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Wutke S, Blank SM, Boevé JL, Faircloth BC, Koch F, Linnen CR, Malm T, Niu G, Prous M, Schiff NM, Schmidt S, Taeger A, Vilhelmsen L, Wahlberg N, Wei M, Nyman T. Phylogenomics and biogeography of sawflies and woodwasps (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 199:108144. [PMID: 38972494 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Phylogenomic approaches have recently helped elucidate various insect relationships, but large-scale comprehensive analyses on relationships within sawflies and woodwasps are still lacking. Here, we infer the relationships and long-term biogeographic history of these hymenopteran groups using a large dataset of 354 UCE loci collected from 385 species that represent all major lineages. Early Hymenoptera started diversifying during the Early Triassic ∼249 Ma and spread all over the ancient supercontinent Pangaea. We recovered Xyeloidea as a monophyletic sister group to other Hymenoptera and Pamphilioidea as sister to Unicalcarida. Within the diverse family Tenthredinidae, our taxonomically and geographically expanded taxon sampling highlights the non-monophyly of several traditionally defined subfamilies. In addition, the recent removal of Athalia and related genera from the Tenthredinidae into the separate family Athaliidae is supported. The deep historical biogeography of the group is characterised by independent dispersals and re-colonisations between the northern (Laurasia) and southern (Gondwana) palaeocontinents. The breakup of these landmasses led to ancient vicariance in several Gondwanan lineages, while interchange across the Northern Hemisphere has continued until the Recent. The little-studied African sawfly fauna is likewise a diverse mixture of groups with varying routes of colonization. Our results reveal interesting parallels in the evolution and biogeography of early hymenopterans and other ancient insect groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Wutke
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland.
| | - Stephan M Blank
- Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Boevé
- OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brant C Faircloth
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Frank Koch
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Tobias Malm
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gengyun Niu
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Marko Prous
- Museum of Natural History, University of Tartu, Estonia
| | - Nathan M Schiff
- Formerly with the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, Stoneville, MS, USA
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- SNSB-Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Taeger
- Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Lars Vilhelmsen
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Meicai Wei
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Tommi Nyman
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanvik, Norway
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2
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Ceccarelli FS, Sankey Alamilla LRA. Coastal dunes as drivers of genetic differentiation in the honeypot ant Myrmecocystus baja (Formicidae: Formicinae). THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:39. [PMID: 39008082 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01925-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Coastal dunes are unique habitats, threatened by human activities. In biogeographical terms, coastal dunes are habitat islands, being discrete and distinct patches of similar habitat among themselves, separated from each other by a different type of habitat. Furthermore, coastal dunes harbor endemic species, adapted to living solely in the habitats found on specific dune systems. For example, the honeypot ant Myrmecocystus baja is endemic and restricted to coastal dunes of Mexico's Baja California Pacific coast. This ecological and biogeographical scenario led to the questions whether their geographical isolation is reflected in their genetic diversity and structuring, and how their demographic history is related with the formation of the dune system habitats. To answer these questions, population genetic, isolation-with-migration, and phylogeographical analyses were carried out, based on mitochondrial and five nuclear intronic markers. Minimal gene flow was detected only between two of the dune systems sampled; otherwise, the M. baja populations were found to be isolated and genetically structured, and their divergence generally pre-dated the modern-day dune systems. It is therefore highly likely that these ants were already present in paleodunes and that each of the populations was established from founder populations as the dunes formed. These findings highlight the importance of coastal dunes for species such as the honeypot ant from Baja California, in promoting genetic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Sara Ceccarelli
- Departamento de Biología de La Conservación, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C, México.
| | - Le Roy A Sankey Alamilla
- Departamento de Biología de La Conservación, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C, México
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Lecocq de Pletincx N, Cerdà X, Kiran K, Karaman C, Taheri A, Aron S. Ecological diversification preceded geographical expansion during the evolutionary radiation of Cataglyphis desert ants. iScience 2024; 27:109852. [PMID: 38779477 PMCID: PMC11109030 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological diversity often arises as organisms adapt to new ecological conditions (i.e., ecological opportunities) or colonize suitable areas (i.e., spatial opportunities). Cases of geographical expansion followed by local ecological divergence are well described; they result in clades comprising ecologically heterogeneous subclades. Here, we show that the desert ant genus Cataglyphis likely originated in open grassland habitats in the Middle East ∼18 million years ago and became a taxon of diverse species specializing in prey of different masses. The genus then colonized the Mediterranean Basin around 9 million years ago. The result was the rapid accumulation of species, and the appearance of local assemblages containing species from different lineages that still displayed ancestral foraging specialties. These findings highlight that, in Cataglyphis, ecological diversification preceded geographical expansion, resulting in a clade composed of ecologically homogeneous subclades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Lecocq de Pletincx
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 160/12, av. FD Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xim Cerdà
- Department of Ethology and Biodiversity Conservation, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Kadri Kiran
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Trakya University, Edirne 22030, Türkiye
| | - Celal Karaman
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Trakya University, Edirne 22030, Türkiye
| | - Ahmed Taheri
- Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Ecology and Ecosystem Valorization, Faculty of Sciences of El Jadida, University Chouaïb Doukkali, El Jadida, Morocco
| | - Serge Aron
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 160/12, av. FD Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Winn JC, Maduna SN, Bester-van der Merwe AE. A comprehensive phylogenomic study unveils evolutionary patterns and challenges in the mitochondrial genomes of Carcharhiniformes: A focus on Triakidae. Genomics 2024; 116:110771. [PMID: 38147941 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
The complex evolutionary patterns in the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the most species-rich shark order, the Carcharhiniformes (ground sharks) has led to challenges in the phylogenomic reconstruction of the families and genera belonging to the order, particularly the family Triakidae (houndsharks). The current state of Triakidae phylogeny remains controversial, with arguments for both monophyly and paraphyly within the family. We hypothesize that this variability is triggered by the selection of different a priori partitioning schemes to account for site and gene heterogeneity within the mitogenome. Here we used an extensive statistical framework to select the a priori partitioning scheme for inference of the mitochondrial phylogenomic relationships within Carcharhiniformes, tested site heterogeneous CAT + GTR + G4 models and incorporated the multi-species coalescent model (MSCM) into our analyses to account for the influence of gene tree discordance on species tree inference. We included five newly assembled houndshark mitogenomes to increase resolution of Triakidae. During the assembly procedure, we uncovered a 714 bp-duplication in the mitogenome of Galeorhinus galeus. Phylogenetic reconstruction confirmed monophyly within Triakidae and the existence of two distinct clades of the expanded Mustelus genus. The latter alludes to potential evolutionary reversal of reproductive mode from placental to aplacental, suggesting that reproductive mode has played a role in the trajectory of adaptive divergence. These new sequences have the potential to contribute to population genomic investigations, species phylogeography delineation, environmental DNA metabarcoding databases and, ultimately, improved conservation strategies for these ecologically and economically important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Winn
- Molecular Breeding and Biodiversity Group, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape 7602, South Africa
| | - Simo N Maduna
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region, Svanhovd Research Station, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 9925 Svanvik, Norway
| | - Aletta E Bester-van der Merwe
- Molecular Breeding and Biodiversity Group, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape 7602, South Africa.
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Wang WY, Yamada A. Scrutinising an inscrutable bark-nesting ant: Exploring cryptic diversity in the Rhopalomastix javana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) complex using DNA barcodes, genome-wide MIG-seq and geometric morphometrics. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16416. [PMID: 38025712 PMCID: PMC10657568 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Overlooking cryptic species diversity has grave implications on assessments of climate change impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems and organismal populations. Discriminating between cryptic species has long been challenging even for seasoned taxonomists, as interspecies morphological differences are often indiscernible by visual observation. Multi-disciplinary methods involving genetic analyses in conjunction with quantitative morphological data, should therefore be used to investigate boundaries between cryptic species. We adopted an integrated approach combining analyses of mitochondrial COI barcodes, a genome-wide dataset obtained via multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq), and geometric morphometrics to investigate species divergences in the inscrutable Rhopalomastix javana species complex. Objective clustering of COI suggested five putative molecular species units divergent from each other by thresholds within 4.2-10.6% uncorrected pairwise distance. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated MIG-seq data also recovered and strongly supported the monophyly of five major lineages in agreement with COI clusters. Co-ancestry analyses based on MIG-seq data using fineRADstructure resolved variable patterns of admixture linked to geography, and potential genetic drift within some putative species. Geometric morphometric analyses of specimen images further detected statistically significant differences in at least one of three anatomical aspects (Head, Meso, Profile) between all pairs of putative species. Head shape (full-face view) was determined to be the most informative character for species diagnosis, with relatively high classification accuracy. Thin-plate spline deformation grids highlighted areas of high variation between species in each shape for deeper taxonomic scrutiny. The presence of species from multiple distinct lineages existing in near-sympatry firmly demonstrates that R. javana comprises more than one closely-related species, but exact species boundaries are difficult to ascertain. Differences in elevation and its associated abiotic effects on ant adaptations and reproductive phenology may contribute to restricting gene flow and maintaining species boundaries between sympatric populations of the R. javana complex. We further assess the advantages and limitations of geometric morphometrics as a taxonomic tool. Despite its drawbacks, our combined approach has helped draw important insights on cryptic diversity in R. javana, and also identified gaps of knowledge that await address. Results from this study will inform and prime future in-depth taxonomic investigation on the R. javana complex, including formal descriptions and establishment of the five putative species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Y. Wang
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aiki Yamada
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
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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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Lizano AM, Smolina I, Choquet M, Kopp M, Hoarau G. Insights into the species evolution of Calanus copepods in the northern seas revealed by de novo transcriptome sequencing. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8606. [PMID: 35228861 PMCID: PMC8861592 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Copepods of the zooplankton genus Calanus play a key role in marine ecosystems in the northern seas. Although being among the most studied organisms on Earth, due to their ecological importance, genomic resources for Calanus spp. remain scarce, mostly due to their large genome size (from 6 to 12 Gbps). As an alternative to whole-genome sequencing in Calanus spp., we sequenced and de novo assembled transcriptomes of five Calanus species: Calanus glacialis, C. hyperboreus, C. marshallae, C. pacificus, and C. helgolandicus. Functional assignment of protein families based on clusters of orthologous genes (COG) and gene ontology (GO) annotations showed analogous patterns of protein functions across species. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood (ML) of 191 protein-coding genes mined from RNA-seq data fully resolved evolutionary relationships among seven Calanus species investigated (five species sequenced for this study and two species with published datasets), with gene and site concordance factors showing that 109 out of 191 protein-coding genes support a separation between three groups: the C. finmarchicus group (including C. finmarchicus, C. glacialis, and C. marshallae), the C. helgolandicus group (including C. helgolandicus, C. sinicus, and C. pacificus) and the monophyletic C. hyperboreus group. The tree topology obtained in ML analyses was similar to a previously proposed phylogeny based on morphological criteria and cleared certain ambiguities from past studies on evolutionary relationships among Calanus species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina Smolina
- Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversityBodøNorway
| | - Marvin Choquet
- Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversityBodøNorway
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Martina Kopp
- Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversityBodøNorway
| | - Galice Hoarau
- Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversityBodøNorway
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