS 66045 , USA
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Marshall JC, Martin H. Velvet worm (Phylum Onychophora) on a sand island, in a wetland: Flushed from a Pleistocene refuge by recent rainfall? AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. Marshall
- Department of Environment and Science; Queensland Government; GPO Box 2454 Brisbane Queensland 4001 Australia
- Australian Rivers Institute; Griffith University; Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Hailey Martin
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland Australia
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Oliveira IDS, Kumerics A, Jahn H, Müller M, Pfeiffer F, Mayer G. Functional morphology of a lobopod: case study of an onychophoran leg. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:191200. [PMID: 31824728 PMCID: PMC6837196 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Segmental, paired locomotory appendages are a characteristic feature of Panarthropoda-a diversified clade of moulting animals that includes onychophorans (velvet worms), tardigrades (water bears) and arthropods. While arthropods acquired a sclerotized exoskeleton and articulated limbs, onychophorans and tardigrades possess a soft body and unjointed limbs called lobopods, which they inherited from Cambrian lobopodians. To date, the origin and ancestral structure of the lobopods and their transformation into the jointed appendages are all poorly understood. We therefore combined high-resolution computed tomography with high-speed camera recordings to characterize the functional anatomy of a trunk lobopod from the onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelli. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the complete set of muscles and muscle fibres as well as non-muscular structures revealed the spatial relationship and relative volumes of the muscular, excretory, circulatory and nervous systems within the leg. Locomotory movements of individual lobopods of E. rowelli proved far more diverse than previously thought and might be governed by a complex interplay of 15 muscles, including one promotor, one remotor, one levator, one retractor, two depressors, two rotators, one flexor and two constrictors as well as muscles for stabilization and haemolymph control. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the evolution of locomotion in panarthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo de Sena Oliveira
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Andreas Kumerics
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Henry Jahn
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Mark Müller
- Chair of Biomedical Physics, Department of Physics and Munich School of Bioengineering, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Franz Pfeiffer
- Chair of Biomedical Physics, Department of Physics and Munich School of Bioengineering, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 München, Germany
| | - Georg Mayer
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
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Treffkorn S, Hernández-Lagos OY, Mayer G. Evidence for cell turnover as the mechanism responsible for the transport of embryos towards the vagina in viviparous onychophorans (velvet worms). Front Zool 2019; 16:16. [PMID: 31182967 PMCID: PMC6555992 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0317-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Onychophorans, commonly known as velvet worms, display a remarkable diversity of reproductive strategies including oviparity, and placentotrophic, lecithotrophic, matrotrophic or combined lecithotrophic/matrotrophic viviparity. In the placentotrophic species, the embryos of consecutive developmental stages are attached to the uterus via a placental stalk, suggesting they might be transported passively towards the vagina due to proximal growth and distal degeneration of tissue. However, this assumption has never been tested using specific markers. We therefore analyzed the patterns of cell proliferation and apoptosis in the genital tracts of two placentotrophic peripatids from Colombia and a non-placentotrophic peripatopsid from Australia. Results All three species show a high number of apoptotic cells in the distal portion of the genital tract near the genital opening. In the two placentotrophic species, additional apoptotic cells appear in ring-like vestigial placentation zones of late embryonic chambers. While moderate cell proliferation occurs along the entire uterus in all three species, only the two placentotrophic species show a distinct proliferation zone near the ovary as well as in the ring-like implantation zone of the first embryonic chamber. In contrast to the two placentotrophic species, the non-placentotrophic species clearly does not show such regions of high proliferation in the uterus but exhibits proliferating and apoptotic cells in the ovarian stalks. While cell proliferation mainly occurs in stalks carrying maturating oocytes, apoptosis is restricted to stalks whose oocytes have been released into the ovarian lumen. Conclusions Our results confirm the hypothesis that the uterus of placentotrophic onychophorans grows proximally but is resorbed distally. This is supported by the detection of a proximal proliferation zone and a distal degenerative zone in the two placentotrophic species. Hence, cell turnover might be responsible for the transport of their embryos towards the vagina, analogous to a conveyor belt. Surprisingly, the distal degenerative zone is also found in the non-placentotrophic species, in which cell turnover was unexpected. These findings suggest that the distal degenerative zone is an ancestral feature of Onychophora, whereas the proximal proliferation zone might have evolved in the last common ancestor of the placentotrophic Peripatidae. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-019-0317-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Treffkorn
- 1Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Oscar Yesid Hernández-Lagos
- 2Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 27 #9, ciudad Universitaria, Bucaramanga, Santander Colombia
| | - Georg Mayer
- 1Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
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17
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Baer A, Schmidt S, Mayer G, Harrington MJ. Fibers on the Fly: Multiscale Mechanisms of Fiber Formation in the Capture Slime of Velvet Worms. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:1690-1699. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved a capacity to form biopolymeric fibers outside their bodies for functions such as defense, prey capture, attachment, and protection. In particular, the adhesive capture slime of onychophorans (velvet worms) is remarkable for its ability to rapidly form stiff fibers through mechanical drawing. Notably, fibers that are formed ex vivo from extracted slime can be dissolved in water and new fibers can be drawn from the solution, indicating that fiber formation is encoded in the biomolecules that comprise the slime. This review highlights recent findings on the biochemical and physicochemical principles guiding this circular process in the Australian onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelli. A multiscale cross-disciplinary approach utilizing techniques from biology, biochemistry, physical chemistry, and materials science has revealed that the slime is a concentrated emulsion of nanodroplets comprised primarily of proteins, stabilized via electrostatic interactions, possibly in a coacervate phase. Upon mechanical agitation, droplets coalesce, leading to spontaneous self-assembly and fibrillation of proteins—a completely reversible process. Recent investigations highlight the importance of subtle transitions in protein structure and charge balance. These findings have clear relevance for better understanding this adaptive prey capture behavior and providing inspiration toward sustainable polymer processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Baer
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, Kassel, Germany
| | - Stephan Schmidt
- Institute of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Georg Mayer
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, Kassel, Germany
| | - Matthew J Harrington
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Siveter DJ, Briggs DEG, Siveter DJ, Sutton MD, Legg D. A three-dimensionally preserved lobopodian from the Herefordshire (Silurian) Lagerstätte, UK. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172101. [PMID: 30224988 PMCID: PMC6124121 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Herefordshire (Silurian) Lagerstätte (approx. 430 Myr BP) has yielded, among many exceptionally preserved invertebrates, a wide range of new genera belonging to crown-group Panarthropoda. Here, we increase this panarthropod diversity with the lobopodian Thanahita distos, a new total-group panarthropod genus and species. This new lobopodian preserves at least nine paired, long, slender appendages, the anterior two in the head region and the posterior seven representing trunk lobopods. The body ends in a short post-appendicular extension. Some of the trunk lobopods bear two claws, others a single claw. The body is covered by paired, tuft-like papillae. Thanahita distos joins only seven other known three-dimensionally preserved lobopodian or onychophoran (velvet worm) fossil specimens and is the first lobopodian to be formally described from the Silurian. Phylogenetic analysis recovered it, together with all described Hallucigenia species, in a sister-clade to crown-group panarthropods. Its placement in a redefined Hallucigeniidae, an iconic Cambrian clade, indicates the survival of this clade to Silurian times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek J. Siveter
- Earth Collections, University Museum of Natural History, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Derek E. G. Briggs
- Department of Geology and Geophysics and Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, PO Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
| | - David J. Siveter
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Mark D. Sutton
- Department of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BP, UK
| | - David Legg
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Giribet G, Buckman-Young RS, Costa CS, Baker CM, Benavides LR, Branstetter MG, Daniels SR, Pinto-da-Rocha R. The ‘Peripatos' in Eurogondwana? — Lack of evidence that southeast Asian onychophorans walked through Europe. INVERTEBR SYST 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/is18007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Onychophorans, or velvet worms, are cryptic but extremely charismatic terrestrial invertebrates that have often been the subject of interesting biogeographic debate. Despite great interest, a well resolved and complete phylogeny of the group and a reliable chronogram have been elusive due to their broad geographic distribution, paucity of samples, and challenging molecular composition. Here we present a molecular phylogenetic analysis of Onychophora that includes previously unsampled and undersampled lineages and we analyse the expanded dataset using a series of nested taxon sets designed to increase the amount of information available for particular subclades. These include a dataset with outgroups, one restricted to the ingroup taxa, and three others for Peripatopsidae, Peripatidae and Neopatida (= the Neotropical Peripatidae). To explore competing biogeographic scenarios we generate a new time tree for Onychophora using the few available reliable fossils as calibration points. Comparing our results to those of Cyphophthalmi, we reconsider the hypothesis that velvet worms reached Southeast Asia via Eurogondwana, and conclude that a more likely scenario is that they reached Southeast Asia by rafting on the Sibumasu terrane. Our phylogenetic results support the reciprocal monophyly of both families as well as an early division between East and West Gondwana, also in both families, each beginning to diversify between the Permian and the Jurassic. Peripatopsidae clearly supports paraphyly of South Africa with respect to southern South America (Chile) and a sister group relationship of the Southeast Asian/New Guinean Paraperipatus to the Australian/New Zealand taxa. The latter includes a clade that divides between Western Australia and Eastern Australia and two sister clades of trans-Tasman species (one oviparous and one viviparous). This pattern clearly shows that oviparity is secondarily derived in velvet worms. Peripatidae finds a sister group relationship between the Southeast Asian Eoperipatus and the West Gondwanan clade, which divides into the African Mesoperipatus and Neopatida. The latter shows a well supported split between the Pacific Oroperipatus (although it is unclear whether they form one or two clades) and a sister clade that includes the members of the genera Peripatus, Epiperipatus, Macroperipatus and representatives of the monotypic genera Cerradopatus, Plicatoperipatus and Principapillatus. However, Peripatus, Epiperipatus and Macroperipatus are not monophyletic, and all the species from the monotypic genera are related to geographically close species. The same goes for the type species of Macroperipatus (from Trinidad, and sister group to other Trinidad and Tobago species of Epiperipatus) and Epiperipatus (from French Guiana, and related to other Guyana shield species of Epiperipatus and Peripatus). Geographic structure within Neopatida is largely obscured by an unresolved backbone, but many well supported instances of generic non-monophyly challenge the current taxonomic framework, which has often relied on anatomical characters that are untested phylogenetically.
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de Sena Oliveira I, Ruhberg H, Rowell DM, Mayer G. Revision of Tasmanian viviparous velvet worms (Onychophora : Peripatopsidae) with descriptions of two new species. INVERTEBR SYST 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/is17096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The restricted distribution of viviparous onychophorans in Tasmania has long been a subject of discussion, but their evolutionary history remains unclear. We applied morphological, molecular and karyological methods to assess the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of the four viviparous species reported from Tasmania, including Tasmanipatus barretti, T. anophthalmus and two undescribed species previously referred to as ‘Tasmania’ sp. 1 and sp. 2. We demonstrate that all four species can be unambiguously distinguished based on independent character sets. The two ‘Tasmania’ species, which were previously thought to be cryptic, proved to exhibit a set of distinct morphological characters. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the four species belong to a major clade that includes Peripatoides from New Zealand, and that species from the two landmasses show reciprocal monophyly within this clade. Within the Tasmanian clade, T. anophthalmus is more closely related to the two ‘Tasmania’ species than to T. barretti. Based on this relationship and the lack of morphological and/or karyological characters supporting the Tasmanian viviparous clade, we erect two new genera to accommodate the two ‘Tasmania’ species (Diemenipatus, gen. nov.) and T. anophthalmus (Leucopatus, gen. nov.). An emended diagnosis followed by a redescription of T. barretti is provided and ‘Tasmania’ sp. 1 and sp. 2 are formally described as D. taiti, gen. et sp. nov. and D. mesibovi, gen. et sp. nov., respectively.
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Myoanatomy of the velvet worm leg revealed by laboratory-based nanofocus X-ray source tomography. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:12378-12383. [PMID: 29109262 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710742114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a powerful noninvasive technique for investigating the inner structure of objects and organisms. However, the resolution of laboratory CT systems is typically limited to the micrometer range. In this paper, we present a table-top nanoCT system in conjunction with standard processing tools that is able to routinely reach resolutions down to 100 nm without using X-ray optics. We demonstrate its potential for biological investigations by imaging a walking appendage of Euperipatoides rowelli, a representative of Onychophora-an invertebrate group pivotal for understanding animal evolution. Comparative analyses proved that the nanoCT can depict the external morphology of the limb with an image quality similar to scanning electron microscopy, while simultaneously visualizing internal muscular structures at higher resolutions than confocal laser scanning microscopy. The obtained nanoCT data revealed hitherto unknown aspects of the onychophoran limb musculature, enabling the 3D reconstruction of individual muscle fibers, which was previously impossible using any laboratory-based imaging technique.
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Martin C, Gross V, Hering L, Tepper B, Jahn H, de Sena Oliveira I, Stevenson PA, Mayer G. The nervous and visual systems of onychophorans and tardigrades: learning about arthropod evolution from their closest relatives. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:565-590. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1186-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Treffkorn S, Mayer G. Conserved versus derived patterns of controlled cell death during the embryonic development of two species of Onychophora (velvet worms). Dev Dyn 2017; 246:403-416. [PMID: 28198063 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apoptosis is involved in various developmental processes, including cell migration and tissue and organ formation. Some of these processes are conserved across metazoans, while others are specific to particular taxa. Although the patterns of apoptosis have been investigated in arthropods, no corresponding data are available from one of their closest relatives, the Onychophora (velvet worms). RESULTS We analyzed the patterns of apoptosis in embryos of two onychophoran species: the lecithotrophic/matrotrophic viviparous peripatopsid Euperipatoides rowelli, and the placentotrophic viviparous peripatid Principapillatus hitoyensis. Our data show that apoptosis occurs early in development and might be responsible for the degeneration of extra-embryonic tissues. Moreover, apoptosis might be involved in the morphogenesis of the ventral and preventral organs in both species and occurs additionally in the placental stalk of P. hitoyensis. CONCLUSIONS Despite the different developmental modes in these onychophoran species, our data suggest that patterns of apoptosis are conserved among onychophorans. While apoptosis in the dorsal extra-embryonic tissue might contribute to dorsal closure-a process also known from arthropods-the involvement of apoptosis in ventral closure might be unique to onychophorans. Apoptosis in the placental stalk of P. hitoyensis is most likely a derived feature of the placentotrophic onychophorans. Developmental Dynamics 246:403-416, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Treffkorn
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Georg Mayer
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
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A new giant egg-laying onychophoran (Peripatopsidae) reveals evolutionary and biogeographical aspects of Australian velvet worms. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-016-0321-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Abstract
The present-day distribution of velvet worms corresponds neatly to the ancient supercontinent Gondwana - except for a puzzling outpost in southeast Asia. Jaw-dropping new fossil material now establishes when and how peripatid onychophorans reached this isolated spot.
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