1
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Berv JS, Singhal S, Field DJ, Walker-Hale N, McHugh SW, Shipley JR, Miller ET, Kimball RT, Braun EL, Dornburg A, Parins-Fukuchi CT, Prum RO, Winger BM, Friedman M, Smith SA. Genome and life-history evolution link bird diversification to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadp0114. [PMID: 39083615 PMCID: PMC11290531 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp0114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Complex patterns of genome evolution associated with the end-Cretaceous [Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg)] mass extinction limit our understanding of the early evolutionary history of modern birds. Here, we analyzed patterns of avian molecular evolution and identified distinct macroevolutionary regimes across exons, introns, untranslated regions, and mitochondrial genomes. Bird clades originating near the K-Pg boundary exhibited numerous shifts in the mode of molecular evolution, suggesting a burst of genomic heterogeneity at this point in Earth's history. These inferred shifts in substitution patterns were closely related to evolutionary shifts in developmental mode, adult body mass, and patterns of metabolic scaling. Our results suggest that the end-Cretaceous mass extinction triggered integrated patterns of evolution across avian genomes, physiology, and life history near the dawn of the modern bird radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S. Berv
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 North University Avenue, Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, 1105 North University Avenue, Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 1105 North University Avenue, Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sonal Singhal
- Department of Biology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA
| | - 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
| | - Nathanael Walker-Hale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Sean W. McHugh
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Population Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - J. Ryan Shipley
- Department of Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Eliot T. Miller
- Center for Avian Population Studies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Rebecca T. Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Edward L. Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Alex Dornburg
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - C. Tomomi Parins-Fukuchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Richard O. Prum
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Benjamin M. Winger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 North University Avenue, Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 1105 North University Avenue, Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Matt Friedman
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, 1105 North University Avenue, Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, 1100 North University Avenue, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Stephen A. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 North University Avenue, Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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2
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Musser G, Clarke JA. A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0278737. [PMID: 39078833 PMCID: PMC11288464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite making up one of the most ecologically diverse groups of living birds, comprising soaring, diving and giant flightless taxa, the evolutionary relationships and ecological evolution of Anseriformes (waterfowl) remain unresolved. Although Anseriformes have a comparatively rich, global Cretaceous and Paleogene fossil record, morphological datasets for this group that include extinct taxa report conflicting relationships for all known extinct taxa. Correct placement of extinct taxa is necessary to understand whether ancestral anseriform feeding ecology was more terrestrial or one of a set of diverse aquatic ecologies and to better understand avian evolution around the K-T boundary. Here, we present a new morphological dataset for Anseriformes that includes more extant and extinct taxa than any previous anseriform-focused dataset and describe a new anseriform species from the early Eocene Green River Formation of North America. The new taxon has a mediolaterally narrow bill which is rarely found in previously described anseriform fossils. The matrix created to assess the placement of this taxon comprises 41 taxa and 719 discrete morphological characters describing skeletal morphology, musculature, syringeal morphology, ecology, and behavior. We additionally combine the morphological dataset with published sequences using Bayesian methods and perform ancestral state reconstruction for select morphological, ecological and behavioral characters. We recover the new Eocene taxon as the sister taxon to (Anseranatidae+Anatidae) across all analyses, and find that the new taxon represents a novel ecology within known Anseriformes and the Green River taxa. Results provide insight into avian evolution during and following the K-Pg mass extinction and indicate that Anseriformes were likely ancestrally aquatic herbivores with rhamphothecal lamellae..
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Musser
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Birds, The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Julia A. Clarke
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
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3
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Li Y, Moritz C, Brennan IG, Zwick A, Nicholls J, Grealy A, Slipinski A. Evolution across the adaptive landscape in a hyperdiverse beetle radiation. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00898-4. [PMID: 39067451 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.080] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The extraordinary diversification of beetles on Earth is a textbook example of adaptive evolution. Yet, the tempo and drivers of this super-radiation remain largely unclear. Here, we address this problem by investigating macroevolutionary dynamics in darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), one of the most ecomorphologically diverse beetle families (with over 30,000 species). Using multiple genomic datasets and analytical approaches, we resolve the long-standing inconsistency over deep relationships in the family. In conjunction with a landmark-based dataset of body shape morphology, we show that the evolutionary history of darkling beetles is marked by ancient rapid radiations, frequent ecological transitions, and rapid bursts of morphological diversification. On a global scale, our analyses uncovered a significant pulse of phenotypic diversification proximal to the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K/Pg) mass extinction and convergence of body shape associated with recurrent ecological specializations. On a regional scale, two major Australasian radiations, the Adeliini and the Heleine clade, exhibited contrasting patterns of ecomorphological diversification, representing phylogenetic niche conservatism versus adaptive radiation. Our findings align with the Simpsonian model of adaptive evolution across the macroevolutionary landscape and highlight a significant role of ecological opportunity in driving the immense ecomorphological diversity in a hyperdiverse beetle group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Li
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Craig Moritz
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Ian G Brennan
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Andreas Zwick
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - James Nicholls
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Alicia Grealy
- Australian National Herbarium, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Adam Slipinski
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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4
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Wang N, Shan C, Chen D, Hu Y, Sun Y, Wang Y, Liang B, Liang W. "Isolation by Gentes with Asymmetric Migration" shapes the genetic structure of the common cuckoo in China. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38872343 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12853] [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] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Amid coevolutionary arms races between brood parasitic birds and their diverse host species, the formation of host-specific races, or gentes, has drawn significant research focus. Nevertheless, numerous questions about gentes evolutionary patterns persist. Here, we investigated the potential for gentes evolution across multiple common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) populations parasitizing diverse host species in China. Using maternal (mitochondrial and W-linked DNA) and biparental (autosomal and Z-linked DNA) markers, we found consistent clustering of cuckoo gentes (rather than geographical populations) into distinct clades in matrilineal gene trees, indicating robust differentiation. In contrast, biparental markers indicated intermixing of all gentes, suggesting asymmetric gene flow regardless of geography. Unlike the mitonuclear discordance commonly resulting from incomplete lineage sorting, adaptive introgression, or demographic disparities, the observed pattern in brood parasitic cuckoos might reflect biased host preferences between sexes. We hereby present the "Isolation by Gentes with Asymmetric Migration" model. According to this model, the maternal line differentiation of the common cuckoo in China is potentially driven by host preferences in females, whereas males maintained the integrity of the cuckoo species through random mating. To achieve this, cuckoo males could perform flexible migration among gentes or engage in early copulation with females before reaching the breeding sites, allowing female cuckoos to store sperm from various gentes. Future studies collecting additional samples from diverse cuckoo gentes with overlapping distribution and investigating the migratory and copulation patterns of each sex would enhance our understanding of sex-biased differentiation among cuckoo populations in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Chengbin Shan
- School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Dan Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yunbiao Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuehua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Bin Liang
- School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
- Inner Mongolia Engineering Technology Research Center of Germplasm Resources Conservation and Utilization, Hohhot, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
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5
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Brownstein CD, Zapfe KL, Lott S, Harrington R, Ghezelayagh A, Dornburg A, Near TJ. Synergistic innovations enabled the radiation of anglerfishes in the deep open ocean. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2541-2550.e4. [PMID: 38788708 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.066] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Major ecological transitions are thought to fuel diversification, but whether they are contingent on the evolution of certain traits called key innovations1 is unclear. Key innovations are routinely invoked to explain how lineages rapidly exploit new ecological opportunities.1,2,3 However, investigations of key innovations often focus on single traits rather than considering trait combinations that collectively produce effects of interest.4 Here, we investigate the evolution of synergistic trait interactions in anglerfishes, which include one of the most species-rich vertebrate clades in the bathypelagic, or "midnight," zone of the deep sea: Ceratioidea.5 Ceratioids are the only vertebrates that possess sexual parasitism, wherein males temporarily attach or permanently fuse to females to mate.6,7 We show that the rapid transition of ancestrally benthic anglerfishes into pelagic habitats occurred during a period of major global warming 50-35 million years ago.8,9 This transition coincided with the origins of sexual parasitism, which is thought to increase the probability of successful reproduction once a mate is found in the midnight zone, Earth's largest habitat.5,6,7 Our reconstruction of the evolutionary history of anglerfishes and the loss of immune genes support that permanently fusing clades have convergently degenerated their adaptive immunity. We find that degenerate adaptive immune genes and sexual body size dimorphism, both variably present in anglerfishes outside the ceratioid radiation, likely promoted their transition into the bathypelagic zone. These results show how traits from separate physiological, morphological, and reproductive systems can interact synergistically to drive major transitions and subsequent diversification in novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase D Brownstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 21 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| | - Katerina L Zapfe
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina Charlotte, 9331 Robert D. Snyder Rd., Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Spencer Lott
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 21 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Richard Harrington
- Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, 217 Ft. Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412-9110, USA
| | - Ava Ghezelayagh
- Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alex Dornburg
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina Charlotte, 9331 Robert D. Snyder Rd., Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Thomas J Near
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 21 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Peabody Museum, Yale University, 21 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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6
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Widrig KE, Navalón G, Field DJ. Paleoneurology of stem palaeognaths clarifies the plesiomorphic condition of the crown bird central nervous system. J Morphol 2024; 285:e21710. [PMID: 38760949 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21710] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Lithornithidae, an assemblage of volant Palaeogene fossil birds, provide our clearest insights into the early evolutionary history of Palaeognathae, the clade that today includes the flightless ratites and volant tinamous. The neotype specimen of Lithornis vulturinus, from the early Eocene (approximately 53 million years ago) of Europe, includes a partial neurocranium that has never been thoroughly investigated. Here, we describe these cranial remains including the nearly complete digital endocasts of the brain and bony labyrinth. The telencephalon of Lithornis is expanded and its optic lobes are ventrally shifted, as is typical for crown birds. The foramen magnum is positioned caudally, rather than flexed ventrally as in some crown birds, with the optic lobes, cerebellum, and foramen magnum shifted further ventrally. The overall brain shape is similar to that of tinamous, the only extant clade of flying palaeognaths, suggesting that several aspects of tinamou neuroanatomy may have been evolutionarily conserved since at least the early Cenozoic. The estimated ratio of the optic lobe's surface area relative to the total brain suggests a diurnal ecology. Lithornis may provide the clearest insights to date into the neuroanatomy of the ancestral crown bird, combining an ancestrally unflexed brain with a caudally oriented connection with the spinal cord, a moderately enlarged telencephalon, and ventrally shifted, enlarged optic lobes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara E Widrig
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Guillermo Navalón
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daniel J Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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7
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Gupta A, Mirarab S, Turakhia Y. Accurate, scalable, and fully automated inference of species trees from raw genome assemblies using ROADIES. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.27.596098. [PMID: 38854139 PMCID: PMC11160643 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.27.596098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Inference of species trees plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of evolutionary relationships and has immense significance for diverse biological and medical applications. Extensive genome sequencing efforts are currently in progress across a broad spectrum of life forms, holding the potential to unravel the intricate branching patterns within the tree of life. However, estimating species trees starting from raw genome sequences is quite challenging, and the current cutting-edge methodologies require a series of error-prone steps that are neither entirely automated nor standardized. In this paper, we present ROADIES, a novel pipeline for species tree inference from raw genome assemblies that is fully automated, easy to use, scalable, free from reference bias, and provides flexibility to adjust the tradeoff between accuracy and runtime. The ROADIES pipeline eliminates the need to align whole genomes, choose a single reference species, or pre-select loci such as functional genes found using cumbersome annotation steps. Moreover, it leverages recent advances in phylogenetic inference to allow multi-copy genes, eliminating the need to detect orthology. Using the genomic datasets released from large-scale sequencing consortia across three diverse life forms (placental mammals, pomace flies, and birds), we show that ROADIES infers species trees that are comparable in quality with the state-of-the-art approaches but in a fraction of the time. By incorporating optimal approaches and automating all steps from assembled genomes to species and gene trees, ROADIES is poised to improve the accuracy, scalability, and reproducibility of phylogenomic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshu Gupta
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego; San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Siavash Mirarab
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego; San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yatish Turakhia
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego; San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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8
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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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9
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Buchmann R, Rodrigues T. Cervical anatomy and its relation to foraging habits in aquatic birds (Aves: Neornithes: Neoaves). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38596909 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25446] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Birds have extremely flexible necks, which help in their search for food. However, studies on the variation in bird cervical anatomy and its relationship with foraging are rare, despite the different habits presented between species. Here, we analyze the anatomy of the neck of aquatic birds and relate it to their foraging strategies. We dissected specimens representing four species of Charadriiformes, 11 species of Phaethoquornithes, and two specimens belonging to the outgroup Telluraves. We chose to emphasize Charadriiformes and Phaethoquornithes because they present several strategies that require cervical mobility and stability. We note that vertebral anatomy and dimensions vary, which affects the shape and size of the soft tissues attached throughout the neck. The synovial cartilage present in the articulatio intercorporalis represents an additional length in the neck, however, this is not longer than that observed in animals with intervertebral discs. Our analysis indicates that birds have a prevalence of dorsoventral movements in the middle of the neck and lateral and rotational movements near the base of the neck, while the region near the head presents a wide range of movement in all directions. Cervical ligaments and muscles throughout the neck provide stability in all segments, although the robustness of the soft tissues indicates that the most caudal portion of the neck is the most stable. The vertebral and soft tissue anatomy is consistent with the extensive mobility in pitching, yaw, and roll movements performed mainly by the head and first segment of the neck during the different foraging of the analyzed birds. Furthermore, the muscles closer to the skull are robust and allow the execution of a variety of habits to capture food in different species. The subsequent cervical segments present differences that explain their reduction in mobility, but they are equally stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Buchmann
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | - Taissa Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
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10
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Mirarab S, Rivas-González I, Feng S, Stiller J, Fang Q, Mai U, Hickey G, Chen G, Brajuka N, Fedrigo O, Formenti G, Wolf JBW, Howe K, Antunes A, Schierup MH, Paten B, Jarvis ED, Zhang G, Braun EL. A region of suppressed recombination misleads neoavian phylogenomics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319506121. [PMID: 38557186 PMCID: PMC11009670 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319506121] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Genomes are typically mosaics of regions with different evolutionary histories. When speciation events are closely spaced in time, recombination makes the regions sharing the same history small, and the evolutionary history changes rapidly as we move along the genome. When examining rapid radiations such as the early diversification of Neoaves 66 Mya, typically no consistent history is observed across segments exceeding kilobases of the genome. Here, we report an exception. We found that a 21-Mb region in avian genomes, mapped to chicken chromosome 4, shows an extremely strong and discordance-free signal for a history different from that of the inferred species tree. Such a strong discordance-free signal, indicative of suppressed recombination across many millions of base pairs, is not observed elsewhere in the genome for any deep avian relationships. Although long regions with suppressed recombination have been documented in recently diverged species, our results pertain to relationships dating circa 65 Mya. We provide evidence that this strong signal may be due to an ancient rearrangement that blocked recombination and remained polymorphic for several million years prior to fixation. We show that the presence of this region has misled previous phylogenomic efforts with lower taxon sampling, showing the interplay between taxon and locus sampling. We predict that similar ancient rearrangements may confound phylogenetic analyses in other clades, pointing to a need for new analytical models that incorporate the possibility of such events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siavash Mirarab
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, San Diego, CA95032
| | | | - Shaohong Feng
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Josefin Stiller
- Section for Ecology & Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, København2100, Denmark
| | - Qi Fang
- BGI-Research, Shenzhen518083, China
| | - Uyen Mai
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, San Diego, CA95032
| | - Glenn Hickey
- Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA96064
| | - Guangji Chen
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Nadolina Brajuka
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY10065
| | - Olivier Fedrigo
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY10065
| | - Giulio Formenti
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY10065
| | - Jochen B. W. Wolf
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität, Munich82152, Germany
| | - Kerstin Howe
- Tree of Life Division, Wellcome Sanger Institute, CambridgeCB10 1RQ, United Kingdom
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto4099-002, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto4099-002, Portugal
| | | | - Benedict Paten
- Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA96064
| | - Erich D. Jarvis
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY10065
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Edward L. Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32611
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11
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Demmel Ferreira MM, Degrange FJ, Tirao GA. Brain surface morphology and ecological and macroevolutionary inferences of avian New World suboscines (Aves, Passeriformes, Tyrannides). J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25617. [PMID: 38629472 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25617] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The New World suboscines (Passeriformes and Tyrannides) are one of the biggest endemic vertebrate radiations in South America, including the families Furnariidae and Tyrannidae. Avian brain morphology is a reliable proxy to study their evolution. The aim of this work is to elucidate whether the brains of these families reflect the ecological differences (e.g., feeding behavior) and to clarify macroevolutionary aspects of their neuroanatomy. Our hypotheses are as follows: Brain size is similar between both families and with other Passeriformes; brain morphology in Tyrannides is the result of the pressure of ecological factors; and brain disparity is low since they share ecological traits. Skulls of Furnariidae and Tyrannidae were micro-computed tomography-scanned, and three-dimensional models of the endocast were generated. Regression analyses were performed between brain volume and body mass. Linear and surface measurements were used to build phylomorphospaces and to calculate the amount of phylogenetic signal. Tyrannidae showed a larger brain disparity than Furnariidae, although it is not shaped by phylogeny in the Tyrannides. Furnariidae present enlarged Wulsts (eminentiae sagittales) but smaller optic lobes, while in Tyrannidae, it is the opposite. This could indicate that in Tyrannides there is a trade-off between the size of these two visual-related brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Manuela Demmel Ferreira
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Federico Javier Degrange
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Germán Alfredo Tirao
- Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (IFEG), Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física (FaMAF), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
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12
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Buchmann R, Rodrigues T. Arthrological reconstructions of the pterosaur neck and their implications for the cervical position at rest. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16884. [PMID: 38406270 PMCID: PMC10893864 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16884] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The lack of any pterosaur living descendants creates gaps in the knowledge of the biology of this group, including its cervical biomechanics, which makes it difficult to understand their posture and life habits. To mitigate part of this issue, we reconstructed the cervical osteology and arthrology of three pterosaurs, allowing us to make inferences about the position of the neck of these animals at rest. We used scans of three-dimensionally preserved cervical series of Anhanguera piscator, Azhdarcho lancicollis and Rhamphorhynchus muensteri for the reconstructions, thus representing different lineages. For the recognition of ligaments, joint cartilages, and levels of overlapping of the zygapophyses, we applied the Extant Phylogenetic Bracket method, based on various extant birds and on Caiman latirostris. We inferred that pterosaur intervertebral joints were probably covered by a thin layer of synovial cartilage whose thickness varied along the neck, being thicker in the posterior region. Ignoring this cartilage can affect reconstructions. According to the vertebral angulation, their neck was slightly sinuous when in rest position. Our analyses also indicate that pterosaurs had segmented and supra-segmented articular cervical ligaments, which could confer stabilization, execute passive forces on the neck and store elastic energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Buchmann
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Taissa Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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13
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Wu S, Rheindt FE, Zhang J, Wang J, Zhang L, Quan C, Li Z, Wang M, Wu F, Qu Y, Edwards SV, Zhou Z, Liu L. Genomes, fossils, and the concurrent rise of modern birds and flowering plants in the Late Cretaceous. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319696121. [PMID: 38346181 PMCID: PMC10895254 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319696121] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The phylogeny and divergence timing of the Neoavian radiation remain controversial despite recent progress. We analyzed the genomes of 124 species across all Neoavian orders, using data from 25,460 loci spanning four DNA classes, including 5,756 coding sequences, 12,449 conserved nonexonic elements, 4,871 introns, and 2,384 intergenic segments. We conducted a comprehensive sensitivity analysis to account for the heterogeneity across different DNA classes, leading to an optimal tree of Neoaves with high resolution. This phylogeny features a novel Neoavian dichotomy comprising two monophyletic clades: a previously recognized Telluraves (land birds) and a newly circumscribed Aquaterraves (waterbirds and relatives). Molecular dating analyses with 20 fossil calibrations indicate that the diversification of modern birds began in the Late Cretaceous and underwent a constant and steady radiation across the KPg boundary, concurrent with the rise of angiosperms as well as other major Cenozoic animal groups including placental and multituberculate mammals. The KPg catastrophe had a limited impact on avian evolution compared to the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, which triggered a rapid diversification of seabirds. Our findings suggest that the evolution of modern birds followed a slow process of gradualism rather than a rapid process of punctuated equilibrium, with limited interruption by the KPg catastrophe. This study places bird evolution into a new context within vertebrates, with ramifications for the evolution of the Earth's biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoyuan Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, Jiangsu International Joint Center of Genomics, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China
| | - Frank E Rheindt
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Computer and Communication Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410114, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, Jiangsu International Joint Center of Genomics, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, Jiangsu International Joint Center of Genomics, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China
| | - Cheng Quan
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Chang'an University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China
| | - Zhiheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Feixiang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Yanhua Qu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Zhonghe Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Statistics, Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30606
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14
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Brownstein CD. A juvenile bird with possible crown-group affinities from a dinosaur-rich Cretaceous ecosystem in North America. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:20. [PMID: 38336630 PMCID: PMC10858573 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02210-9] [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: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Living birds comprise the most speciose and anatomically diverse clade of flying vertebrates, but their poor early fossil record and the lack of resolution around the relationships of the major clades have greatly obscured extant avian origins. RESULTS Here, I describe a Late Cretaceous bird from North America based on a fragmentary skeleton that includes cranial material and portions of the forelimb, hindlimb, and foot and is identified as a juvenile based on bone surface texture. Several features unite this specimen with crown Aves, but its juvenile status precludes the recognition of a distinct taxon. The North American provenance of the specimen supports a cosmopolitan distribution of early crown birds, clashes with the hypothesized southern hemisphere origins of living birds, and demonstrates that crown birds and their closest relatives coexisted with non-avian dinosaurs that independently converged on avian skeletal anatomy, such as the alvarezsaurids and dromaeosaurids. CONCLUSIONS By revealing the ecological and biogeographic context of Cretaceous birds within or near the crown clade, the Lance Formation specimen provides new insights into the contingent nature of crown avian survival through the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction and the subsequent origins of living bird diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase Doran Brownstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- , Stamford, USA.
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15
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Eastment RV, Wong BBM, McGee MD. Convergent genomic signatures associated with vertebrate viviparity. BMC Biol 2024; 22:34. [PMID: 38331819 PMCID: PMC10854053 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01837-w] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viviparity-live birth-is a complex and innovative mode of reproduction that has evolved repeatedly across the vertebrate Tree of Life. Viviparous species exhibit remarkable levels of reproductive diversity, both in the amount of care provided by the parent during gestation, and the ways in which that care is delivered. The genetic basis of viviparity has garnered increasing interest over recent years; however, such studies are often undertaken on small evolutionary timelines, and thus are not able to address changes occurring on a broader scale. Using whole genome data, we investigated the molecular basis of this innovation across the diversity of vertebrates to answer a long held question in evolutionary biology: is the evolution of convergent traits driven by convergent genomic changes? RESULTS We reveal convergent changes in protein family sizes, protein-coding regions, introns, and untranslated regions (UTRs) in a number of distantly related viviparous lineages. Specifically, we identify 15 protein families showing evidence of contraction or expansion associated with viviparity. We additionally identify elevated substitution rates in both coding and noncoding sequences in several viviparous lineages. However, we did not find any convergent changes-be it at the nucleotide or protein level-common to all viviparous lineages. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the value of macroevolutionary comparative genomics in determining the genomic basis of complex evolutionary transitions. While we identify a number of convergent genomic changes that may be associated with the evolution of viviparity in vertebrates, there does not appear to be a convergent molecular signature shared by all viviparous vertebrates. Ultimately, our findings indicate that a complex trait such as viviparity likely evolves with changes occurring in multiple different pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon V Eastment
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia.
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - Matthew D McGee
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
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16
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Cruaud A, Rasplus JY, Zhang J, Burks R, Delvare G, Fusu L, Gumovsky A, Huber JT, Janšta P, Mitroiu MD, Noyes JS, van Noort S, Baker A, Böhmová J, Baur H, Blaimer BB, Brady SG, Bubeníková K, Chartois M, Copeland RS, Dale-Skey Papilloud N, Dal Molin A, Dominguez C, Gebiola M, Guerrieri E, Kresslein RL, Krogmann L, Lemmon E, Murray EA, Nidelet S, Nieves-Aldrey JL, Perry RK, Peters RS, Polaszek A, Sauné L, Torréns J, Triapitsyn S, Tselikh EV, Yoder M, Lemmon AR, Woolley JB, Heraty JM. The Chalcidoidea bush of life: evolutionary history of a massive radiation of minute wasps. Cladistics 2024; 40:34-63. [PMID: 37919831 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chalcidoidea are mostly parasitoid wasps that include as many as 500 000 estimated species. Capturing phylogenetic signal from such a massive radiation can be daunting. Chalcidoidea is an excellent example of a hyperdiverse group that has remained recalcitrant to phylogenetic resolution. We combined 1007 exons obtained with Anchored Hybrid Enrichment with 1048 ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) for 433 taxa including all extant families, >95% of all subfamilies, and 356 genera chosen to represent the vast diversity of the superfamily. Going back and forth between the molecular results and our collective knowledge of morphology and biology, we detected bias in the analyses that was driven by the saturation of nucleotide data. Our final results are based on a concatenated analysis of the least saturated exons and UCE datasets (2054 loci, 284 106 sites). Our analyses support an expected sister relationship with Mymarommatoidea. Seven previously recognized families were not monophyletic, so support for a new classification is discussed. Natural history in some cases would appear to be more informative than morphology, as illustrated by the elucidation of a clade of plant gall associates and a clade of taxa with planidial first-instar larvae. The phylogeny suggests a transition from smaller soft-bodied wasps to larger and more heavily sclerotized wasps, with egg parasitism as potentially ancestral for the entire superfamily. Deep divergences in Chalcidoidea coincide with an increase in insect families in the fossil record, and an early shift to phytophagy corresponds with the beginning of the "Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution". Our dating analyses suggest a middle Jurassic origin of 174 Ma (167.3-180.5 Ma) and a crown age of 162.2 Ma (153.9-169.8 Ma) for Chalcidoidea. During the Cretaceous, Chalcidoidea may have undergone a rapid radiation in southern Gondwana with subsequent dispersals to the Northern Hemisphere. This scenario is discussed with regard to knowledge about the host taxa of chalcid wasps, their fossil record and Earth's palaeogeographic history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Cruaud
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Yves Rasplus
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Junxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Roger Burks
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Gérard Delvare
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Lucian Fusu
- Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania
| | - Alex Gumovsky
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - John T Huber
- Natural Resources Canada, c/o Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Petr Janšta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Entomology, State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - John S Noyes
- Insects Division, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Simon van Noort
- Research and Exhibitions Department, South African Museum, Iziko Museums of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Austin Baker
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Julie Böhmová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hannes Baur
- Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bonnie B Blaimer
- Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Seán G Brady
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kristýna Bubeníková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marguerite Chartois
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Robert S Copeland
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Ana Dal Molin
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Chrysalyn Dominguez
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Marco Gebiola
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Emilio Guerrieri
- Insects Division, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- CNR-Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (CNR-IPSP), National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Robert L Kresslein
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Lars Krogmann
- Department of Entomology, State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Emily Lemmon
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Murray
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Sabine Nidelet
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Ryan K Perry
- Department of Plant Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Ralph S Peters
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Laure Sauné
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Javier Torréns
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja (CRILAR-CONICET), Anillaco, Argentina
| | - Serguei Triapitsyn
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | | | - Matthew Yoder
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Alan R Lemmon
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - James B Woolley
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - John M Heraty
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
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17
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Hunt EP, Willis SC, Conway KW, Portnoy DS. Interrelationships and biogeography of the New World pufferfish genus Sphoeroides (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) inferred using ultra-conserved DNA elements. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 189:107935. [PMID: 37778529 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107935] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Colonization of the New World by marine taxa has been hypothesized to have occurred through the Tethys Sea or by crossing the East Pacific Barrier. To better understand patterns and timing of diversification, geological events can be coupled with time calibrated phylogenetic hypotheses to infer major drivers of diversification. Phylogenetic relationships among members of Sphoeroides, a genus of four toothed pufferfishes (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) which are found nearly exclusively in the New World (eastern Pacific and western Atlantic), were reconstructed using sequences from ultra-conserved DNA elements, nuclear markers with clear homology among many vertebrate taxa. Hypotheses derived from concatenated maximum-likelihood and species tree summary methods support a paraphyletic Sphoeroides, with Colomesus deeply nested within the genus. Analyses also revealed S. pachygaster, a pelagic species with a cosmopolitan distribution, as the sister taxon to the remainder of Sphoeroides and recovered distinct lineages within S. pachygaster, indicating that this cosmopolitan species may represent a species complex. Ancestral range reconstruction may suggest the genus colonized the New World through the eastern Pacific before diversifying in the western Atlantic, though date estimates for these events are uncertain due to the lack of reliable fossil record for the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Hunt
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA.
| | - Stuart C Willis
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA; Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission - Hagerman Genetics Lab, 3059-F National Fish Hatchery Road, Hagerman, ID 83332, USA
| | - Kevin W Conway
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology and Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - David S Portnoy
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
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18
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San Jose M, Doorenweerd C, Geib S, Barr N, Dupuis JR, Leblanc L, Kauwe A, Morris KY, Rubinoff D. Interspecific gene flow obscures phylogenetic relationships in an important insect pest species complex. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 188:107892. [PMID: 37524217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
As genomic data proliferates, the prevalence of post-speciation gene flow is making species boundaries and relationships increasingly ambiguous. Although current approaches inferring fully bifurcating phylogenies based on concatenated datasets provide simple and robust answers to many species relationships, they may be inaccurate because the models ignore inter-specific gene flow and incomplete lineage sorting. To examine the potential error resulting from ignoring gene flow, we generated both a RAD-seq and a 500 protein-coding loci highly multiplexed amplicon (HiMAP) dataset for a monophyletic group of 12 species defined as the Bactrocera dorsalis sensu lato clade. With some of the world's worst agricultural pests, the taxonomy of the B. dorsalis s.l. clade is important for trade and quarantines. However, taxonomic confusion confounds resolution due to intra- and interspecific phenotypic variation and convergence, mitochondrial introgression across half of the species, and viable hybrids. We compared the topological convergence of our datasets using concatenated phylogenetic and various multispecies coalescent approaches, some of which account for gene flow. All analyses agreed on species delimitation, but there was incongruence between species relationships. Under concatenation, both datasets suggest identical species relationships with mostly high statistical support. However, multispecies coalescent and multispecies network approaches suggest markedly different hypotheses and detected significant gene flow. We suggest that the network approaches are likely more accurate because gene flow violates the assumptions of the concatenated phylogenetic analyses, but the data-reductive requirements of network approaches resulted in reduced statistical support and could not unambiguously resolve gene flow directions. Our study highlights the importance of testing for gene flow, particularly with phylogenomic datasets, even when concatenated approaches receive high statistical support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael San Jose
- University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Entomology Section, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822-2231, USA.
| | - Camiel Doorenweerd
- University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Entomology Section, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822-2231, USA
| | - Scott Geib
- Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit, Daniel K Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Center, USDA Agricultural Research Services, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Norman Barr
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science & Technology, Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, 22675 N. Moorefield Road, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA
| | - Julian R Dupuis
- University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S225 Ag Science Center North, 1100 South Limestone, Lexington, KY, 40546-0091, USA
| | - Luc Leblanc
- University of Idaho, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS2329, Moscow, ID, 83844-2329, USA
| | - Angela Kauwe
- Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit, Daniel K Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Center, USDA Agricultural Research Services, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Kimberley Y Morris
- University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Entomology Section, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822-2231, USA; Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit, Daniel K Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Center, USDA Agricultural Research Services, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Daniel Rubinoff
- University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Entomology Section, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822-2231, USA
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19
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Widrig KE, Bhullar BS, Field DJ. 3D atlas of tinamou (Neornithes: Tinamidae) pectoral morphology: Implications for reconstructing the ancestral neornithine flight apparatus. J Anat 2023; 243:729-757. [PMID: 37358291 PMCID: PMC10557402 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13919] [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: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Palaeognathae, the extant avian clade comprising the flightless ratites and flight-capable tinamous (Tinamidae), is the sister group to all other living birds, and recent phylogenetic studies illustrate that tinamous are phylogenetically nested within a paraphyletic assemblage of ratites. As the only extant palaeognaths that have retained the ability to fly, tinamous may provide key information on the nature of the flight apparatus of ancestral crown palaeognaths-and, in turn, crown birds-as well as insight into convergent modifications to the wing apparatus among extant ratite lineages. To reveal new information about the musculoskeletal anatomy of tinamous and facilitate development of computational biomechanical models of tinamou wing function, we generated a three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the flight apparatus of the extant Andean tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii) using diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT). Origins and insertions of the pectoral flight musculature of N. pentlandii are generally consistent with those of other extant volant birds specialized for burst flight, and the entire suite of presumed ancestral neornithine flight muscles are present in N. pentlandii with the exception of the biceps slip. The pectoralis and supracoracoideus muscles are robust, similar to the condition in other extant burst-flying birds such as many extant Galliformes. Contrary to the condition in most extant Neognathae (the sister clade to Palaeognathae), the insertion of the pronator superficialis has a greater distal extent than the pronator profundus, although most other anatomical observations are broadly consistent with the conditions observed in extant neognaths. This work will help form a basis for future comparative studies of the avian musculoskeletal system, with implications for reconstructing the flight apparatus of ancestral crown birds and clarifying musculoskeletal modifications underlying the convergent origins of ratite flightlessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara E. Widrig
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Bhart‐Anjan S. Bhullar
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Peabody Museum of Natural HistoryYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Daniel J. Field
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Museum of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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20
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McLay TGB, Fowler RM, Fahey PS, Murphy DJ, Udovicic F, Cantrill DJ, Bayly MJ. Phylogenomics reveals extreme gene tree discordance in a lineage of dominant trees: hybridization, introgression, and incomplete lineage sorting blur deep evolutionary relationships despite clear species groupings in Eucalyptus subgenus Eudesmia. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 187:107869. [PMID: 37423562 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107869] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Eucalypts are a large and ecologically important group of plants on the Australian continent, and understanding their evolution is important in understanding evolution of the unique Australian flora. Previous phylogenies using plastome DNA, nuclear-ribosomal DNA, or random genome-wide SNPs, have been confounded by limited genetic sampling or by idiosyncratic biological features of the eucalypts, including widespread plastome introgression. Here we present phylogenetic analyses of Eucalyptus subgenus Eudesmia (22 species from western, northern, central and eastern Australia), in the first study to apply a target-capture sequencing approach using custom, eucalypt-specific baits (of 568 genes) to a lineage of Eucalyptus. Multiple accessions of all species were included, and target-capture data were supplemented by separate analyses of plastome genes (average of 63 genes per sample). Analyses revealed a complex evolutionary history likely shaped by incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization. Gene tree discordance generally increased with phylogenetic depth. Species, or groups of species, toward the tips of the tree are mostly supported, and three major clades are identified, but the branching order of these clades cannot be confirmed with confidence. Multiple approaches to filtering the nuclear dataset, by removing genes or samples, could not reduce gene tree conflict or resolve these relationships. Despite inherent complexities in eucalypt evolution, the custom bait kit devised for this research will be a powerful tool for investigating the evolutionary history of eucalypts more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd G B McLay
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne 3004, Vic, Australia; School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Vic, Australia.
| | - Rachael M Fowler
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Vic, Australia
| | - Patrick S Fahey
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Sydney 2000, NSW, Australia; Qld Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Qld, Australia
| | - Daniel J Murphy
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne 3004, Vic, Australia; School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Vic, Australia
| | - Frank Udovicic
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne 3004, Vic, Australia
| | - David J Cantrill
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne 3004, Vic, Australia; School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Vic, Australia
| | - Michael J Bayly
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Vic, Australia
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21
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Luo A, Zhang C, Zhou QS, Ho SYW, Zhu CD. Impacts of Taxon-Sampling Schemes on Bayesian Tip Dating Under the Fossilized Birth-Death Process. Syst Biol 2023; 72:781-801. [PMID: 36919368 PMCID: PMC10405359 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad011] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary timescales can be inferred by molecular-clock analyses of genetic data and fossil evidence. Bayesian phylogenetic methods such as tip dating provide a powerful framework for inferring evolutionary timescales, but the most widely used priors for tree topologies and node times often assume that present-day taxa have been sampled randomly or exhaustively. In practice, taxon sampling is often carried out so as to include representatives of major lineages, such as orders or families. We examined the impacts of different densities of diversified sampling on Bayesian tip dating on unresolved fossilized birth-death (FBD) trees, in which fossil taxa are topologically constrained but their exact placements are averaged out. We used synthetic data generated by simulations of nucleotide sequence evolution, fossil occurrences, and diversified taxon sampling. Our analyses under the diversified-sampling FBD process show that increasing taxon-sampling density does not necessarily improve divergence-time estimates. However, when informative priors were specified for the root age or when tree topologies were fixed to those used for simulation, the performance of tip dating on unresolved FBD trees maintains its accuracy and precision or improves with taxon-sampling density. By exploring three situations in which models are mismatched, we find that including all relevant fossils, without pruning off those that are incompatible with the diversified-sampling FBD process, can lead to underestimation of divergence times. Our reanalysis of a eutherian mammal data set confirms some of the findings from our simulation study, and reveals the complexity of diversified taxon sampling in phylogenomic data sets. In highlighting the interplay of taxon-sampling density and other factors, the results of our study have practical implications for using Bayesian tip dating to infer evolutionary timescales across the Tree of Life. [Bayesian tip dating; eutherian mammals; fossilized birth-death process; phylogenomics; taxon sampling.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Arong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Qing-Song Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Simon Y W Ho
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Chao-Dong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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22
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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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23
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Mongiardino Koch N, Tilic E, Miller AK, Stiller J, Rouse GW. Confusion will be my epitaph: genome-scale discordance stifles phylogenetic resolution of Holothuroidea. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230988. [PMID: 37434530 PMCID: PMC10336381 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0988] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) are a diverse clade of echinoderms found from intertidal waters to the bottom of the deepest oceanic trenches. Their reduced skeletons and limited number of phylogenetically informative traits have long obfuscated morphological classifications. Sanger-sequenced molecular datasets have also failed to constrain the position of major lineages. Noteworthy, topological uncertainty has hindered a resolution for Neoholothuriida, a highly diverse clade of Permo-Triassic age. We perform the first phylogenomic analysis of Holothuroidea, combining existing datasets with 13 novel transcriptomes. Using a highly curated dataset of 1100 orthologues, our efforts recapitulate previous results, struggling to resolve interrelationships among neoholothuriid clades. Three approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction (concatenation under both site-homogeneous and site-heterogeneous models, and coalescent-aware inference) result in alternative resolutions, all of which are recovered with strong support and across a range of datasets filtered for phylogenetic usefulness. We explore this intriguing result using gene-wise log-likelihood scores and attempt to correlate these with a large set of gene properties. While presenting novel ways of exploring and visualizing support for alternative trees, we are unable to discover significant predictors of topological preference, and our efforts fail to favour one topology. Neoholothuriid genomes seem to retain an amalgam of signals derived from multiple phylogenetic histories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ekin Tilic
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Marine Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Allison K. Miller
- Anatomy Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Josefin Stiller
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Greg W. Rouse
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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24
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Černý D, Simonoff AL. Statistical evaluation of character support reveals the instability of higher-level dinosaur phylogeny. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9273. [PMID: 37286556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35784-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The interrelationships of the three major dinosaur clades (Theropoda, Sauropodomorpha, and Ornithischia) have come under increased scrutiny following the recovery of conflicting phylogenies by a large new character matrix and its extensively modified revision. Here, we use tools derived from recent phylogenomic studies to investigate the strength and causes of this conflict. Using maximum likelihood as an overarching framework, we examine the global support for alternative hypotheses as well as the distribution of phylogenetic signal among individual characters in both the original and rescored dataset. We find the three possible ways of resolving the relationships among the main dinosaur lineages (Saurischia, Ornithischiformes, and Ornithoscelida) to be statistically indistinguishable and supported by nearly equal numbers of characters in both matrices. While the changes made to the revised matrix increased the mean phylogenetic signal of individual characters, this amplified rather than reduced their conflict, resulting in greater sensitivity to character removal or coding changes and little overall improvement in the ability to discriminate between alternative topologies. We conclude that early dinosaur relationships are unlikely to be resolved without fundamental changes to both the quality of available datasets and the techniques used to analyze them.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Černý
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Ashley L Simonoff
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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25
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Zhao M, Kurtis SM, White ND, Moncrieff AE, Leite RN, Brumfield RT, Braun EL, Kimball RT. Exploring Conflicts in Whole Genome Phylogenetics: A Case Study Within Manakins (Aves: Pipridae). Syst Biol 2023; 72:161-178. [PMID: 36130303 PMCID: PMC10452962 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac062] [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: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Some phylogenetic problems remain unresolved even when large amounts of sequence data are analyzed and methods that accommodate processes such as incomplete lineage sorting are employed. In addition to investigating biological sources of phylogenetic incongruence, it is also important to reduce noise in the phylogenomic dataset by using appropriate filtering approach that addresses gene tree estimation errors. We present the results of a case study in manakins, focusing on the very difficult clade comprising the genera Antilophia and Chiroxiphia. Previous studies suggest that Antilophia is nested within Chiroxiphia, though relationships among Antilophia+Chiroxiphia species have been highly unstable. We extracted more than 11,000 loci (ultra-conserved elements and introns) from whole genomes and conducted analyses using concatenation and multispecies coalescent methods. Topologies resulting from analyses using all loci differed depending on the data type and analytical method, with 2 clades (Antilophia+Chiroxiphia and Manacus+Pipra+Machaeopterus) in the manakin tree showing incongruent results. We hypothesized that gene trees that conflicted with a long coalescent branch (e.g., the branch uniting Antilophia+Chiroxiphia) might be enriched for cases of gene tree estimation error, so we conducted analyses that either constrained those gene trees to include monophyly of Antilophia+Chiroxiphia or excluded these loci. While constraining trees reduced some incongruence, excluding the trees led to completely congruent species trees, regardless of the data type or model of sequence evolution used. We found that a suite of gene metrics (most importantly the number of informative sites and likelihood of intralocus recombination) collectively explained the loci that resulted in non-monophyly of Antilophia+Chiroxiphia. We also found evidence for introgression that may have contributed to the discordant topologies we observe in Antilophia+Chiroxiphia and led to deviations from expectations given the multispecies coalescent model. Our study highlights the importance of identifying factors that can obscure phylogenetic signal when dealing with recalcitrant phylogenetic problems, such as gene tree estimation error, incomplete lineage sorting, and reticulation events. [Birds; c-gene; data type; gene estimation error; model fit; multispecies coalescent; phylogenomics; reticulation].
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhao
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Sarah M Kurtis
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Noor D White
- Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Andre E Moncrieff
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USAand
| | - Rafael N Leite
- Graduate Program in Ecology, National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Robb T Brumfield
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USAand
| | - Edward L Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rebecca T Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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26
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DeSalle R, Narechania A, Tessler M. Multiple Outgroups Can Cause Random Rooting in Phylogenomics. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 184:107806. [PMID: 37172862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Outgroup selection has been a major challenge since the rise of phylogenetics, and it has remained so in the phylogenomic era. Our goal here is to use large phylogenomic animal datasets to examine the impact of outgroup selection on the final topology. The results of our analyses further solidify the fact that distant outgroups can cause random rooting, and that this holds for concatenated and coalescent-based methods. The results also indicate that the standard practice of using multiple outgroups often causes random rooting. Most researchers go out of their way to get multiple outgroups, as this has been standard practice for decades. Based on our findings, this practice should stop. Instead, our results suggest that a single (most closely) related relative should be selected as the outgroup, unless all outgroups are roughly equally closely related to the ingroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob DeSalle
- Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Apurva Narechania
- Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Michael Tessler
- Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; St. Francis College, Department of Biology, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
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27
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Ortiz-Sepulveda CM, Genete M, Blassiau C, Godé C, Albrecht C, Vekemans X, Van Bocxlaer B. Target enrichment of long open reading frames and ultraconserved elements to link microevolution and macroevolution in non-model organisms. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:659-679. [PMID: 36349833 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13735] [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: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Despite the increasing accessibility of high-throughput sequencing, obtaining high-quality genomic data on non-model organisms without proximate well-assembled and annotated genomes remains challenging. Here, we describe a workflow that takes advantage of distant genomic resources and ingroup transcriptomes to select and jointly enrich long open reading frames (ORFs) and ultraconserved elements (UCEs) from genomic samples for integrative studies of microevolutionary and macroevolutionary dynamics. This workflow is applied to samples of the African unionid bivalve tribe Coelaturini (Parreysiinae) at basin and continent-wide scales. Our results indicate that ORFs are efficiently captured without prior identification of intron-exon boundaries. The enrichment of UCEs was less successful, but nevertheless produced substantial data sets. Exploratory continent-wide phylogenetic analyses with ORF supercontigs (>515,000 parsimony informative sites) resulted in a fully resolved phylogeny, the backbone of which was also retrieved with UCEs (>11,000 informative sites). Variant calling on ORFs and UCEs of Coelaturini from the Malawi Basin produced ~2000 SNPs per population pair. Estimates of nucleotide diversity and population differentiation were similar for ORFs and UCEs. They were low compared to previous estimates in molluscs, but comparable to those in recently diversifying Malawi cichlids and other taxa at an early stage of speciation. Skimming off-target sequence data from the same enriched libraries of Coelaturini from the Malawi Basin, we reconstructed the maternally-inherited mitogenome, which displays the gene order inferred for the most recent common ancestor of Unionidae. Overall, our workflow and results provide exciting perspectives for integrative genomic studies of microevolutionary and macroevolutionary dynamics in non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mathieu Genete
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, UMR 8198 - Evo-Eco-Paleo, F-59000 Lille, France
| | | | - Cécile Godé
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, UMR 8198 - Evo-Eco-Paleo, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Christian Albrecht
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.,Department of Biology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Xavier Vekemans
- CNRS, Univ. Lille, UMR 8198 - Evo-Eco-Paleo, F-59000 Lille, France
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28
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Das S, Greenbaum E, Meiri S, Bauer AM, Burbrink FT, Raxworthy CJ, Weinell JL, Brown RM, Brecko J, Pauwels OSG, Rabibisoa N, Raselimanana AP, Merilä J. Ultraconserved elements-based phylogenomic systematics of the snake superfamily Elapoidea, with the description of a new Afro-Asian family. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 180:107700. [PMID: 36603697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107700] [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: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The highly diverse snake superfamily Elapoidea is considered to be a classic example of ancient, rapid radiation. Such radiations are challenging to fully resolve phylogenetically, with the highly diverse Elapoidea a case in point. Previous attempts at inferring a phylogeny of elapoids produced highly incongruent estimates of their evolutionary relationships, often with very low statistical support. We sought to resolve this situation by sequencing over 4,500 ultraconserved element loci from multiple representatives of every elapoid family/subfamily level taxon and inferring their phylogenetic relationships with multiple methods. Concatenation and multispecies coalescent based species trees yielded largely congruent and well-supported topologies. Hypotheses of a hard polytomy were not retained for any deep branches. Our phylogenies recovered Cyclocoridae and Elapidae as diverging early within Elapoidea. The Afro-Malagasy radiation of elapoid snakes, classified as multiple subfamilies of an inclusive Lamprophiidae by some earlier authors, was found to be monophyletic in all analyses. The genus Micrelaps was consistently recovered as sister to Lamprophiidae. We establish a new family, Micrelapidae fam. nov., for Micrelaps and assign Brachyophis to this family based on cranial osteological synapomorphy. We estimate that Elapoidea originated in the early Eocene and rapidly diversified into all the major lineages during this epoch. Ecological opportunities presented by the post-Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event may have promoted the explosive radiation of elapoid snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunandan Das
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Eli Greenbaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Frank T Burbrink
- Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Christopher J Raxworthy
- Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Weinell
- Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Rafe M Brown
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Olivier S G Pauwels
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nirhy Rabibisoa
- Sciences de la Vie et de l'Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l'Environnement, Université de Mahajanga, Campus Universitaire d'Ambondrona, BP 652, Mahajanga 401, Madagascar
| | - Achille P Raselimanana
- Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 906, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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29
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Phylogeography of Ramalina farinacea (Lichenized Fungi, Ascomycota) in the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and Macaronesia. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Ramalina farinacea is an epiphytic lichen-forming fungus with a broad geographic distribution, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. In the eighties of the last century, it was hypothesized that R. farinacea had originated in the Macaronesian–Mediterranean region, with the Canary Islands as its probable southernmost limit, and thereafter it would have increased its distribution area. In order to explore the phylogeography of this emblematic lichen, we analyzed 120 thalli of R. farinacea collected in 38 localities distributed in temperate and boreal Europe, the Western Mediterranean Basin, and several Macaronesian archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean. Data from two nuclear markers (nrITS and uid70) of the mycobiont were obtained to calculate genetic diversity indices to infer the phylogenies and haplotype networks and to investigate population structure. In addition, dating analysis was conducted to provide a valuable hypothesis of the timing of the origin and diversification of R. farinacea and its close allies. Our results highlight that phylogenetic species circumscription in the “Ramalina farinacea group” is complex and suggests that incomplete lineage sorting is at the base of conflicting phylogenetic signals. The existence of a high number of haplotypes restricted to the Macaronesian region, together with the diversification of R. farinacea in the Pleistocene, suggests that this species and its closest relatives originated during relatively recent geological times and then expanded its range to higher latitudes. However, our data cannot rule out whether the species originated from the Macaronesian archipelagos exclusively or also from the Mediterranean Basin. In conclusion, the present work provides a valuable biogeographical hypothesis for disentangling the evolution of this epiphytic lichen in space and time.
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30
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Basal Anseriformes from the Early Paleogene of North America and Europe. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
We describe nearly complete skeletons of basal Anseriformes from the Latest Paleocene to the early Eocene of North America and Europe. Collectively, these birds appear to be representative of anseriforms near the divergence of Anhimae and Anseres, but their exact positions relative to these clades remains uncertain. A new family, Anachronornithidae nov. fam., is erected on the basis of one of these, Anachronornis anhimops nov. gen., nov. gen. et sp., to which the others cannot be confidently assigned. The new fossils augment a growing collection of early Pan-Anseriformes, which in their diversity do not paint an unambiguous picture of phylogeny or character state evolution on the path to or within crown-Anseriformes. Anachronornis nov. gen. is similar in some aspects of both cranial and postcranial anatomy to other well-represented early Paleogene Anseriformes and members of Anseres, such as Presbyornis Wetmore, 1926. However, it exhibits a more landfowl-like bill, like that of Anhimae and unlike the spatulate bill of Anseres. Additional specimens of similar basal Anseriformes of uncertain affinities from the early Eocene of North America and Europe further complicate interpretation of character state polarity due to the mosaicism of primitive and derived characters they exhibit.
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Genome Evolution and the Future of Phylogenomics of Non-Avian Reptiles. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030471. [PMID: 36766360 PMCID: PMC9913427 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-avian reptiles comprise a large proportion of amniote vertebrate diversity, with squamate reptiles-lizards and snakes-recently overtaking birds as the most species-rich tetrapod radiation. Despite displaying an extraordinary diversity of phenotypic and genomic traits, genomic resources in non-avian reptiles have accumulated more slowly than they have in mammals and birds, the remaining amniotes. Here we review the remarkable natural history of non-avian reptiles, with a focus on the physical traits, genomic characteristics, and sequence compositional patterns that comprise key axes of variation across amniotes. We argue that the high evolutionary diversity of non-avian reptiles can fuel a new generation of whole-genome phylogenomic analyses. A survey of phylogenetic investigations in non-avian reptiles shows that sequence capture-based approaches are the most commonly used, with studies of markers known as ultraconserved elements (UCEs) especially well represented. However, many other types of markers exist and are increasingly being mined from genome assemblies in silico, including some with greater information potential than UCEs for certain investigations. We discuss the importance of high-quality genomic resources and methods for bioinformatically extracting a range of marker sets from genome assemblies. Finally, we encourage herpetologists working in genomics, genetics, evolutionary biology, and other fields to work collectively towards building genomic resources for non-avian reptiles, especially squamates, that rival those already in place for mammals and birds. Overall, the development of this cross-amniote phylogenomic tree of life will contribute to illuminate interesting dimensions of biodiversity across non-avian reptiles and broader amniotes.
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Ancient proteins resolve controversy over the identity of Genyornis eggshell. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2109326119. [PMID: 35609205 PMCID: PMC9995833 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109326119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The realization that ancient biomolecules are preserved in "fossil" samples has revolutionized archaeological science. Protein sequences survive longer than DNA, but their phylogenetic resolution is inferior; therefore, careful assessment of the research questions is required. Here, we show the potential of ancient proteins preserved in Pleistocene eggshell in addressing a longstanding controversy in human and animal evolution: the identity of the extinct bird that laid large eggs which were exploited by Australia's indigenous people. The eggs had been originally attributed to the iconic extinct flightless bird Genyornis newtoni (†Dromornithidae, Galloanseres) and were subsequently dated to before 50 ± 5 ka by Miller et al. [Nat. Commun. 7, 10496 (2016)]. This was taken to represent the likely extinction date for this endemic megafaunal species and thus implied a role of humans in its demise. A contrasting hypothesis, according to which the eggs were laid by a large mound-builder megapode (Megapodiidae, Galliformes), would therefore acquit humans of their responsibility in the extinction of Genyornis. Ancient protein sequences were reconstructed and used to assess the evolutionary proximity of the undetermined eggshell to extant birds, rejecting the megapode hypothesis. Authentic ancient DNA could not be confirmed from these highly degraded samples, but morphometric data also support the attribution of the eggshell to Genyornis. When used in triangulation to address well-defined hypotheses, paleoproteomics is a powerful tool for reconstructing the evolutionary history in ancient samples. In addition to the clarification of phylogenetic placement, these data provide a more nuanced understanding of the modes of interactions between humans and their environment.
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Zhang C, Mirarab S. Weighting by Gene Tree Uncertainty Improves Accuracy of Quartet-based Species Trees. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6750035. [PMID: 36201617 PMCID: PMC9750496 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylogenomic analyses routinely estimate species trees using methods that account for gene tree discordance. However, the most scalable species tree inference methods, which summarize independently inferred gene trees to obtain a species tree, are sensitive to hard-to-avoid errors introduced in the gene tree estimation step. This dilemma has created much debate on the merits of concatenation versus summary methods and practical obstacles to using summary methods more widely and to the exclusion of concatenation. The most successful attempt at making summary methods resilient to noisy gene trees has been contracting low support branches from the gene trees. Unfortunately, this approach requires arbitrary thresholds and poses new challenges. Here, we introduce threshold-free weighting schemes for the quartet-based species tree inference, the metric used in the popular method ASTRAL. By reducing the impact of quartets with low support or long terminal branches (or both), weighting provides stronger theoretical guarantees and better empirical performance than the unweighted ASTRAL. Our simulations show that weighting improves accuracy across many conditions and reduces the gap with concatenation in conditions with low gene tree discordance and high noise. On empirical data, weighting improves congruence with concatenation and increases support. Together, our results show that weighting, enabled by a new optimization algorithm we introduce, improves the utility of summary methods and can reduce the incongruence often observed across analytical pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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34
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Li X, Gao R, Chen G, Price AL, Øksnebjerg DB, Hosner PA, Zhou Y, Zhang G, Feng S. Draft genome assemblies of four manakins. Sci Data 2022; 9:564. [PMID: 36100590 PMCID: PMC9470731 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01680-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Manakins are a family of small suboscine passerine birds characterized by their elaborate courtship displays, non-monogamous mating system, and sexual dimorphism. This family has served as a good model for the study of sexual selection. Here we present genome assemblies of four manakin species, including Cryptopipo holochlora, Dixiphia pipra (also known as Pseudopipra pipra), Machaeropterus deliciosus and Masius chrysopterus, generated by Single-tube Long Fragment Read (stLFR) technology. The assembled genome sizes ranged from 1.10 Gb to 1.19 Gb, with average scaffold N50 of 29 Mb and contig N50 of 169 Kb. On average, 12,055 protein-coding genes were annotated in the genomes, and 9.79% of the genomes were annotated as repetitive elements. We further identified 75 Mb of Z-linked sequences in manakins, containing 585 to 751 genes and an ~600 Kb pseudoautosomal region (PAR). One notable finding from these Z-linked sequences is that a possible Z-to-autosome/PAR reversal could have occurred in M. chrysopterus. These de novo genomes will contribute to a deeper understanding of evolutionary history and sexual selection in manakins. Measurement(s) | whole genome sequencing | Technology Type(s) | BGISEQ-500 Sequencing | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Pipridae |
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Rongsheng Gao
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Guangji Chen
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Alivia Lee Price
- Villum Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Bilyeli Øksnebjerg
- GLOBE Institute, Section for Evolutionary Genomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1014, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Andrew Hosner
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Villum Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Biodiversity Section, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yang Zhou
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Villum Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China.,Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, 314102, China
| | - Shaohong Feng
- Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China. .,Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China. .,Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, 314102, China.
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35
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Lozano-Fernandez J. A Practical Guide to Design and Assess a Phylogenomic Study. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:evac129. [PMID: 35946263 PMCID: PMC9452790 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, molecular systematics has undergone a change of paradigm as high-throughput sequencing now makes it possible to reconstruct evolutionary relationships using genome-scale datasets. The advent of "big data" molecular phylogenetics provided a battery of new tools for biologists but simultaneously brought new methodological challenges. The increase in analytical complexity comes at the price of highly specific training in computational biology and molecular phylogenetics, resulting very often in a polarized accumulation of knowledge (technical on one side and biological on the other). Interpreting the robustness of genome-scale phylogenetic studies is not straightforward, particularly as new methodological developments have consistently shown that the general belief of "more genes, more robustness" often does not apply, and because there is a range of systematic errors that plague phylogenomic investigations. This is particularly problematic because phylogenomic studies are highly heterogeneous in their methodology, and best practices are often not clearly defined. The main aim of this article is to present what I consider as the ten most important points to take into consideration when planning a well-thought-out phylogenomic study and while evaluating the quality of published papers. The goal is to provide a practical step-by-step guide that can be easily followed by nonexperts and phylogenomic novices in order to assess the technical robustness of phylogenomic studies or improve the experimental design of a project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Lozano-Fernandez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Avd. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC – Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig marítim de la Barcelona 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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36
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Černý D, Natale R. Comprehensive taxon sampling and vetted fossils help clarify the time tree of shorebirds (Aves, Charadriiformes). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 177:107620. [PMID: 36038056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Shorebirds (Charadriiformes) are a globally distributed clade of modern birds and, due to their ecological and morphological disparity, a frequent subject of comparative studies. While molecular phylogenies have been key to establishing the suprafamilial backbone of the charadriiform tree, a number of relationships at both deep and shallow taxonomic levels remain poorly resolved. The timescale of shorebird evolution also remains uncertain as a result of extensive disagreements among the published divergence dating studies, stemming largely from different choices of fossil calibrations. Here, we present the most comprehensive non-supertree phylogeny of shorebirds to date, based on a total-evidence dataset comprising 353 ingroup taxa (90% of all extant or recently extinct species), 27 loci (15 mitochondrial and 12 nuclear), and 69 morphological characters. We further clarify the timeline of charadriiform evolution by time-scaling this phylogeny using a set of 14 up-to-date and thoroughly vetted fossil calibrations. In addition, we assemble a taxonomically restricted 100-locus dataset specifically designed to resolve outstanding problems in higher-level charadriiform phylogeny. In terms of tree topology, our results are largely congruent with previous studies but indicate that some of the conflicts among earlier analyses reflect a genuine signal of pervasive gene tree discordance. Monophyly of the plovers (Charadriidae), the position of the ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha), and the relationships among the five subfamilies of the gulls (Laridae) could not be resolved even with greatly increased locus and taxon sampling. Moreover, several localized regions of uncertainty persist in shallower parts of the tree, including the interrelationships of the true auks (Alcinae) and anarhynchine plovers. Our node-dating and macroevolutionary rate analyses find support for a Paleocene origin of crown-group shorebirds, as well as exceptionally rapid recent radiations of Old World oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) and select genera of gulls. Our study underscores the challenges involved in estimating a comprehensively sampled and carefully calibrated time tree for a diverse avian clade, and highlights areas in need of further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Černý
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, USA.
| | - Rossy Natale
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, USA
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37
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Unveiling new perspective of phylogeography, genetic diversity, and population dynamics of Southeast Asian and Pacific chickens. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14609. [PMID: 36028749 PMCID: PMC9418149 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18904-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex geographic and temporal origins of chicken domestication have attracted wide interest in molecular phylogeny and phylogeographic studies as they continue to be debated up to this day. In particular, the population dynamics and lineage-specific divergence time estimates of chickens in Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Pacific region are not well studied. Here, we analyzed 519 complete mitochondrial DNA control region sequences and identified 133 haplotypes with 70 variable sites. We documented 82.7% geographically unique haplotypes distributed across major haplogroups except for haplogroup C, suggesting high polymorphism among studied individuals. Mainland SEA (MSEA) chickens have higher overall genetic diversity than island SEA (ISEA) chickens. Phylogenetic trees and median-joining network revealed evidence of a new divergent matrilineage (i.e., haplogroup V) as a sister-clade of haplogroup C. The maximum clade credibility tree estimated the earlier coalescence age of ancestral D-lineage (i.e., sub-haplogroup D2) of continental chickens (3.7 kya; 95% HPD 1985–4835 years) while island populations diverged later at 2.1 kya (95% HPD 1467–2815 years). This evidence of earlier coalescence age of haplogroup D ancestral matriline exemplified dispersal patterns to the ISEA, and thereafter the island clade diversified as a distinct group.
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Li J, Liang D, Zhang P. Simultaneously collecting coding and non-coding phylogenomic data using homemade full-length cDNA probes, tested by resolving the high-level relationships of Colubridae. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.969581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Resolving intractable phylogenetic relationships often requires simultaneously analyzing a large number of coding and non-coding orthologous loci. To gather both coding and non-coding data, traditional sequence capture methods require custom-designed commercial probes. Here, we present a cost-effective sequence capture method based on homemade probes, to capture thousands of coding and non-coding orthologous loci simultaneously, suitable for all organisms. This approach, called “FLc-Capture,” synthesizes biotinylated full-length cDNAs from mRNA as capture probes, eliminates the need for costly commercial probe design and synthesis. To demonstrate the utility of FLc-Capture, we prepared full-length cDNA probes from mRNA extracted from a common colubrid snake. We performed capture experiments with these homemade cDNA probes and successfully obtained thousands of coding and non-coding genomic loci from 24 Colubridae species and 12 distantly related snake species of other families. The average capture specificity of FLc-Capture across all tested snake species is 35%, similar to the previously published EecSeq method. We constructed two phylogenomic data sets, one including 1,075 coding loci (∼817,000 bp) and the other including 1,948 non-coding loci (∼1,114,000 bp), to study the phylogeny of Colubridae. Both data sets yielded highly similar and well-resolved trees, with 85% of nodes having >95% bootstrap support. Our experimental tests show that FLc-Capture is a flexible, fast, and cost-effective sequence capture approach for simultaneously gathering coding and non-coding phylogenomic data sets to study intractable phylogenetic questions. We hope that this method will serve as a new data collection tool for evolutionary biologists working in the era of phylogenomics.
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de Manuel M, Wu FL, Przeworski M. A paternal bias in germline mutation is widespread in amniotes and can arise independently of cell divisions. eLife 2022; 11:80008. [PMID: 35916372 PMCID: PMC9439683 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and other mammals, germline mutations are more likely to arise in fathers than in mothers. Although this sex bias has long been attributed to DNA replication errors in spermatogenesis, recent evidence from humans points to the importance of mutagenic processes that do not depend on cell division, calling into question our understanding of this basic phenomenon. Here, we infer the ratio of paternal-to-maternal mutations, α, in 42 species of amniotes, from putatively neutral substitution rates of sex chromosomes and autosomes. Despite marked differences in gametogenesis, physiologies and environments across species, fathers consistently contribute more mutations than mothers in all the species examined, including mammals, birds, and reptiles. In mammals, α is as high as 4 and correlates with generation times; in birds and snakes, α appears more stable around 2. These observations are consistent with a simple model, in which mutations accrue at equal rates in both sexes during early development and at a higher rate in the male germline after sexual differentiation, with a conserved paternal-to-maternal ratio across species. Thus, α may reflect the relative contributions of two or more developmental phases to total germline mutations, and is expected to depend on generation time even if mutations do not track cell divisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc de Manuel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Felix L Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Molly Przeworski
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, United States
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Salter JF, Hosner PA, Tsai WLE, McCormack JE, Braun EL, Kimball RT, Brumfield RT, Faircloth BC. Historical specimens and the limits of subspecies phylogenomics in the New World quails (Odontophoridae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 175:107559. [PMID: 35803448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
As phylogenomics focuses on comprehensive taxon sampling at the species and population/subspecies levels, incorporating genomic data from historical specimens has become increasingly common. While historical samples can fill critical gaps in our understanding of the evolutionary history of diverse groups, they also introduce additional sources of phylogenomic uncertainty, making it difficult to discern novel evolutionary relationships from artifacts caused by sample quality issues. These problems highlight the need for improved strategies to disentangle artifactual patterns from true biological signal as historical specimens become more prevalent in phylogenomic datasets. Here, we tested the limits of historical specimen-driven phylogenomics to resolve subspecies-level relationships within a highly polytypic family, the New World quails (Odontophoridae), using thousands of ultraconserved elements (UCEs). We found that relationships at and above the species-level were well-resolved and highly supported across all analyses, with the exception of discordant relationships within the two most polytypic genera which included many historical specimens. We examined the causes of discordance and found that inferring phylogenies from subsets of taxa resolved the disagreements, suggesting that analyzing subclades can help remove artifactual causes of discordance in datasets that include historical samples. At the subspecies-level, we found well-resolved geographic structure within the two most polytypic genera, including the most polytypic species in this family, Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), demonstrating that variable sites within UCEs are capable of resolving phylogenetic structure below the species level. Our results highlight the importance of complete taxonomic sampling for resolving relationships among polytypic species, often through the inclusion of historical specimens, and we propose an integrative strategy for understanding and addressing the uncertainty that historical samples sometimes introduce to phylogenetic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie F Salter
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
| | - Peter A Hosner
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, and Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Whitney L E Tsai
- Moore Laboratory of Biology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John E McCormack
- Moore Laboratory of Biology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Biology Department, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Edward L Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Robb T Brumfield
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Brant C Faircloth
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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Gatesy J, Springer MS. Phylogenomic Coalescent Analyses of Avian Retroelements Infer Zero-Length Branches at the Base of Neoaves, Emergent Support for Controversial Clades, and Ancient Introgressive Hybridization in Afroaves. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071167. [PMID: 35885951 PMCID: PMC9324441 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Retroelement insertions (RIs) are low-homoplasy characters that are ideal data for addressing deep evolutionary radiations, where gene tree reconstruction errors can severely hinder phylogenetic inference with DNA and protein sequence data. Phylogenomic studies of Neoaves, a large clade of birds (>9000 species) that first diversified near the Cretaceous−Paleogene boundary, have yielded an array of robustly supported, contradictory relationships among deep lineages. Here, we reanalyzed a large RI matrix for birds using recently proposed quartet-based coalescent methods that enable inference of large species trees including branch lengths in coalescent units, clade-support, statistical tests for gene flow, and combined analysis with DNA-sequence-based gene trees. Genome-scale coalescent analyses revealed extremely short branches at the base of Neoaves, meager branch support, and limited congruence with previous work at the most challenging nodes. Despite widespread topological conflicts with DNA-sequence-based trees, combined analyses of RIs with thousands of gene trees show emergent support for multiple higher-level clades (Columbea, Passerea, Columbimorphae, Otidimorphae, Phaethoquornithes). RIs express asymmetrical support for deep relationships within the subclade Afroaves that hints at ancient gene flow involving the owl lineage (Strigiformes). Because DNA-sequence data are challenged by gene tree-reconstruction error, analysis of RIs represents one approach for improving gene tree-based methods when divergences are deep, internodes are short, terminal branches are long, and introgressive hybridization further confounds species−tree inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Gatesy
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Mark S. Springer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
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Wang N, Braun EL, Liang B, Cracraft J, Smith SA. Categorical edge-based analyses of phylogenomic data reveal conflicting signals for difficult relationships in the avian tree. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 174:107550. [PMID: 35691570 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107550] [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: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Phylogenetic analyses fail to yield a satisfactory resolution of some relationships in the tree of life even with genome-scale datasets, so the failure is unlikely to reflect limitations in the amount of data. Gene tree conflicts are particularly notable in studies focused on these contentious nodes, and taxon sampling, different analytical methods, and/or data type effects can further confound analyses. Although many efforts have been made to incorporate biological conflicts, few studies have curated individual genes for their efficiency in phylogenomic studies. Here, we conduct an edge-based analysis of Neoavian evolution, examining the phylogenetic efficacy of two recent phylogenomic bird datasets and three datatypes (ultraconserved elements [UCEs], introns, and coding regions). We assess the potential causes for biases in signal-resolution for three difficult nodes: the earliest divergence of Neoaves, the position of the enigmatic Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), and the position of owls (Strigiformes). We observed extensive conflict among genes for all data types and datasets even after meticulous curation. Edge-based analyses (EBA) increased congruence and provided information about the impact of data type, GC content variation (GCCV), and outlier genes on each of nodes we examined. First, outlier gene signals appeared to drive different patterns of support for the relationships among the earliest diverging Neoaves. Second, the placement of Hoatzin was highly variable, although our EBA did reveal a previously unappreciated data type effect with an impact on its position. It also revealed that the resolution with the most support here was Hoatzin + shorebirds. Finally, GCCV, rather than data type (i.e., coding vs non-coding) per se, was correlated with a signal that supports monophyly of owls + Accipitriformes (hawks, eagles, and vultures). Eliminating high GCCV loci increased the signal for owls + mousebirds. Categorical EBA was able to reveal the nature of each edge and provide a way to highlight especially problematic branches that warrant a further examination. The current study increases our understanding about the contentious parts of the avian tree, which show even greater conflicts than appreciated previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA; Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Edward L Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32607, USA
| | - Bin Liang
- College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
| | - Joel Cracraft
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Stephen A Smith
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
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Interpreting phylogenetic conflict: Hybridization in the most speciose genus of lichen-forming fungi. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 174:107543. [PMID: 35690378 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107543] [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: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
While advances in sequencing technologies have been invaluable for understanding evolutionary relationships, increasingly large genomic data sets may result in conflicting evolutionary signals that are often caused by biological processes, including hybridization. Hybridization has been detected in a variety of organisms, influencing evolutionary processes such as generating reproductive barriers and mixing standing genetic variation. Here, we investigate the potential role of hybridization in the diversification of the most speciose genus of lichen-forming fungi, Xanthoparmelia. As Xanthoparmelia is projected to have gone through recent, rapid diversification, this genus is particularly suitable for investigating and interpreting the origins of phylogenomic conflict. Focusing on a clade of Xanthoparmelia largely restricted to the Holarctic region, we used a genome skimming approach to generate 962 single-copy gene regions representing over 2 Mbp of the mycobiont genome. From this genome-scale dataset, we inferred evolutionary relationships using both concatenation and coalescent-based species tree approaches. We also used three independent tests for hybridization. Although different species tree reconstruction methods recovered largely consistent and well-supported trees, there was widespread incongruence among individual gene trees. Despite challenges in differentiating hybridization from ILS in situations of recent rapid radiations, our genome-wide analyses detected multiple potential hybridization events in the Holarctic clade, suggesting one possible source of trait variability in this hyperdiverse genus. This study highlights the value in using a pluralistic approach for characterizing genome-scale conflict, even in groups with well-resolved phylogenies, while highlighting current challenges in detecting the specific impacts of hybridization.
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Piller KR, Parker E, Lemmon AR, Moriarty Lemmon E. Investigating the utility of Anchored Hybrid Enrichment data to investigate the relationships among the Killifishes (Actinopterygii: Cyprinodontiformes), a globally distributed group of fishes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 173:107482. [PMID: 35452841 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The Killifishes (Cyprinodontiformes) are a diverse and well-known group of fishes that contains sixteen families inclusive of Anablepidae, Aphaniidae Aplocheilidae, Cubanichthyidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fluviphylacidae, Fundulidae, Goodeidae, Nothobranchiidae, Orestiidae, Pantanodontidae, Poeciliidae, Procatopodidae, Profundulidae, Rivulidae, and Valenciidae and more than 1,200 species that are globally distributed in tropical and temperate, freshwater and estuarine habitats. The evolutionary relationships among the families within the group, based on different molecular and morphological data sets, have remained uncertain. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use a targeted approach, anchored hybrid enrichment, to investigate the phylogenetic relationships among the families within the Cyprindontiformes. This study included more than 100 individuals, representing all sixteen families within the Cyprinodontiformes, including many recently diagnosed families. We recovered an average of 244 loci per individual. These data were submitted to phylogenetic analyses (RaxML and ASTRAL) and although we recovered many of the same relationships as in previous studies of the group, several novel sets of relationships for other families also were recovered. In addition, two well-established clades (Suborders Cyprinodontoidei and Aplocheilodei) were recovered as monophyletic and are in agreement with most previous studies. We also assessed the degree of gene tree discordance in our dataset to evaluate support for alternative topological hypotheses for interfamilial relationships within the Cyprinodontiformes using a variety of different analyses. The results from this study will provide a robust, historical framework needed to investigate a plethora of biogeographic, taxonomic, ecological, and physiological questions for this group of fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle R Piller
- Department of Biological Science, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA 70402, USA.
| | - Elyse Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Alan R Lemmon
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4120, USA
| | - Emily Moriarty Lemmon
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Biomedical Research Facility, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA
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Hutter CR, Cobb KA, Portik DM, Travers SL, Wood PL, Brown RM. FrogCap: A modular sequence capture probe-set for phylogenomics and population genetics for all frogs, assessed across multiple phylogenetic scales. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:1100-1119. [PMID: 34569723 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Despite the prevalence of high-throughput sequencing in phylogenetics, many relationships remain difficult to resolve because of conflicting signal among genomic regions. Selection of different types of molecular markers from different genomic regions is required to overcome these challenges. For evolutionary studies in frogs, we introduce the publicly available FrogCap suite of genomic resources, which is a large collection of ~15,000 markers that unifies previous genetic sequencing efforts. FrogCap is designed to be modular, such that subsets of markers and SNPs can be selected based on the desired phylogenetic scale. FrogCap uses a variety of marker types that include exons and introns, ultraconserved elements, and previously sequenced Sanger markers, which span up to 10,000 bp in alignment lengths; in addition, we demonstrate potential for SNP-based analyses. We tested FrogCap using 121 samples distributed across five phylogenetic scales, comparing probes designed using a consensus- or exemplar genome-based approach. Using the consensus design is more resilient to issues with sensitivity, specificity, and missing data than picking an exemplar genome sequence. We also tested the impact of different bait kit sizes (20,020 vs. 40,040) on depth of coverage and found triple the depth for the 20,020 bait kit. We observed sequence capture success (i.e., missing data, sequenced markers/bases, marker length, and informative sites) across phylogenetic scales. The incorporation of different marker types is effective for deep phylogenetic relationships and shallow population genetics studies. Having demonstrated FrogCap's utility and modularity, we conclude that these new resources are efficacious for high-throughput sequencing projects across variable timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl R Hutter
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Kerry A Cobb
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Daniel M Portik
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Scott L Travers
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Perry L Wood
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Rafe M Brown
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
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Gagnon E, Hilgenhof R, Orejuela A, McDonnell A, Sablok G, Aubriot X, Giacomin L, Gouvêa Y, Bragionis T, Stehmann JR, Bohs L, Dodsworth S, Martine C, Poczai P, Knapp S, Särkinen T. Phylogenomic discordance suggests polytomies along the backbone of the large genus Solanum. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:580-601. [PMID: 35170754 PMCID: PMC9321964 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Evolutionary studies require solid phylogenetic frameworks, but increased volumes of phylogenomic data have revealed incongruent topologies among gene trees in many organisms both between and within genomes. Some of these incongruences indicate polytomies that may remain impossible to resolve. Here we investigate the degree of gene-tree discordance in Solanum, one of the largest flowering plant genera that includes the cultivated potato, tomato, and eggplant, as well as 24 minor crop plants. METHODS A densely sampled species-level phylogeny of Solanum is built using unpublished and publicly available Sanger sequences comprising 60% of all accepted species (742 spp.) and nine regions (ITS, waxy, and seven plastid markers). The robustness of this topology is tested by examining a full plastome dataset with 140 species and a nuclear target-capture dataset with 39 species of Solanum (Angiosperms353 probe set). RESULTS While the taxonomic framework of Solanum remained stable, gene tree conflicts and discordance between phylogenetic trees generated from the target-capture and plastome datasets were observed. The latter correspond to regions with short internodal branches, and network analysis and polytomy tests suggest the backbone is composed of three polytomies found at different evolutionary depths. The strongest area of discordance, near the crown node of Solanum, could potentially represent a hard polytomy. CONCLUSIONS We argue that incomplete lineage sorting due to rapid diversification is the most likely cause for these polytomies, and that embracing the uncertainty that underlies them is crucial to understand the evolution of large and rapidly radiating lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edeline Gagnon
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh20A Inverleith RowEdinburghEH3 5LRUK
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghKing's Buildings, Mayfield RoadEdinburghEH9 3JHUK
| | - Rebecca Hilgenhof
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh20A Inverleith RowEdinburghEH3 5LRUK
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghKing's Buildings, Mayfield RoadEdinburghEH9 3JHUK
| | - Andrés Orejuela
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh20A Inverleith RowEdinburghEH3 5LRUK
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghKing's Buildings, Mayfield RoadEdinburghEH9 3JHUK
| | - Angela McDonnell
- Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and ActionChicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook RdGlencoeIllinois60022USA
| | - Gaurav Sablok
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (Botany Unit)University of HelsinkiPO Box 7 FI‐00014HelsinkiFinland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme (OEB)Viikki Plant Science Centre (ViPS)PO Box 65, FI‐00014 University of HelsinkiFinland
| | - Xavier Aubriot
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, ÉcologieSystématique et ÉvolutionOrsay91405France
| | - Leandro Giacomin
- Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas & Herbário HSTMUniversidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Rua Vera Paz, sn, Santarém, CEP 68040‐255PABrazil
| | - Yuri Gouvêa
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais—UFMGAv. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270‐901MGBrazil
| | - Thamyris Bragionis
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais—UFMGAv. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270‐901MGBrazil
| | - João Renato Stehmann
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais—UFMGAv. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270‐901MGBrazil
| | - Lynn Bohs
- Department of BiologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtah84112USA
| | - Steven Dodsworth
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Bedfordshire, University SquareLutonLU1 3JUUK
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, RichmondSurreyTW9 3AEUK
| | | | - Péter Poczai
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (Botany Unit)University of HelsinkiPO Box 7 FI‐00014HelsinkiFinland
- Faculity of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiFI‐00014Finland
| | - Sandra Knapp
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History MuseumCromwell RoadLondonSW7 5BDUK
| | - Tiina Särkinen
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh20A Inverleith RowEdinburghEH3 5LRUK
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Liu B, Warnow T. Scalable Species Tree Inference with External Constraints. J Comput Biol 2022; 29:664-678. [PMID: 35196115 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2021.0543] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species tree inference is a basic step in biological discovery, but discordance between gene trees creates analytical challenges and large data sets create computational challenges. Although there is generally some information available about the species trees that could be used to speed up the estimation, only one species tree estimation method that addresses gene tree discordance-ASTRAL-J, a recent development in the ASTRAL family of methods-is able to use this information. Here we describe two new methods, NJst-J and FASTRAL-J, that can estimate the species tree, given a partial knowledge of the species tree in the form of a nonbinary unrooted constraint tree. We show that both NJst-J and FASTRAL-J are much faster than ASTRAL-J and we prove that all three methods are statistically consistent under the multispecies coalescent model subject to this constraint. Our extensive simulation study shows that both FASTRAL-J and NJst-J provide advantages over ASTRAL-J: both are faster (and NJst-J is particularly fast), and FASTRAL-J is generally at least as accurate as ASTRAL-J. An analysis of the Avian Phylogenomics Project data set with 48 species and 14,446 genes presents additional evidence of the value of FASTRAL-J over ASTRAL-J (and both over ASTRAL), with dramatic reductions in running time (20 hours for default ASTRAL, and minutes or seconds for ASTRAL-J and FASTRAL-J, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Baqiao Liu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Tandy Warnow
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Thomson RC, Brown JM. OUP accepted manuscript. Syst Biol 2022; 71:917-920. [PMID: 35088868 PMCID: PMC9203063 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The scale of data sets used to infer phylogenies has grown dramatically in the last decades, providing researchers with an enormous amount of information with which to draw inferences about evolutionary history. However, standard approaches to assessing confidence in those inferences (e.g., nonparametric bootstrap proportions [BP] and Bayesian posterior probabilities [PPs]) are still deeply influenced by statistical procedures and frameworks that were developed when information was much more limited. These approaches largely quantify uncertainty caused by limited amounts of data, which is often vanishingly small with modern, genome-scale sequence data sets. As a consequence, today’s phylogenomic studies routinely report near-complete confidence in their inferences, even when different studies reach strongly conflicting conclusions and the sites and loci in a single data set contain much more heterogeneity than our methods assume or can accommodate. Therefore, we argue that BPs and marginal PPs of bipartitions have outlived their utility as the primary means of measuring phylogenetic support for modern phylogenomic data sets with large numbers of sites relative to the number of taxa. Continuing to rely on these measures will hinder progress towards understanding remaining sources of uncertainty in the most challenging portions of the Tree of Life. Instead, we encourage researchers to examine the ideas and methods presented in this special issue of Systematic Biology and to explore the area further in their own work. The papers in this special issue outline strategies for assessing confidence and uncertainty in phylogenomic data sets that move beyond stochastic error due to limited data and offer promise for more productive dialogue about the challenges that we face in reaching our shared goal of understanding the history of life on Earth.[Big data; gene tree variation; genomic era; statistical bias.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Thomson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson Hall 216, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Correspondence to be sent to: School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson Hall 216, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; E-mail:
| | - Jeremy M Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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New Remains of Scandiavis mikkelseni Inform Avian Phylogenetic Relationships and Brain Evolution. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13120651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although an increasing number of studies are combining skeletal and neural morphology data in a phylogenetic context, most studies do not include extinct taxa due to the rarity of preserved endocasts. The early Eocene avifauna of the Fur Formation of Denmark presents an excellent opportunity for further study of extinct osteological and endocranial morphology as fossils are often exceptionally preserved in three dimensions. Here, we use X-ray computed tomography to present additional material of the previously described taxon Scandiavis mikkelseni and reassess its phylogenetic placement using a previously published dataset. The new specimen provides novel insights into the osteological morphology and brain anatomy of Scandiavis. The virtual endocast exhibits a morphology comparable to that of modern avian species. Endocranial evaluation shows that it was remarkably similar to that of certain extant Charadriiformes, yet also possessed a novel combination of traits. This may mean that traits previously proposed to be the result of shifts in ecology later in the evolutionary history of Charadriiformes may instead show a more complex distribution in stem Charadriiformes and/or Gruiformes depending on the interrelationships of these important clades. Evaluation of skeletal and endocranial character state changes within a previously published phylogeny confirms both S. mikkelseni and a putative extinct charadriiform, Nahmavis grandei, as charadriiform. Results bolster the likelihood that both taxa are critical fossils for divergence dating and highlight a biogeographic pattern similar to that of Gruiformes.
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Chen D, Hosner PA, Dittmann DL, O'Neill JP, Birks SM, Braun EL, Kimball RT. Divergence time estimation of Galliformes based on the best gene shopping scheme of ultraconserved elements. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:209. [PMID: 34809586 PMCID: PMC8609756 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01935-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Divergence time estimation is fundamental to understanding many aspects of the evolution of organisms, such as character evolution, diversification, and biogeography. With the development of sequence technology, improved analytical methods, and knowledge of fossils for calibration, it is possible to obtain robust molecular dating results. However, while phylogenomic datasets show great promise in phylogenetic estimation, the best ways to leverage the large amounts of data for divergence time estimation has not been well explored. A potential solution is to focus on a subset of data for divergence time estimation, which can significantly reduce the computational burdens and avoid problems with data heterogeneity that may bias results. RESULTS In this study, we obtained thousands of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) from 130 extant galliform taxa, including representatives of all genera, to determine the divergence times throughout galliform history. We tested the effects of different "gene shopping" schemes on divergence time estimation using a carefully, and previously validated, set of fossils. Our results found commonly used clock-like schemes may not be suitable for UCE dating (or other data types) where some loci have little information. We suggest use of partitioning (e.g., PartitionFinder) and selection of tree-like partitions may be good strategies to select a subset of data for divergence time estimation from UCEs. Our galliform time tree is largely consistent with other molecular clock studies of mitochondrial and nuclear loci. With our increased taxon sampling, a well-resolved topology, carefully vetted fossil calibrations, and suitable molecular dating methods, we obtained a high quality galliform time tree. CONCLUSIONS We provide a robust galliform backbone time tree that can be combined with more fossil records to further facilitate our understanding of the evolution of Galliformes and can be used as a resource for comparative and biogeographic studies in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- De Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Peter A Hosner
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Natural History Museum of Denmark and Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Donna L Dittmann
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - John P O'Neill
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Sharon M Birks
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edward L Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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