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Mera-Rodríguez D, Jourdan H, Ward PS, Shattuck S, Cover SP, Wilson EO, Rabeling C. Biogeography and evolution of social parasitism in Australian Myrmecia bulldog ants revealed by phylogenomics. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023:107825. [PMID: 37244505 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions from eusocial colony life to social parasitism contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms generating biodiversity in eusocial insects. The ants in the genus Myrmecia are a well-suited system for testing evolutionary hypotheses about how their species diversity was assembled through time because the genus is endemic to Australia with the single exception of the species M. apicalis inhabiting the Pacific Island of New Caledonia, and because at least one social parasite species exists in the genus. However, the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis and the life history transition(s) to social parasitism remain unexplored. To study the biogeographic origin of the isolated, oceanic species M. apicalis and to reveal the origin and evolution of social parasitism in the genus, we reconstructed a comprehensive phylogeny of the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae. We utilized Ultra Conserved Elements (UCEs) as molecular markers to generate a comprehensive molecular genetic dataset consisting of 2,287 loci per taxon on average for 66 out of the 93 known Myrmecia species as well as for the sister lineage Nothomyrmecia macrops and selected outgroups. Our time-calibrated phylogeny inferred that: (i) stem Myrmeciinae originated during the Paleocene ∼58 Ma ago; (ii) the current disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis was driven by long-distance dispersal from Australia to New Caledonia during the Miocene ∼14 Ma ago; (iii) the single social parasite species, M. inquilina, evolved directly from one of the two known host species, M. nigriceps, in sympatry via the intraspecific route of social parasite evolution; and (iv) 5 of the 9 previously established taxonomic species groups are non-monophyletic. We suggest minor changes to reconcile the molecular phylogenetic results with the taxonomic classification. Our study enhances our understanding of the evolution and biogeography of Australian bulldog ants, contributes to our knowledge about the evolution of social parasitism in ants, and provides a solid phylogenetic foundation for future inquiries into the biology, taxonomy, and classification of Myrmeciinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Mera-Rodríguez
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim. Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany; KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Hervé Jourdan
- Institute of Research for Development. Promenade Roger Laroque, Nouméa 98848, New Caledonia
| | - Philip S Ward
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Steven Shattuck
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Stefan P Cover
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Edward O Wilson
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Christian Rabeling
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim. Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany; KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany; Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America.
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2
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Viacava P, Baker AM, Blomberg SP, Phillips MJ, Weisbecker V. Using 3D geometric morphometrics to aid taxonomic and ecological understanding of a recent speciation event within a small Australian marsupial (Antechinus: Dasyuridae). Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Taxonomic distinction of species forms the foundation of biodiversity assessments and conservation priorities. However, traditional morphological and/or genetics-based taxonomic assessments frequently miss the opportunity of elaborating on the ecological and functional context of species diversification. Here, we used 3D geometric morphometrics of the cranium to improve taxonomic differentiation and add ecomorphological characterization of a young cryptic divergence within the carnivorous marsupial genus Antechinus. Specifically, we used 168 museum specimens to characterize the recently proposed clades A. stuartii ‘south’, A. stuartii ‘north’ and A. subtropicus. Beyond slight differences attributable to overall size (and, therefore, not necessarily diagnostic), we also found clear allometry-independent shape variation. This allowed us to define new, easily measured diagnostic traits in the palate, which differentiate the three clades. Contrary to previous suggestions, we found no support for a latitudinal gradient as causing the differentiation between the clades. However, skull shape co-varied with temperature and precipitation seasonality, suggesting that the clades may be adapted to environmental variables that are likely to be impacted by climate change. Our study demonstrates the use of 3D geometric morphometrics to improve taxonomic diagnosis of cryptic mammalian species, while providing perspectives on the adaptive origins and potential future threats of mammalian diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Viacava
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew M Baker
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Natural Environments Program, Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Simone P Blomberg
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matthew J Phillips
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vera Weisbecker
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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3
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Burchill AT. Long-term, active suspension of larvae by adult Leptomyrmex ants. Ecology 2020; 102:e03267. [PMID: 33332597 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Burchill
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-4501, USA
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4
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Prebus M. Insights into the evolution, biogeography and natural history of the acorn ants, genus Temnothorax Mayr (hymenoptera: Formicidae). BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:250. [PMID: 29237395 PMCID: PMC5729518 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1095-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temnothorax (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) is a diverse genus of ants found in a broad spectrum of ecosystems across the northern hemisphere. These diminutive ants have long served as models for social insect behavior, leading to discoveries about social learning and inspiring hypotheses about the process of speciation and the evolution of social parasitism. This genus is highly morphologically and behaviorally diverse, and this has caused a great deal of taxonomic confusion in recent years. Past efforts to estimate the phylogeny of this genus have been limited in taxonomic scope, leaving the broader evolutionary patterns in Temnothorax unclear. To establish the monophyly of Temnothorax, resolve the evolutionary relationships, reconstruct the historical biogeography and investigate trends in the evolution of key traits, I generated, assembled, and analyzed two molecular datasets: a traditional multi-locus Sanger sequencing dataset, and an ultra-conserved element (UCE) dataset. Using maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and summary-coalescent based approaches, I analyzed 22 data subsets consisting of 103 ingroup taxa and a maximum of 1.8 million base pairs in 2485 loci. RESULTS The results of this study suggest an origin of Temnothorax at the Eocene-Oligocene transition, concerted transitions to arboreal nesting habits in several clades during the Oligocene, coinciding with ancient global cooling, and several convergent origins of social parasitism in the Miocene and Pliocene. As with other Holarctic taxa, Temnothorax has a history of migration across Beringia during the Miocene. CONCLUSIONS Temnothorax is corroborated as a natural group, and the notion that many of the historical subgeneric and species group concepts are artificial is reinforced. The strict form of Emery's Rule, in which a socially parasitic species is sister to its host species, is not well supported in Temnothorax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Prebus
- Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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Nattier R, Pellens R, Robillard T, Jourdan H, Legendre F, Caesar M, Nel A, Grandcolas P. Updating the Phylogenetic Dating of New Caledonian Biodiversity with a Meta-analysis of the Available Evidence. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3705. [PMID: 28623347 PMCID: PMC5473893 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02964-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
For a long time, New Caledonia was considered a continental island, a fragment of Gondwana harbouring old clades that originated by vicariance and so were thought to be locally ancient. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies dating diversification and geological data indicating important events of submergence during the Paleocene and Eocene (until 37 Ma) brought evidence to dismiss this old hypothesis. In spite of this, some authors still insist on the idea of a local permanence of a Gondwanan biota, justifying this assumption through a complex scenario of survival by hopping to and from nearby and now-vanished islands. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, we found 40 studies dating regional clades of diverse organisms and we used them to test the hypothesis that New Caledonian and inclusive Pacific island clades are older than 37 Ma. The results of this meta-analysis provide strong evidence for refuting the hypothesis of a Gondwanan refuge with a biota that originated by vicariance. Only a few inclusive Pacific clades (6 out of 40) were older than the oldest existing island. We suggest that these clades could have extinct members either on vanished islands or nearby continents, emphasizing the role of dispersal and extinction in shaping the present-day biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Nattier
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Roseli Pellens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Tony Robillard
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Jourdan
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Univ., Univ. Avignon, CNRS, IRD, Centre IRD Nouméa, BP A5, 98848, Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Frédéric Legendre
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Maram Caesar
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - André Nel
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Grandcolas
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
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6
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Edwards RD, Crisp MD, Cook DH, Cook LG. Congruent biogeographical disjunctions at a continent-wide scale: Quantifying and clarifying the role of biogeographic barriers in the Australian tropics. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174812. [PMID: 28376094 PMCID: PMC5380322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To test whether novel and previously hypothesized biogeogaphic barriers in the Australian Tropics represent significant disjunction points or hard barriers, or both, to the distribution of plants. LOCATION Australian tropics: Australian Monsoon Tropics and Australian Wet Tropics. METHODS The presence or absence of 6,861 plant species was scored across 13 putative biogeographic barriers in the Australian Tropics, including two that have not previously been recognised. Randomizations of these data were used to test whether more species showed disjunctions (gaps in distribution) or likely barriers (range limits) at these points than expected by chance. RESULTS Two novel disjunctions in the Australian Tropics flora are identified in addition to eleven putative barriers previously recognized for animals. Of these, eleven disjunction points (all within the Australian Monsoon Tropics) were found to correspond to range-ending barriers to a significant number of species, while neither of the two disjunctions found within the Australian Wet Tropics limited a significant number of species' ranges. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Biogeographic barriers present significant distributional limits to native plant species in the Australian Monsoon Tropics but not in the Australian Wet Tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael D Crisp
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Dianne H Cook
- Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lyn G Cook
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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7
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Rix MG, Cooper SJ, Meusemann K, Klopfstein S, Harrison SE, Harvey MS, Austin AD. Post-Eocene climate change across continental Australia and the diversification of Australasian spiny trapdoor spiders (Idiopidae: Arbanitinae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 109:302-320. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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8
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Barden P, Boudinot B, Lucky A. Where Fossils Dare and Males Matter: combined morphological and molecular analysis untangles the evolutionary history of the spider ant genus Leptomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera : Dolichoderinae). INVERTEBR SYST 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/is16067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The distinctive ant genus Leptomyrmex Mayr, 1862 had been thought to be endemic to Australasia for over 150 years, but enigmatic Neotropical fossils have challenged this view for decades. The present study responds to a recent and surprising discovery of extant Leptomyrmex species in Brazil with a thorough evaluation of the Dominican Republic fossil material, which dates to the Miocene. In the first case study of direct fossil inclusion within Formicidae Latreille, 1809, we incorporated both living and the extinct Leptomyrmex species. Through simultaneous analysis of molecular and morphological characters in both Bayesian and parsimony frameworks, we recovered the fossil taxon as sister-group to extant Leptomyrmex in Brazil while considering the influence of taxonomic and character sampling on inferred hypotheses relating to tree topology, biogeography and morphological evolution. We also identified potential loss of signal in the binning of morphological characters and tested the impact of parameterisation on divergence date estimation. Our results highlight the importance of securing sufficient taxon sampling for extant lineages when incorporating fossils and underscore the utility of diverse character sources in accurate placement of fossil terminals. Specifically, we find that fossil placement in this group is influenced by the inclusion of male-based characters and the newly discovered Neotropical ‘Lazarus taxon’.
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9
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Genomic Mining of Phylogenetically Informative Nuclear Markers in Bark and Ambrosia Beetles. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163529. [PMID: 27668729 PMCID: PMC5036811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep level insect relationships are generally difficult to resolve, especially within taxa of the most diverse and species rich holometabolous orders. In beetles, the major diversity occurs in the Phytophaga, including charismatic groups such as leaf beetles, longhorn beetles and weevils. Bark and ambrosia beetles are wood boring weevils that contribute 12 percent of the diversity encountered in Curculionidae, one of the largest families of beetles with more than 50000 described species. Phylogenetic resolution in groups of Cretaceous age has proven particularly difficult and requires large quantity of data. In this study, we investigated 100 nuclear genes in order to select a number of markers with low evolutionary rates and high phylogenetic signal. A PCR screening using degenerate primers was applied to 26 different weevil species. We obtained sequences from 57 of the 100 targeted genes. Sequences from each nuclear marker were aligned and examined for detecting multiple copies, pseudogenes and introns. Phylogenetic informativeness (PI) and the capacity for reconstruction of previously established phylogenetic relationships were used as proxies for selecting a subset of the 57 amplified genes. Finally, we selected 16 markers suitable for large-scale phylogenetics of Scolytinae and related weevil taxa.
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10
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Bryant LM, Krosch MN. Lines in the land: a review of evidence for eastern Australia's major biogeographical barriers to closed forest taxa. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Litticia M. Bryant
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences; Queensland University of Technology; Brisbane Qld 4000 Australia
| | - Matt N. Krosch
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences; Queensland University of Technology; Brisbane Qld 4000 Australia
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11
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Berman M, Austin CM, Burridge CP, Miller AD. Social structure and landscape genetics of the endemic New Caledonian ant Leptomyrmex pallens Emery, 1883 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae), in the context of fire-induced rainforest fragmentation. CONSERV GENET 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-016-0833-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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12
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DeMarco BB, Cognato AI. A multiple‐gene phylogeny reveals polyphyly among eastern North American
Aphaenogaster
species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). ZOOL SCR 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernice B. DeMarco
- Department of Entomology Michigan State University 288 Farm Lane, room 243 East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - Anthony I. Cognato
- Department of Entomology Michigan State University 288 Farm Lane, room 243 East Lansing MI 48824 USA
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13
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Nettel-Hernanz A, Lachaud JP, Fresneau D, López-Muñoz RA, Poteaux C. Biogeography, cryptic diversity, and queen dimorphism evolution of the Neotropical ant genus Ectatomma Smith, 1958 (Formicidae, Ectatomminae). ORG DIVERS EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-015-0215-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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14
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Paknia O, Bergmann T, Hadrys H. Some ‘ant’swers: Application of a layered barcode approach to problems in ant taxonomy. Mol Ecol Resour 2015; 15:1262-74. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Omid Paknia
- Institut für Tierökologie und Zellbiologie; Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover; Hannover Germany
| | - Tjard Bergmann
- Institut für Tierökologie und Zellbiologie; Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover; Hannover Germany
| | - Heike Hadrys
- Institut für Tierökologie und Zellbiologie; Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover; Hannover Germany
- EEB; Yale University; New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics; American Museum of Natural History; New York New York 10024 USA
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15
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Toussaint EF, Condamine FL, Hawlitschek O, Watts CH, Porch N, Hendrich L, Balke M. Unveiling the Diversification Dynamics of Australasian Predaceous Diving Beetles in the Cenozoic. Syst Biol 2014; 64:3-24. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syu067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel F.A. Toussaint
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Fabien L. Condamine
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Oliver Hawlitschek
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Chris H. Watts
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Nick Porch
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Hendrich
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Balke
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; 2CNRS, UMR 7641 Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (Ecole Polytechnique), Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; 4Centre for Integrated Ecology & School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; and 5GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
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16
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Blaimer BB, Fisher BL. How much variation can one ant species hold? Species delimitation in the Crematogaster kelleri-group in Madagascar. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68082. [PMID: 23874503 PMCID: PMC3706601 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the species-level taxonomy of the Malagasy Crematogaster (Crematogaster) kelleri-group and an additional more distantly related species of the same subgenus. Morphological data from worker, queen and male ants, as well as genetic data from three nuclear genes (long wavelength rhodopsin, arginine kinase and carbomoylphosphate synthase) and one mitochondrial marker (cytochrome oxidase I) led to the recognition of six species. Within the C. kelleri-group, three new species are described: C. hazolava Blaimer sp. n., C. hafahafa Blaimer sp. n. and C. tavaratra Blaimer sp. n. The previously described taxa C. kelleri Forel and C. madagascariensis André are validated by our analysis. Conversely, our data suggests synonymy of C. adrepens Forel (with C. kelleri) and C. gibba Emery (with C. madagascariensis). A more distantly related and phylogenetically isolated species, C. tsisitsilo Blaimer sp. n., is further described. We report high levels of morphological and molecular variation in C. kelleri and illustrate that this variation can be explained partly by geography. Species descriptions, images, distribution maps and identification keys based on worker ants, as well as on queen and male ants where available, are presented for all six species. Our work highlights the elevated species richness of Crematogaster ants throughout Madagascar's humid forests, especially in the far northern tip of the island, and the need to use multiple data sources to ensure clear demarcation of this diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie B Blaimer
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America.
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Abstract
The dominance of ants in the terrestrial biosphere has few equals among animals today, but this was not always the case. The oldest ants appear in the fossil record 100 million years ago, but given the scarcity of their fossils, it is presumed they were relatively minor components of Mesozoic insect life. The ant fossil record consists of two primary types of fossils, each with inherent biases: as imprints in rock and as inclusions in fossilized resins (amber). New imaging technology allows ancient ant fossils to be examined in ways never before possible. This is particularly helpful because it can be difficult to distinguish true ants from non-ants in Mesozoic fossils. Fossil discoveries continue to inform our understanding of ancient ant morphological diversity, as well as provide insights into their paleobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S LaPolla
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland 21252, USA
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Blaimer BB. Taxonomy and species-groups of the subgenus Crematogaster ( Orthocrema) in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zookeys 2012:23-70. [PMID: 22711995 PMCID: PMC3368281 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.199.2631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The species-level taxonomy of the subgenus Crematogaster (Orthocrema) in the Malagasy region is evaluated with both morphological data from worker and queen ants, and genetic data from three nuclear markers (long wavelength rhodopsin, arginine kinase and carbamoylphosphate synthase). These two types of data support the existence of six Orthocrema species: Crematogaster madecassa Emery, Crematogaster rasoherinae Forel, Crematogaster telolafysp. n., Crematogaster razanasp. n., Crematogaster volamenasp. n. and Crematogaster mpanjonosp. n.. Two new synonyms of Crematogaster rasoherinae Forel are recognized, Crematogaster rasoherinae brunneola Emery, syn.n. and Crematogaster voeltzkowi Forel, syn. n., as these were not supported as distinct taxa by the data. A neotype is designated for Crematogaster rasoherinae; lectotypes are designated for Crematogaster madecassa, Crematogaster rasoherinae brunneola and Crematogaster voeltzkowi. Species descriptions, images, distribution maps and identification keys based on worker and queen ants are given for all six species. A diagnosis of the subgenus Orthocrema in the Malagasy region is presented for both workers and queens. Within the Malagasy Orthocrema, three distinct phylogenetic lineages are suggested by molecular and morphological data. Newly defined monophyletic species-groups are thus the Crematogaster madecassa-group (Crematogaster madecassa, Crematogaster telolafy and Crematogaster razana) and the Crematogaster volamena-group (Crematogaster volamena and Crematogaster mpanjono); Crematogaster rasoherinae represents an isolated lineage in the Malagasy region and its closest relatives remain unclear. Other interesting biological findings are the presence of an intermediate caste between workers and queens in Crematogaster rasoherinae and Crematogaster madecassa, and unusually large workers in Crematogaster volamena resembling a major caste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie B Blaimer
- Department of Entomology, University of California-Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Rix MG, Harvey MS. Phylogeny and historical biogeography of ancient assassin spiders (Araneae: Archaeidae) in the Australian mesic zone: Evidence for Miocene speciation within Tertiary refugia. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2012; 62:375-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2011] [Revised: 10/11/2011] [Accepted: 10/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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