1
|
de Moya RS. Phylogenomics and host-switching patterns of philopteridae (Psocodea: phthiraptera) feather lice. Int J Parasitol 2022; 52:525-537. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
2
|
Johnson KP, Weckstein JD, Virrueta Herrera S, Doña J. The interplay between host biogeography and phylogeny in structuring diversification of the feather louse genus Penenirmus. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 165:107297. [PMID: 34438049 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Parasite diversification is influenced by many of the same factors that affect speciation of free-living organisms, such as biogeographic barriers. However, the ecology and evolution of the host lineage also has a major impact on parasite speciation. Here we explore the interplay between biogeography and host-association on the pattern of diversification in a group of ectoparasitic lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Penenirmus) that feeds on the feathers of woodpeckers, barbets, and honeyguides (Piciformes) and some songbirds (Passeriformes). We use whole genome sequencing of 41 ingroup and 12 outgroup samples to develop a phylogenomic dataset of DNA sequences from a reference set of 2395 single copy ortholog genes, for a total of nearly four million aligned base positions. The phylogenetic trees resulting from both concatenated and gene-tree/species-tree coalescent analyses were nearly identical and highly supported. These trees recovered the genus Penenirmus as monophyletic and identified several major clades, which tended to be associated with one major host group. However, cophylogenetic analysis revealed that host-switching was a prominent process in the diversification of this group. This host-switching generally occurred within single major biogeographic regions. We did, however, find one case in which it appears that a rare dispersal event by a woodpecker lineage from North America to Africa allowed its associated louse to colonize a woodpecker in Africa, even though the woodpecker lineage from North America never became established there.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Johnson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jason D Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephany Virrueta Herrera
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA; Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jorge Doña
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA; Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Variation in Ectosymbiont Assemblages Associated with Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) from Coast to Coast in Canada. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d13010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
When a species colonizes a new area, it has the potential to bring with it an array of smaller-bodied symbionts. Rock Pigeons (Columba livia Gmelin) have colonized most of Canada and are found in almost every urban center. In its native range, C. livia hosts more than a dozen species of ectosymbiotic arthropods, and some of these lice and mites have been reported from Rock Pigeons in the United States. Despite being so abundant and widely distributed, there are only scattered host-symbiont records for rock pigeons in Canada. Here we sample Rock Pigeons from seven locations across Canada from the west to east (a distance of > 4000 km) to increase our knowledge of the distribution of their ectosymbionts. Additionally, because ectosymbiont abundance can be affected by temperature and humidity, we looked at meteorological variables for each location to assess whether they were correlated with ectosymbiont assemblage structure. We found eight species of mites associated with different parts of the host’s integument: the feather dwelling mites Falculifer rostratus (Buchholz), Pterophagus columbae (Sugimoto) and Diplaegidia columbae (Buchholz); the skin mites: Harpyrhynchoides gallowayi Bochkov, OConnor and Klompen, H. columbae (Fain), and Ornithocheyletia hallae Smiley; and the nasal mites Tinaminyssus melloi (Castro) and T. columbae (Crossley). We also found five species of lice: Columbicola columbae (Linnaeus), Campanulotes compar (Burmeister), Coloceras tovornikae Tendeiro, Hohorstiella lata Piaget, and Bonomiella columbae Emerson. All 13 ectosymbiont species were found in the two coastal locations of Vancouver (British Columbia) and Halifax (Nova Scotia). The symbiont species found in all sampling locations were the mites O. hallae, H. gallowayi, T. melloi and T. columbae, and the lice Colu. columbae and Camp. compar. Three local meteorological variables were significantly correlated with mite assemblage structure: annual minimum and maximum temperatures and maximum humidity in the month the pigeon was collected. Two local meteorological variables, annual maximum and average temperatures, were significantly correlated with louse assemblages. Our results suggest that milder climatic conditions may affect richness and assemblage structure of ectosymbiont assemblages associated with Rock Pigeons in Canada.
Collapse
|
4
|
Gajdošová M, Sychra O, Kreisinger J, Sedláček O, Nana ED, Albrecht T, Munclinger P. Patterns of host-parasite associations in tropical lice and their passerine hosts in Cameroon. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6512-6524. [PMID: 32724529 PMCID: PMC7381757 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Coevolutionary processes that drive the patterns of host-parasite associations can be deduced through congruence analysis of their phylogenies. Feather lice and their avian hosts have previously been used as typical model systems for congruence analysis; however, such analyses are strongly biased toward nonpasserine hosts in the temperate zone. Further, in the Afrotropical region especially, cospeciation studies of lice and birds are entirely missing. This work supplements knowledge of host-parasite associations in lice using cospeciation analysis of feather lice (genus Myrsidea and the Brueelia complex) and their avian hosts in the tropical rainforests of Cameroon. Our analysis revealed a limited number of cospeciation events in both parasite groups. The parasite-host associations in both louse groups were predominantly shaped by host switching. Despite a general dissimilarity in phylogeny for the parasites and hosts, we found significant congruence in host-parasite distance matrices, mainly driven by associations between Brueelia lice and passerine species of the Waxbill (Estrildidae) family, and Myrsidea lice and their Bulbul (Pycnonotidae) host species. As such, our study supports the importance of complex biotic interactions in tropical environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Gajdošová
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Oldřich Sychra
- Department of Biology and Wildlife DiseasesFaculty of Veterinary Hygiene and EcologyUniversity of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Ondřej Sedláček
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Eric Djomo Nana
- Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD)Messa ‐YaoundéCameroon
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
de Moya RS, Allen JM, Sweet AD, Walden KKO, Palma RL, Smith VS, Cameron SL, Valim MP, Galloway TD, Weckstein JD, Johnson KP. Extensive host-switching of avian feather lice following the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event. Commun Biol 2019; 2:445. [PMID: 31815200 PMCID: PMC6884534 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0689-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly all lineages of birds host parasitic feather lice. Based on recent phylogenomic studies, the three major lineages of modern birds diverged from each other before the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event. In contrast, studies of the phylogeny of feather lice on birds, indicate that these parasites diversified largely after this event. However, these studies were unable to reconstruct the ancestral avian host lineage for feather lice. Here we use genome sequences of a broad diversity of lice to reconstruct a phylogeny based on 1,075 genes. By comparing this louse evolutionary tree to the avian host tree, we show that feather lice began diversifying on the common ancestor of waterfowl and landfowl, then radiated onto other avian lineages by extensive host-switching. Dating analyses and cophylogenetic comparisons revealed that two of three lineages of birds that diverged before the K-Pg boundary acquired their feather lice after this event via host-switching.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. de Moya
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL USA
| | - Julie M. Allen
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV USA
| | - Andrew D. Sweet
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL USA
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | | | - Ricardo L. Palma
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Vincent S. Smith
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | | | | | - Terry D. Galloway
- Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
| | - Jason D. Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Kevin P. Johnson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Doña J, Sweet AD, Johnson KP, Serrano D, Mironov S, Jovani R. Cophylogenetic analyses reveal extensive host-shift speciation in a highly specialized and host-specific symbiont system. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 115:190-196. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
|
7
|
Alcala N, Jenkins T, Christe P, Vuilleumier S. Host shift and cospeciation rate estimation from co‐phylogenies. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:1014-1024. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Alcala
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Biophore, Sorge CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford CA94305‐5020 USA
| | - Tania Jenkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Biophore, Sorge CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Philippe Christe
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Biophore, Sorge CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Séverine Vuilleumier
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Biophore, Sorge CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
- School of Nursing Sciences, La Source University of Applied Sciences & Arts of Western Switzerland CH‐1004 Lausanne Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Escalante GC, Sweet AD, McCracken KG, Gustafsson DR, Wilson RE, Johnson KP. Patterns of cryptic host specificity in duck lice based on molecular data. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 30:200-208. [PMID: 26753998 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Documenting patterns of host specificity in parasites relies on the adequate definition of parasite species. In many cases, parasites have simplified morphology, making species delimitation based on traditional morphological characters difficult. Molecular data can help in assessing whether widespread parasites harbour cryptic species and, alternatively, in guiding further taxonomic revision in cases in which there is morphological variation. The duck louse genus Anaticola (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae), based on current taxonomy, contains both host-specific and widespread species. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences of samples from this genus were used to document patterns of host specificity. The comparison of these patterns with morphological variations in Anaticola revealed a general correspondence between the groups identified by DNA sequences and morphology, respectively. These results suggest that a more thorough taxonomic review of this genus is needed. In general, the groups identified on the basis of molecular data were associated with particular groups of waterfowl (e.g. dabbling ducks, sea ducks, geese) or specific biogeographic regions (e.g. North America, South America, Australia, Eurasia).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G C Escalante
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, U.S.A
| | - A D Sweet
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, U.S.A
| | - K G McCracken
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, U.S.A
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A
| | - D R Gustafsson
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A
| | - R E Wilson
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, U.S.A
| | - K P Johnson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts? ORYX 2014. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605313000628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe co-extinction of parasitic taxa and their host species is considered a common phenomenon in the current global extinction crisis. However, information about the conservation status of parasitic taxa is scarce. We present a global list of co-extinct and critically co-endangered parasitic lice (Phthiraptera), based on published data on their host-specificity and their hosts’ conservation status according to the IUCN Red List. We list six co-extinct and 40 (possibly 41) critically co-endangered species. Additionally, we recognize 2–4 species that went extinct as a result of conservation efforts to save their hosts. Conservationists should consider preserving host-specific lice as part of their efforts to save species.
Collapse
|
10
|
de Vienne DM, Refrégier G, López-Villavicencio M, Tellier A, Hood ME, Giraud T. Cospeciation vs host-shift speciation: methods for testing, evidence from natural associations and relation to coevolution. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 198:347-385. [PMID: 23437795 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Hosts and their symbionts are involved in intimate physiological and ecological interactions. The impact of these interactions on the evolution of each partner depends on the time-scale considered. Short-term dynamics - 'coevolution' in the narrow sense - has been reviewed elsewhere. We focus here on the long-term evolutionary dynamics of cospeciation and speciation following host shifts. Whether hosts and their symbionts speciate in parallel, by cospeciation, or through host shifts, is a key issue in host-symbiont evolution. In this review, we first outline approaches to compare divergence between pairwise associated groups of species, their advantages and pitfalls. We then consider recent insights into the long-term evolution of host-parasite and host-mutualist associations by critically reviewing the literature. We show that convincing cases of cospeciation are rare (7%) and that cophylogenetic methods overestimate the occurrence of such events. Finally, we examine the relationships between short-term coevolutionary dynamics and long-term patterns of diversification in host-symbiont associations. We review theoretical and experimental studies showing that short-term dynamics can foster parasite specialization, but that these events can occur following host shifts and do not necessarily involve cospeciation. Overall, there is now substantial evidence to suggest that coevolutionary dynamics of hosts and parasites do not favor long-term cospeciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D M de Vienne
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - G Refrégier
- Université Paris-Sud, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, UMR 8621, 91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS, UMR8621, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - M López-Villavicencio
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - A Tellier
- Section of Population Genetics, Center of Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - M E Hood
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - T Giraud
- Université Paris-Sud, Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, UMR 8079, 91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS, UMR8079, 91405, Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Co-phylogeography and morphological evolution of sika deer lice (Damalinia sika) with their hosts (Cervus nippon). Parasitology 2012; 139:1614-29. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182012000996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
12
|
Johnson KP, Shreve SM, Smith VS. Repeated adaptive divergence of microhabitat specialization in avian feather lice. BMC Biol 2012; 10:52. [PMID: 22717002 PMCID: PMC3391173 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-10-52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Repeated adaptive radiations are evident when phenotypic divergence occurs within lineages, but this divergence into different forms is convergent when compared across lineages. Classic examples of such repeated adaptive divergence occur in island (for example, Caribbean Anolis lizards) and lake systems (for example, African cichlids). Host-parasite systems in many respects are analogous to island systems, where host species represent isolated islands for parasites whose life cycle is highly tied to that of their hosts. Thus, host-parasite systems might exhibit interesting cases of repeated adaptive divergence as seen in island and lake systems. The feather lice of birds spend their entire life cycle on the body of the host and occupy distinct microhabitats on the host: head, wing, body and generalist. These microhabitat specialists show pronounced morphological differences corresponding to how they escape from host preening. We tested whether these different microhabitat specialists were a case of repeated adaptive divergence by constructing both morphological and molecular phylogenies for a diversity of avian feather lice, including many examples of head, wing, body and generalist forms. Results Morphological and molecular based phylogenies were highly incongruent, which could be explained by rampant convergence in morphology related to microhabitat specialization on the host. In many cases lice from different microhabitat specializations, but from the same group of birds, were sister taxa. Conclusions This pattern indicates a process of repeated adaptive divergence of these parasites within host group, but convergence when comparing parasites across host groups. These results suggest that host-parasite systems might be another case in which repeated adaptive radiations could be relatively common, but potentially overlooked, because morphological convergence can obscure evolutionary relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Johnson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Livezey BC. Grebes and flamingos: standards of evidence, adjudication of disputes, and societal politics in avian systematics. Cladistics 2011; 27:391-401. [PMID: 34875788 DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2010.00339.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent proposal of a sister-group relationship between the Neoavian grebes (Podicipedidae) and flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) is chronicled, and morphological evidence claimed to be supportive of the grouping is examined. The hypothesis arose from an exiguous amalgam of molecular inferences, advanced in part by a pervasive, unsupported superiority conferred upon sequence data, and adopted by several societal committees on avian classification. Morphological characters marshalled specifically to support the hypothesis were found to be erroneous, and associated phylogenetic analyses, where given, were ambiguous. A combined analysis of large data sets for morphology and RAG-1 sequences found flamingos and storks to be sister groups but with reduced support. This example illustrates problems attending the synthesis of contradictory evidence and evaluation of unprecedented hypotheses, and reveals the informality by which revisions are adopted. Procedures for rational synthesis of evidence are needed for progress during this challenging but promising period of diversified phylogenetics, without which disputes will be dominated increasingly by polarized, intransigent prejudice regarding methods and data.© The Willi Hennig Society 2010.
Collapse
|
14
|
JOHNSON KEVINP, WECKSTEIN JASOND, MEYER MATHYSJ, CLAYTON DALEH. There and back again: switching between host orders by avian body lice (Ischnocera: Goniodidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01612.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
15
|
Morgan-Richards M, Trewick SA, Bartosch-Härlid A, Kardailsky O, Phillips MJ, McLenachan PA, Penny D. Bird evolution: testing the Metaves clade with six new mitochondrial genomes. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:20. [PMID: 18215323 PMCID: PMC2259304 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2007] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evolutionary biologists are often misled by convergence of morphology and this has been common in the study of bird evolution. However, the use of molecular data sets have their own problems and phylogenies based on short DNA sequences have the potential to mislead us too. The relationships among clades and timing of the evolution of modern birds (Neoaves) has not yet been well resolved. Evidence of convergence of morphology remain controversial. With six new bird mitochondrial genomes (hummingbird, swift, kagu, rail, flamingo and grebe) we test the proposed Metaves/Coronaves division within Neoaves and the parallel radiations in this primary avian clade. RESULTS Our mitochondrial trees did not return the Metaves clade that had been proposed based on one nuclear intron sequence. We suggest that the high number of indels within the seventh intron of the beta-fibrinogen gene at this phylogenetic level, which left a dataset with not a single site across the alignment shared by all taxa, resulted in artifacts during analysis. With respect to the overall avian tree, we find the flamingo and grebe are sister taxa and basal to the shorebirds (Charadriiformes). Using a novel site-stripping technique for noise-reduction we found this relationship to be stable. The hummingbird/swift clade is outside the large and very diverse group of raptors, shore and sea birds. Unexpectedly the kagu is not closely related to the rail in our analysis, but because neither the kagu nor the rail have close affinity to any taxa within this dataset of 41 birds, their placement is not yet resolved. CONCLUSION Our phylogenetic hypothesis based on 41 avian mitochondrial genomes (13,229 bp) rejects monophyly of seven Metaves species and we therefore conclude that the members of Metaves do not share a common evolutionary history within the Neoaves.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Morgan-Richards
- Allan Wilson Center for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|