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Gómez RO, Lois-Milevicich J. Comparative osteology of the skull of cowbirds (Icteridae: Molothrus). J Morphol 2024; 285:e21752. [PMID: 39016160 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21752] [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: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Detailed osteological descriptions of the craniomandibular complex of passerine birds are lacking for most species, limiting our understanding of their diversity and evolution. Cowbirds (genus Molothrus) are a small but widespread group of New World nine-primaried songbirds, well-known for their unique brooding parasitic behavior. However, detailed osteological data for cowbirds and other Icteridae are currently scarce and several features of their skulls remain undescribed or poorly known. To address this issue, a detailed comparative osteology of cowbird skulls is presented here for the first time based on data from x-ray microcomputed tomography, dry skeletal data, and multivariate analyses of linear morphometric data. Cowbird skulls offer some functional insights, with many finch-like features probably related to a seed-rich diet that distinguishes them from most other icterids. In addition, features previously overlooked in earlier studies might provide valuable phylogenetic information at different levels of passerine phylogeny (Passerida, Emberizoidea, Icteridae, and Agelaiinae), including some of the otic region and nasal septum. Comparisons among cowbirds show that there is substantial cranial variation within the genus, with M. oryzivorus being the most divergent cowbird species. Within the genus, distantly related species share similar overall skull morphology and proportions, but detailed osteological data allow species identification even in cases of strong convergence. Further efforts are warranted to furnish baseline data for future studies of this iconic group of Neotropical birds and to fully integrate it into phylogenetic comparative frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl O Gómez
- CONICET-Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jimena Lois-Milevicich
- CONICET-Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución (IEGEBA-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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2
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Schield DR, Brown CE, Shakya SB, Calabrese GM, Safran RJ, Sheldon FH. Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the swallow family (Hirundinidae) inferred from comparisons of thousands of UCE loci. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 197:108111. [PMID: 38801965 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108111] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Swallows (Hirundinidae) are a globally distributed family of passerine birds that exhibit remarkable similarity in body shape but tremendous variation in plumage, sociality, nesting behavior, and migratory strategies. As a result, swallow species have become models for empirical behavioral ecology and evolutionary studies, and variation across the Hirundinidae presents an excellent opportunity for comparative analyses of trait evolution. Exploiting this potential requires a comprehensive and well-resolved phylogenetic tree of the family. To address this need, we estimated swallow phylogeny using genetic data from thousands of ultraconserved element (UCE) loci sampled from nearly all recognized swallow species. Maximum likelihood, coalescent-based, and Bayesian approaches yielded a well-resolved phylogenetic tree to the generic level, with minor disagreement among inferences at the species level, which likely reflect ongoing population genetic processes. The UCE data were particularly useful in helping to resolve deep nodes, which previously confounded phylogenetic reconstruction efforts. Divergence time estimates from the improved swallow tree support a Miocene origin of the family, roughly 13 million years ago, with subsequent diversification of major groups in the late Miocene and Pliocene. Our estimates of historical biogeography support the hypothesis that swallows originated in the Afrotropics and have subsequently expanded across the globe, with major in situ diversification in Africa and a secondary major radiation following colonization of the Neotropics. Initial examination of nesting and sociality indicates that the origin of mud nesting - a relatively rare nest construction phenotype in birds - was a major innovation coincident with the origin of a clade giving rise to over 40% of extant swallow diversity. In contrast, transitions between social and solitary nesting appear less important for explaining patterns of diversification among swallows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Clare E Brown
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Subir B Shakya
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gina M Calabrese
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Frederick H Sheldon
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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3
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Sánchez Reyes LL, McTavish EJ, O’Meara B. DateLife: Leveraging Databases and Analytical Tools to Reveal the Dated Tree of Life. Syst Biol 2024; 73:470-485. [PMID: 38507308 PMCID: PMC11282365 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syae015] [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: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronograms-phylogenies with branch lengths proportional to time-represent key data on timing of evolutionary events, allowing us to study natural processes in many areas of biological research. Chronograms also provide valuable information that can be used for education, science communication, and conservation policy decisions. Yet, achieving a high-quality reconstruction of a chronogram is a difficult and resource-consuming task. Here we present DateLife, a phylogenetic software implemented as an R package and an R Shiny web application available at www.datelife.org, that provides services for efficient and easy discovery, summary, reuse, and reanalysis of node age data mined from a curated database of expert, peer-reviewed, and openly available chronograms. The main DateLife workflow starts with one or more scientific taxon names provided by a user. Names are processed and standardized to a unified taxonomy, allowing DateLife to run a name match across its local chronogram database that is curated from Open Tree of Life's phylogenetic repository, and extract all chronograms that contain at least two queried taxon names, along with their metadata. Finally, node ages from matching chronograms are mapped using the congruification algorithm to corresponding nodes on a tree topology, either extracted from Open Tree of Life's synthetic phylogeny or one provided by the user. Congruified node ages are used as secondary calibrations to date the chosen topology, with or without initial branch lengths, using different phylogenetic dating methods such as BLADJ, treePL, PATHd8, and MrBayes. We performed a cross-validation test to compare node ages resulting from a DateLife analysis (i.e, phylogenetic dating using secondary calibrations) to those from the original chronograms (i.e, obtained with primary calibrations), and found that DateLife's node age estimates are consistent with the age estimates from the original chronograms, with the largest variation in ages occurring around topologically deeper nodes. Because the results from any software for scientific analysis can only be as good as the data used as input, we highlight the importance of considering the results of a DateLife analysis in the context of the input chronograms. DateLife can help to increase awareness of the existing disparities among alternative hypotheses of dates for the same diversification events, and to support exploration of the effect of alternative chronogram hypotheses on downstream analyses, providing a framework for a more informed interpretation of evolutionary results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luna L Sánchez Reyes
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 446 Hesler Biology Building, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Emily Jane McTavish
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Brian O’Meara
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 446 Hesler Biology Building, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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4
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Nicolaï MPJ, Van Hecke B, Rogalla S, Debruyn G, Bowie RCK, Matzke NJ, Hackett SJ, D'Alba L, Shawkey MD. The Evolution of Multiple Color Mechanisms Is Correlated with Diversification in Sunbirds (Nectariniidae). Syst Biol 2024; 73:343-354. [PMID: 38289860 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syae006] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
How and why certain groups become speciose is a key question in evolutionary biology. Novel traits that enable diversification by opening new ecological niches are likely important mechanisms. However, ornamental traits can also promote diversification by opening up novel sensory niches and thereby creating novel inter-specific interactions. More specifically, ornamental colors may enable more precise and/or easier species recognition and may act as key innovations by increasing the number of species-specific patterns and promoting diversification. While the influence of coloration on diversification is well-studied, the influence of the mechanisms that produce those colors (e.g., pigmentary, nanostructural) is less so, even though the ontogeny and evolution of these mechanisms differ. We estimated a new phylogenetic tree for 121 sunbird species and combined color data of 106 species with a range of phylogenetic tools to test the hypothesis that the evolution of novel color mechanisms increases diversification in sunbirds, one of the most colorful bird clades. Results suggest that: (1) the evolution of novel color mechanisms expands the visual sensory niche, increasing the number of achievable colors, (2) structural coloration diverges more readily across the body than pigment-based coloration, enabling an increase in color complexity, (3) novel color mechanisms might minimize trade-offs between natural and sexual selection such that color can function both as camouflage and conspicuous signal, and (4) despite structural colors being more colorful and mobile, only melanin-based coloration is positively correlated with net diversification. Together, these findings explain why color distances increase with an increasing number of sympatric species, even though packing of color space predicts otherwise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël P J Nicolaï
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bert Van Hecke
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Svana Rogalla
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), Barrio Sarriena, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Gerben Debruyn
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rauri C K Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nicholas J Matzke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Shannon J Hackett
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Sigeman H, Downing PA, Zhang H, Hansson B. The rate of W chromosome degeneration across multiple avian neo-sex chromosomes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16548. [PMID: 39020011 PMCID: PMC11255319 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66470-7] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
When sex chromosomes evolve recombination suppression, the sex-limited chromosome (Y/W) commonly degenerate by losing functional genes. The rate of Y/W degeneration is believed to slow down over time as the most essential genes are maintained by purifying selection, but supporting data are scarce especially for ZW systems. Here, we study W degeneration in Sylvioidea songbirds where multiple autosomal translocations to the sex chromosomes, and multiple recombination suppression events causing separate evolutionary strata, have occurred during the last ~ 28.1-4.5 million years (Myr). We show that the translocated regions have maintained 68.3-97.7% of their original gene content, compared to only 4.2% on the much older ancestral W chromosome. By mapping W gene losses onto a dated phylogeny, we estimate an average gene loss rate of 1.0% per Myr, with only moderate variation between four independent lineages. Consistent with previous studies, evolutionarily constrained and haploinsufficient genes were preferentially maintained on W. However, the gene loss rate did not show any consistent association with strata age or with the number of W genes at strata formation. Our study provides a unique account on the pace of W gene loss and reinforces the significance of purifying selection in maintaining essential genes on sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Sigeman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Philip A Downing
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Hongkai Zhang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
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6
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Jiang C, Kang H, Zhou Y, Zhu W, Zhao X, Mohamed N, Li B. Selected Lark Mitochondrial Genomes Provide Insights into the Evolution of Second Control Region with Tandem Repeats in Alaudidae (Aves, Passeriformes). Life (Basel) 2024; 14:881. [PMID: 39063634 PMCID: PMC11278119 DOI: 10.3390/life14070881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The control region (CR) regulates the replication and transcription of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome). Some avian mitogenomes possess two CRs, and the second control region (CR2) may enhance replication and transcription; however, the CR2 in lark mitogenome appears to be undergoing loss and is accompanied by tandem repeats. Here, we characterized six lark mitogenomes from Alaudala cheleensis, Eremophila alpestris, Alauda razae, and Calandrella cinerea and reconstructed the phylogeny of Passerida. Through further comparative analysis among larks, we traced the evolutionary process of CR2. The mitochondrial gene orders were conserved in all published lark mitogenomes, with Cytb-trnT-CR1-trnP-ND6-trnE-remnant CR2 with tandem repeat-trnF-rrnS. Phylogenetic analysis revealed Alaudidae and Panuridae are sister groups at the base of Sylvioidea, and sporadic losses of CR2 may occur in their common ancestor. CR sequence and phylogeny analysis indicated CR2 tandem repeats were generated within CR2, originating in the ancestor of all larks, rather than inherited from CR1. The secondary structure comparison of tandem repeat units within and between species suggested slipped-strand mispairing and DNA turnover as suitable models for explaining the origin and evolution of these repeats. This study reveals the evolutionary process of the CR2 containing tandem repeat in Alaudidae, providing reference for understanding the evolutionary characteristics and dynamics of tandem repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Jiang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (C.J.); (H.K.); (X.Z.); (N.M.)
| | - Hui Kang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (C.J.); (H.K.); (X.Z.); (N.M.)
| | - Yang Zhou
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China;
- BGI Research, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wenwen Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China;
| | - Xilong Zhao
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (C.J.); (H.K.); (X.Z.); (N.M.)
| | - Nassoro Mohamed
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (C.J.); (H.K.); (X.Z.); (N.M.)
| | - Bo Li
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (C.J.); (H.K.); (X.Z.); (N.M.)
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Detecting Center of Wildlife, Harbin 150040, China
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7
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Orkney A, Hedrick BP. Small body size is associated with increased evolutionary lability of wing skeleton proportions in birds. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4208. [PMID: 38806471 PMCID: PMC11133451 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48324-y] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Birds are represented by 11,000 species and a great variety of body masses. Modular organisation of trait evolution across birds has facilitated simultaneous adaptation of different body regions to divergent ecological requirements. However, the role modularity has played in avian body size evolution, especially small-bodied, rapidly evolving and diverse avian subclades, such as hummingbirds and songbirds, is unknown. Modularity is influenced by the intersection of biomechanical restrictions, adaptation, and developmental controls, making it difficult to uncover the contributions of single factors such as body mass to skeletal organisation. We develop a novel framework to decompose this complexity, assessing factors underlying the modularity of skeletal proportions in fore-limb propelled birds distributed across a range of body masses. We demonstrate that differences in body size across birds triggers a modular reorganisation of flight apparatus proportions consistent with biomechanical expectations. We suggest weakened integration within the wing facilitates radiation in small birds. Our framework is generalisable to other groups and has the capacity to untangle the multi-layered complexity intrinsic to modular evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Orkney
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, 930 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Brandon P Hedrick
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, 930 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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8
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Müller IA, Thörn F, Rajan S, Ericson PGP, Dumbacher JP, Maiah G, Blom MPK, Jønsson KA, Irestedt M. Species-specific dynamics may cause deviations from general biogeographical predictions - evidence from a population genomics study of a New Guinean endemic passerine bird family (Melampittidae). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0293715. [PMID: 38781204 PMCID: PMC11115331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The family Melampittidae is endemic to New Guinea and consists of two monotypic genera: Melampitta lugubris (Lesser Melampitta) and Megalampitta gigantea (Greater Melampitta). Both Melampitta species have scattered and disconnected distributions across New Guinea in the central mountain range and in some of the outlying ranges. While M. lugubris is common and found in most montane regions of the island, M. gigantaea is elusive and known from only six localities in isolated pockets on New Guinea with very specific habitats of limestone and sinkholes. In this project, we apply museomics to determine the population structure and demographic history of these two species. We re-sequenced the genomes of all seven known M. gigantaea samples housed in museum collections as well as 24 M. lugubris samples from across its distribution. By comparing population structure between the two species, we investigate to what extent habitat dependence, such as in M. gigantaea, may affect population connectivity. Phylogenetic and population genomic analyses, as well as acoustic variation revealed that M. gigantaea consists of a single population in contrast to M. lugubris that shows much stronger population structure across the island. We suggest a recent collapse of M. gigantaea into its fragmented habitats as an explanation to its unexpected low diversity and lack of population structure. The deep genetic divergences between the M. lugubris populations on the Vogelkop region, in the western central range and the eastern central range, respectively, suggests that these three populations should be elevated to full species level. This work sheds new light on the mechanisms that have shaped the intriguing distribution of the two species within this family and is a prime example of the importance of museum collections for genomic studies of poorly known and rare species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo A. Müller
- Department of Zoology, Division of Systematics and Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
| | - Filip Thörn
- Department of Zoology, Division of Systematics and Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
| | - Samyuktha Rajan
- Department of Zoology, Division of Ethology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per G. P. Ericson
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John P. Dumbacher
- Department of Ornithology and Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Gibson Maiah
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Mozes P. K. Blom
- Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
| | - Knud A. Jønsson
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Peacock J, Spellman GM, Field DJ, Mason MJ, Mayr G. Comparative morphology of the avian bony columella. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:1735-1763. [PMID: 37365751 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25278] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
In birds, the columella is the only bony element of the sound conducting apparatus, conveying vibrations of the cartilaginous extracolumella to the fluid of the inner ear. Although avian columellar morphology has attracted some attention over the past century, it nonetheless remains poorly described in the literature. The few existing studies mostly focus on morphological descriptions in relatively few taxa, with no taxonomically broad surveys yet published. Here we use observations of columellae from 401 extant bird species to provide a comprehensive survey of columellar morphology in a phylogenetic context. We describe the columellae of several taxa for the first time and identify derived morphologies characterizing higher-level clades based on current phylogenies. In particular, we identify a derived columellar morphology diagnosing a major subclade of Accipitridae. Within Suliformes, we find that Fregatidae, Sulidae, and Phalacrocoracidae share a derived morphology that is absent in Anhingidae, suggesting a secondary reversal. Phylogenetically informed comparisons allow recognition of instances of homoplasy, including the distinctive bulbous columellae in suboscine passerines and taxa belonging to Eucavitaves, and bulging footplates that appear to have evolved at least twice independently in Strigiformes. We consider phylogenetic and functional factors influencing avian columellar morphology, finding that aquatic birds possess small footplates relative to columellar length, possibly related to hearing function in aquatic habitats. By contrast, the functional significance of the distinctive bulbous basal ends of the columellae of certain arboreal landbird taxa remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peacock
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Garth M Spellman
- Department of Zoology, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Daniel J Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew J Mason
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gerald Mayr
- Ornithological Section, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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10
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Stiller J, Feng S, Chowdhury AA, Rivas-González I, Duchêne DA, Fang Q, Deng Y, Kozlov A, Stamatakis A, Claramunt S, Nguyen JMT, Ho SYW, Faircloth BC, Haag J, Houde P, Cracraft J, Balaban M, Mai U, Chen G, Gao R, Zhou C, Xie Y, Huang Z, Cao Z, Yan Z, Ogilvie HA, Nakhleh L, Lindow B, Morel B, Fjeldså J, Hosner PA, da Fonseca RR, Petersen B, Tobias JA, Székely T, Kennedy JD, Reeve AH, Liker A, Stervander M, Antunes A, Tietze DT, Bertelsen MF, Lei F, Rahbek C, Graves GR, Schierup MH, Warnow T, Braun EL, Gilbert MTP, Jarvis ED, Mirarab S, Zhang G. Complexity of avian evolution revealed by family-level genomes. Nature 2024; 629:851-860. [PMID: 38560995 PMCID: PMC11111414 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07323-1] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts in the past decades, relationships among main avian lineages remain heavily debated without a clear resolution. Discrepancies have been attributed to diversity of species sampled, phylogenetic method and the choice of genomic regions1-3. Here we address these issues by analysing the genomes of 363 bird species4 (218 taxonomic families, 92% of total). Using intergenic regions and coalescent methods, we present a well-supported tree but also a marked degree of discordance. The tree confirms that Neoaves experienced rapid radiation at or near the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary. Sufficient loci rather than extensive taxon sampling were more effective in resolving difficult nodes. Remaining recalcitrant nodes involve species that are a challenge to model due to either extreme DNA composition, variable substitution rates, incomplete lineage sorting or complex evolutionary events such as ancient hybridization. Assessment of the effects of different genomic partitions showed high heterogeneity across the genome. We discovered sharp increases in effective population size, substitution rates and relative brain size following the Cretaceous-Palaeogene extinction event, supporting the hypothesis that emerging ecological opportunities catalysed the diversification of modern birds. The resulting phylogenetic estimate offers fresh insights into the rapid radiation of modern birds and provides a taxon-rich backbone tree for future comparative studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefin Stiller
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Shaohong Feng
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Liangzhu Laboratory & Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, China
| | - Al-Aabid Chowdhury
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - David A Duchêne
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Qi Fang
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuan Deng
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, China
- BGI Research, Wuhan, China
| | - Alexey Kozlov
- Computational Molecular Evolution Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexandros Stamatakis
- Computational Molecular Evolution Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Institute for Theoretical Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Santiago Claramunt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacqueline M T Nguyen
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Simon Y W Ho
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brant C Faircloth
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Julia Haag
- Computational Molecular Evolution Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Houde
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Joel Cracraft
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Metin Balaban
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Uyen Mai
- Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Guangji Chen
- BGI Research, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongsheng Gao
- BGI Research, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Yulong Xie
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Liangzhu Laboratory & Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zijian Huang
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Liangzhu Laboratory & Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Cao
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhi Yan
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huw A Ogilvie
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luay Nakhleh
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bent Lindow
- Natural History Museum Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benoit Morel
- Computational Molecular Evolution Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Jon Fjeldså
- Natural History Museum Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter A Hosner
- Natural History Museum Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rute R da Fonseca
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bent Petersen
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Centre of Excellence for Omics-Driven Computational Biodiscovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Bedong, Malaysia
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, UK
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- ELKH-DE Reproductive Strategies Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Jonathan David Kennedy
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, The Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrew Hart Reeve
- Natural History Museum Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andras Liker
- HUN-REN-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Center for Natural Sciences, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | | | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Fumin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, The Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Gary R Graves
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, The Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Tandy Warnow
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Edward L Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - M Thomas P Gilbert
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- University Museum, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Guojie Zhang
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Liangzhu Laboratory & Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, China.
- BGI Research, Wuhan, China.
- Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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11
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Benham PM, Cicero C, Escalona M, Beraut E, Fairbairn C, Marimuthu MPA, Nguyen O, Sahasrabudhe R, King BL, Thomas WK, Kovach AI, Nachman MW, Bowie RCK. Remarkably High Repeat Content in the Genomes of Sparrows: The Importance of Genome Assembly Completeness for Transposable Element Discovery. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae067. [PMID: 38566597 PMCID: PMC11088854 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae067] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TE) play critical roles in shaping genome evolution. Highly repetitive TE sequences are also a major source of assembly gaps making it difficult to fully understand the impact of these elements on host genomes. The increased capacity of long-read sequencing technologies to span highly repetitive regions promises to provide new insights into patterns of TE activity across diverse taxa. Here we report the generation of highly contiguous reference genomes using PacBio long-read and Omni-C technologies for three species of Passerellidae sparrow. We compared these assemblies to three chromosome-level sparrow assemblies and nine other sparrow assemblies generated using a variety of short- and long-read technologies. All long-read based assemblies were longer (range: 1.12 to 1.41 Gb) than short-read assemblies (0.91 to 1.08 Gb) and assembly length was strongly correlated with the amount of repeat content. Repeat content for Bell's sparrow (31.2% of genome) was the highest level ever reported within the order Passeriformes, which comprises over half of avian diversity. The highest levels of repeat content (79.2% to 93.7%) were found on the W chromosome relative to other regions of the genome. Finally, we show that proliferation of different TE classes varied even among species with similar levels of repeat content. These patterns support a dynamic model of TE expansion and contraction even in a clade where TEs were once thought to be fairly depauperate and static. Our work highlights how the resolution of difficult-to-assemble regions of the genome with new sequencing technologies promises to transform our understanding of avian genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phred M Benham
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Carla Cicero
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Merly Escalona
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Eric Beraut
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Colin Fairbairn
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Mohan P A Marimuthu
- DNA Technologies and Expression Analysis Core Laboratory, Genome Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Oanh Nguyen
- DNA Technologies and Expression Analysis Core Laboratory, Genome Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ruta Sahasrabudhe
- DNA Technologies and Expression Analysis Core Laboratory, Genome Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Benjamin L King
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - W Kelley Thomas
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Adrienne I Kovach
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Michael W Nachman
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Rauri C K Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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12
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Williams PJ, Zipkin EF, Brodie JF. Deep biogeographic barriers explain divergent global vertebrate communities. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2457. [PMID: 38548741 PMCID: PMC10978928 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46757-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Biogeographic history can lead to variation in biodiversity across regions, but it remains unclear how the degree of biogeographic isolation among communities may lead to differences in biodiversity. Biogeographic analyses generally treat regions as discrete units, but species assemblages differ in how much biogeographic history they share, just as species differ in how much evolutionary history they share. Here, we use a continuous measure of biogeographic distance, phylobetadiversity, to analyze the influence of biogeographic isolation on the taxonomic and functional diversity of global mammal and bird assemblages. On average, biodiversity is better predicted by environment than by isolation, especially for birds. However, mammals in deeply isolated regions are strongly influenced by isolation; mammal assemblages in Australia and Madagascar, for example, are much less diverse than predicted by environment alone and contain unique combinations of functional traits compared to other regions. Neotropical bat assemblages are far more functionally diverse than Paleotropical assemblages, reflecting the different trajectories of bat communities that have developed in isolation over tens of millions of years. Our results elucidate how long-lasting biogeographic barriers can lead to divergent diversity patterns, against the backdrop of environmental determinism that predominantly structures diversity across most of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Williams
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
| | - Elise F Zipkin
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jedediah F Brodie
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
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13
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Kuo PC, Navalón G, Benson RBJ, Field DJ. Macroevolutionary drivers of morphological disparity in the avian quadrate. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232250. [PMID: 38378144 PMCID: PMC10878815 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In birds, the quadrate connects the mandible and skull, and plays an important role in cranial kinesis. Avian quadrate morphology may therefore be assumed to have been influenced by selective pressures related to feeding ecology, yet large-scale variation in quadrate morphology and its potential relationship with ecology have never been quantitatively investigated. Here, we used geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to quantify morphological variation of the quadrate and its relationship with key ecological features across a wide phylogenetic sample. We found non-significant associations between quadrate shape and feeding ecology across different scales of phylogenetic comparison; indeed, allometry and phylogeny exhibit stronger relationships with quadrate shape than ecological features. We show that similar quadrate shapes are associated with widely varying dietary ecologies (one-to-many mapping), while divergent quadrate shapes are associated with similar dietary ecologies (many-to-one mapping). Moreover, we show that the avian quadrate evolves as an integrated unit and exhibits strong associations with the morphologies of neighbouring bones. Our results collectively illustrate that quadrate shape has evolved jointly with other elements of the avian kinetic system, with the major crown bird lineages exploring alternative quadrate morphologies, highlighting the potential diagnostic value of quadrate morphology in investigations of bird systematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chen Kuo
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Guillermo Navalón
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Roger B. J. Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, 3 S Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
- American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel J. Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
- Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
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14
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Imfeld TS, Barker FK. Passerine sister clade comparisons reveal variable macroevolutionary outcomes of interhemispheric dispersal. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:37-50. [PMID: 38285655 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voad001] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Dispersal events offer a unique window into macroevolutionary processes, especially with respect to the effects of competition on diversification. Empirical studies testing alternative predictions of competitive effects are often limited in either geographic or phylogenetic scale. Here, we tested some of these hypotheses by comparing an assemblage of 16 oscine passerine clades, representing independent dispersal events into the Western Hemisphere, to their sister clades in the Eastern Hemisphere. We also compared the diversity of this assemblage of clades to an older, incumbent passerine clade in the Western Hemisphere, the suboscines. Specifically, we tested for ecological opportunity and incumbency-mediated constraints by analysis of clade-specific morphological disparities and rates of evolution relative to dispersal history. While there was no consistent outcome of oscine dispersal and macroevolution in the Western Hemisphere relative to their Eastern Hemisphere sister groups, most clades supported a role for ecological opportunity or incumbency effects, and such effects were better explained by differences in species accumulation than by differences in rates of trait evolution or colonization timing. This general pattern was not evident when comparing the entire oscine assemblage of the Western Hemisphere to the incumbent suboscine radiation; oscines and suboscines occupy comparable regions of functional trait diversity and, despite higher rates of trait evolution in oscines, these observations were consistent with simulated null expectations. This result suggests that oscine and suboscine assemblages may have evolved in relative isolation for a significant fraction of their history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S Imfeld
- Department of Biology, Regis University, Denver, CO, United States
| | - F Keith Barker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
- Bell Museum, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
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15
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Vázquez-López M, Ramírez-Barrera SM, Terrones-Ramírez AK, Robles-Bello SM, Nieto-Montes de Oca A, Ruegg K, Hernández-Baños BE. Biogeographic factors contributing to the diversification of Euphoniinae (Aves, Passeriformes, Fringillidae): a phylogenetic and ancestral areas analysis. Zookeys 2024; 1188:169-195. [PMID: 38230381 PMCID: PMC10790576 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1188.107047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Factors such as the Andean uplift, Isthmus of Panama, and climate changes have influenced bird diversity in the Neotropical region. Studying bird species that are widespread in Neotropical highlands and lowlands can help us understand the impact of these factors on taxa diversification. Our main objectives were to determine the biogeographic factors that contributed to the diversification of Euphoniinae and re-evaluate their phylogenetic relationships. The nextRAD and mitochondrial data were utilized to construct phylogenies. The ancestral distribution range was then estimated using a time-calibrated phylogeny, current species ranges, and neotropical regionalization. The phylogenies revealed two main Euphoniinae clades, Chlorophonia and Euphonia, similar to previous findings. Furthermore, each genus has distinctive subclades corresponding to morphology and geography. The biogeographic results suggest that the Andean uplift and the establishment of the western Amazon drove the vicariance of Chlorophonia and Euphonia during the Miocene. The Chlorophonia lineage originated in the Andes mountains and spread to Central America and the Mesoamerican highlands after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. Meanwhile, the ancestral area of Euphonia was the Amazonas, from which it spread to trans-Andean areas during the Pliocene and Pleistocene due to the separation of the west lowlands from Amazonas due to the Northern Andean uplift. Chlorophonia and Euphonia species migrated to the Atlantic Forest during the Pleistocene through corridors from the East Andean Humid Forest and Amazonas. These two genera had Caribbean invasions with distinct geographic origins and ages. Finally, we suggested taxonomic changes in the genus Euphonia based on the study's phylogenetic, morphological, and biogeographic findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa Vázquez-López
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra M. Ramírez-Barrera
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alondra K. Terrones-Ramírez
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sahid M. Robles-Bello
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Adrián Nieto-Montes de Oca
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Kristen Ruegg
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Blanca E. Hernández-Baños
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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16
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Reeve AH, Kennedy JD, Pujolar JM, Petersen B, Blom MPK, Alström P, Haryoko T, Ericson PGP, Irestedt M, Nylander JAA, Jønsson KA. The formation of the Indo-Pacific montane avifauna. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8215. [PMID: 38081809 PMCID: PMC10713610 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43964-y] [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: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The processes generating the earth's montane biodiversity remain a matter of debate. Two contrasting hypotheses have been advanced to explain how montane populations form: via direct colonization from other mountains, or, alternatively, via upslope range shifts from adjacent lowland areas. We seek to reconcile these apparently conflicting hypotheses by asking whether a species' ancestral geographic origin determines its mode of mountain colonization. Island-dwelling passerine birds at the faunal crossroads between Eurasia and Australo-Papua provide an ideal study system. We recover the phylogenetic relationships of the region's montane species and reconstruct their ancestral geographic ranges, elevational ranges, and migratory behavior. We also perform genomic population studies of three super-dispersive montane species/clades with broad island distributions. Eurasian-origin species populated archipelagos via direct colonization between mountains. This mode of colonization appears related to ancestral adaptations to cold and seasonal climates, specifically short-distance migration. Australo-Papuan-origin mountain populations, by contrast, evolved from lowland ancestors, and highland distribution mostly precludes their further colonization of island mountains. Our study explains much of the distributional variation within a complex biological system, and provides a synthesis of two seemingly discordant hypotheses for montane community formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hart Reeve
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Jonathan David Kennedy
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - José Martín Pujolar
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- Centre for Gelatinous Plankton Ecology and Evolution, DTU Aqua, Kemitorvet, Building 202, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bent Petersen
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Centre of Excellence for Omics-Driven Computational Biodiscovery (COMBio), Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Mozes P K Blom
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Per Alström
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tri Haryoko
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia
| | - Per G P Ericson
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan A A Nylander
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Knud Andreas Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
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17
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Liang C, Sun L, Zhu Y, Zhao A, Liu H, He K. Macroevolution of avian T cell receptor C segments using genomic data. Immunogenetics 2023; 75:531-541. [PMID: 37804321 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-023-01322-8] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
All jawed vertebrates have four T cell receptor (TCR) chains expressed by thymus-derived lymphocytes that play a significant role in animal immune defense. However, avian TCR studies have been limited to a few species, although their co-functional major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) have been studied for decades, showing various copy numbers and polymorphisms. Here, using public genome data, we characterized the copy numbers, the phylogenic relationship and selection of T cell receptor complex (TCR-C) segments, and the genomic organization of TCR loci across birds. Various numbers of C segments were found in the TCRα/TCRδ, TCRβ, and TCRγ loci, and phylogenetic analysis reflected both ancient gene duplication events (two Cβ segments and Cδ segments divergent into CδI and CδII) and contemporary evolution (lineage-specific and species-specific characteristics). Most passerines lack CδII segments and a second TRD locus, except Meliphagidae and Maluridae. A relatively stable structure was verified in four TCR loci of birds, except for the arrangement of V segment groups. In this study, we explored the phylogenetic relationships of TCR-C segments across avians for the first time. We inferred gene duplication and loss events during the evolution process. The finding of diverse TCR germline repertoires provides a better understanding of the immune systems of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhong Liang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology On Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Sun
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology On Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ayong Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology On Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongyi Liu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ke He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology On Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
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18
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Vontzou N, Pei Y, Mueller JC, Reifová R, Ruiz-Ruano FJ, Schlebusch SA, Suh A. Songbird germline-restricted chromosome as a potential arena of genetic conflicts. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 83:102113. [PMID: 37734346 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Genetic conflicts can arise between components of the genome with different inheritance strategies. The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds shows unusual mitotic and meiotic transmission compared with the rest of the genome. It is excluded from somatic cells and maintained only in the germline. It is usually present in one copy in the male germline and eliminated during spermatogenesis, while in the female germline, it usually occurs in two copies and behaves as a regular chromosome. Here, we review what is known about the GRC's evolutionary history, genetic content, and expression and discuss how it may be involved in different types of genetic conflicts. Finally, we interrogate the potential role of the GRC in songbird germline development, highlighting several unsolved mysteries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Vontzou
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
| | - Yifan Pei
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany; Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Jakob C Mueller
- Department of Ornithology, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco J Ruiz-Ruano
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany. https://twitter.com/@fjruizruano
| | - Stephen A Schlebusch
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander Suh
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany; Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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García-Morales A, Balleza D. Exploring Flexibility and Folding Patterns Throughout Time in Voltage Sensors. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:819-836. [PMID: 37955698 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10140-1] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The voltage-sensing domain (VSD) is a module capable of responding to changes in the membrane potential through conformational changes and facilitating electromechanical coupling to open a pore gate, activate proton permeation pathways, or promote enzymatic activity in some membrane-anchored phosphatases. To carry out these functions, this module acts cooperatively through conformational changes. The VSD is formed by four transmembrane segments (S1-S4) but the S4 segment is critical since it carries positively charged residues, mainly Arg or Lys, which require an aqueous environment for its proper function. The discovery of this module in voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), proton channels (Hv1), and voltage sensor-containing phosphatases (VSPs) has expanded our understanding of the principle of modularity in the voltage-sensing mechanism of these proteins. Here, by sequence comparison and the evaluation of the relationship between sequence composition, intrinsic flexibility, and structural analysis in 14 selected representatives of these three major protein groups, we report five interesting differences in the folding patterns of the VSD both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Our main findings indicate that this module is highly conserved throughout the evolutionary scale, however: (1) segments S1 to S3 in eukaryotes are significantly more hydrophobic than those present in prokaryotes; (2) the S4 segment has retained its hydrophilic character; (3) in eukaryotes the extramembranous linkers are significantly larger and more flexible in comparison with those present in prokaryotes; (4) the sensors present in the kHv1 proton channel and the ciVSP phosphatase, both of eukaryotic origin, exhibit relationships of flexibility and folding patterns very close to the typical ones found in prokaryotic voltage sensors; and (5) archaeal channels KvAP and MVP have flexibility profiles which are clearly contrasting in the S3-S4 region, which could explain their divergent activation mechanisms. Finally, to elucidate the obscure origins of this module, we show further evidence for a possible connection between voltage sensors and TolQ proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail García-Morales
- Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos, Calz. Miguel Angel de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, CP. 91897, Veracruz, Ver, Mexico
| | - Daniel Balleza
- Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos, Calz. Miguel Angel de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, CP. 91897, Veracruz, Ver, Mexico.
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20
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Hornok S, Kontschán J, Takács N, Heyne H, Kovács ÁB, Plantard O, Keve G, Fedorov D, Gyuranecz M, Halajian A. Molecular-phylogenetic analyses of Ixodes species from South Africa suggest an African origin of bird-associated exophilic ticks (subgenus Trichotoixodes). Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:392. [PMID: 37898783 PMCID: PMC10612238 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05998-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), the genus Ixodes comprises the highest number of species, which in turn are most numerous in the Afrotropical zoogeographic region. In South Africa extensive morphological studies have been performed on Ixodes species but only few reports included molecular analyses. METHODS In this study, 58 Ixodes spp. ticks, collected from ten mammalian and eight avian host species in South Africa, were molecularly and phylogenetically analyzed. In addition, a newly collected sample of the Palearctic Ixodes trianguliceps was included in the analyses. RESULTS Among the ticks from South Africa, 11 species were identified morphologically. The majority of ticks from mammals represented the Ixodes pilosus group with two species (n = 20), followed by ticks resembling Ixodes rubicundus (n = 18) and Ixodes alluaudi (n = 3). In addition, single specimens of Ixodes rhabdomysae, Ixodes ugandanus, Ixodes nairobiensis and Ixodes simplex were also found. Considering bird-infesting ticks, Ixodes theilerae (n = 7), Ixodes uriae (n = 4) and ticks most similar to Ixodes daveyi (provisionally named I. cf. daveyi, n = 2) were identified. Molecular analyses confirmed two species in the I. pilosus group and a new species (I. cf. rubicundus) closely related to I. rubicundus sensu stricto. Phylogenetic trees based on concatenated mitochondrial or mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences indicated that the subgenus Afrixodes forms a monophyletic clade with bird-associated exophilic ticks (subgenus Trichotoixodes). Ixodes trianguliceps clustered separately whereas I. alluaudi with their morphologically assigned subgenus, Exopalpiger. CONCLUSIONS Phylogenetic analyses shed new lights on the relationships of Ixodes subgenera when including multiple sequences from subgenus Afrixodes and African as well as Palearctic species of subgenera Trichotoixodes and Exopalpiger. Subgenera Afrixodes and bird-associated Trichotoixodes share common ancestry, suggesting that the latter might have also originated in Africa. Regarding the subgenus Exopalpiger, I. alluaudi is properly assigned as it clusters among different Australian Ixodes, whereas I. trianguliceps should be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Jenő Kontschán
- Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Plant Sciences, Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosonmagyaróvár, Széchenyi István University, Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
| | - Nóra Takács
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Heloise Heyne
- Epidemiology, Parasites & Vectors (EPV), ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (ARC-OVR), Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Áron Botond Kovács
- HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Gergő Keve
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Denis Fedorov
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Gyuranecz
- HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Health Safety, HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ali Halajian
- Research Administration and Development, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa
- Department of Biodiversity, DSI-NRF SARChI Chair, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa
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21
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Yang C, Dong X, Wang Q, Hou X, Yuan H, Li X. Mitochondrial genome characteristics of six Phylloscopus species and their phylogenetic implication. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16233. [PMID: 37842035 PMCID: PMC10576491 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16233] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial genomes of six Phylloscopus species-small insectivores belonging to the Phylloscopidae family-were obtained using the Illumina sequencing platform. The mitogenomes were closed circular molecules 16,922-17,007 bp in size, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and two control regions (CR1 and remnant CR2). The gene orders were conserved in 35 sampled Phylloscopus mitogenomes in the GenBank database, with a gene rearrangement of cytb-trnT-CR1-trnP-nad6-trnE-remnant CR2-trnF-rrnS. The average base compositions of the six Phylloscopus mitogenomes were 29.43% A, 32.75% C, 14.68% G, and 23.10% T, with the A+T content slightly higher than that of G+C. ATG and TAA were the most frequent initiating and terminating codons, respectively. Several conserved boxes were identified in CR1, including C-string in domain I; F, E, D, and C boxes, as well as bird similarity and B boxes, in domain II; and CSB1 in domain III. Tandem repeats were observed in remnant CR2 of the Phylloscopus fuscatus and Phylloscopus proregulus mitogenomes. A phylogenetic analysis with maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods, based on 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes, indicated that the Phylloscopus species was divided into two larger clades, with a splitting time approximately 11.06 million years ago (mya). The taxa of Phylloscopus coronatus/Phylloscopus burkii and Phylloscopus inornatus/P. proregulus were located at the basal position of the different clades. The phylogenetic result of the cox1 gene showed that Seicercus was nested within Phylloscopus. The complete set of mitogenomes of the Phylloscopus species provides potentially useful resources for the further exploration of the taxonomic status and phylogenetic history of Phylloscopidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiaomei Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qingxiong Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiang Hou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an, China
| | - Hao Yuan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xuejuan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
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22
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Horowitz J, Quattrini AM, Brugler MR, Miller DJ, Pahang K, Bridge TCL, Cowman PF. Bathymetric evolution of black corals through deep time. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231107. [PMID: 37788705 PMCID: PMC10547549 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1107] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep-sea lineages are generally thought to arise from shallow-water ancestors, but this hypothesis is based on a relatively small number of taxonomic groups. Anthozoans, which include corals and sea anemones, are significant contributors to the faunal diversity of the deep sea, but the timing and mechanisms of their invasion into this biome remain elusive. Here, we reconstruct a fully resolved, time-calibrated phylogeny of 83 species in the order Antipatharia (black coral) to investigate their bathymetric evolutionary history. Our reconstruction indicates that extant black coral lineages first diversified in continental slope depths (∼250-3000 m) during the early Silurian (∼437 millions of years ago (Ma)) and subsequently radiated into, and diversified within, both continental shelf (less than 250 m) and abyssal (greater than 3000 m) habitats. Ancestral state reconstruction analysis suggests that the appearance of morphological features that enhanced the ability of black corals to acquire nutrients coincided with their invasion of novel depths. Our findings have important conservation implications for anthozoan lineages, as the loss of 'source' slope lineages could threaten millions of years of evolutionary history and confound future invasion events, thereby warranting protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Horowitz
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th street and Constitution avenue North West, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Andrea M. Quattrini
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th street and Constitution avenue North West, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Mercer R. Brugler
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th street and Constitution avenue North West, Washington, DC 20560, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of South Carolina Beaufort, 1100 Boundary Street, Beaufort, SC 29902, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - David J. Miller
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Kristina Pahang
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
| | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Peter F. Cowman
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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23
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Oswald JA, Smith BT, Allen JM, Guralnick RP, Steadman DW, LeFebvre MJ. Changes in parrot diversity after human arrival to the Caribbean. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301128120. [PMID: 37748079 PMCID: PMC10576146 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301128120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans did not arrive on most of the world's islands until relatively recently, making islands favorable places for disentangling the timing and magnitude of natural and anthropogenic impacts on species diversity and distributions. Here, we focus on Amazona parrots in the Caribbean, which have close relationships with humans (e.g., as pets as well as sources of meat and colorful feathers). Caribbean parrots also have substantial fossil and archaeological records that span the Holocene. We leverage this exemplary record to showcase how combining ancient and modern DNA, along with radiometric dating, can shed light on diversification and extinction dynamics and answer long-standing questions about the magnitude of human impacts in the region. Our results reveal a striking loss of parrot diversity, much of which took place during human occupation of the islands. The most widespread species, the Cuban Parrot, exhibits interisland divergences throughout the Pleistocene. Within this radiation, we identified an extinct, genetically distinct lineage that survived on the Turks and Caicos until Indigenous human settlement of the islands. We also found that the narrowly distributed Hispaniolan Parrot had a natural range that once included The Bahamas; it thus became "endemic" to Hispaniola during the late Holocene. The Hispaniolan Parrot also likely was introduced by Indigenous people to Grand Turk and Montserrat, two islands where it is now also extirpated. Our research demonstrates that genetic information spanning paleontological, archaeological, and modern contexts is essential to understand the role of humans in altering the diversity and distribution of biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Oswald
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Ashland, OR97520
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV89557
| | - Brian Tilston Smith
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY10024
| | - Julie M. Allen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA24061
| | - Robert P. Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32611
| | - David W. Steadman
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32611
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DeCicco LH, DeRaad DA, Ostrow EN, Moyle RG. A complete species-level phylogeny of the Erythrura parrotfinches (Aves: Estrildidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 187:107883. [PMID: 37481145 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107883] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Identifying species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships among groups of closely related species provides a necessary framework for understanding how biodiversity evolves in natural systems. Here we present a complete phylogeny of the avian genus Erythrura (family Estrildidae) commonly known as parrotfinches, which includes species threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade. Using both mitogenome and reduced-representation genome-wide nuclear DNA sequence data, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the group by sampling all 12 recognized species, four of which had not previously been studied in a phylogenetic context. We included intra-species geographic sampling that allowed us to comment on species limits in some taxa. We recovered the Gouldian Finch (Chloebia gouldiae) of Australia which has often been placed in the monotypic genus Chloebia, as being sister to a clade comprising all Erythrura species. In addition, we recovered a well-supported clade comprising eight species distributed throughout the Pacific Island eco-region, whereas those species occurring in continental southeast Asia, the Greater Sundas, and the Philippines, were recovered as earlier branching lineages. Of note was the early branching of the Fiji-endemic E. kleinschmidti which corroborates its unique phenotype. We also found a deep phylogenetic split (8.59% corrected, 7.89% uncorrected divergence in the mitochondrial gene ND2) between the Java and Philippine populations of E. hyperythra, indicating unrecognized species-level diversity within this taxon. In contrast, genome-wide nuclear data suggested that the New Guinea endemic species E. papuana is embedded within the widespread species E. trichroa in all phylogenetic reconstructions, corroborating previously published mitochondrial data that suggested a similar pattern. By generating a phylogenetic hypothesis for the relationships among all species of Erythrura parrotfinches, we provide a framework for better understanding the extant diversity and evolutionary history of this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas H DeCicco
- Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
| | - Devon A DeRaad
- Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Emily N Ostrow
- Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Robert G Moyle
- Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
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25
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McEntire MS, Landolfi JA, Adkesson MJ, Papich MG, Sander SJ, Roy L, Talley A, Vincent L, Allender MC. THE PHARMACOKINETICS AND PHARMACODYNAMICS OF ORAL PONAZURIL IN THE TREATMENT OF SYSTEMIC ISOSPOROSIS IN PASSERINE BIRDS. J Zoo Wildl Med 2023; 54:561-572. [PMID: 37817622 DOI: 10.1638/2022-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic isosporosis, previously atoxoplasmosis, is a significant cause of mortality in juvenile passerine birds. Recommended treatment regimens are empiric and vary in efficacy. The goal of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ponazuril for treatment of systemic isosporosis. Ponazuril, diluted with water to create an oral suspension (50 mg/ml), was administered (100 mg/kg) to 72 European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) by a single dose via direct oral gavage (n = 24), a single dose injected into superworm larvae (Zophobas morio; n = 24), or a daily dose mixed with commercial dog food to top-dress feed for 5 d (n = 24). Peak plasma concentrations were 5.84, 2.46, and 9.13 µg/ml for the direct gavage, injected larvae, and top-dressed feed groups, respectively. With repeated dosing, mean plasma concentrations from the top-dressed feed group were maintained between 8.12 to 13.11 µg/ml. Results suggested ponazuril at a dosage of 100 mg/kg administered via direct gavage or top-dressed feed, but not via injected larvae, would exceed the concentrations needed to inhibit merogony of other apicomplexan parasites in cell culture (5 µg/ml). To assess the pharmacodynamics of this dose, seven passerine birds, red-vented bulbuls (Pycnonotus cafer; n = 2), blue-grey tanager (Thraupis episcopus; n = 1), and red-capped cardinals (Paroaria gularis; n = 4), were identified as shedders of systemic Isospora spp. via fecal qPCR. Birds were then treated with ponazuril (100 mg/kg) daily on top-dressed feed for 14 d. Fecal shedding was assessed via qPCR for 6 wk from the initiation of treatment. Treatment was associated with reduction in proportions of fecal shedding during the treatment period and the week following treatment, but shedding resumed in all birds by the end of sampling. Results support that treatment of breeding birds with 100 mg/kg ponazuril could reduce the shedding of active oocysts and decrease risk of clinical infection in susceptible juveniles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S McEntire
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61802, USA,
| | - Jennifer A Landolfi
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA
| | | | - Mark G Papich
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Samantha J Sander
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Leena Roy
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Alexandria Talley
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Lauren Vincent
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Matthew C Allender
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA
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26
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Nanglu K, de Carle D, Cullen TM, Anderson EB, Arif S, Castañeda RA, Chang LM, Iwama RE, Fellin E, Manglicmot RC, Massey MD, Astudillo‐Clavijo V. The nature of science: The fundamental role of natural history in ecology, evolution, conservation, and education. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10621. [PMID: 37877102 PMCID: PMC10591213 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a contemporary trend in many major research institutions to de-emphasize the importance of natural history education in favor of theoretical, laboratory, or simulation-based research programs. This may take the form of removing biodiversity and field courses from the curriculum and the sometimes subtle maligning of natural history research as a "lesser" branch of science. Additional threats include massive funding cuts to natural history museums and the maintenance of their collections, the extirpation of taxonomists across disciplines, and a critical under-appreciation of the role that natural history data (and other forms of observational data, including Indigenous knowledge) play in the scientific process. In this paper, we demonstrate that natural history knowledge is integral to any competitive science program through a comprehensive review of the ways in which they continue to shape modern theory and the public perception of science. We do so by reviewing how natural history research has guided the disciplines of ecology, evolution, and conservation and how natural history data are crucial for effective education programs and public policy. We underscore these insights with contemporary case studies, including: how understanding the dynamics of evolutionary radiation relies on natural history data; methods for extracting novel data from museum specimens; insights provided by multi-decade natural history programs; and how natural history is the most logical venue for creating an informed and scientifically literate society. We conclude with recommendations aimed at students, university faculty, and administrators for integrating and supporting natural history in their mandates. Fundamentally, we are all interested in understanding the natural world, but we can often fall into the habit of abstracting our research away from its natural contexts and complexities. Doing so risks losing sight of entire vistas of new questions and insights in favor of an over-emphasis on simulated or overly controlled studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karma Nanglu
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Danielle de Carle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of Invertebrate ZoologyRoyal Ontario MuseumTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Thomas M. Cullen
- Department of GeosciencesAuburn UniversityAuburnAlabamaUSA
- Negaunee Integrative Research CenterField Museum of Natural HistoryChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Erika B. Anderson
- The HunterianUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- Department of Earth and SpaceRoyal Ontario MuseumTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Suchinta Arif
- Department of BiologyDalhousie UniversityHalifaxNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Rowshyra A. Castañeda
- Ecosystems and Ocean SciencesPacific Region, Fisheries and Oceans CanadaSidneyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | | | - Rafael Eiji Iwama
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Erica Fellin
- Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
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Gutiérrez-Ibáñez C, Amaral-Peçanha C, Iwaniuk AN, Wylie DR, Baron J. Online repositories of photographs and videos provide insights into the evolution of skilled hindlimb movements in birds. Commun Biol 2023; 6:781. [PMID: 37582975 PMCID: PMC10427617 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05151-z] [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: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to manipulate objects with limbs has evolved repeatedly among land tetrapods. Several selective forces have been proposed to explain the emergence of forelimb manipulation, however, work has been largely restricted to mammals, which prevents the testing of evolutionary hypotheses in a comprehensive evolutionary framework. In birds, forelimbs have gained the exclusive function of flight, with grasping transferred predominantly to the beak. In some birds, the feet are also used in manipulative tasks and appear to share some features with manual grasping and prehension in mammals, but this has not been systematically investigated. Here we use large online repositories of photographs and videos to quantify foot manipulative skills across a large sample of bird species (>1000 species). Our results show that a complex interaction between niche, diet and phylogeny drive the evolution of manipulative skills with the feet in birds. Furthermore, we provide strong support for the proposition that an arboreal niche is a key element in the evolution of manipulation in land vertebrates. Our systematic comparison of foot use in birds provides a solid base for understanding morphological and neural adaptations for foot use in birds, and for studying the convergent evolution of manipulative skills in birds and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clara Amaral-Peçanha
- Graduate Program in Physiology and Pharmacology Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Andrew N Iwaniuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alta., Canada
| | - Douglas R Wylie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jerome Baron
- Graduate Program in Physiology and Pharmacology Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Schlebusch SA, Rídl J, Poignet M, Ruiz-Ruano FJ, Reif J, Pajer P, Pačes J, Albrecht T, Suh A, Reifová R. Rapid gene content turnover on the germline-restricted chromosome in songbirds. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4579. [PMID: 37516764 PMCID: PMC10387091 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds represents a taxonomically widespread example of programmed DNA elimination. Despite its apparent indispensability, we still know very little about the GRC's genetic composition, function, and evolutionary significance. Here we assemble the GRC in two closely related species, the common and thrush nightingale. In total we identify 192 genes across the two GRCs, with many of them present in multiple copies. Interestingly, the GRC appears to be under little selective pressure, with the genetic content differing dramatically between the two species and many GRC genes appearing to be pseudogenized fragments. Only one gene, cpeb1, has a complete coding region in all examined individuals of the two species and shows no copy number variation. The acquisition of this gene by the GRC corresponds with the earliest estimates of the GRC origin, making it a good candidate for the functional indispensability of the GRC in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Schlebusch
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jakub Rídl
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Manon Poignet
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco J Ruiz-Ruano
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pajer
- Military Health Institute, Military Medical Agency, Tychonova 1, 160 01, Prague 6, San Antonio, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Pačes
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Skeels A, Boschman LM, McFadden IR, Joyce EM, Hagen O, Jiménez Robles O, Bach W, Boussange V, Keggin T, Jetz W, Pellissier L. Paleoenvironments shaped the exchange of terrestrial vertebrates across Wallace's Line. Science 2023; 381:86-92. [PMID: 37410831 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf7122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Faunal turnover in Indo-Australia across Wallace's Line is one of the most recognizable patterns in biogeography and has catalyzed debate about the role of evolutionary and geoclimatic history in biotic interchanges. Here, analysis of more than 20,000 vertebrate species with a model of geoclimate and biological diversification shows that broad precipitation tolerance and dispersal ability were key for exchange across the deep-time precipitation gradient spanning the region. Sundanian (Southeast Asian) lineages evolved in a climate similar to the humid "stepping stones" of Wallacea, facilitating colonization of the Sahulian (Australian) continental shelf. By contrast, Sahulian lineages predominantly evolved in drier conditions, hampering establishment in Sunda and shaping faunal distinctiveness. We demonstrate how the history of adaptation to past environmental conditions shapes asymmetrical colonization and global biogeographic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Skeels
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia
| | - L M Boschman
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - I R McFadden
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - E M Joyce
- Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80331 Munich, Germany
| | - O Hagen
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - O Jiménez Robles
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia
- Institute of Biology, École Normale Supérieure, 75005 Paris, France
| | - W Bach
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - V Boussange
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - T Keggin
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - W Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - L Pellissier
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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Wood AW, Szpiech ZA, Lovette IJ, Smith BT, Toews DPL. Genomes of the extinct Bachman's warbler show high divergence and no evidence of admixture with other extant Vermivora warblers. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00690-5. [PMID: 37329885 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Bachman's warbler1 (Vermivora bachmanii)-last sighted in 1988-is one of the only North American passerines to recently go extinct.2,3,4 Given extensive ongoing hybridization of its two extant congeners-the blue-winged warbler (V. cyanoptera) and golden-winged warbler (V. chrysoptera)5,6,7,8-and shared patterns of plumage variation between Bachman's warbler and hybrids between those extant species, it has been suggested that Bachman's warbler might have also had a component of hybrid ancestry. Here, we use historic DNA (hDNA) and whole genomes of Bachman's warblers collected at the turn of the 20th century to address this. We combine these data with the two extant Vermivora species to examine patterns of population differentiation, inbreeding, and gene flow. In contrast to the admixture hypothesis, the genomic evidence is consistent with V. bachmanii having been a highly divergent, reproductively isolated species, with no evidence of introgression. We show that these three species have similar levels of runs of homozygosity (ROH), consistent with effects of a small long-term effective population size or population bottlenecks, with one V. bachmanii outlier showing numerous long ROH and a FROH greater than 5%. We also found-using population branch statistic estimates-previously undocumented evidence of lineage-specific evolution in V. chrysoptera near a pigmentation gene candidate, CORIN, which is a known modifier of ASIP, which is in turn involved in melanic throat and mask coloration in this family of birds. Together, these genomic results also highlight how natural history collections are such invaluable repositories of information about extant and extinct species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Wood
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 619 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Zachary A Szpiech
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 619 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Irby J Lovette
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Brian Tilston Smith
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - David P L Toews
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 619 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA.
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31
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Valkiūnas G, Iezhova TA. Insights into the Biology of Leucocytozoon Species (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae): Why Is There Slow Research Progress on Agents of Leucocytozoonosis? Microorganisms 2023; 11:1251. [PMID: 37317225 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood parasites of the genus Leucocytozoon (Leucocytozoidae) only inhabit birds and represent a readily distinct evolutionary branch of the haemosporidians (Haemosporida, Apicomplexa). Some species cause pathology and even severe leucocytozoonosis in avian hosts, including poultry. The diversity of Leucocytozoon pathogens is remarkable, with over 1400 genetic lineages detected, most of which, however, have not been identified to the species level. At most, approximately 45 morphologically distinct species of Leucocytozoon have been described, but only a few have associated molecular data. This is unfortunate because basic information about named and morphologically recognized Leucocytozoon species is essential for a better understanding of phylogenetically closely related leucocytozoids that are known only by DNA sequence. Despite much research on haemosporidian parasites during the past 30 years, there has not been much progress in taxonomy, vectors, patterns of transmission, pathogenicity, and other aspects of the biology of these cosmopolitan bird pathogens. This study reviewed the available basic information on avian Leucocytozoon species, with particular attention to some obstacles that prevent progress to better understanding the biology of leucocytozoids. Major gaps in current Leucocytozoon species research are discussed, and possible approaches are suggested to resolve some issues that have limited practical parasitological studies of these pathogens.
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32
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Gershman A, Hauck Q, Dick M, Jamison JM, Tassia M, Agirrezabala X, Muhammad S, Ali R, Workman RE, Valle M, Wong GW, Welch KC, Timp W. Genomic insights into metabolic flux in hummingbirds. Genome Res 2023; 33:703-714. [PMID: 37156619 PMCID: PMC10317124 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276779.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Hummingbirds are very well adapted to sustain efficient and rapid metabolic shifts. They oxidize ingested nectar to directly fuel flight when foraging but have to switch to oxidizing stored lipids derived from ingested sugars during the night or long-distance migratory flights. Understanding how this organism moderates energy turnover is hampered by a lack of information regarding how relevant enzymes differ in sequence, expression, and regulation. To explore these questions, we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly of the ruby-throated hummingbird (A. colubris) using a combination of long- and short-read sequencing, scaffolding it using existing assemblies. We then used hybrid long- and short-read RNA sequencing of liver and muscle tissue in fasted and fed metabolic states for a comprehensive transcriptome assembly and annotation. Our genomic and transcriptomic data found positive selection of key metabolic genes in nectivorous avian species and deletion of critical genes (SLC2A4, GCK) involved in glucostasis in other vertebrates. We found expression of a fructose-specific version of SLC2A5 putatively in place of insulin-sensitive SLC2A5, with predicted protein models suggesting affinity for both fructose and glucose. Alternative isoforms may even act to sequester fructose to preclude limitations from transport in metabolism. Finally, we identified differentially expressed genes from fasted and fed hummingbirds, suggesting key pathways for the rapid metabolic switch hummingbirds undergo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Gershman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
| | - Quinn Hauck
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Morag Dick
- Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Jerrica M Jamison
- Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Michael Tassia
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Xabier Agirrezabala
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Saad Muhammad
- Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Raafay Ali
- Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Rachael E Workman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
| | - Mikel Valle
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - G William Wong
- Department of Physiology and Center for Metabolism and Obesity Research, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Kenneth C Welch
- Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Winston Timp
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA;
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
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33
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Burton MGP, Benson RBJ, Field DJ. Direct quantification of skeletal pneumaticity illuminates ecological drivers of a key avian trait. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230160. [PMID: 36919426 PMCID: PMC10015330 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal pneumaticity is a key feature of extant avian structure and biology, which first evolved among the non-flying archosaurian ancestors of birds. The widespread presence of air-filled bones across the postcranial skeleton is unique to birds among living vertebrates, but the true extent of skeletal pneumaticity has never been quantitatively investigated-hindering fundamental insights into the evolution of this key avian feature. Here, we use microCT scans of fresh, frozen birds to directly quantify the fraction of humerus volume occupied by air across a phylogenetically diverse taxon sample to test longstanding hypotheses regarding the evolution and function of avian skeletal pneumatization. Among other insights, we document weak positive allometry of internal air volume with humeral size among pneumatized humeri and provide strong support that humeral size, body mass, aquatic diving, and the presence or absence of pneumaticity all have independent effects on cortical bone thickness. Our quantitative evaluation of humeral pneumaticity across extant avian phylogeny sheds new light on the evolution and ontogenetic progression of an important aspect of avian skeletal architecture, and suggests that the last common ancestor of crown birds possessed a highly pneumatized humerus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grace P Burton
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Roger B J Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Daniel J Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK.,Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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Carotti E, Tittarelli E, Canapa A, Biscotti MA, Carducci F, Barucca M. LTR Retroelements and Bird Adaptation to Arid Environments. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076332. [PMID: 37047324 PMCID: PMC10094322 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
TEs are known to be among the main drivers in genome evolution, leading to the generation of evolutionary advantages that favor the success of organisms. The aim of this work was to investigate the TE landscape in bird genomes to look for a possible relationship between the amount of specific TE types and environmental changes that characterized the Oligocene era in Australia. Therefore, the mobilome of 29 bird species, belonging to a total of 11 orders, was analyzed. Our results confirmed that LINE retroelements are not predominant in all species of this evolutionary lineage and highlighted an LTR retroelement dominance in species with an Australian-related evolutionary history. The bird LTR retroelement expansion might have happened in response to the Earth’s dramatic climate changes that occurred about 30 Mya, followed by a progressive aridification across most of Australian landmasses. Therefore, in birds, LTR retroelement burst might have represented an evolutionary advantage in the adaptation to arid/drought environments.
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McLaughlin JF, Aguilar C, Bernstein JM, Navia-Gine WG, Cueto-Aparicio LE, Alarcon AC, Alarcon BD, Collier R, Takyar A, Vong SJ, López-Chong OG, Driver R, Loaiza JR, De León LF, Saltonstall K, Lipshutz SE, Arcila D, Brock KM, Miller MJ. Comparative phylogeography reveals widespread cryptic diversity driven by ecology in Panamanian birds. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36993716 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Widespread species often harbor unrecognized genetic diversity, and investigating the factors associated with such cryptic variation can help us better understand the forces driving diversification. Here, we identify potential cryptic species based on a comprehensive dataset of COI mitochondrial DNA barcodes from 2,333 individual Panamanian birds across 429 species, representing 391 (59%) of the 659 resident landbird species of the country, as well as opportunistically sampled waterbirds. We complement this dataset with additional publicly available mitochondrial loci, such as ND2 and cytochrome b, obtained from whole mitochondrial genomes from 20 taxa. Using barcode identification numbers (BINs), we find putative cryptic species in 19% of landbird species, highlighting hidden diversity in the relatively well-described avifauna of Panama. Whereas some of these mitochondrial divergence events corresponded with recognized geographic features that likely isolated populations, such as the Cordillera Central highlands, the majority (74%) of lowland splits were between eastern and western populations. The timing of these splits are not temporally coincident across taxa, suggesting that historical events, such as the formation of the Isthmus of Panama and Pleistocene climatic cycles, were not the primary drivers of cryptic diversification. Rather, we observed that forest species, understory species, insectivores, and strongly territorial species-all traits associated with lower dispersal ability-were all more likely to have multiple BINs in Panama, suggesting strong ecological associations with cryptic divergence. Additionally, hand-wing index, a proxy for dispersal capability, was significantly lower in species with multiple BINs, indicating that dispersal ability plays an important role in generating diversity in Neotropical birds. Together, these results underscore the need for evolutionary studies of tropical bird communities to consider ecological factors along with geographic explanations, and that even in areas with well-known avifauna, avian diversity may be substantially underestimated. LAY SUMMARY - What factors are common among bird species with cryptic diversity in Panama? What role do geography, ecology, phylogeographic history, and other factors play in generating bird diversity?- 19% of widely-sampled bird species form two or more distinct DNA barcode clades, suggesting widespread unrecognized diversity.- Traits associated with reduced dispersal ability, such as use of forest understory, high territoriality, low hand-wing index, and insectivory, were more common in taxa with cryptic diversity. Filogeografía comparada revela amplia diversidad críptica causada por la ecología en las aves de Panamá. RESUMEN Especies extendidas frecuentemente tiene diversidad genética no reconocida, y investigando los factores asociados con esta variación críptica puede ayudarnos a entender las fuerzas que impulsan la diversificación. Aquí, identificamos especies crípticas potenciales basadas en un conjunto de datos de códigos de barras de ADN mitocondrial de 2,333 individuos de aves de Panama en 429 especies, representando 391 (59%) de las 659 especies de aves terrestres residentes del país, además de algunas aves acuáticas muestreada de manera oportunista. Adicionalmente, complementamos estos datos con secuencias mitocondriales disponibles públicamente de otros loci, tal como ND2 o citocroma b, obtenidos de los genomas mitocondriales completos de 20 taxones. Utilizando los números de identificación de código de barras (en ingles: BINs), un sistema taxonómico numérico que proporcina una estimación imparcial de la diversidad potencial a nivel de especie, encontramos especies crípticas putativas en 19% de las especies de aves terrestres, lo que destaca la diversidad oculta en la avifauna bien descrita de Panamá. Aunque algunos de estos eventos de divergencia conciden con características geográficas que probablemente aislaron las poblaciones, la mayoría (74%) de la divergencia en las tierras bajas se encuentra entre las poblaciones orientales y occidentales. El tiempo de esta divergencia no coincidió entre los taxones, sugiriendo que eventos históricos tales como la formación del Istmo de Panamá y los ciclos climáticos del pleistoceno, no fueron los principales impulsores de la especiación. En cambio, observamos asociaciones fuertes entre las características ecológicas y la divergencia mitocondriale: las especies del bosque, sotobosque, con una dieta insectívora, y con territorialidad fuerte mostraton múltiple BINs probables. Adicionalmente, el índice mano-ala, que está asociado a la capacidad de dispersión, fue significativamente menor en las especies con BINs multiples, sugiriendo que la capacidad de dispersión tiene un rol importamente en la generación de la diversidad de las aves neotropicales. Estos resultos demonstran la necesidad de que estudios evolutivos de las comunidades de aves tropicales consideren los factores ecológicos en conjunto con las explicaciones geográficos. Palabras clave: biodiversidad tropical, biogeografía, códigos de barras, dispersión, especies crípticas.
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McLaughlin JF, Aguilar C, Bernstein JM, Navia-Gine WG, Cueto-Aparicio LE, Alarcon AC, Alarcon BD, Collier R, Takyar A, Vong SJ, López-Chong OG, Driver R, Loaiza JR, De León LF, Saltonstall K, Lipshutz SE, Arcila D, Brock KM, Miller MJ. Comparative phylogeography reveals widespread cryptic diversity driven by ecology in Panamanian birds. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.530646. [PMID: 36993716 PMCID: PMC10055050 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.530646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Widespread species often harbor unrecognized genetic diversity, and investigating the factors associated with such cryptic variation can help us better understand the forces driving diversification. Here, we identify potential cryptic species based on a comprehensive dataset of COI mitochondrial DNA barcodes from 2,333 individual Panamanian birds across 429 species, representing 391 (59%) of the 659 resident landbird species of the country, as well as opportunistically sampled waterbirds. We complement this dataset with additional publicly available mitochondrial loci, such as ND2 and cytochrome b, obtained from whole mitochondrial genomes from 20 taxa. Using barcode identification numbers (BINs), we find putative cryptic species in 19% of landbird species, highlighting hidden diversity in the relatively well-described avifauna of Panama. Whereas some of these mitochondrial divergence events corresponded with recognized geographic features that likely isolated populations, such as the Cordillera Central highlands, the majority (74%) of lowland splits were between eastern and western populations. The timing of these splits are not temporally coincident across taxa, suggesting that historical events, such as the formation of the Isthmus of Panama and Pleistocene climatic cycles, were not the primary drivers of cryptic diversification. Rather, we observed that forest species, understory species, insectivores, and strongly territorial species-all traits associated with lower dispersal ability-were all more likely to have multiple BINs in Panama, suggesting strong ecological associations with cryptic divergence. Additionally, hand-wing index, a proxy for dispersal capability, was significantly lower in species with multiple BINs, indicating that dispersal ability plays an important role in generating diversity in Neotropical birds. Together, these results underscore the need for evolutionary studies of tropical bird communities to consider ecological factors along with geographic explanations, and that even in areas with well-known avifauna, avian diversity may be substantially underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. F. McLaughlin
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Norman, OK, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Celestino Aguilar
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Justin M. Bernstein
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
- Center for Genomics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Wayra G. Navia-Gine
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
- Pacific Biosciences, 1305 O’Brien Dr, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Rugger Collier
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Anshule Takyar
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Sidney J. Vong
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | | | - Robert Driver
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Jose R. Loaiza
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Luis F. De León
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Republic of Panama
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Dahiana Arcila
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Norman, OK, USA
| | - Kinsey M. Brock
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matthew J. Miller
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Norman, OK, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultants, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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37
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Climate Cycles, Habitat Stability, and Lineage Diversification in an African Biodiversity Hotspot. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
The Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya, a montane archipelago of 13 uplifted fault blocks (sky islands) isolated by lowland arid savanna, are a center of exceptional biological endemism. Under the influence of humid winds from the Indian Ocean, forests and associated species may have persisted in this region since the final uplift of these blocks in the late Miocene. Today, these mountains are inhabited by a remarkable diversity of bird species. To better understand the evolutionary processes behind this diversity, we combined molecular phylogenetic studies of East African montane birds with paleoclimate modeling of its montane forests. Across its largest lowland barrier, the 125 km between the Usambara and Nguru/Nguu Mountains, 10 of the 14 bird lineages exhibited a phylogeographic break. Using Bayesian methods, we established that at least three periods of forest contraction and expansion affected the diversification of Eastern Arc birds. Habitat distribution models suggest that lower-elevation hills may have acted as stepping-stones connecting isolated highlands to allow for the dispersal of montane forest-dependent species across them. Periods of vicariance during paleoclimatic cycles extending back through the Last Glacial Maximum would have then isolated these populations within the highlands they had reached. The broad distribution of neoendemic species across the mountains of East Africa provides evidence of climate cycling as a driver of lineage diversification. The high incidence of narrow-range endemism of paleoendemic species on the Usambara, Uluguru, and Udzungwa Mountains of this region is harder to explain. Our paleoclimate models retrodicted the persistence of montane forest during climate cycles on several Eastern Arc sky islands but not on the Southern Tanzania Volcanic Highlands. Consistent with recent theoretical work, different rates of local extinction rather than increased rates of lineage diversification may explain the pattern of excessive narrow-range endemism on some sky islands over others. Thus, a regional filtering effect is generated, with paleoendemics maintaining populations through time only in areas where habitat persisted, providing a credible explanation for the dramatic variance in levels of endemism among different East African sky islands.
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38
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Rasband SA, Bolton PE, Fang Q, Johnson PLF, Braun MJ. Evolution of the Growth Hormone Gene Duplication in Passerine Birds. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:7059008. [PMID: 36848146 PMCID: PMC10016047 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds of the order Passeriformes represent the most speciose order of land vertebrates. Despite strong scientific interest in this super-radiation, genetic traits unique to passerines are not well characterized. A duplicate copy of growth hormone (GH) is the only gene known to be present in all major lineages of passerines, but not in other birds. GH genes plausibly influence extreme life history traits that passerines exhibit, including the shortest embryo-to-fledging developmental period of any avian order. To unravel the implications of this GH duplication, we investigated the molecular evolution of the ancestral avian GH gene (GH or GH1) and the novel passerine GH paralog (GH2), using 497 gene sequences extracted from 342 genomes. Passerine GH1 and GH2 are reciprocally monophyletic, consistent with a single duplication event from a microchromosome onto a macrochromosome in a common ancestor of extant passerines. Additional chromosomal rearrangements have changed the syntenic and potential regulatory context of these genes. Both passerine GH1 and GH2 display substantially higher rates of nonsynonymous codon change than non-passerine avian GH, suggesting positive selection following duplication. A site involved in signal peptide cleavage is under selection in both paralogs. Other sites under positive selection differ between the two paralogs, but many are clustered in one region of a 3D model of the protein. Both paralogs retain key functional features and are actively but differentially expressed in two major passerine suborders. These phenomena suggest that GH genes may be evolving novel adaptive roles in passerine birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shauna A Rasband
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
| | - Peri E Bolton
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.,Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina
| | - Qi Fang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Michael J Braun
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
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39
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Steell EM, Nguyen JMT, Benson RBJ, Field DJ. Comparative anatomy of the passerine carpometacarpus helps illuminate the early fossil record of crown Passeriformes. J Anat 2023; 242:495-509. [PMID: 36070480 PMCID: PMC9919509 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The hyper-diverse clade Passeriformes (crown group passerines) comprises over half of extant bird diversity, yet disproportionately few studies have targeted passerine comparative anatomy on a broad phylogenetic scale. This general lack of research attention hinders efforts to interpret the passerine fossil record and obscures patterns of morphological evolution across one of the most diverse clades of extant vertebrates. Numerous potentially important crown passeriform fossils have proven challenging to place phylogenetically, due in part to a paucity of phylogenetically informative characters from across the passerine skeleton. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the morphology of extant passerine carpometacarpi, which are relatively abundant components of the passerine fossil record. We sampled >70% of extant family-level passerine clades (132 extant species) as well as several fossils from the Oligocene of Europe and scored them for 54 phylogenetically informative carpometacarpus characters optimised on a recently published phylogenomic scaffold. We document a considerable amount of previously undescribed morphological variation among passerine carpometacarpi, and, despite high levels of homoplasy, our results support the presence of representatives of both crown Passeri and crown Tyranni in Europe during the Oligocene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacqueline M T Nguyen
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Daniel J Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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40
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Peona V, Kutschera VE, Blom MPK, Irestedt M, Suh A. Satellite DNA evolution in Corvoidea inferred from short and long reads. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1288-1305. [PMID: 35488497 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Satellite DNA (satDNA) is a fast-evolving portion of eukaryotic genomes. The homogeneous and repetitive nature of such satDNA causes problems during the assembly of genomes, and therefore it is still difficult to study it in detail in nonmodel organisms as well as across broad evolutionary timescales. Here, we combined the use of short- and long-read data to explore the diversity and evolution of satDNA between individuals of the same species and between genera of birds spanning ~40 millions of years of bird evolution using birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae) and crow (Corvus) species. These avian species highlighted the presence of a GC-rich Corvoidea satellitome composed of 61 satellite families and provided a set of candidate satDNA monomers for being centromeric on the basis of length, abundance, homogeneity and transcription. Surprisingly, we found that the satDNA of crow species rapidly diverged between closely related species while the satDNA appeared more similar between birds-of-paradise species belonging to different genera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Peona
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Verena E Kutschera
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Mozes P K Blom
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.,Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences-Organisms and the Environment, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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41
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Burley JT, Orzechowski SCM, Sin SYW, Edwards SV. Whole-genome phylogeography of the blue-faced honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) and discovery and characterization of a neo-Z chromosome. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1248-1270. [PMID: 35797346 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Whole-genome surveys of genetic diversity and geographic variation often yield unexpected discoveries of novel structural variation, which long-read DNA sequencing can help clarify. Here, we report on whole-genome phylogeography of a bird exhibiting classic vicariant geographies across Australia and New Guinea, the blue-faced honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis), and the discovery and characterization of a novel neo-Z chromosome by long-read sequencing. Using short-read genome-wide SNPs, we inferred population divergence events within E. cyanotis across the Carpentarian and other biogeographic barriers during the Pleistocene (~0.3-1.7 Ma). Evidence for introgression between nonsister populations supports a hypothesis of reticulate evolution around a triad of dynamic barriers around Pleistocene Lake Carpentaria between Australia and New Guinea. During this phylogeographic survey, we discovered a large (134 Mbp) neo-Z chromosome and we explored its diversity, divergence and introgression landscape. We show that, as in some sylvioid passerine birds, a fusion occurred between chromosome 5 and the Z chromosome to form a neo-Z chromosome; and in E. cyanotis, the ancestral pseudoautosomal region (PAR) appears nonrecombinant between Z and W, along with most of the fused chromosome 5. The added recombination-suppressed portion of the neo-Z (~37.2 Mbp) displays reduced diversity and faster population genetic differentiation compared with the ancestral-Z. Yet, the new PAR (~17.4 Mbp) shows elevated diversity and reduced differentiation compared to autosomes, potentially resulting from introgression. In our case, long-read sequencing helped clarify the genomic landscape of population divergence on autosomes and sex chromosomes in a species where prior knowledge of genome structure was still incomplete.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Burley
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Ecology Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.,Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - Simon Yung Wa Sin
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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42
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Yuan Q, Guo Q, Cao J, Luo X, Duan Y. Description of the Three Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Sitta (S. himalayensis, S. nagaensis, and S. yunnanensis) and Phylogenetic Relationship (Aves: Sittidae). Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030589. [PMID: 36980861 PMCID: PMC10047972 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuthatches (genus Sitta; family Sittidae) are a passerine genus with a predominantly Nearctic and Eurasian distribution. To understand the phylogenetic position of Sitta and phylogenetic relations within this genus, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of three Sitta species (S. himalayensis, S. nagaensis, and S. yunnanensis), which were 16,822–16,830 bp in length and consisted of 37 genes and a control region. This study recovered the same gene arrangement found in the mitogenomes of Gallus gallus, which is considered the typical ancestral avian gene order. All tRNAs were predicted to form the typical cloverleaf secondary structures. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of sequences of 18 species obtained a well-supported topology. The family Sittidae is the sister group of Troglodytidae, and the genus Sitta can be divided into three major clades. We demonstrated the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Sitta (S. carolinensis + ((S. villosa + S. yunnanensis) + (S. himalayensis + (S. europaea + S. nagaensis)))).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingmiao Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Qiang Guo
- Key Laboratory for Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Jing Cao
- Administration of Zixi Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve, Chuxiong 675000, China
| | - Xu Luo
- Key Laboratory for Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Correspondence: authors: (X.L.); (Y.D.)
| | - Yubao Duan
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Correspondence: authors: (X.L.); (Y.D.)
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43
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Minias P, Janiszewski T. Ground nesting in passerine birds: evolution, biogeography and life history correlates. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Dept of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Univ. of Łódź Łódź Poland
| | - Tomasz Janiszewski
- Dept of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Univ. of Łódź Łódź Poland
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44
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Edwards SV, Tonini JFR, Mcinerney N, Welch C, Beerli P. Multilocus phylogeography, population genetics and niche evolution of Australian brown and black-tailed treecreepers (Aves: Climacteris). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2023. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The Carpentarian barrier across north-eastern Australia is a major biogeographic barrier and a generator of biodiversity within the Australian Monsoonal Tropics. Here we present a continent-wide analysis of mitochondrial (control region) and autosomal (14 anonymous loci) sequence and indel variation and niche modelling of brown and black-tailed treecreepers (Climacteris picumnus and Climacteris melanurus), a clade with a classic distribution on either side of the Carpentarian barrier. mtDNA control region sequences exhibited reciprocal monophyly and strong differentiation (Fst = 0.91), and revealed a signature of a recent selective sweep in C. picumnus. A variety of tests support an isolation-with-migration model of divergence, albeit with low levels of gene flow across the Carpentarian barrier and a divergence time between species of ~1.7–2.8 Mya. Palaeoecological niche models show that both range size as measured by available habitat and estimated historical population sizes of both species declined in the past ~600 kyr and that the area of interspecific range overlap was never historically large, perhaps decreasing opportunities for extensive gene flow. The relatively long divergence time and low opportunity for gene flow may have facilitated speciation more so than in other co-distributed bird taxa across the Australian Monsoonal Tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott V Edwards
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University , Cambridge, MA 02138 , USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University , Cambridge, MA 02138 , USA
| | - João F R Tonini
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University , Cambridge, MA 02138 , USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University , Cambridge, MA 02138 , USA
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond , Richmond, VA 23217 , USA
| | - Nancy Mcinerney
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute , NW, Washington, DC 20008 , USA
| | - Corey Welch
- Department of Biology and Burke Museum, University of Washington , Seattle, WA 98195 , USA
- STEM Scholars Program, Student Innovation Center, Iowa State University , Ames, IA 50011 , USA
| | - Peter Beerli
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Florida State University , Tallahassee, FL 32306 , USA
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45
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Osipova E, Barsacchi R, Brown T, Sadanandan K, Gaede AH, Monte A, Jarrells J, Moebius C, Pippel M, Altshuler DL, Winkler S, Bickle M, Baldwin MW, Hiller M. Loss of a gluconeogenic muscle enzyme contributed to adaptive metabolic traits in hummingbirds. Science 2023; 379:185-190. [PMID: 36634192 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn7050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Hummingbirds possess distinct metabolic adaptations to fuel their energy-demanding hovering flight, but the underlying genomic changes are largely unknown. Here, we generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of the long-tailed hermit and screened for genes that have been specifically inactivated in the ancestral hummingbird lineage. We discovered that FBP2 (fructose-bisphosphatase 2), which encodes a gluconeogenic muscle enzyme, was lost during a time period when hovering flight evolved. We show that FBP2 knockdown in an avian muscle cell line up-regulates glycolysis and enhances mitochondrial respiration, coincident with an increased mitochondria number. Furthermore, genes involved in mitochondrial respiration and organization have up-regulated expression in hummingbird flight muscle. Together, these results suggest that FBP2 loss was likely a key step in the evolution of metabolic muscle adaptations required for true hovering flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Osipova
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.,Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.,Goethe-University, Faculty of Biosciences, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rico Barsacchi
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Tom Brown
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,DRESDEN concept Genome Center, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Keren Sadanandan
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Andrea H Gaede
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Amanda Monte
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Julia Jarrells
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Claudia Moebius
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Pippel
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Sylke Winkler
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,DRESDEN concept Genome Center, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marc Bickle
- Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maude W Baldwin
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Michael Hiller
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.,Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.,Goethe-University, Faculty of Biosciences, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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46
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A near-complete and time-calibrated phylogeny of the Old World flycatchers, robins and chats (Aves, Muscicapidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 178:107646. [PMID: 36265831 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The Old World flycatchers, robins and chats (Aves, Muscicapidae) are a diverse songbird family with over three hundred species. Despite continuous efforts over the past two decades, there is still no comprehensive and well-resolved species-level phylogeny for Muscicapidae. Here we present a supermatrix phylogeny that includes all 50 currently recognized genera and ca. 92% of all the species, built using data from up to 15 mitochondrial and 13 nuclear loci. In addition to assembling nucleotide sequences available in public databases, we also extracted sequences from the genome assemblies and raw sequencing reads from GenBank and included a few unpublished sequences. Our analyses resolved the phylogenetic position for several previously unsampled taxa, for example, the Grand Comoro Flycatcher Humblotia flavirostris, the Collared Palm Thrush Cichladusa arquata, and the Taiwan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus insularis, etc. We also provide taxonomic recommendations for genera that exhibit paraphyly or polyphyly. Our results suggest that Muscicapidae diverged from Turdidae (thrushes and allies) in the early Miocene, and the most recent common ancestors for the four subfamilies (Muscicapinae, Niltavinae, Cossyphinae and Saxicolinae) all arose around the middle Miocene.
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47
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Mitogenomic Codon Usage Patterns of Superfamily Certhioidea (Aves, Passeriformes): Insights into Asymmetrical Bias and Phylogenetic Implications. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010096. [PMID: 36611705 PMCID: PMC9817927 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The superfamily Certhioidea currently comprises five families. Due to the rapid diversification, the phylogeny of Certhioidea is still controversial. The advent of next generation sequencing provides a unique opportunity for a mitogenome-wide study. Here, we first provided six new complete mitogenomes of Certhioidea (Certhia americana, C. familiaris, Salpornis spilonota, Cantorchilus leucotis, Pheugopedius coraya, and Pheugopedius genibarbis). We further paid attention to the genomic characteristics, codon usages, evolutionary rates, and phylogeny of the Certhioidea mitogenomes. All mitogenomes we analyzed displayed typical ancestral avian gene order with 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and one control region (CR). Our study indicated the strand-biased compositional asymmetry might shape codon usage preferences in mitochondrial genes. In addition, natural selection might be the main factor in shaping the codon usages of genes. Additionally, evolutionary rate analyses indicated all mitochondrial genes were under purifying selection. Moreover, MT-ATP8 and MT-CO1 were the most rapidly evolving gene and conserved genes, respectively. According to our mitophylogenetic analyses, the monophylies of Troglodytidae and Sittidae were strongly supported. Importantly, we suggest that Salpornis should be separated from Certhiidae and put into Salpornithidae to maintain the monophyly of Certhiidae. Our findings are useful for further evolutionary studies within Certhioidea.
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Environmental signal in the evolutionary diversification of bird skeletons. Nature 2022; 611:306-311. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05372-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Schmitt CJ, Edwards SV. Passerine birds. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1149-R1154. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Sigeman H, Zhang H, Ali Abed S, Hansson B. A novel neo-sex chromosome in Sylvietta brachyura (Macrosphenidae) adds to the extraordinary avian sex chromosome diversity among Sylvioidea songbirds. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1797-1805. [PMID: 36156325 PMCID: PMC10087220 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We report the discovery of a novel neo-sex chromosome in an African warbler, Sylvietta brachyura (northern crombec; Macrosphenidae). This species is part of the Sylvioidea superfamily, where four separate autosome-sex chromosome translocation events have previously been discovered via comparative genomics of 11 of the 22 families in this clade. Our discovery here resulted from analyses of genomic data of single species-representatives from three additional Sylvioidea families (Macrosphenidae, Pycnonotidae and Leiothrichidae). In all three species, we confirmed the translocation of a part of chromosome 4A to the sex chromosomes, which originated basally in Sylvioidea. In S. brachyura, we found that a part of chromosome 8 has been translocated to the sex chromosomes, forming a unique neo-sex chromosome in this lineage. Furthermore, the non-recombining part of 4A in S. brachyura is smaller than in other Sylvioidea species, which suggests that recombination continued along this region after the fusion event in the Sylvioidea ancestor. These findings reveal additional sex chromosome diversity among the Sylvioidea, where five separate translocation events are now confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Sigeman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Hongkai Zhang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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