1
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Crichton AI, Beck RMD, Couzens AMC, Worthy TH, Camens AB, Prideaux GJ. A probable koala from the Oligocene of central Australia provides insights into early diprotodontian evolution. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14521. [PMID: 37666885 PMCID: PMC10477348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41471-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Diprotodontians are the morphologically and ecologically most diverse order of marsupials. However, an approximately 30-million-year gap in the Australian terrestrial vertebrate fossil record means that the first half of diprotodontian evolution is unknown. Fossil taxa from immediately either side of this gap are therefore critical for reconstructing the early evolution of the order. Here we report the likely oldest-known koala relatives (Phascolarctidae), from the late Oligocene Pwerte Marnte Marnte Local Fauna (central Australia). These include coeval species of Madakoala and Nimiokoala, as well as a new probable koala (?Phascolarctidae). The new taxon, Lumakoala blackae gen. et sp. nov., was comparable in size to the smallest-known phascolarctids, with body-mass estimates of 2.2-2.6 kg. Its bunoselenodont upper molars retain the primitive metatherian condition of a continuous centrocrista, and distinct stylar cusps B and D which lacked occlusion with the hypoconid. This structural arrangement: (1) suggests a morphocline within Phascolarctidae from bunoselenodonty to selenodonty; and (2) better clarifies the evolutionary transitions between molar morphologies within Vombatomorphia. We hypothesize that the molar form of Lumakoala blackae approximates the ancestral condition of the suborder Vombatiformes. Furthermore, it provides a plausible link between diprotodontians and the putative polydolopimorphians Chulpasia jimthorselli and Thylacotinga bartholomaii from the early Eocene Tingamarra Local Fauna (eastern Australia), which we infer as having molar morphologies consistent with stem diprotodontians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur I Crichton
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, 5042, Australia.
| | - Robin M D Beck
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, England
| | - Aidan M C Couzens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Trevor H Worthy
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, 5042, Australia
| | - Aaron B Camens
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, 5042, Australia
| | - Gavin J Prideaux
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, 5042, Australia
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2
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Beck RM, Voss RS, Jansa SA. Craniodental Morphology and Phylogeny of Marsupials. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 2022. [DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090.457.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M.D. Beck
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment University of Salford, U.K. School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales, Australia Division of Vertebrate Zoology (Mammalogy) American Museum of Natural History
| | - Robert S. Voss
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology (Mammalogy) American Museum of Natural History
| | - Sharon A. Jansa
- Bell Museum and Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota
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3
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Feng S, Bai M, Rivas-González I, Li C, Liu S, Tong Y, Yang H, Chen G, Xie D, Sears KE, Franco LM, Gaitan-Espitia JD, Nespolo RF, Johnson WE, Yang H, Brandies PA, Hogg CJ, Belov K, Renfree MB, Helgen KM, Boomsma JJ, Schierup MH, Zhang G. Incomplete lineage sorting and phenotypic evolution in marsupials. Cell 2022; 185:1646-1660.e18. [PMID: 35447073 PMCID: PMC9200472 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) makes ancestral genetic polymorphisms persist during rapid speciation events, inducing incongruences between gene trees and species trees. ILS has complicated phylogenetic inference in many lineages, including hominids. However, we lack empirical evidence that ILS leads to incongruent phenotypic variation. Here, we performed phylogenomic analyses to show that the South American monito del monte is the sister lineage of all Australian marsupials, although over 31% of its genome is closer to the Diprotodontia than to other Australian groups due to ILS during ancient radiation. Pervasive conflicting phylogenetic signals across the whole genome are consistent with some of the morphological variation among extant marsupials. We detected hundreds of genes that experienced stochastic fixation during ILS, encoding the same amino acids in non-sister species. Using functional experiments, we confirm how ILS may have directly contributed to hemiplasy in morphological traits that were established during rapid marsupial speciation ca. 60 mya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohong Feng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Ming Bai
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | | | - Cai Li
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | | | - Yijie Tong
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei 071001, China; Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Building 1, No. 7 Yiju Road, Yazhou District, Sanya, Hainan 572024, China
| | - Haidong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Guangji Chen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Duo Xie
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lida M Franco
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad de Ibagué, Carrera 22 Calle 67, Ibagué, Colombia
| | - Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Roberto F Nespolo
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia 5090000, Chile; Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6513677, Chile; Millenium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile; Millennium Nucleus of Patagonian Limit of Life (LiLi), Valdivia, Chile
| | - Warren E Johnson
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remont Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA; The Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Rd., Suitland, MD 20746-2863, USA; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Parice A Brandies
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Carolyn J Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Marilyn B Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jacobus J Boomsma
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, Universitetsparken 15, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Guojie Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Villum Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, Universitetsparken 15, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
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4
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Melstrom KM, Angielczyk KD, Ritterbush KA, Irmis RB. The limits of convergence: the roles of phylogeny and dietary ecology in shaping non-avian amniote crania. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:202145. [PMID: 34540239 PMCID: PMC8441121 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Cranial morphology is remarkably varied in living amniotes and the diversity of shapes is thought to correspond with feeding ecology, a relationship repeatedly demonstrated at smaller phylogenetic scales, but one that remains untested across amniote phylogeny. Using a combination of morphometric methods, we investigate the links between phylogenetic relationships, diet and skull shape in an expansive dataset of extant toothed amniotes: mammals, lepidosaurs and crocodylians. We find that both phylogeny and dietary ecology have statistically significant effects on cranial shape. The three major clades largely partition morphospace with limited overlap. Dietary generalists often occupy clade-specific central regions of morphospace. Some parallel changes in cranial shape occur in clades with distinct evolutionary histories but similar diets. However, members of a given clade often present distinct cranial shape solutions for a given diet, and the vast majority of species retain the unique aspects of their ancestral skull plan, underscoring the limits of morphological convergence due to ecology in amniotes. These data demonstrate that certain cranial shapes may provide functional advantages suited to particular dietary ecologies, but accounting for both phylogenetic history and ecology can provide a more nuanced approach to inferring the ecology and functional morphology of cryptic or extinct amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keegan M. Melstrom
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 W Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0102, USA
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1214, USA
| | - Kenneth D. Angielczyk
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA
| | - Kathleen A. Ritterbush
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0102, USA
| | - Randall B. Irmis
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0102, USA
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1214, USA
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5
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Ingles ED, Deakin JE. Telomeres, species differences, and unusual telomeres in vertebrates: presenting challenges and opportunities to understanding telomere dynamics. AIMS GENETICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3934/genet.2016.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThere has been increasing interest in the use of telomeres as biomarkers of stress, cellular ageing and life-histories. However, the telomere landscape is a diverse feature, with noticeable differences between species, a fact which is highlighted by the unusual telomeres of various vertebrate organisms. We broadly review differences in telomere dynamics among vertebrates, and emphasize the need to understand more about telomere processes and trends across species. As part of these species differences, we review unusual telomeres in vertebrates. This includes mega-telomeres, which are present across a diverse set of organisms, but also focusing on the unusual telomeres traits of marsupials and monotremes, which have seen little to no prior discussion, yet uniquely stand out from other unusual telomere features discovered thus far. Due to the presence of at least two unique telomere features in the marsupial family Dasyuridae, as well as to the presence of physiological strategies semelparity and torpor, which have implications for telomere life-histories in these species, we suggest that this family has a very large potential to uncover novel information on telomere evolution and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emory D. Ingles
- Institute of Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Janine E. Deakin
- Institute of Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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6
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Marin J, Achaz G, Crombach A, Lambert A. The genomic view of diversification. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1387-1404. [PMID: 32654283 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The process of species diversification is traditionally summarized by a single tree, the species tree, whose reconstruction from molecular data is hindered by frequent conflicts between gene genealogies. Here, we argue that instead of seeing these conflicts as nuisances, we can exploit them to inform the diversification process itself. We adopt a gene-based view of diversification to model the ubiquitous presence of gene flow between diverging lineages, one of the most important processes explaining disagreements among gene trees. We propose a new framework for modelling the joint evolution of gene and species lineages relaxing the hierarchy between the species tree and gene trees inherent to the standard view, as embodied in a popular model known as the multispecies coalescent (MSC). We implement this framework in two alternative models called the gene-based diversification models (GBD): (a) GBD-forward following all evolving genomes through time and (b) GBD-backward based on coalescent theory. They feature four parameters tuning colonization, gene flow, genetic drift and genetic differentiation. We propose an inference method based on differences between gene trees. Applied to two empirical data sets prone to gene flow, we find better support for the GBD-backward model than for the MSC model. Along with the increasing awareness of the extent of gene flow, this work shows the importance of considering the richer signal contained in genomic histories, rather than in the mere species tree, to better apprehend the complex evolutionary history of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Marin
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Achaz
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,UMR 7206 Eco-anthropologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Anton Crombach
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,Inria, Lyon Antenne La Doua, Villeurbanne, France.,INSA-Lyon, LIRIS, UMR 5205, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Amaury Lambert
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Probabilités, Statistique et Modélisation (LPSM), CNRS UMR 8001, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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7
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Abello MA, Candela AM. Paleobiology of Argyrolagus (Marsupialia, Argyrolagidae): an astonishing case of bipedalism among South American mammals. J MAMM EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-019-09470-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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8
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Eldridge MDB, Beck RMD, Croft DA, Travouillon KJ, Fox BJ. An emerging consensus in the evolution, phylogeny, and systematics of marsupials and their fossil relatives (Metatheria). J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark D B Eldridge
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robin M D Beck
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Darin A Croft
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Barry J Fox
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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9
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Feigin CY, Newton AH, Doronina L, Schmitz J, Hipsley CA, Mitchell KJ, Gower G, Llamas B, Soubrier J, Heider TN, Menzies BR, Cooper A, O'Neill RJ, Pask AJ. Genome of the Tasmanian tiger provides insights into the evolution and demography of an extinct marsupial carnivore. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 2:182-192. [PMID: 29230027 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0417-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The Tasmanian tiger or thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was the largest carnivorous Australian marsupial to survive into the modern era. Despite last sharing a common ancestor with the eutherian canids ~160 million years ago, their phenotypic resemblance is considered the most striking example of convergent evolution in mammals. The last known thylacine died in captivity in 1936 and many aspects of the evolutionary history of this unique marsupial apex predator remain unknown. Here we have sequenced the genome of a preserved thylacine pouch young specimen to clarify the phylogenetic position of the thylacine within the carnivorous marsupials, reconstruct its historical demography and examine the genetic basis of its convergence with canids. Retroposon insertion patterns placed the thylacine as the basal lineage in Dasyuromorphia and suggest incomplete lineage sorting in early dasyuromorphs. Demographic analysis indicated a long-term decline in genetic diversity starting well before the arrival of humans in Australia. In spite of their extraordinary phenotypic convergence, comparative genomic analyses demonstrated that amino acid homoplasies between the thylacine and canids are largely consistent with neutral evolution. Furthermore, the genes and pathways targeted by positive selection differ markedly between these species. Together, these findings support models of adaptive convergence driven primarily by cis-regulatory evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Y Feigin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Axel H Newton
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Liliya Doronina
- Institute of Experimental Pathology (ZMBE), University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jürgen Schmitz
- Institute of Experimental Pathology (ZMBE), University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christy A Hipsley
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kieren J Mitchell
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Graham Gower
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bastien Llamas
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Julien Soubrier
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Thomas N Heider
- Institute for Systems Genomics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Brandon R Menzies
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alan Cooper
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Rachel J O'Neill
- Institute for Systems Genomics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Andrew J Pask
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. .,Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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10
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The evolution of the macrophage-specific enhancer (Fms intronic regulatory element) within the CSF1R locus of vertebrates. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17115. [PMID: 29215000 PMCID: PMC5719456 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15999-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Csf1r locus encodes the receptor for macrophage colony-stimulating factor, which controls the proliferation, differentiation and survival of macrophages. The 300 bp Fms intronic regulatory element (FIRE), within the second intron of Csf1r, is necessary and sufficient to direct macrophage-specific transcription. We have analysed the conservation and divergence of the FIRE DNA sequence in vertebrates. FIRE is present in the same location in the Csf1r locus in reptile, avian and mammalian genomes. Nearest neighbor analysis based upon this element alone largely recapitulates phylogenies inferred from much larger genomic sequence datasets. One core element, containing binding sites for AP1 family and the macrophage-specific transcription factor, PU.1, is conserved from lizards to humans. Around this element, the FIRE sequence is conserved within clades with the most conserved elements containing motifs for known myeloid-expressed transcription factors. Conversely, there is little alignment between clades outside the AP1/PU.1 element. The analysis favours a hybrid between “enhanceosome” and “smorgasbord” models of enhancer function, in which elements cooperate to bind components of the available transcription factor milieu.
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11
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Kealy S, Beck R. Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia). BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:240. [PMID: 29202687 PMCID: PMC5715987 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1090-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The order Dasyuromorphia is a diverse radiation of faunivorous marsupials, comprising >80 modern species in Australia and New Guinea. It includes dasyurids, the numbat (the myrmecobiid Myrmecobius fasciatus) and the recently extinct thylacine (the thylacinid Thylacinus cyncocephalus). There is also a diverse fossil record of dasyuromorphians and "dasyuromorphian-like" taxa known from Australia. We present the first total evidence phylogenetic analyses of the order, based on combined morphological and molecular data (including a novel set of 115 postcranial characters), to resolve relationships and calculate divergence dates. We use this information to analyse the diversification dynamics of modern dasyuromorphians. RESULTS Our morphology-only analyses are poorly resolved, but our molecular and total evidence analyses confidently resolve most relationships within the order, and are strongly congruent with recent molecular studies. Thylacinidae is the first family to diverge within the order, and there is strong support for four tribes within Dasyuridae (Dasyurini, Phascogalini, Planigalini and Sminthopsini). Among fossil taxa, Ankotarinja and Keeuna do not appear to be members of Dasyuromorphia, whilst Barinya and Mutpuracinus are of uncertain relationships within the order. Divergence dates calculated using total evidence tip-and-node dating are younger than both molecular node-dating and total evidence tip-dating, but appear more congruent with the fossil record and are relatively insensitive to calibration strategy. The tip-and-node divergence dates indicate that Dasyurini, Phascogalini and Sminthopsini began to radiate almost simultaneously during the middle-to-late Miocene (11.5-13.1 MYA; composite 95% HPD: 9.5-15.9 MYA); the median estimates for these divergences are shortly after a drop in global temperatures (the middle Miocene Climatic Transition), and coincide with a faunal turnover event in the mammalian fossil record of Australia. Planigalini radiated much later, during the latest Miocene to earliest Pliocene (6.5 MYA; composite 95% HPD: 4.4-8.9 MYA); the median estimates for these divergences coincide with an increase in grass pollen in the Australian palynological record that suggests the development of more open habitats, which are preferred by modern planigale species. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide a phylogenetic and temporal framework for interpreting the evolution of modern and fossil dasyuromorphians, but future progress will require a much improved fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimona Kealy
- Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Acton, ACT Australia
| | - Robin Beck
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT UK
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12
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Maga AM, Beck RMD. Skeleton of an unusual, cat-sized marsupial relative (Metatheria: Marsupialiformes) from the middle Eocene (Lutetian: 44-43 million years ago) of Turkey. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181712. [PMID: 28813431 PMCID: PMC5559079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a near-complete, three-dimensionally preserved skeleton of a metatherian (relative of modern marsupials) from the middle Eocene (Lutetian: 44–43 million years ago) Lülük member of the Uzunçarşıdere Formation, central Turkey. With an estimated body mass of 3–4 kg, about the size of a domestic cat (Felis catus) or spotted quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), it is an order of magnitude larger than the largest fossil metatherians previously known from the Cenozoic of the northern hemisphere. This new taxon is characterised by large, broad third premolars that probably represent adaptations for hard object feeding (durophagy), and its craniodental morphology suggests the capacity to generate high bite forces. Qualitative and quantitative functional analyses of its postcranial skeleton indicate that it was probably scansorial and relatively agile, perhaps broadly similar in locomotor mode to the spotted quoll, but with a greater capacity for climbing and grasping. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of a total evidence dataset comprising 259 morphological characters and 9kb of DNA sequence data from five nuclear protein-coding genes, using both undated and “tip-and-node dating” approaches, place the new taxon outside the marsupial crown-clade, but within the clade Marsupialiformes. It demonstrates that at least one metatherian lineage evolved to occupy the small-medium, meso- or hypo-carnivore niche in the northern hemisphere during the early Cenozoic, at a time when there were numerous eutherians (placentals and their fossil relatives) filling similar niches. However, the known mammal fauna from Uzunçarşıdere Formation appears highly endemic, and geological evidence suggests that this region of Turkey was an island for at least part of the early Cenozoic, and so the new taxon may have evolved in isolation from potential eutherian competitors. Nevertheless, the new taxon reveals previously unsuspected ecomorphological disparity among northern hemisphere metatherians during the first half of the Cenozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Murat Maga
- Division of Craniofacial Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.,Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.,Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Robin M D Beck
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, Salford, United Kingdom.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Newton AH, Feigin CY, Pask AJ. RUNX2 repeat variation does not drive craniofacial diversity in marsupials. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:110. [PMID: 28472940 PMCID: PMC5418715 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0955-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is a transcription factor essential for skeletal development. Variation within the RUNX2 polyglutamine / polyalanine (QA) repeat is correlated with facial length within orders of placental mammals and is suggested to be a major driver of craniofacial diversity. However, it is not known if this correlation exists outside of the placental mammals. RESULTS Here we examined the correlation between the RUNX2 QA repeat ratio and facial length in the naturally evolving sister group to the placental mammals, the marsupials. Marsupials have a diverse range of facial lengths similar to that seen in placental mammals. Despite their diversity there was almost no variation seen in the RUNX2 QA repeat across individuals spanning the entire marsupial infraclass. The extreme conservation of the marsupial RUNX2 QA repeat indicates it is under strong purifying selection. Despite this, we observed an unexpectedly high level of repeat purity. CONCLUSIONS Unlike within orders of placental mammals, RUNX2 repeat variation cannot drive craniofacial diversity in marsupials. We propose conservation of the marsupial RUNX2 QA repeat is driven by the constraint of accelerated ossification of the anterior skeleton to facilitate life in the pouch. Thus, marsupials must utilize alternate pathways to placental mammals to drive craniofacial evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel H. Newton
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia
| | - Charles Y. Feigin
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia
| | - Andrew J. Pask
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia
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14
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Sánchez-Villagra MR, Forasiepi AM. On the development of the chondrocranium and the histological anatomy of the head in perinatal stages of marsupial mammals. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2017; 3:1. [PMID: 28203388 PMCID: PMC5303607 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-017-0062-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
An overview of the literature on the chondrocranium of marsupial mammals reveals a relative conservatism in shape and structures. We document the histological cranial anatomy of individuals representing Monodelphis domestica, Dromiciops gliroides, Perameles sp. and Macropus eugenii. The marsupial chondrocranium is generally characterized by the great breadth of the lamina basalis, absence of pila metoptica and large otic capsules. Its most anterior portion (cupula nasi anterior) is robust, and anterior to it there are well-developed tactile sensory structures, functionally important in the neonate. Investigations of ossification centers at and around the nasal septum are needed to trace the presence of certain bones (e.g., mesethmoid, parasphenoid) across marsupial taxa. In many adult marsupials, the tympanic floor is formed by at least three bones: alisphenoid (alisphenoid tympanic process), ectotympanic and petrosal (rostral and caudal tympanic processes); the squamosal also contributes in some diprotodontians. The presence of an entotympanic in marsupials has not been convincingly demonstrated. The tubal element surrounding the auditory tube in most marsupials is fibrous connective tissue rather than cartilage; the latter is the case in most placentals recorded to date. However, we detected fibrocartilage in a late juvenile of Dromiciops, and a similar tissue has been reported for Tarsipes. Contradictory reports on the presence of the tegmen tympani can be found in the literature. We describe a small tegmen tympani in Macropus. Several heterochronic shifts in the timing of development of the chondocranium and associated structures (e.g., nerves, muscles) and in the ossification sequence have been interpreted as largely being influenced by functional requirements related to the altriciality of the newborn marsupial during early postnatal life. Comparative studies of chondocranial development of mammals can benefit from a solid phylogenetic framework, research on non-classical model organisms, and integration with imaging and sectional data derived from computer-tomography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum der Universität Zürich, Karl Schmid Strasse 4, Zürich, 8006 Switzerland
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15
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Dos Santos SE, Porfirio J, da Cunha FB, Manger PR, Tavares W, Pessoa L, Raghanti MA, Sherwood CC, Herculano-Houzel S. Cellular Scaling Rules for the Brains of Marsupials: Not as "Primitive" as Expected. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2017; 89:48-63. [PMID: 28125804 DOI: 10.1159/000452856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the effort to understand the evolution of mammalian brains, we have found that common relationships between brain structure mass and numbers of nonneuronal (glial and vascular) cells apply across eutherian mammals, but brain structure mass scales differently with numbers of neurons across structures and across primate and nonprimate clades. This suggests that the ancestral scaling rules for mammalian brains are those shared by extant nonprimate eutherians - but do these scaling relationships apply to marsupials, a sister group to eutherians that diverged early in mammalian evolution? Here we examine the cellular composition of the brains of 10 species of marsupials. We show that brain structure mass scales with numbers of nonneuronal cells, and numbers of cerebellar neurons scale with numbers of cerebral cortical neurons, comparable to what we have found in eutherians. These shared scaling relationships are therefore indicative of mechanisms that have been conserved since the first therians. In contrast, while marsupials share with nonprimate eutherians the scaling of cerebral cortex mass with number of neurons, their cerebella have more neurons than nonprimate eutherian cerebella of a similar mass, and their rest of brain has fewer neurons than eutherian structures of a similar mass. Moreover, Australasian marsupials exhibit ratios of neurons in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum over the rest of the brain, comparable to artiodactyls and primates. Our results suggest that Australasian marsupials have diverged from the ancestral Theria neuronal scaling rules, and support the suggestion that the scaling of average neuronal cell size with increasing numbers of neurons varies in evolution independently of the allocation of neurons across structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra E Dos Santos
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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16
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Kear BP, Aplin KP, Westerman M. Bandicoot fossils and DNA elucidate lineage antiquity amongst xeric-adapted Australasian marsupials. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37537. [PMID: 27881865 PMCID: PMC5121598 DOI: 10.1038/srep37537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bandicoots (Peramelemorphia) are a unique order of Australasian marsupials whose sparse fossil record has been used as prima facie evidence for climate change coincident faunal turnover. In particular, the hypothesized replacement of ancient rainforest-dwelling extinct lineages by antecedents of xeric-tolerant extant taxa during the late Miocene (~10 Ma) has been advocated as a broader pattern evident amongst other marsupial clades. Problematically, however, this is in persistent conflict with DNA phylogenies. We therefore determine the pattern and timing of bandicoot evolution using the first combined morphological + DNA sequence dataset of Peramelemorphia. In addition, we document a remarkably archaic new fossil peramelemorphian taxon that inhabited a latest Quaternary mosaic savannah-riparian forest ecosystem on the Aru Islands of Eastern Indonesia. Our phylogenetic analyses reveal that unsuspected dental homoplasy and the detrimental effects of missing data collectively obscure stem bandicoot relationships. Nevertheless, recalibrated molecular clocks and multiple ancestral area optimizations unanimously infer an early diversification of modern xeric-adapted forms. These probably originated during the late Palaeogene (30-40 Ma) alongside progenitors of other desert marsupials, and thus occupied seasonally dry heterogenous habitats long before the onset of late Neogene aridity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Kear
- Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 16, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ken P Aplin
- Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box. 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
| | - Michael Westerman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
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17
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Beck RMD. The Skull of Epidolops ameghinoi from the Early Eocene Itaboraí Fauna, Southeastern Brazil, and the Affinities of the Extinct Marsupialiform Order Polydolopimorphia. J MAMM EVOL 2016; 24:373-414. [PMID: 29187780 PMCID: PMC5684316 DOI: 10.1007/s10914-016-9357-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The skull of the polydolopimorphian marsupialiform Epidolops ameghinoi is described in detail for the first time, based on a single well-preserved cranium and associated left and right dentaries plus additional craniodental fragments, all from the early Eocene (53–50 million year old) Itaboraí fauna in southeastern Brazil. Notable craniodental features of E. ameghinoi include absence of a masseteric process, very small maxillopalatine fenestrae, a prominent pterygoid fossa enclosed laterally by a prominent ectopterygoid crest, an absent or tiny transverse canal foramen, a simple, planar glenoid fossa, and a postglenoid foramen that is immediately posterior to the postglenoid process. Most strikingly, the floor of the hypotympanic sinus was apparently unossified, a feature found in several stem marsupials but absent in all known crown marsupials. “Type II” marsupialiform petrosals previously described from Itaboraí plausibly belong to E. ameghinoi; in published phylogenetic analyses, these petrosals fell outside (crown-clade) Marsupialia. “IMG VII” tarsals previously referred to E. ameghinoi do not share obvious synapomorphies with any crown marsupial clade, nor do they resemble those of the only other putative polydolopimorphians represented by tarsal remains, namely the argyrolagids. Most studies have placed Polydolopimorphia within Marsupialia, related to either Paucituberculata, or to Microbiotheria and Diprotodontia. However, diprotodonty almost certainly evolved independently in polydolopimorphians, paucituberculatans and diprotodontians, and Epidolops does not share obvious synapomorphies with any marsupial order. Epidolops is dentally specialized, but several morphological features appear to be more plesiomorphic than any crown marsupial. It seems likely Epidolops that falls outside Marsupialia, as do morphologically similar forms such as Bonapartherium and polydolopids. Argyrolagids differ markedly in their known morphology from Epidolops but share some potential apomorphies with paucituberculatans. It is proposed that Polydolopimorphia as currently recognised is polyphyletic, and that argyrolagids (and possibly other taxa currently included in Argyrolagoidea, such as groeberiids and patagoniids) are members of Paucituberculata. This hypothesis is supported by Bayesian non-clock phylogenetic analyses of a total evidence matrix comprising DNA sequence data from five nuclear protein-coding genes, indels, retroposon insertions, and morphological characters: Epidolops falls outside Marsupialia, whereas argyrolagids form a clade with the paucituberculatans Caenolestes and Palaeothentes, regardless of whether the Type II petrosals and IMG VII tarsals are used to score characters for Epidolops or not. There is no clear evidence for the presence of crown marsupials at Itaboraí, and it is possible that the origin and early evolution of Marsupialia was restricted to the “Austral Kingdom” (southern South America, Antarctica, and Australia).
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin M. D. Beck
- School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, M5 4WT, Manchester, UK
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
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Wheeler LC, Donor MT, Prell JS, Harms MJ. Multiple Evolutionary Origins of Ubiquitous Cu2+ and Zn2+ Binding in the S100 Protein Family. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164740. [PMID: 27764152 PMCID: PMC5072561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The S100 proteins are a large family of signaling proteins that play critical roles in biology and disease. Many S100 proteins bind Zn2+, Cu2+, and/or Mn2+ as part of their biological functions; however, the evolutionary origins of binding remain obscure. One key question is whether divalent transition metal binding is ancestral, or instead arose independently on multiple lineages. To tackle this question, we combined phylogenetics with biophysical characterization of modern S100 proteins. We demonstrate an earlier origin for established S100 subfamilies than previously believed, and reveal that transition metal binding is widely distributed across the tree. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we found that Cu2+ and Zn2+ binding are common features of the family: the full breadth of human S100 paralogs-as well as two early-branching S100 proteins found in the tunicate Oikopleura dioica-bind these metals with μM affinity and stoichiometries ranging from 1:1 to 3:1 (metal:protein). While binding is consistent across the tree, structural responses to binding are quite variable. Further, mutational analysis and structural modeling revealed that transition metal binding occurs at different sites in different S100 proteins. This is consistent with multiple origins of transition metal binding over the evolution of this protein family. Our work reveals an evolutionary pattern in which the overall phenotype of binding is a constant feature of S100 proteins, even while the site and mechanism of binding is evolutionarily labile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C. Wheeler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
- Institute for Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
| | - Micah T. Donor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
| | - James S. Prell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Harms
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
- Institute for Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
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Gallus S, Lammers F, Nilsson MA. When Genomics Is Not Enough: Experimental Evidence for a Decrease in LINE-1 Activity During the Evolution of Australian Marsupials. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:2406-12. [PMID: 27389686 PMCID: PMC5010896 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The autonomous transposable element LINE-1 is a highly abundant element that makes up between 15% and 20% of therian mammal genomes. Since their origin before the divergence of marsupials and placental mammals, LINE-1 elements have contributed actively to the genome landscape. A previous in silico screen of the Tasmanian devil genome revealed a lack of functional coding LINE-1 sequences. In this study we present the results of an in vitro analysis from a partial LINE-1 reverse transcriptase coding sequence in five marsupial species. Our experimental screen supports the in silico findings of the genome-wide degradation of LINE-1 sequences in the Tasmanian devil, and identifies a high frequency of degraded LINE-1 sequences in other Australian marsupials. The comparison between the experimentally obtained LINE-1 sequences and reference genome assemblies suggests that conclusions from in silico analyses of retrotransposition activity can be influenced by incomplete genome assemblies from short reads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Gallus
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft fuer Naturforschung, Senckenberg Anlage 25, Frankfurt, Germany Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt Am Main, Max-von-Laue Straβe 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Fritjof Lammers
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft fuer Naturforschung, Senckenberg Anlage 25, Frankfurt, Germany Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt Am Main, Max-von-Laue Straβe 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maria Anna Nilsson
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft fuer Naturforschung, Senckenberg Anlage 25, Frankfurt, Germany
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Solís-Lemus C, Yang M, Ané C. Inconsistency of Species Tree Methods under Gene Flow. Syst Biol 2016; 65:843-51. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syw030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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