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Bisconti M, Bosselaers M, Locatelli C, Carnevale G, Lambert O. The tympanoperiotic complex of the blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:3041-3070. [PMID: 38297482 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The tympanoperiotic complex of a blue whale Balaenoptera musculus is described and compared to the homologous structures in the other extant and fossil baleen whale species. The periotic and the tympanic bulla represent informative anatomical regions in both functional and phylogenetic studies and for this reason a micro-CT scan of the bones was performed in order to better characterize their external aspect and to reconstruct the inner structures. In particular, the cochlea, the semicircular canals and associated portions of the periotic are reconstructed so that these structures may be used in phylogenetic analyses. We observed that the blue whale periotic is characterized by the presence of a strong dorsal protrusion which is posteriorly bordered by a previously undescribed morphological character that we name the posterotransverse fossa. The peculiar shape of the anterior process and the en echelon organization of the posterior foramina of the pars cochlearis are also described and compared. From a phylogenetic perspective, the blue whale is confirmed to be closely related to the fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, but it is suggested, based on ear bone characters only, that it diverged before the other balaenopterid species in the phylogeny of Balaenopteridae. This placement supports a series of morphological observations suggesting that the extant blue whale was an early-diverging member of Balaenoptera. Our results help to decipher the evolutionary origin of the blue whale, the largest living animal, by allowing new and more detailed morphological analyses of the balaenopterid fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelangelo Bisconti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
- Paleontology Department, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Mark Bosselaers
- D.O. Terre et Histoire de la Vie, Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Camille Locatelli
- Service scientifique Patrimoine, Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Giorgio Carnevale
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Olivier Lambert
- D.O. Terre et Histoire de la Vie, Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium
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2
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Tanaka Y. Rostrum morphology and feeding strategy of the baleen whale indicate that right whales and pygmy right whales became skimmers independently. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:221353. [PMID: 36425522 PMCID: PMC9682309 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Baleen whales have lost their functional teeth and begun to use their baleen plates to feed on small prey. Modern baleen whales exhibit different types of feeding strategies, such as lunging, skimming and so on. The evolution of feeding strategy in the Chaeomysticeti is an important step in considering niche partitioning and diversification, feeding efficiency and gigantism, and evolution and extinction. This study analyses the rostrum morphology to test the hypothesis that specific rostral morphologies facilitate special feeding strategies, using modern species and their observed feeding strategies. By this means, the convergence of rostral morphology can be recognized in the closest groups in the morphospace. As a result, the two linages (Balaenidae and Caperea marginata) are recognized to have convergent rostral morphology. In addition, an early member of the Chaeomysticeti, Yamatocetus canaliculatus, and most fossil species are plotted in or close to the cluster of lunge feeders. The original feeding strategy of the Chaeomysticeti could be more similar to lunge feeding than to skim feeding. Fossil relatives of the two linages showing transitional conditions indicate that they shifted to skim feeding independently. The evolution of the feeding strategy of the Chaeomysticeti is possibly more complex than that was thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Tanaka
- Osaka Museum of Natural History, Nagai Park 1-23, Higashi-Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 546-0034, Japan
- Hokkaido University Museum, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
- Numata Fossil Museum, 2-7-49, Minami 1, Numata town, Hokkaido 078-2225, Japan
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3
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SINEs as Credible Signs to Prove Common Ancestry in the Tree of Life: A Brief Review of Pioneering Case Studies in Retroposon Systematics. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13060989. [PMID: 35741751 PMCID: PMC9223172 DOI: 10.3390/genes13060989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the insertions of SINEs (and other retrotransposed elements) are regarded as one of the most reliable synapomorphies in molecular systematics. The methodological mainstream of molecular systematics is the calculation of nucleotide (or amino acid) sequence divergences under a suitable substitution model. In contrast, SINE insertion analysis does not require any complex model because SINE insertions are unidirectional and irreversible. This straightforward methodology was named the “SINE method,” which resolved various taxonomic issues that could not be settled by sequence comparison alone. The SINE method has challenged several traditional hypotheses proposed based on the fossil record and anatomy, prompting constructive discussions in the Evo/Devo era. Here, we review our pioneering SINE studies on salmon, cichlids, cetaceans, Afrotherian mammals, and birds. We emphasize the power of the SINE method in detecting incomplete lineage sorting by tracing the genealogy of specific genomic loci with minimal noise. Finally, in the context of the whole-genome era, we discuss how the SINE method can be applied to further our understanding of the tree of life.
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4
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Moreira SC, Weksler M, Sousa-Lima RS, Maia M, Sukhovich A, Royer JY, Marcondes MCC, Cerchio S. Occurrence of Omura’s whale, Balaenoptera omurai (Cetacea: Balaenopteridae), in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean based on Passive Acoustic Monitoring. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The current known distribution of Omura’s whale includes the tropical and warm temperate waters of the western Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. Evidence of their presence in the Atlantic Ocean is based on beach cast specimens found on the coasts of Mauritania (North Atlantic) and Northeastern Brazil (South Atlantic). The present study characterizes the occurrence of this species in the São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago (SPSPA), on the mid-Atlantic ridge between South America and Africa, based on autonomous recording systems. Acoustic signals were similar, but not identical, to B. omurai vocalizations recorded off the coast of Madagascar. Although these signals were recorded for only 11 months, there are peaks in vocal activity between May and June in the vicinities of SPSPA, suggesting either a shift in distribution within the Atlantic equatorial waters or seasonality in the species’ vocal behavior in this region. The first acoustic records of Omura’s whales in the Equatorial Atlantic suggest that these animals may also use deep-water habitats, in addition to the shallow-water habitat use observed in other regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio C Moreira
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Weksler
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Renata S Sousa-Lima
- Laboratorio de Bioacústica, Departamento de Fisiologia e Comportamento, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Marcia Maia
- Laboratoire Géosciences Océan, CNRS-UBO-UBS, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
| | - Alexey Sukhovich
- Laboratoire Géosciences Océan, CNRS-UBO-UBS, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
| | - Jean-Yves Royer
- Laboratoire Géosciences Océan, CNRS-UBO-UBS, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
| | | | - Salvatore Cerchio
- African Aquatic Conservation Fund, Chilmark, MA, USA
- Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA, USA
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5
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McGowen MR, Tsagkogeorga G, Álvarez-Carretero S, Dos Reis M, Struebig M, Deaville R, Jepson PD, Jarman S, Polanowski A, Morin PA, Rossiter SJ. Phylogenomic Resolution of the Cetacean Tree of Life Using Target Sequence Capture. Syst Biol 2020; 69:479-501. [PMID: 31633766 PMCID: PMC7164366 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syz068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of cetaceans, from their early transition to an aquatic lifestyle to their subsequent diversification, has been the subject of numerous studies. However, although the higher-level relationships among cetacean families have been largely settled, several aspects of the systematics within these groups remain unresolved. Problematic clades include the oceanic dolphins (37 spp.), which have experienced a recent rapid radiation, and the beaked whales (22 spp.), which have not been investigated in detail using nuclear loci. The combined application of high-throughput sequencing with techniques that target specific genomic sequences provide a powerful means of rapidly generating large volumes of orthologous sequence data for use in phylogenomic studies. To elucidate the phylogenetic relationships within the Cetacea, we combined sequence capture with Illumina sequencing to generate data for \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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}{}$\sim $\end{document}3200 protein-coding genes for 68 cetacean species and their close relatives including the pygmy hippopotamus. By combining data from \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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}{}$>$\end{document}38,000 exons with existing sequences from 11 cetaceans and seven outgroup taxa, we produced the first comprehensive comparative genomic data set for cetaceans, spanning 6,527,596 aligned base pairs (bp) and 89 taxa. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed with maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference of concatenated loci, as well as with coalescence analyses of individual gene trees, produced mostly concordant and well-supported trees. Our results completely resolve the relationships among beaked whales as well as the contentious relationships among oceanic dolphins, especially the problematic subfamily Delphinidae. We carried out Bayesian estimation of species divergence times using MCMCTree and compared our complete data set to a subset of clocklike genes. Analyses using the complete data set consistently showed less variance in divergence times than the reduced data set. In addition, integration of new fossils (e.g., Mystacodon selenensis) indicates that the diversification of Crown Cetacea began before the Late Eocene and the divergence of Crown Delphinidae as early as the Middle Miocene. [Cetaceans; phylogenomics; Delphinidae; Ziphiidae; dolphins; whales.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R McGowen
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, 10th & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington DC 20560, USA
| | - Georgia Tsagkogeorga
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Sandra Álvarez-Carretero
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Mario Dos Reis
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Monika Struebig
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Robert Deaville
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Circle, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Paul D Jepson
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Circle, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Simon Jarman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth WA 6009, Australia
| | - Andrea Polanowski
- Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston TAS 7050, Australia
| | - Phillip A Morin
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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6
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Leslie MS, Peredo CM, Pyenson ND. Norrisanima miocaena, a new generic name and redescription of a stem balaenopteroid mysticete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Miocene of California. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7629. [PMID: 31608165 PMCID: PMC6788442 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rorqual whales are among the most species rich group of baleen whales (or mysticetes) alive today, yet the monophyly of the traditional grouping (i.e., Balaenopteridae) remains unclear. Additionally, many fossil mysticetes putatively assigned to either Balaenopteridae or Balaenopteroidea may actually belong to stem lineages, although many of these fossil taxa suffer from inadequate descriptions of fragmentary skeletal material. Here we provide a redescription of the holotype of Megaptera miocaena, a fossil balaenopteroid from the Monterey Formation of California, which consists of a partial cranium, a fragment of the rostrum, a single vertebra, and both tympanoperiotics. Kellogg (1922) assigned the type specimen to the genus MegapteraGray (1846), on the basis of its broad similarities to distinctive traits in the cranium of extant humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)). Subsequent phylogenetic analyses have found these two species as sister taxa in morphological datasets alone; the most recent systematic analyses using both molecular and morphological data sets place Megaptera miocaena as a stem balaenopteroid unrelated to humpback whales. Here, we redescribe the type specimen of Megaptera miocaena in the context of other fossil balaenopteroids discovered nearly a century since Kellogg’s original description and provide a morphological basis for discriminating it from Megaptera novaeangliae. We also provide a new generic name and recombine the taxon as Norrisanima miocaena, gen. nov., to reflect its phylogenetic position outside of crown Balaenopteroidea, unrelated to extant Megaptera. Lastly, we refine the stratigraphic age of Norrisanima miocaena, based on associated microfossils to a Tortonian age (7.6–7.3 Ma), which carries implications for understanding the origin of key features associated with feeding and body size evolution in this group of whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Leslie
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States of America.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America.,Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Carlos Mauricio Peredo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Nicholas D Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America.,Department of Paleontology and Geology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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7
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Grady JM, Maitner BS, Winter AS, Kaschner K, Tittensor DP, Record S, Smith FA, Wilson AM, Dell AI, Zarnetske PL, Wearing HJ, Alfaro B, Brown JH. Metabolic asymmetry and the global diversity of marine predators. Science 2019; 363:363/6425/eaat4220. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aat4220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Species richness of marine mammals and birds is highest in cold, temperate seas—a conspicuous exception to the general latitudinal gradient of decreasing diversity from the tropics to the poles. We compiled a comprehensive dataset for 998 species of sharks, fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds to identify and quantify inverse latitudinal gradients in diversity, and derived a theory to explain these patterns. We found that richness, phylogenetic diversity, and abundance of marine predators diverge systematically with thermoregulatory strategy and water temperature, reflecting metabolic differences between endotherms and ectotherms that drive trophic and competitive interactions. Spatial patterns of foraging support theoretical predictions, with total prey consumption by mammals increasing by a factor of 80 from the equator to the poles after controlling for productivity.
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8
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Phylogenetic relationships in southern African Bryde’s whales inferred from mitochondrial DNA: further support for subspecies delineation between the two allopatric populations. CONSERV GENET 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-018-1105-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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9
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Solazzo C, Fitzhugh W, Kaplan S, Potter C, Dyer JM. Molecular markers in keratins from Mysticeti whales for species identification of baleen in museum and archaeological collections. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183053. [PMID: 28854252 PMCID: PMC5576650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Baleen has been harvested by indigenous people for thousands of years, as well as collected by whalers as an additional product of commercial whaling in modern times. Baleen refers to the food-filtering system of Mysticeti whales; a full baleen rack consists of dozens of plates of a tough and flexible keratinous material that terminate in bristles. Due to its properties, baleen was a valuable raw material used in a wide range of artefacts, from implements to clothing. Baleen is not widely used today, however, analyses of this biomolecular tissue have the potential to contribute to conservation efforts, studies of genetic diversity and a better understanding of the exploitation and use of Mysticeti whales in past and recent times. Fortunately, baleen is present in abundance in museum natural history collections. However, it is often difficult or impossible to make a species identification of manufactured or old baleen. Here, we propose a new tool for biomolecular identification of baleen based on its main structural component alpha-keratin (the same protein that makes up hair and fingernails). With the exception of minke whales, alpha-keratin sequences are not yet known for baleen whales. We therefore used peptide mass fingerprinting to determine peptidic profiles in well documented baleen and evaluated the possibility of using this technique to differentiate species in baleen samples that are not adequately identified or are unidentified. We examined baleen from ten different species of whales and determined molecular markers for each species, including species-specific markers. In the case of the Bryde's whales, differences between specimens suggest distinct species or sub-species, consistent with the complex phylogeny of the species. Finally, the methodology was applied to 29 fragments of baleen excavated from archaeological sites in Labrador, Canada (representing 1500 years of whale use by prehistoric people), demonstrating a dominance of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) in the archaeological assemblage and the successful application of the peptide mass fingerprinting technique to identify the species of whale in unidentified and partially degraded samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Solazzo
- Museum Conservation Institute, Museum Support Center, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, Maryland, United States of America
| | - William Fitzhugh
- Arctic Studies Center, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Anthropology MRC 112, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., United States of America
| | - Susan Kaplan
- The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum and Arctic Studies Center, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, United States of America
| | - Charles Potter
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 108, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Jolon M. Dyer
- Food & Bio-Based Products, AgResearch, Lincoln Research Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Marx FG, Kohno N. A new Miocene baleen whale from the Peruvian desert. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160542. [PMID: 27853573 PMCID: PMC5098998 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The Pisco-Ica and Sacaco basins of southern Peru are renowned for their abundance of exceptionally preserved fossil cetaceans, several of which retain traces of soft tissue and occasionally even stomach contents. Previous work has mostly focused on odontocetes, with baleen whales currently being restricted to just three described taxa. Here, we report a new Late Miocene rorqual (family Balaenopteridae), Incakujira anillodefuego gen. et sp. nov., based on two exceptionally preserved specimens from the Pisco Formation exposed at Aguada de Lomas, Sacaco Basin, southern Peru. Incakujira overall closely resembles modern balaenopterids, but stands out for its unusually gracile ascending process of the maxilla, as well as a markedly twisted postglenoid process of the squamosal. The latter likely impeded lateral (omega) rotation of the mandible, in stark contrast with the highly flexible craniomandibular joint of extant lunge-feeding rorquals. Overall, Incakujira expands the still meagre Miocene record of balaenopterids and reveals a previously underappreciated degree of complexity in the evolution of their iconic lunge-feeding strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix G. Marx
- Department of Geology and Palaeontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Geosciences, Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Directorate of Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Author for correspondence: Felix G. Marx e-mail:
| | - Naoki Kohno
- Department of Geology and Palaeontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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Montelli S, Peruffo A, Patarnello T, Cozzi B, Negrisolo E. Back to Water: Signature of Adaptive Evolution in Cetacean Mitochondrial tRNAs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158129. [PMID: 27336480 PMCID: PMC4919058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrion is the power plant of the eukaryotic cell, and tRNAs are the fundamental components of its translational machinery. In the present paper, the evolution of mitochondrial tRNAs was investigated in the Cetacea, a clade of Cetartiodactyla that retuned to water and thus had to adapt its metabolism to a different medium than that of its mainland ancestors. Our analysis focussed on identifying the factors that influenced the evolution of Cetacea tRNA double-helix elements, which play a pivotal role in the formation of the secondary and tertiary structures of each tRNA and consequently manipulate the whole translation machinery of the mitochondrion. Our analyses showed that the substitution pathways in the stems of different tRNAs were influenced by various factors, determining a molecular evolution that was unique to each of the 22 tRNAs. Our data suggested that the composition, AT-skew, and GC-skew of the tRNA stems were the main factors influencing the substitution process. In particular, the range of variation and the fluctuation of these parameters affected the fate of single tRNAs. Strong heterogeneity was observed among the different species of Cetacea. Finally, it appears that the evolution of mitochondrial tRNAs was also shaped by the environments in which the Cetacean taxa differentiated. This latter effect was particularly evident in toothed whales that either live in freshwater or are deep divers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Montelli
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Antonella Peruffo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Tomaso Patarnello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Enrico Negrisolo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
- * E-mail:
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Cerchio S, Andrianantenaina B, Lindsay A, Rekdahl M, Andrianarivelo N, Rasoloarijao T. Omura's whales (Balaenoptera omurai) off northwest Madagascar: ecology, behaviour and conservation needs. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150301. [PMID: 26587244 PMCID: PMC4632516 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai) was described as a new species in 2003 and then soon after as an ancient lineage basal to a Bryde's/sei whale clade. Currently known only from whaling and stranding specimens primarily from the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans, there exist no confirmed field observations or ecological/behavioural data. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first genetically confirmed documentation of living Omura's whales including descriptions of basic ecology and behaviour from northwestern Madagascar. Species identification was confirmed through molecular phylogenetic analyses of biopsies collected from 18 adult animals. All individuals shared a single haplotype in a 402 bp sequence of mtDNA control region, suggesting low diversity and a potentially small population. Sightings of 44 groups indicated preference for shallow-water shelf habitat with sea surface temperature between 27.4°C and 30.2°C. Frequent observations were made of lunge feeding, possibly on zooplankton. Observations of four mothers with young calves, and recordings of a song-like vocalization probably indicate reproductive behaviour. Social organization consisted of loose aggregations of predominantly unassociated single individuals spatially and temporally clustered. Photographic recapture of a female re-sighted the following year with a young calf suggests site fidelity or a resident population. Our results demonstrate that the species is a tropical whale without segregation of feeding and breeding habitat, and is probably non-migratory; our data extend the range of this poorly studied whale into the western Indian Ocean. Exclusive range restriction to tropical waters is rare among baleen whale species, except for the various forms of Bryde's whales and Omura's whales. Thus, the discovery of a tractable population of Omura's whales in the tropics presents an opportunity for understanding the ecological factors driving potential convergence of life-history patterns with the distantly related Bryde's whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Cerchio
- New England Aquarium, Boston, MA, USA
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Boris Andrianantenaina
- Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines, Universite de Toliara, Toliara, Madagascar
| | - Alec Lindsay
- Biology Department, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Melinda Rekdahl
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Ocean Giants Program, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Norbert Andrianarivelo
- Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines, Universite de Toliara, Toliara, Madagascar
| | - Tahina Rasoloarijao
- Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines, Universite de Toliara, Toliara, Madagascar
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Kitayama C, Sasaki M, Ishikawa H, Mogoe T, Ohsumi S, Fukui Y, Budipitojo T, Kondoh D, Kitamura N. Structure and functions of the placenta in common minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Bryde's (B. brydei) and sei (B. borealis) whales. J Reprod Dev 2015; 61:415-21. [PMID: 26096685 PMCID: PMC4623147 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2015-005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure and functions of placentas were examined in 3 species of rorqual whales, common minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Bryde's (B. brydei) and sei (B. borealis) whales, with the aim of confirming the structural characteristics of the chorion, including the presence of the areolar part, and clarifying steroidogenic activities and fetomaternal interactions in the placentas of these whales. Placentas were collected from the second phase of the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the North Pacific (JARPN II). Histological and ultrastructural examinations revealed that these whale placentas were epitheliochorial placentas with the interdigitation of chorionic villi lined by monolayer uninucleate cells (trophoblast cells) and endometrial crypts as well as folded placentation by fold-like chorionic villi. Moreover, well-developed pouch-like areolae were observed in the placentas, and active absorption was suggested in the chorionic epithelial cells of the areolar part (areolar trophoblast cells). Berlin blue staining showed the presence of ferric ions (Fe(3+)) in the uterine glandular epithelial cells and within the stroma of chorionic villi in the areolar part. An immunohistochemical examination revealed tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP; known as uteroferrin in uteri) in the cytoplasm of glandular cells and areolar trophoblast cells. This result suggested that, in cetaceans, uteroferrin is used to supply iron to the fetus. Furthermore, immunoreactivity for P450scc and P450arom was detected in trophoblast cells, but not in areolar trophoblast cells, suggesting that trophoblast cells synthesize estrogen in whale placentas. Therefore, we herein immunohistochemically revealed the localization of aromatase and uteroferrin in cetacean placentas during pregnancy for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiyo Kitayama
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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Liu JY, Chou LS, Chen MH. Investigation of trophic level and niche partitioning of 7 cetacean species by stable isotopes, and cadmium and arsenic tissue concentrations in the western Pacific Ocean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 93:270-277. [PMID: 25684592 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A total of 24 stranded or bycatch cetaceans, including Balaenoptera omurai, Lagenodelphis hosei, Kogia sima, Stenella attenuata, Grampus griseus, Neophocaena phocaenoides, and Sousa chinensis, were collected from 2001 to 2011 in Taiwan. Using the muscular δ(13)C and δ(15)N data, three ecological groups were identified as the oceanic baleen whale, the neritic, and the coastal toothed whale groups, coinciding with their taxonomy, feeding habits and geographical distribution. A horizontal inshore to offshore distribution was found for the sympatric neritic toothed dolphins, G. griseus, K. sima, S. attenuata, and L. hosei in the outermost offshore waters, accompanying their growth. For the first time we identify Taiwan's Chinese white dolphin, S. chinensis, as an exclusive fish eater. Cd and As bioaccumulated in the G. griseus, L. hosei and S. attenuata increase as they grow. Prey-derived As- and Cd-induced health threats were found in L. hosei, and G. griseus.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-Y Liu
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, 804 Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - L-S Chou
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, 106 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - M-H Chen
- Department of Oceanography (Marine biology group), and Asia-Pacific Ocean Research Center, National Sun Yat-sen University, 804 Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, 807 Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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15
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Marx FG, Fordyce RE. Baleen boom and bust: a synthesis of mysticete phylogeny, diversity and disparity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:140434. [PMID: 26064636 PMCID: PMC4448876 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A new, fully dated total-evidence phylogeny of baleen whales (Mysticeti) shows that evolutionary phases correlate strongly with Caenozoic modernization of the oceans and climates, implying a major role for bottom-up physical drivers. The phylogeny of 90 modern and dated fossil species suggests three major phases in baleen whale history: an early adaptive radiation (36-30 Ma), a shift towards bulk filter-feeding (30-23 Ma) and a climate-driven diversity loss around 3 Ma. Evolutionary rates and disparity were high following the origin of mysticetes around 38 Ma, coincident with global cooling, abrupt Southern Ocean eutrophication and the development of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Subsequently, evolutionary rates and disparity fell, becoming nearly constant after approximately 23 Ma as the ACC reached its full strength. By contrast, species diversity rose until 15 Ma and then remained stable, before dropping sharply with the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. This decline coincided with the final establishment of modern mysticete gigantism and may be linked to glacially driven variability in the distribution of shallow habitats or an increased need for long-distance migration related to iron-mediated changes in glacial marine productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix G. Marx
- Department of Geology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Department of Geology and Palaeontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba 305-0005, Japan
| | - R. Ewan Fordyce
- Department of Geology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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16
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Motani R, Chen XH, Jiang DY, Cheng L, Tintori A, Rieppel O. Lunge feeding in early marine reptiles and fast evolution of marine tetrapod feeding guilds. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8900. [PMID: 25754468 PMCID: PMC4354009 DOI: 10.1038/srep08900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional wisdom holds that biotic recovery from the end-Permian extinction was slow and gradual, and was not complete until the Middle Triassic. Here, we report that the evolution of marine predator feeding guilds, and their trophic structure, proceeded faster. Marine reptile lineages with unique feeding adaptations emerged during the Early Triassic (about 248 million years ago), including the enigmatic Hupehsuchus that possessed an unusually slender mandible. A new specimen of this genus reveals a well-preserved palate and mandible, which suggest that it was a rare lunge feeder as also occurs in rorqual whales and pelicans. The diversity of feeding strategies among Triassic marine tetrapods reached their peak in the Early Triassic, soon after their first appearance in the fossil record. The diet of these early marine tetrapods most likely included soft-bodied animals that are not preserved as fossils. Early marine tetrapods most likely introduced a new trophic mechanism to redistribute nutrients to the top 10 m of the sea, where the primary productivity is highest. Therefore, a simple recovery to a Permian-like trophic structure does not explain the biotic changes seen after the Early Triassic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Motani
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A
| | - Xiao-hong Chen
- Wuhan Centre of China Geological Survey, Wuhan, Hubei 430023, P. R. China
| | - Da-yong Jiang
- Laboratory of Orogenic Belt and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education; Department of Geology and Geological Museum, Peking University, Yiheyuan Street. 5, Beijing 100871, P.R. China
| | - Long Cheng
- Wuhan Centre of China Geological Survey, Wuhan, Hubei 430023, P. R. China
| | - Andrea Tintori
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 34-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Olivier Rieppel
- Center of Integrative Research, The Field Museum, Chicago. IL 60605-2496, U.S.A
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17
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Brodie DC, Dunn RA. Low frequency baleen whale calls detected on ocean-bottom seismometers in the Lau basin, southwest Pacific Ocean. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 137:53-62. [PMID: 25618038 DOI: 10.1121/1.4904556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Ten months of broadband seismic data, recorded on six ocean-bottom seismographs located in the Lau Basin, were examined to identify baleen whale species. As the first systematic survey of baleen whales in this part of the southwest Pacific Ocean, this study reveals the variety of species present and their temporal occurrence in and near the basin. Baleen whales produce species-specific low frequency calls that can be identified by distinct patterns in data spectrograms. By matching spectrograms with published accounts, fin, Bryde's, Antarctic blue, and New Zealand blue whale calls were identified. Probable whale sounds that could not be matched to published spectrograms, as well as non-biologic sounds that are likely of volcanogenic origin, were also recorded. Detections of fin whale calls (mid-June to mid-October) and blue whale calls (June through September) suggest that these species migrate through the region seasonally. Detections of Bryde's whale calls (primarily February to June, but also other times of the year) suggest this species resides around the basin nearly year round. The discovery of previously unpublished call types emphasizes the limited knowledge of the full call repertoires of baleen whales and the utility of using seismic survey data to enhance understanding in understudied regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana C Brodie
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
| | - Robert A Dunn
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
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18
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Rosel PE, Wilcox LA. Genetic evidence reveals a unique lineage of Bryde’s whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2014. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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19
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Kershaw F, Leslie MS, Collins T, Mansur RM, Smith BD, Minton G, Baldwin R, LeDuc RG, Anderson RC, Brownell RL, Rosenbaum HC. Population Differentiation of 2 Forms of Bryde’s Whales in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. J Hered 2013; 104:755-64. [DOI: 10.1093/jhered/est057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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20
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Imoto JM, Saitoh K, Sasaki T, Yonezawa T, Adachi J, Kartavtsev YP, Miya M, Nishida M, Hanzawa N. Phylogeny and biogeography of highly diverged freshwater fish species (Leuciscinae, Cyprinidae, Teleostei) inferred from mitochondrial genome analysis. Gene 2013; 514:112-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Revised: 09/10/2012] [Accepted: 10/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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21
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Pyenson ND, Goldbogen JA, Shadwick RE. Mandible allometry in extant and fossil Balaenopteridae (Cetacea: Mammalia): the largest vertebrate skeletal element and its role in rorqual lunge feeding. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.02032.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D. Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; P.O. Box 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7013 USA
- Departments of Mammalogy and Paleontology; Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture; Seattle WA 98195 USA
| | | | - Robert E. Shadwick
- Department of Zoology; University of British Columbia; 6270 University Boulevard Vancouver BC Canada V6T 1Z4
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22
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Pyenson ND, Sponberg SN. Reconstructing Body Size in Extinct Crown Cetacea (Neoceti) Using Allometry, Phylogenetic Methods and Tests from the Fossil Record. J MAMM EVOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-011-9170-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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23
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The comparative osteology of the petrotympanic complex (ear region) of extant baleen whales (Cetacea: Mysticeti). PLoS One 2011; 6:e21311. [PMID: 21731700 PMCID: PMC3120854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Accepted: 05/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Anatomical comparisons of the ear region of baleen whales (Mysticeti) are provided through detailed osteological descriptions and high-resolution photographs of the petrotympanic complex (tympanic bulla and petrosal bone) of all extant species of mysticete cetaceans. Salient morphological features are illustrated and identified, including overall shape of the bulla, size of the conical process of the bulla, morphology of the promontorium, and the size and shape of the anterior process of the petrosal. We place our comparative osteological observations into a phylogenetic context in order to initiate an exploration into petrotympanic evolution within Mysticeti. Principal Findings The morphology of the petrotympanic complex is diagnostic for individual species of baleen whale (e.g., sigmoid and conical processes positioned at midline of bulla in Balaenoptera musculus; confluence of fenestra cochleae and perilymphatic foramen in Eschrichtius robustus), and several mysticete clades are united by derived characteristics. Balaenids and neobalaenids share derived features of the bulla, such as a rhomboid shape and a reduced anterior lobe (swelling) in ventral aspect, and eschrichtiids share derived morphologies of the petrosal with balaenopterids, including loss of a medial promontory groove and dorsomedial elongation of the promontorium. Monophyly of Balaenoidea (Balaenidae and Neobalaenidae) and Balaenopteroidea (Balaenopteridae and Eschrichtiidae) was recovered in phylogenetic analyses utilizing data exclusively from the petrotympanic complex. Significance This study fills a major gap in our knowledge of the complex structures of the mysticete petrotympanic complex, which is an important anatomical region for the interpretation of the evolutionary history of mammals. In addition, we introduce a novel body of phylogenetically informative characters from the ear region of mysticetes. Our detailed anatomical descriptions, illustrations, and comparisons provide valuable data for current and future studies on the phylogenetic relationships, evolution, and auditory physiology of mysticetes and other cetaceans throughout Earth's history.
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24
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Zhou X, Xu S, Yang Y, Zhou K, Yang G. Phylogenomic analyses and improved resolution of Cetartiodactyla. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2011; 61:255-64. [PMID: 21315162 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2010] [Revised: 01/29/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable antiquity, diversity, and significance in the ecology and evolution of Cetartiodactyla have inspired numerous attempts to resolve their phylogenetic relationships. However, previous analyses based on limited samples of nuclear genes or mitochondrial DNA sequences have generated results that were either inconsistent with one another, weakly supported, or highly sensitive to analytical conditions. Here, we present strongly supported results based upon over 1.4 Mb of an aligned DNA sequence matrix from 110 single-copy nuclear protein-coding genes of 21 Cetartiodactyla species, which represent major Cetartiodactyla lineages, and three species of Perissodactyla and Carnivora as outgroups. Phylogenetic analysis of this newly developed genomic sequence data using a codon-based model and recently developed models of the rate autocorrelation resolved the phylogenetic relationships of the major cetartiodactylan lineages and of those lineages with a high degree of confidence. Cetacea was found to nest within Artiodactyla as the sister group of Hippopotamidae, and Tylopoda was corroborated as the sole base clade of Cetartiodactyla. Within Cetacea, the monophyletic status of Odontoceti relative to Mysticeti, the basal position of Physeteroidea in Odontoceti, the non-monophyly of the river dolphins, and the sister relationship between Delphinidae and Monodontidae+Phocoenidae were strongly supported. In particular, the groups of Tursiops (bottlenose dolphins) and Stenella (spotted dolphins) were validated as unnatural groups. Additionally, a very narrow time frame of ∼3 My (million years) was found for the rapid diversification of delphinids in the late Miocene, which made it difficult to resolve the phylogenetic relationships within the Delphinidae, especially for previous studies with limited data sets. The present study provides a statistically well-supported phylogenetic framework of Cetartiodactyla, which represents an important step toward ending some of the often-heated, century-long debate on their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuming Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
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25
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Vollmer NL, Viricel A, Wilcox L, Katherine Moore M, Rosel PE. The occurrence of mtDNA heteroplasmy in multiple cetacean species. Curr Genet 2011; 57:115-31. [DOI: 10.1007/s00294-010-0331-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2010] [Revised: 12/16/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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26
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The More the Merrier? A Large Cladistic Analysis of Mysticetes, and Comments on the Transition from Teeth to Baleen. J MAMM EVOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-010-9148-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Divergence date estimation and a comprehensive molecular tree of extant cetaceans. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2009; 53:891-906. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2009] [Revised: 08/04/2009] [Accepted: 08/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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28
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Dalebout ML, Steel D, Baker CS. Phylogeny of the Beaked Whale Genus Mesoplodon (Ziphiidae: Cetacea) Revealed by Nuclear Introns: Implications for the Evolution of Male Tusks. Syst Biol 2008; 57:857-75. [DOI: 10.1080/10635150802559257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Merel L. Dalebout
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University of New South Wales Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia; E-mail: (M.L.D.)
| | - Debbie Steel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA
| | - C. Scott Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA
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29
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Deméré TA, McGowen MR, Berta A, Gatesy J. Morphological and molecular evidence for a stepwise evolutionary transition from teeth to baleen in mysticete whales. Syst Biol 2008; 57:15-37. [PMID: 18266181 DOI: 10.1080/10635150701884632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of baleen in mysticete whales represents a major transition in the phylogenetic history of Cetacea. This key specialization, a keratinous sieve that enables filter-feeding, permitted exploitation of a new ecological niche and heralded the evolution of modern baleen-bearing whales, the largest animals on Earth. To date, all formally described mysticete fossils conform to two types: toothed species from Oligocene-age rocks ( approximately 24 to 34 million years old) and toothless species that presumably utilized baleen to feed (Recent to approximately 30 million years old). Here, we show that several Oligocene toothed mysticetes have nutrient foramina and associated sulci on the lateral portions of their palates, homologous structures in extant mysticetes house vessels that nourish baleen. The simultaneous occurrence of teeth and nutrient foramina implies that both teeth and baleen were present in these early mysticetes. Phylogenetic analyses of a supermatrix that includes extinct taxa and new data for 11 nuclear genes consistently resolve relationships at the base of Mysticeti. The combined data set of 27,340 characters supports a stepwise transition from a toothed ancestor, to a mosaic intermediate with both teeth and baleen, to modern baleen whales that lack an adult dentition but retain developmental and genetic evidence of their ancestral toothed heritage. Comparative sequence data for ENAM (enamelin) and AMBN (ameloblastin) indicate that enamel-specific loci are present in Mysticeti but have degraded to pseudogenes in this group. The dramatic transformation in mysticete feeding anatomy documents an apparently rare, stepwise mode of evolution in which a composite phenotype bridged the gap between primitive and derived morphologies; a combination of fossil and molecular evidence provides a multifaceted record of this macroevolutionary pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Deméré
- Department of Paleontology, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, California 92112, USA
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30
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Nishida S, Goto M, Pastene LA, Kanda N, Koike H. Phylogenetic relationships among cetaceans revealed by Y-chromosome sequences. Zoolog Sci 2008; 24:723-32. [PMID: 17824780 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.24.723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2006] [Accepted: 03/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Y chromosome has recently come into the spotlight as a new and efficient genetic marker for tracing paternal lineages. We reconstructed cetacean phylogeny using a 1.7-kbp fragment of the non-recombining Y chromosome (NRY), including the SRY gene and a flanking non-coding region. The topology of the Y-chromosome tree is robust to various methods of analysis and exhibits high branch-support values, possibly due to the absence of recombination, small effective population size, and low homoplasy. The Y-chromosome tree indicates monophyly of each suborder, Mysticeti and Odontoceti, with high branch support values (BS> or =86%; PP> or =98%). In the Odontoceti clade, three superfamilies, Physeteroidea, Ziphioidea, and Delphinoidea, diverged soon after the split between Mysticeti and Odontoceti. Our analysis allows resolution of this rapid radiation and indicates that Physeteroidea is basal in the Odontoceti clade (BS, 99%; PP, 100%; MBS, 61%). The major split within the superfamily Delphinoidea is between the Delphinidae clade and the Monodontidae+ Phocoenidae clade. The phylogenetic relationships among delphinid species are ambiguous, probably because of the rapid radiation of this family. In the Mysticeti clade, the first major split is between Balaenidae and Balaenopteridae; within Balaenopteridae, a Balaenoptera acutorostrata+B. bonaerensis (minke whales) clade forms a sister clade with the other balaenopterid species. Megaptera novaeangliae is nested within Balaenoptera, making the latter paraphyletic. The low homoplasy exhibited by the Y-chromosome data presented here suggests that an extended data set incorporating longer sequences would provide better resolution of cetacean lower-level pylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Nishida
- Department of Biodiversity, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
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31
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Sasaki T, Kartavtsev YP, Chiba SN, Uematsu T, Sviridov VV, Hanzawa N. Genetic divergence and phylogenetic independence of Far Eastern species in subfamily Leuciscinae (Pisces: Cyprinidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA analyses. Genes Genet Syst 2007; 82:329-40. [PMID: 17895584 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.82.329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Classification of freshwater fish in the subfamily Leuciscinae, Cyprinidae is hampered by complexity or lack of morphological diversity. In this study, analyses based on mtDNA sequences were undertaken to clarify phylogenetic relationships among Far Eastern, North American and European species in the Leuciscinae. Evolutionary rate in cytochrome b gene (Cyt-b) and D-loop sequences appear to be almost constant in Leuciscinae. The topology of phylogenetic trees generated by neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods based on Cyt-b gene and D-loop sequences was similar. Five major clades, designated clades 1-5, and a minor clade were discriminated. Most of the Far Eastern, North American and European species were included in the major clades. Clade 1, comprised almost entirely of Far Eastern phoxinins, is monophyletic and greatly diverged from the other species of Leuciscinae. From the present phylogenetic relationships and the previous studies, we present the following hypotheses with respect to the evolutionary history of the Far Eastern phoxinins. The Far Eastern species should be classified into Far Eastern-specific genera, although ichthyologists have still insisted that the species should be included in the European genera. The Far Eastern clade 1 consists of two subclades, including genera Pseudaspius-Tribolodon and Far Eastern Phoxinus species. According to our phylogenetic analyses, Pseudaspius leptocephalus and Tribolodon species should be reclassified into the same genus. On the basis of evolutionary rate in Cyt-b gene in Cyprinidae, it is estimated that the Far Eastern lineage diverged approximately 10-14 million years ago (mya) from the common ancestor of Leuciscinae. It is deduced that speciation of the Far Eastern species occurred until approximately 4 mya, in relation to the formation of the Sea of Japan and the Japanese Islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Sasaki
- Prediction and Knowledge Discovery Research Center, Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Minami-Azabu, Tokyo, Japan
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32
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Sasaki T, Yasukawa Y, Takahashi K, Miura S, Shedlock AM, Okada N. Extensive Morphological Convergence and Rapid Radiation in the Evolutionary History of the Family Geoemydidae (Old World Pond Turtles) Revealed by SINE Insertion Analysis. Syst Biol 2006; 55:912-27. [PMID: 17345673 DOI: 10.1080/10635150601058014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The family Geoemydidae is one of three in the superfamily Testudinoidea and is the most diversified family of extant turtle species. The phylogenetic relationships in this family and among related families have been vigorously investigated from both morphological and molecular viewpoints. The evolutionary history of Geoemydidae, however, remains controversial. Therefore, to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of Geoemydidae and related species, we applied the SINE insertion method to investigate 49 informative SINE loci in 28 species. We detected four major evolutionary lineages (Testudinidae, Batagur group, Siebenrockiella group, and Geoemyda group) in the clade Testuguria (a clade of Geoemydidae + Testudinidae). All five specimens of Testudinidae form a monophyletic clade. The Batagur group comprises five batagurines. The Siebenrockiella group has one species, Siebenrockiella crassicollis. The Geoemyda group comprises 15 geoemydines (including three former batagurines, Mauremys reevesii, Mauremys sinensis, and Heosemys annandalii). Among these four groups, the SINE insertion patterns were inconsistent at four loci, suggesting that an ancestral species of Testuguria radiated and rapidly diverged into the four lineages during the initial stage of its evolution. Furthermore, within the Geoemyda group we identified three evolutionary lineages, namely Mauremys, Cuora, and Heosemys. The Heosemys lineage comprises Heosemys, Sacalia, Notochelys, and Melanochelys species, and its monophyly is a novel assemblage in Geoemydidae. Our SINE phylogenetic tree demonstrates extensive convergent morphological evolution between the Batagur group and the three species of the Geoemyda group, M. reevesii, M. sinensis, and H. annandalii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Sasaki
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, National Institute for Basic Biology, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Japan
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Nikaido M, Piskurek O, Okada N. Toothed whale monophyly reassessed by SINE insertion analysis: the absence of lineage sorting effects suggests a small population of a common ancestral species. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2006; 43:216-24. [PMID: 17185004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2006] [Revised: 07/24/2006] [Accepted: 08/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Morphological data have indicated that toothed whales form a monophyletic group. However, research published in the last several years has made the issue of the monophyly or paraphyly of toothed whales a subject of debate. Our group previously characterized three independent loci in which SINE insertions were shared among dolphins and sperm whales, thus supporting the traditional, morphologically based hypothesis of toothed whale monophyly. Although in recent years a few additional molecular works proposed this topology, there is still skepticism over this monophyly from the view point of molecular systematics. When the phylogeny of rapidly radiated taxa is examined using the SINE method, it is important to consider the ascertainment bias that arises when choosing a particular taxon for SINE loci screening. To overcome this methodological problem specific to the SINE method, we examined all possible topologies among sperm whales, dolphins and baleen whales by extensively screening SINE loci from species of all three lineages. We characterized nine independent SINE loci from the genomes of sperm whales and dolphins, all of which cluster sperm whales and dolphins but exclude baleen whales. Furthermore, we characterized ten independent loci from baleen whales, all of which were amplified in a common ancestor of these whales. From these observations, we conclude that toothed whales form a monophyletic group and that no ancestral SINE polymorphisms hinder their phylogenetic assignment despite the short divergence times of the major lineages of extant whales during evolution. These results suggest that a small population of common ancestors of all toothed whales ultimately diverged into the lineages of sperm whales and dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Nikaido
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
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