1
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Brennan IG, Chapple DG, Keogh JS, Donnellan S. Evolutionary bursts drive morphological novelty in the world's largest skinks. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00943-6. [PMID: 39137786 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.039] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Animal phenotypes evolve and diverge as a result of differing selective pressures and drift. These processes leave unique signatures in patterns of trait evolution, impacting the tempo and mode of morphological macroevolution. While there is a broad understanding of the history of some organismal traits (e.g., body size), there is little consensus about the evolutionary mode of most others. This includes the relative contribution of prolonged (Darwinian gradualist) and episodic (Simpsonian jump) changes toward the evolution of novel morphologies. Here, we use new exon-capture and linear morphological datasets to investigate the tempo and mode of morphological evolution in Australo-Melanesian Tiliquini skinks. We generate a well-supported time-calibrated phylogenomic tree from ∼400 nuclear markers for more than 100 specimens, including undescribed diversity, and provide unprecedented resolution of the rapid Miocene diversification of these lizards. By collecting a morphological dataset that encompasses the lizard body plan (19 traits across the head, body, limb, and tail), we are able to identify that most traits evolve conservatively, but infrequent evolutionary bursts result in morphological novelty. These phenotypic discontinuities occur via rapid rate increases along individual branches, inconsistent with both gradualistic and punctuated equilibrial evolutionary modes. Instead, this "punctuated gradualism" has resulted in the rapid evolution of blue-tongued giants and armored dwarves in the ∼20 million years since colonizing Australia. These results outline the evolutionary pathway toward new morphologies and highlight the heterogeneity of evolutionary tempo and mode, even within individual traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian G Brennan
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; Australian National University, Division of Ecology & Evolution, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - David G Chapple
- Monash University, School of Biological Sciences, Wellington Road, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - J Scott Keogh
- Australian National University, Division of Ecology & Evolution, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Stephen Donnellan
- The University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Australian Museum, Australian Museum Research Institute, William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
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2
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Venditti C, Baker J, Barton RA. Co-evolutionary dynamics of mammalian brain and body size. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1534-1542. [PMID: 38977833 PMCID: PMC11310075 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02451-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Despite decades of comparative studies, puzzling aspects of the relationship between mammalian brain and body mass continue to defy satisfactory explanation. Here we show that several such aspects arise from routinely fitting log-linear models to the data: the correlated evolution of brain and body mass is in fact log-curvilinear. This simultaneously accounts for several phenomena for which diverse biological explanations have been proposed, notably variability in scaling coefficients across clades, low encephalization in larger species and the so-called taxon-level problem. Our model implies a need to revisit previous findings about relative brain mass. Accounting for the true scaling relationship, we document dramatically varying rates of relative brain mass evolution across the mammalian phylogeny, and we resolve the question of whether there is an overall trend for brain mass to increase through time. We find a trend in only three mammalian orders, which is by far the strongest in primates, setting the stage for the uniquely rapid directional increase ultimately producing the computational powers of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
| | - Joanna Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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3
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Cerretti P, Yan L, Narayanan Kutty S, Szpila K, Nania D, Tintea R, Mei M, Pape T. Phylogenomics resolves long-standing questions about the affinities of an endangered Corsican endemic fly. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2024; 24:9. [PMID: 39052426 PMCID: PMC11271022 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieae073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies on oestroidean Diptera (Brachycera) are providing a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the evolutionary history of this remarkably diverse clade of holometabolous insects. The Oestroidea, which includes formidable pests such as various blowflies, botflies, and flesh flies that infest livestock, pets and humans, are mostly composed of beneficial species that act as scavengers or parasitoids on various pest insects. In our research, we used genomic methods to elucidate the phylogenetic position of Nesodexia corsicana Villeneuve, 1911 (Diptera: Calliphoridae), a mysterious oestroid species endemic to Corsica and characterized by distinctive morphological features that have puzzled taxonomists for years. Contrary to initial hypotheses, our results place Nesodexia Villeneuve, 1911 within the Calliphoridae subfamily Rhinophorinae, a small lineage of terrestrial isopod parasitoids. Through detailed morphological analysis of adults of both sexes and eggs, we uncovered significant insights consistent with our phylogenomic reconstruction. The unique morphological features of the species, coupled with its restricted and fragmented habitat, highlight its potential conservation importance. We delineated the area of occupancy for N. corsicana and assessed its "threatened" category using specific IUCN Red List criteria. In addition, we mapped the available habitat within its range and determined potential key biodiversity areas (KBA) triggered by N. corsicana. New potential KBAs are only partially covered by the Corsican Regional Park. Finally, we mapped the distribution of habitats on the island to assess the potential distribution of the species beyond its currently known geographic range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierfilippo Cerretti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Liping Yan
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Krzysztof Szpila
- Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - Dario Nania
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Roxana Tintea
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Maurizio Mei
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Thomas Pape
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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4
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Wilson LN, Gardner JD, Wilson JP, Farnsworth A, Perry ZR, Druckenmiller PS, Erickson GM, Organ CL. Global latitudinal gradients and the evolution of body size in dinosaurs and mammals. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2864. [PMID: 38580657 PMCID: PMC10997647 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46843-2] [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: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Global climate patterns fundamentally shape the distribution of species and ecosystems. For example, Bergmann's rule predicts that homeothermic animals, including birds and mammals, inhabiting cooler climates are generally larger than close relatives from warmer climates. The modern world, however, lacks the comparative data needed to evaluate such macroecological rules rigorously. Here, we test for Bergmann's rule in Mesozoic dinosaurs and mammaliaforms that radiated within relatively temperate global climate regimes. We develop a phylogenetic model that accounts for biases in the fossil record and allows for variable evolutionary dispersal rates. Our analysis also includes new fossil data from the extreme high-latitude Late Cretaceous Arctic Prince Creek Formation. We find no evidence for Bergmann's rule in Mesozoic dinosaurs or mammaliaforms, the ancestors of extant homeothermic birds and mammals. When our model is applied to thousands of extant dinosaur (bird) and mammal species, we find that body size evolution remains independent of latitude. A modest temperature effect is found in extant, but not in Mesozoic, birds, suggesting that body size evolution in modern birds was influenced by Bergmann's rule during Cenozoic climatic change. Our study provides a general approach for studying macroecological rules, highlighting the fossil record's power to address longstanding ecological principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren N Wilson
- University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA.
- Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA.
| | - Jacob D Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6EX, UK.
| | - John P Wilson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Alex Farnsworth
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1RL, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zackary R Perry
- University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
- Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Patrick S Druckenmiller
- University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
- Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Gregory M Erickson
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Chris L Organ
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6EX, UK.
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA.
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5
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Fromm B, Sorger T. Rapid adaptation of cellular metabolic rate to the MicroRNA complements of mammals and its relevance to the evolution of endothermy. iScience 2024; 27:108740. [PMID: 38327773 PMCID: PMC10847693 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The metabolic efficiency of mammalian cells depends on the attenuation of intrinsic translation noise by microRNAs. We devised a metric of cellular metabolic rate (cMR), rMR/Mexp optimally fit to the number of microRNA families (mirFam), that is robust to variation in mass and sensitive to body temperature (Tb), consistent with the heat dissipation limit theory of Speakman and Król (2010). Using mirFam as predictor, an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process of stabilizing selection, with an adaptive shift at the divergence of Boreoeutheria, accounted for 95% of the variation in cMR across mammals. Branchwise rates of evolution of cMR, mirFam and Tb concurrently increased 6- to 7-fold at the divergence of Boreoeutheria, independent of mass. Cellular MR variation across placental mammals was also predicted by the sum of model conserved microRNA-target interactions, revealing an unexpected degree of integration of the microRNA-target apparatus into the energy economy of the mammalian cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Fromm
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Thomas Sorger
- Department of Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI 02809, USA
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6
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Campoy AN, Rivadeneira MM, Hernández CE, Meade A, Venditti C. Deep-sea origin and depth colonization associated with phenotypic innovations in scleractinian corals. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7458. [PMID: 37978188 PMCID: PMC10656505 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43287-y] [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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The deep sea (>200 m) is home to a surprisingly rich biota, which in some cases compares to that found in shallow areas. Scleractinian corals are an example of this - they are key species in both shallow and deep ecosystems. However, what evolutionary processes resulted in current depth distribution of the marine fauna is a long-standing question. Various conflicting hypotheses have been proposed, but few formal tests have been conducted. Here, we use global spatial distribution data to test the bathymetric origin and colonization trends across the depth gradient in scleractinian corals. Using a phylogenetic approach, we infer the origin and historical trends in directionality and speed of colonization during the diversification in depth. We also examine how the emergence of photo-symbiosis and coloniality, scleractinian corals' most conspicuous phenotypic innovations, have influenced this process. Our results strongly support an offshore-onshore pattern of evolution and varying dispersion capacities along depth associated with trait-defined lineages. These results highlight the relevance of the evolutionary processes occurring at different depths to explain the origin of extant marine biodiversity and the consequences of altering these processes by human impact, highlighting the need to include this overlooked evolutionary history in conservation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana N Campoy
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.
- Laboratorio de Paleobiología, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile.
- Millennium Nucleus for the Ecology and Conservation of Temperate Mesophotic Reef Ecosystems (NUTME), Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas (ECIM), Las Cruces, Chile.
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of the Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Marcelo M Rivadeneira
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
- Laboratorio de Paleobiología, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Cristián E Hernández
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Filoinformática, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, Perú
| | - Andrew Meade
- The School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Chris Venditti
- The School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
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7
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Couto A, Young FJ, Atzeni D, Marty S, Melo-Flórez L, Hebberecht L, Monllor M, Neal C, Cicconardi F, McMillan WO, Montgomery SH. Rapid expansion and visual specialisation of learning and memory centres in the brains of Heliconiini butterflies. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4024. [PMID: 37419890 PMCID: PMC10328955 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39618-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the abundance and diversity of neural cell types, and their connectivity, shape brain composition and provide the substrate for behavioral evolution. Although investment in sensory brain regions is understood to be largely driven by the relative ecological importance of particular sensory modalities, how selective pressures impact the elaboration of integrative brain centers has been more difficult to pinpoint. Here, we provide evidence of extensive, mosaic expansion of an integration brain center among closely related species, which is not explained by changes in sites of primary sensory input. By building new datasets of neural traits among a tribe of diverse Neotropical butterflies, the Heliconiini, we detected several major evolutionary expansions of the mushroom bodies, central brain structures pivotal for insect learning and memory. The genus Heliconius, which exhibits a unique dietary innovation, pollen-feeding, and derived foraging behaviors reliant on spatial memory, shows the most extreme enlargement. This expansion is primarily associated with increased visual processing areas and coincides with increased precision of visual processing, and enhanced long term memory. These results demonstrate that selection for behavioral innovation and enhanced cognitive ability occurred through expansion and localized specialization in integrative brain centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Couto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fletcher J Young
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Daniele Atzeni
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Simon Marty
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Laura Hebberecht
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | | | - Chris Neal
- Wolfson Bioimaging Facility, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | | | - Stephen H Montgomery
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama.
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8
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Jiang B, He Y, Elsler A, Wang S, Keating JN, Song J, Kearns SL, Benton MJ. Extended embryo retention and viviparity in the first amniotes. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1131-1140. [PMID: 37308704 PMCID: PMC10333127 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02074-0] [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: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The amniotic egg with its complex fetal membranes was a key innovation in vertebrate evolution that enabled the great diversification of reptiles, birds and mammals. It is debated whether these fetal membranes evolved in eggs on land as an adaptation to the terrestrial environment or to control antagonistic fetal-maternal interaction in association with extended embryo retention (EER). Here we report an oviparous choristodere from the Lower Cretaceous period of northeast China. The ossification sequence of the embryo confirms that choristoderes are basal archosauromorphs. The discovery of oviparity in this assumed viviparous extinct clade, together with existing evidence, suggests that EER was the primitive reproductive mode in basal archosauromorphs. Phylogenetic comparative analyses on extant and extinct amniotes suggest that the first amniote displayed EER (including viviparity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoyu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yiming He
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Armin Elsler
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Shengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Joseph N Keating
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Junyi Song
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Stuart L Kearns
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael J Benton
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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9
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Yu Y, Zhang C, Xu X. Complex macroevolution of pterosaurs. Curr Biol 2023; 33:770-779.e4. [PMID: 36787747 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Pterosaurs, the earliest flying tetrapods, are the subject of some recent quantitative macroevolutionary analyses from different perspectives.1-2 Here, we use an integrative approach involving newly assembled phylogenetic and body size datasets, net diversification rates, morphological rates, and morphological disparity to gain a holistic understanding of the pterosaur macroevolution. The first two parameters are important in quantitative analyses of macroevolution, but they have been rarely used in previous pterosaur studies.1,3,4,2,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 Our study reveals an ∼115-Ma period-from Early Triassic to Early Cretaceous-of multi-wave increasing net diversification rates and disparity, as well as high morphological rates, followed by an ∼65-Ma period-from Early Cretaceous to the end of the Cretaceous-of mostly negative net diversification rates, decreasing disparity, and relatively low morphological rates in pterosaur evolution. Our study demonstrates the following: (1) body size plays an important role in pterosaur lineage diversification during nearly their whole evolutionary history, and the evolution of locomotion, trophic, and ornamental structures also plays a role in different periods; (2) birds, the other major flying tetrapod group at the time, might have affected pterosaur macroevolution for ∼100 Ma; and (3) different mass extinction events might have affected pterosaur evolution differently. Particularly, the revealed decline in pterosaur biodiversity during the Middle and Late Cretaceous periods provides further support for the possible presence of a biodiversity decline of large-sized terrestrial amniotes starting in the mid-Cretaceous,13,14 which may have been caused by multiple factors including a global land area decrease during these periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilun Yu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.
| | - Xing Xu
- Centre for Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China; Shenyang Normal University, Paleontological Museum of Liaoning, Shenyang, China.
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10
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Way to big cats: Directional selection in body size evolution in living felids. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09639-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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11
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Abstract
Abstract
Among size-dimorphic animals, a few clades such as hummingbirds show “reversed” sexual size dimorphism: females tend to be the larger sex. What selects for this pattern? Sexual selection for flight performance could drive the evolution of smaller, more agile males, either for male-male combat or female choice for aerial courtship displays. Alternately, natural selection can select for female fecundity (e.g., egg size influences female body size), or sex differences in foraging niche could favor body size differences. The sexual selection hypotheses predict that dimorphism extends to other aspects of flight morphology (e.g., flight muscle size) whereas the natural selection hypotheses predict that male and female flight morphologies are isometric, and the niche differentiation hypothesis predicts that bill dimorphism is correlated with size dimorphism. We tested these predictions through phylogenetic comparative analyses of flight morphology, wingbeat frequency, and courtship behaviors, focused on 30 species within the “bee” hummingbird clade (tribe Mellisugini). There is no correlation between bill morphology and dimorphism. Relative to females, males tend to be smaller, have proportionately shorter wings and higher hovering wingbeat frequencies, but also longer keels and larger flight muscles. Male wingbeat frequencies are greatly elevated during aerial displays, and the species with the greatest wingbeat frequencies have the greatest dimorphism. Of the four hypotheses for dimorphism, the data best support the hypothesis that female choice for courtship displays has selected for aerial agility and small size in male hummingbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Wilcox
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California , Riverside, CA 92521 , USA
- Biological Sciences Department, Moorpark College , Moorpark, CA 93021 , USA
| | - Christopher J Clark
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California , Riverside, CA 92521 , USA
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12
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Simões TR, Kammerer CF, Caldwell MW, Pierce SE. Successive climate crises in the deep past drove the early evolution and radiation of reptiles. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq1898. [PMID: 35984885 PMCID: PMC9390993 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq1898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate change-induced mass extinctions provide unique opportunities to explore the impacts of global environmental disturbances on organismal evolution. However, their influence on terrestrial ecosystems remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a new time tree for the early evolution of reptiles and their closest relatives to reconstruct how the Permian-Triassic climatic crises shaped their long-term evolutionary trajectory. By combining rates of phenotypic evolution, mode of selection, body size, and global temperature data, we reveal an intimate association between reptile evolutionary dynamics and climate change in the deep past. We show that the origin and phenotypic radiation of reptiles was not solely driven by ecological opportunity following the end-Permian extinction as previously thought but also the result of multiple adaptive responses to climatic shifts spanning 57 million years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago R. Simões
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Christian F. Kammerer
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7617, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Michael W. Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11645 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, 11645 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Stephanie E. Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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13
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Gutarra S, Stubbs TL, Moon BC, Palmer C, Benton MJ. Large size in aquatic tetrapods compensates for high drag caused by extreme body proportions. Commun Biol 2022; 5:380. [PMID: 35484197 PMCID: PMC9051157 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03322-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Various Mesozoic marine reptile lineages evolved streamlined bodies and efficient lift-based swimming, as seen in modern aquatic mammals. Ichthyosaurs had low-drag bodies, akin to modern dolphins, but plesiosaurs were strikingly different, with long hydrofoil-like limbs and greatly variable neck and trunk proportions. Using computational fluid dynamics, we explore the effect of this extreme morphological variation. We find that, independently of their body fineness ratio, plesiosaurs produced more drag than ichthyosaurs and modern cetaceans of equal mass due to their large limbs, but these differences were not significant when body size was accounted for. Additionally, necks longer than twice the trunk length can substantially increase the cost of forward swimming, but this effect was cancelled out by the evolution of big trunks. Moreover, fast rates in the evolution of neck proportions in the long-necked elasmosaurs suggest that large trunks might have released the hydrodynamic constraints on necks thus allowing their extreme enlargement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Gutarra
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Thomas L Stubbs
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Benjamin C Moon
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Colin Palmer
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Michael J Benton
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
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14
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Bertrand OC, Shelley SL, Williamson TE, Wible JR, Chester SGB, Flynn JJ, Holbrook LT, Lyson TR, Meng J, Miller IM, Püschel HP, Smith T, Spaulding M, Tseng ZJ, Brusatte SL. Brawn before brains in placental mammals after the end-Cretaceous extinction. Science 2022; 376:80-85. [PMID: 35357913 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl5584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mammals are the most encephalized vertebrates, with the largest brains relative to body size. Placental mammals have particularly enlarged brains, with expanded neocortices for sensory integration, the origins of which are unclear. We used computed tomography scans of newly discovered Paleocene fossils to show that contrary to the convention that mammal brains have steadily enlarged over time, early placentals initially decreased their relative brain sizes because body mass increased at a faster rate. Later in the Eocene, multiple crown lineages independently acquired highly encephalized brains through marked growth in sensory regions. We argue that the placental radiation initially emphasized increases in body size as extinction survivors filled vacant niches. Brains eventually became larger as ecosystems saturated and competition intensified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ornella C Bertrand
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FE, UK
| | - Sarah L Shelley
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FE, UK.,Section of Mammals, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - John R Wible
- Section of Mammals, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Stephen G B Chester
- Department of Anthropology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.,Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - John J Flynn
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior subprogram, PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,PhD Program in Earth and Environmental Sciences, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luke T Holbrook
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
| | | | - Jin Meng
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ian M Miller
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO, USA.,National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Hans P Püschel
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FE, UK
| | - Thierry Smith
- Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Michelle Spaulding
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN, USA
| | - Z Jack Tseng
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Stephen L Brusatte
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FE, UK.,New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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15
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Furness AI, Venditti C, Capellini I. Terrestrial reproduction and parental care drive rapid evolution in the trade-off between offspring size and number across amphibians. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001495. [PMID: 34982764 PMCID: PMC8726499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between offspring size and number is central to life history strategies. Both the evolutionary gain of parental care or more favorable habitats for offspring development are predicted to result in fewer, larger offspring. However, despite much research, it remains unclear whether and how different forms of care and habitats drive the evolution of the trade-off. Using data for over 800 amphibian species, we demonstrate that, after controlling for allometry, amphibians with direct development and those that lay eggs in terrestrial environments have larger eggs and smaller clutches, while different care behaviors and adaptations vary in their effects on the trade-off. Specifically, among the 11 care forms we considered at the egg, tadpole and juvenile stage, egg brooding, male egg attendance, and female egg attendance increase egg size; female tadpole attendance and tadpole feeding decrease egg size, while egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and male tadpole transport decrease clutch size. Unlike egg size that shows exceptionally high rates of phenotypic change in just 19 branches of the amphibian phylogeny, clutch size has evolved at exceptionally high rates in 135 branches, indicating episodes of strong selection; egg and tadpole environment, direct development, egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and tadpole transport explain 80% of these events. By explicitly considering diversity in parental care and offspring habitat by stage of offspring development, this study demonstrates that more favorable conditions for offspring development promote the evolution of larger offspring in smaller broods and reveals that the diversity of parental care forms influences the trade-off in more nuanced ways than previously appreciated. What selective pressures alter the tradeoff between offspring size and number? A phylogenetic comparative approach shows that amphibians with direct development and those that lay eggs in terrestrial environments have larger eggs and smaller clutches, while different care behaviours and adaptations vary in their effects on the tradeoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew I. Furness
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
- Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AIF); (IC)
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Isabella Capellini
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AIF); (IC)
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16
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Lafuma F, Corfe IJ, Clavel J, Di-Poï N. Multiple evolutionary origins and losses of tooth complexity in squamates. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6001. [PMID: 34650041 PMCID: PMC8516937 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26285-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Teeth act as tools for acquiring and processing food, thus holding a prominent role in vertebrate evolution. In mammals, dental-dietary adaptations rely on tooth complexity variations controlled by cusp number and pattern. Complexity increase through cusp addition has dominated the diversification of mammals. However, studies of Mammalia alone cannot reveal patterns of tooth complexity conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. Here, we use morphometric and phylogenetic comparative methods across fossil and extant squamates to show they also repeatedly evolved increasingly complex teeth, but with more flexibility than mammals. Since the Late Jurassic, multiple-cusped teeth evolved over 20 times independently from a single-cusped common ancestor. Squamates frequently lost cusps and evolved varied multiple-cusped morphologies at heterogeneous rates. Tooth complexity evolved in correlation with changes in plant consumption, resulting in several major increases in speciation. Complex teeth played a critical role in vertebrate evolution outside Mammalia, with squamates exemplifying a more labile system of dental-dietary evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Lafuma
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Ian J Corfe
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- Geological Survey of Finland, FI-02150, Espoo, Finland.
| | - Julien Clavel
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
- Univ. Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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17
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López-Cortés GI, Palacios-Pérez M, Zamudio GS, Veledíaz HF, Ortega E, José MV. Neutral evolution test of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and its implications in the binding to ACE2. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18847. [PMID: 34552110 PMCID: PMC8458503 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96950-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
As the SARS-CoV-2 has spread and the pandemic has dragged on, the virus continued to evolve rapidly resulting in the emergence of new highly transmissible variants that can be of public health concern. The evolutionary mechanisms that drove this rapid diversity are not well understood but neutral evolution should open the first insight. The neutral theory of evolution states that most mutations in the nucleic acid sequences are random and they can be fixed or disappear by purifying selection. Herein, we performed a neutrality test to better understand the selective pressures exerted over SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from homologue proteins of Betacoronavirus, as well as to the spikes from human clinical isolates of the virus. Specifically, Tyr and Asn have higher occurrence rates on the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) and in the overall sequence of spike proteins of Betacoronavirus, whereas His and Arg have lower occurrence rates. The in vivo evolutionary phenomenon of SARS-CoV-2 shows that Glu, Lys, Phe, and Val have the highest probability of occurrence in the emergent viral particles. Amino acids that have higher occurrence than the expected by the neutral control, are favorable and are fixed in the sequence while the ones that have lower occurrence than expected, influence the stability and/or functionality of the protein. Our results show that most unique mutations either for SARS-CoV-2 or its variants of health concern are under selective pressures, which could be related either to the evasion of the immune system, increasing the virus' fitness or altering protein - protein interactions with host proteins. We explored the consequences of those selected mutations in the structure and protein - protein interaction with the receptor. Altogether all these forces have shaped the spike protein and the continually evolving variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina I López-Cortés
- Department of Immunology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, CDMX, Mexico
- Theoretical Biology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Miryam Palacios-Pérez
- Theoretical Biology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Gabriel S Zamudio
- Theoretical Biology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Hannya F Veledíaz
- Theoretical Biology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, CDMX, Mexico
- Universidad Latinoamericana, Nutrición, Campus Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Enrique Ortega
- Department of Immunology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, CDMX, Mexico.
| | - Marco V José
- Theoretical Biology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, CDMX, Mexico.
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18
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Simões TR, Pierce SE. Sustained high rates of morphological evolution during the rise of tetrapods. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1403-1414. [PMID: 34426679 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01532-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The fish-to-tetrapod transition is one of the most iconic events in vertebrate evolution, yet fundamental questions regarding the dynamics of this transition remain unresolved. Here, we use advances in Bayesian morphological clock modelling to reveal the evolutionary dynamics of early tetrapodomorphs (tetrapods and their closest fish relatives). We show that combining osteological and ichnological calibration data results in major shifts on the time of origin of all major groups of tetrapodomorphs (up to 25 million years) and that low rates of net diversification, not fossilization, explain long ghost lineages in the early tetrapodomorph fossil record. Further, our findings reveal extremely low rates of morphological change for most early tetrapodomorphs, indicating widespread stabilizing selection upon their 'fish' morphotype. This pattern was broken only by elpistostegalians (including early tetrapods), which underwent sustained high rates of morphological evolution for ~30 Myr during the deployment of the tetrapod body plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago R Simões
- Museum of Comparative Zoology & Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology & Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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19
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Baker J, Meade A, Venditti C. Genes underlying the evolution of tetrapod testes size. BMC Biol 2021; 19:162. [PMID: 34407824 PMCID: PMC8375169 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01107-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testes vary widely in mass relative to body mass across species, but we know very little about which genes underlie and contribute to such variation. This is partly because evidence for which genes are implicated in testis size variation tends to come from investigations involving just one or a few species. Contemporary comparative phylogenetic methods provide an opportunity to test candidate genes for their role in phenotypic change at a macro-evolutionary scale-across species and over millions of years. Previous attempts to detect genotype-phenotype associations across species have been limited in that they can only detect where genes have driven directional selection (e.g. brain size increase). RESULTS Here, we introduce an approach that uses rates of evolutionary change to overcome this limitation to test whether any of twelve candidate genes have driven testis size evolution across tetrapod vertebrates-regardless of directionality. We do this by seeking a relationship between the rates of genetic and phenotypic evolution. Our results reveal five genes (Alkbh5, Dmrtb1, Pld6, Nlrp3, Sp4) that each have played unique and complex roles in tetrapod testis size diversity. In all five genes, we find strong significant associations between the rate of protein-coding substitutions and the rate of testis size evolution. Such an association has never, to our knowledge, been tested before for any gene or phenotype. CONCLUSIONS We describe a new approach to tackle one of the most fundamental questions in biology: how do individual genes give rise to biological diversity? The ability to detect genotype-phenotype associations that have acted across species has the potential to build a picture of how natural selection has sculpted phenotypic change over millions of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BX, UK.
| | - Andrew Meade
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BX, UK
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BX, UK.
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20
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Stubbs TL, Pierce SE, Elsler A, Anderson PSL, Rayfield EJ, Benton MJ. Ecological opportunity and the rise and fall of crocodylomorph evolutionary innovation. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210069. [PMID: 33757349 PMCID: PMC8059953 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the origin, expansion and loss of biodiversity is fundamental to evolutionary biology. The approximately 26 living species of crocodylomorphs (crocodiles, caimans, alligators and gharials) represent just a snapshot of the group's rich 230-million-year history, whereas the fossil record reveals a hidden past of great diversity and innovation, including ocean and land-dwelling forms, herbivores, omnivores and apex predators. In this macroevolutionary study of skull and jaw shape disparity, we show that crocodylomorph ecomorphological variation peaked in the Cretaceous, before declining in the Cenozoic, and the rise and fall of disparity was associated with great heterogeneity in evolutionary rates. Taxonomically diverse and ecologically divergent Mesozoic crocodylomorphs, like marine thalattosuchians and terrestrial notosuchians, rapidly evolved novel skull and jaw morphologies to fill specialized adaptive zones. Disparity in semi-aquatic predatory crocodylians, the only living crocodylomorph representatives, accumulated steadily, and they evolved more slowly for most of the last 80 million years, but despite their conservatism there is no evidence for long-term evolutionary stagnation. These complex evolutionary dynamics reflect ecological opportunities, that were readily exploited by some Mesozoic crocodylomorphs but more limited in Cenozoic crocodylians.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Armin Elsler
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Philip S L Anderson
- Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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21
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Odom KJ, Araya-Salas M, Morano JL, Ligon RA, Leighton GM, Taff CC, Dalziell AH, Billings AC, Germain RR, Pardo M, de Andrade LG, Hedwig D, Keen SC, Shiu Y, Charif RA, Webster MS, Rice AN. Comparative bioacoustics: a roadmap for quantifying and comparing animal sounds across diverse taxa. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1135-1159. [PMID: 33652499 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animals produce a wide array of sounds with highly variable acoustic structures. It is possible to understand the causes and consequences of this variation across taxa with phylogenetic comparative analyses. Acoustic and evolutionary analyses are rapidly increasing in sophistication such that choosing appropriate acoustic and evolutionary approaches is increasingly difficult. However, the correct choice of analysis can have profound effects on output and evolutionary inferences. Here, we identify and address some of the challenges for this growing field by providing a roadmap for quantifying and comparing sound in a phylogenetic context for researchers with a broad range of scientific backgrounds. Sound, as a continuous, multidimensional trait can be particularly challenging to measure because it can be hard to identify variables that can be compared across taxa and it is also no small feat to process and analyse the resulting high-dimensional acoustic data using approaches that are appropriate for subsequent evolutionary analysis. Additionally, terminological inconsistencies and the role of learning in the development of acoustic traits need to be considered. Phylogenetic comparative analyses also have their own sets of caveats to consider. We provide a set of recommendations for delimiting acoustic signals into discrete, comparable acoustic units. We also present a three-stage workflow for extracting relevant acoustic data, including options for multivariate analyses and dimensionality reduction that is compatible with phylogenetic comparative analysis. We then summarize available phylogenetic comparative approaches and how they have been used in comparative bioacoustics, and address the limitations of comparative analyses with behavioural data. Lastly, we recommend how to apply these methods to acoustic data across a range of study systems. In this way, we provide an integrated framework to aid in quantitative analysis of cross-taxa variation in animal sounds for comparative phylogenetic analysis. In addition, we advocate the standardization of acoustic terminology across disciplines and taxa, adoption of automated methods for acoustic feature extraction, and establishment of strong data archival practices for acoustic recordings and data analyses. Combining such practices with our proposed workflow will greatly advance the reproducibility, biological interpretation, and longevity of comparative bioacoustic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan J Odom
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A
| | - Marcelo Araya-Salas
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Sede del Sur, Universidad de Costa Rica, Golfito, 60701, Costa Rica
| | - Janelle L Morano
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A
| | - Russell A Ligon
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A
| | - Gavin M Leighton
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Department of Biology, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY, 14222, U.S.A
| | - Conor C Taff
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A
| | - Anastasia H Dalziell
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Alexis C Billings
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, U.S.A.,Department of Environmental, Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94709, U.S.A
| | - Ryan R Germain
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Michael Pardo
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, U.S.A
| | - Luciana Guimarães de Andrade
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A
| | - Daniela Hedwig
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A
| | - Sara C Keen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A.,Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, U.S.A
| | - Yu Shiu
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A
| | - Russell A Charif
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A
| | - Michael S Webster
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A.,Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A
| | - Aaron N Rice
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A
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22
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A release from developmental bias accelerates morphological diversification in butterfly eyespots. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:27474-27480. [PMID: 33093195 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008253117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Development can bias the independent evolution of traits sharing ontogenetic pathways, making certain evolutionary changes less likely. The eyespots commonly found on butterfly wings each have concentric rings of differing colors, and these serially repeated pattern elements have been a focus for evo-devo research. In the butterfly family Nymphalidae, eyespots have been shown to function in startling or deflecting predators and to be involved in sexual selection. Previous work on a model species of Mycalesina butterfly, Bicyclus anynana, has provided insights into the developmental control of the size and color composition of individual eyespots. Experimental evolution has also shown that the relative size of a pair of eyespots on the same wing surface is highly flexible, whereas they are resistant to diverging in color composition, presumably due to the underlying shared developmental process. This fixed color composition has been considered as a prime example of developmental bias with significant consequences for wing pattern evolution. Here, we test this proposal by surveying eyespots across the whole subtribe of Mycalesina butterflies and demonstrate that developmental bias shapes evolutionary diversification except in the genus Heteropsis which has gained independent control of eyespot color composition. Experimental manipulations of pupal wings reveal that the bias has been released through a novel regional response of the wing tissue to a conserved patterning signal. Our study demonstrates that development can bias the evolutionary independence of traits, but it also shows how bias can be released through developmental innovations, thus, allowing rapid morphological change, facilitating evolutionary diversification.
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23
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Lautenschlager S, Figueirido B, Cashmore DD, Bendel EM, Stubbs TL. Morphological convergence obscures functional diversity in sabre-toothed carnivores. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201818. [PMID: 32993469 PMCID: PMC7542828 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of elongated, sabre-like canines in multiple vertebrate clades during the last 265 Myr represents a remarkable example for convergent evolution. Due to striking superficial similarities in the cranial skeleton, the same or similar skull and jaw functions have been inferred for sabre-toothed species and interpreted as an adaptation to subdue large-bodied prey. However, although some sabre-tooth lineages have been classified into different ecomorphs (dirk-tooths and scimitar-tooths) the functional diversity within and between groups and the evolutionary paths leading to these specializations are unknown. Here, we use a suite of biomechanical simulations to analyse key functional parameters (mandibular gape angle, bending strength, bite force) to compare the functional performance of different groups and to quantify evolutionary rates across sabre-tooth vertebrates. Our results demonstrate a remarkably high functional diversity between sabre-tooth lineages and that different cranial function and prey killing strategies evolved within clades. Moreover, different biomechanical adaptations in coexisting sabre-tooth species further suggest that this functional diversity was at least partially driven by niche partitioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Borja Figueirido
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - Daniel D. Cashmore
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Eva-Maria Bendel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas L. Stubbs
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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24
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Brocklehurst N. Morphological evolution in therocephalians breaks the hypercarnivore ratchet. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20190590. [PMID: 30966993 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Large carnivorous mammals have been suggested to show a ratchet-like mode of morphological evolution. A limited number of specializations for hypercarnivory evolve repeatedly in multiple clades, with those lineages evolving such specialities being unable to retreat back along their evolutionary trajectory or jump between adaptive peaks. While it has been hypothesized that such mechanisms should have applied to the evolution of other terrestrial carnivores, the non-mammalian synapsid clade Therocephalia appears to defy this expectation. The earliest, basalmost members of this clade are large macropredators, and it is later that small carnivores appear, seemingly evolving from top-predator ancestors. In order to test this reading of therocephalian evolution, variation in rates of body size evolution were tested for and incorporated into an ancestral reconstruction. Similar studies were made of the evolution of discrete characters related to carnivory. All analyses indicate the ancestral therocephalian was a large macro-predator, with serrated teeth, elongated canines and robust lower jaws. Small sizes apparently evolve later. It is therefore suggested that the hypercarnivore ratchet is a feature of mammalian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Brocklehurst
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford , 3 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN , UK
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Gardner JD, Laurin M, Organ CL. The relationship between genome size and metabolic rate in extant vertebrates. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190146. [PMID: 31928192 PMCID: PMC7017434 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome size has long been hypothesized to affect the metabolic rate in various groups of animals. The mechanism behind this proposed association is the nucleotypic effect, in which large nucleus and cell sizes influence cellular metabolism through surface area-to-volume ratios. Here, we provide a review of the recent literature on the relationship between genome size and metabolic rate. We also conduct an analysis using phylogenetic comparative methods and a large sample of extant vertebrates. We find no evidence that the effect of genome size improves upon models in explaining metabolic rate variation. Not surprisingly, our results show a strong positive relationship between metabolic rate and body mass, as well as a substantial difference in metabolic rate between endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates, controlling for body mass. The presence of endothermy can also explain elevated rate shifts in metabolic rate whereas genome size cannot. We further find no evidence for a punctuated model of evolution for metabolic rate. Our results do not rule out the possibility that genome size affects cellular physiology in some tissues, but they are consistent with previous research suggesting little support for a direct functional connection between genome size and basal metabolic rate in extant vertebrates. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vertebrate palaeophysiology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Gardner
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Michel Laurin
- Centre de Recherches sur la Paléobiologie et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)/Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Chris L. Organ
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Martín-Serra A, Benson RBJ. Developmental Constraints Do Not Influence Long-Term Phenotypic Evolution of Marsupial Forelimbs as Revealed by Interspecific Disparity and Integration Patterns. Am Nat 2020; 195:547-560. [DOI: 10.1086/707194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Moon BC, Stubbs TL. Early high rates and disparity in the evolution of ichthyosaurs. Commun Biol 2020; 3:68. [PMID: 32054967 PMCID: PMC7018711 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0779-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
How clades diversify early in their history is integral to understanding the origins of biodiversity and ecosystem recovery following mass extinctions. Moreover, diversification can represent evolutionary opportunities and pressures following ecosystem changes. Ichthyosaurs, Mesozoic marine reptiles, appeared after the end-Permian mass extinction and provide opportunities to assess clade diversification in a changed world. Using recent cladistic data, skull length data, and the most complete phylogenetic trees to date for the group, we present a combined disparity, morphospace, and evolutionary rates analysis that reveals the tempo and mode of ichthyosaur morphological evolution through 160 million years. Ichthyosaur evolution shows an archetypal early burst trend, driven by ecological opportunity in Triassic seas, and an evolutionary bottleneck leading to a long-term reduction in evolutionary rates and disparity. This is represented consistently across all analytical methods by a Triassic peak in ichthyosaur disparity and evolutionary rates, and morphospace separation between Triassic and post-Triassic taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Moon
- Palaeobiology Research Group, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Thomas L Stubbs
- Palaeobiology Research Group, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
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Royer-Carenzi M, Didier G. Testing for correlation between traits under directional evolution. J Theor Biol 2019; 482:109982. [PMID: 31446022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.08.013] [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: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Being confounding factors, directional trends are likely to make two quantitative traits appear as spuriously correlated. By determining the probability distributions of independent contrasts when traits evolve following Brownian motions with linear trends, we show that the standard independent contrasts can not be used to test for correlation in this situation. We propose a multiple regression approach which corrects the bias caused by directional evolution. We show that our approach is equivalent to performing a Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares (PGLS) analysis with tip times as covariables by providing a new and more general proof of the equivalence between PGLS and independent contrasts methods. Our approach is assessed and compared with three previous correlation tests on data simulated in various situations and overall outperforms all the other methods. The approach is next illustrated on a real dataset to test for correlation between hominin cranial capacity and body mass.
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Baker J, Humphries S, Ferguson-Gow H, Meade A, Venditti C. Rapid decreases in relative testes mass among monogamous birds but not in other vertebrates. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:283-292. [PMID: 31755210 PMCID: PMC6973093 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Larger testes produce more sperm and therefore improve reproductive success in the face of sperm competition. Adaptation to social mating systems with relatively high and low sperm competition are therefore likely to have driven changes in relative testes size in opposing directions. Here, we combine the largest vertebrate testes mass dataset ever collected with phylogenetic approaches for measuring rates of morphological evolution to provide the first quantitative evidence for how relative testes mass has changed over time. We detect explosive radiations of testes mass diversity distributed throughout the vertebrate tree of life: bursts of rapid change have been frequent during vertebrate evolutionary history. In socially monogamous birds, there have been repeated rapid reductions in relative testes mass. We see no such pattern in other monogamous vertebrates; the prevalence of monogamy in birds may have increased opportunities for investment in alternative behaviours and physiologies allowing reduced investment in expensive testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BX, UK
| | - Stuart Humphries
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Henry Ferguson-Gow
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Andrew Meade
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BX, UK
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BX, UK
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Ibáñez CM, Pérez-Álvarez J, Catalán J, Carrasco SA, Pardo-Gandarillas MC, Rezende EL. Sexual Selection and the Evolution of Male Reproductive Traits in Benthic Octopuses. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1238. [PMID: 31649551 PMCID: PMC6794433 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Competition between same-sex organisms, or intra-sexual selection, can occur before and after mating, and include processes such as sperm competition and cryptic female choice. One of the consequences of intra-sexual selection is that male reproductive traits tend to evolve and diverge at high rates. In benthic octopuses, females often mate with more than one male in a single reproductive event, opening the venue for intra-sexual selection at multiple levels. For instance, males transfer spermatophores through hectocotylus, and can remove the spermatophores left by other males. Considering the limited evidence on post-copula competition in benthic octopuses, and the potential to affect the evolution of reproductive traits within octopodids, we put this hypothesis to a test employing a phylogenetic comparative approach. We combined data on hectocotylized arm length (HAL), ligula length (LL), spermatophore length (SL) with a Bayesian molecular phylogeny of 87 species, to analyze how reproductive traits have diverged across lineages and covary with body size (mantle length; ML). First, additionally to ML, we estimated the phylogenetic signal (λ) and mode of evolution (κ) in each reproductive trait. Second, we performed phylogenetic regressions to quantify the association among reproductive traits and their co-variation with ML. This analysis allowed us to estimate the phenotypic change along a branch into the phylogeny, and whether selection may have played a role in the evolution and diversification of specific clades. Estimations of λ were always high (>0.75), indicating concordance between the traits and the topology of the phylogenetic tree. Low values of κ (<1.0) suggested that evolution depends on branch lengths. All reproductive traits exhibiting a positive relation with ML (β > 0.5 in all cases). Overall, evolutionary rate models applied to the SL-ML regression suggested that octopuses of the family Megaleledonidae have evolved larger spermatophores than expected for their size. The regression HAL-ML indicated that HAL was more variable in Megaleledonidae than in the remaining clades, suggesting that the high divergence across species within this group might partially reflect intra-sexual selection. These results support the hypothesis that, at least in some lineages, sexual selection may account for the divergence in reproductive traits of male octopuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian M. Ibáñez
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javiera Pérez-Álvarez
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jennifer Catalán
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sergio A. Carrasco
- Millennium Nucleus for Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | | | - Enrico L. Rezende
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile
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31
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Muller AS, Montgomery SH. Co-evolution of cerebral and cerebellar expansion in cetaceans. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1418-1431. [PMID: 31507000 PMCID: PMC6916408 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cetaceans possess brains that rank among the largest to have ever evolved, either in terms of absolute mass or relative to body size. Cetaceans have evolved these huge brains under relatively unique environmental conditions, making them a fascinating case study to investigate the constraints and selection pressures that shape how brains evolve. Indeed, cetaceans have some unusual neuroanatomical features, including a thin but highly folded cerebrum with low cortical neuron density, as well as many structural adaptations associated with acoustic communication. Previous reports also suggest that at least some cetaceans have an expanded cerebellum, a brain structure with wide‐ranging functions in adaptive filtering of sensory information, the control of motor actions, and cognition. Here, we report that, relative to the size of the rest of the brain, both the cerebrum and cerebellum are dramatically enlarged in cetaceans and show evidence of co‐evolution, a pattern of brain evolution that is convergent with primates. However, we also highlight several branches where cortico‐cerebellar co‐evolution may be partially decoupled, suggesting these structures can respond to independent selection pressures. Across cetaceans, we find no evidence of a simple linear relationship between either cerebrum and cerebellum size and the complexity of social ecology or acoustic communication, but do find evidence that their expansion may be associated with dietary breadth. In addition, our results suggest that major increases in both cerebrum and cerebellum size occurred early in cetacean evolution, prior to the origin of the major extant clades, and predate the evolution of echolocation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen Hugh Montgomery
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Avaria-Llautureo J, Hernández CE, Rodríguez-Serrano E, Venditti C. The decoupled nature of basal metabolic rate and body temperature in endotherm evolution. Nature 2019; 572:651-654. [PMID: 31413362 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1476-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The origins of endothermy in birds and mammals are important events in vertebrate evolution. Endotherms can maintain their body temperature (Tb) over a wide range of ambient temperatures primarily using the heat that is generated continuously by their high basal metabolic rate (BMR)1. There is also an important positive feedback loop as Tb influences BMR1-3. Owing to this interplay between BMRs and Tb, many ecologists and evolutionary physiologists posit that the evolution of BMR and Tb must have been coupled during the radiation of endotherms3-5, changing with similar trends6-8. However, colder historical environments might have imposed strong selective pressures on BMR to compensate for increased rates of heat loss and to keep Tb constant9-12. Thus, adaptation to cold ambient temperatures through increases in BMR could have decoupled BMR from Tb and caused different evolutionary routes to the modern diversity in these traits. Here we show that BMR and Tb were decoupled in approximately 90% of mammalian phylogenetic branches and 36% of avian phylogenetic branches. Mammalian BMRs evolved with rapid bursts but without a long-term directional trend, whereas Tb evolved mostly at a constant rate and towards colder bodies from a warmer-bodied common ancestor. Avian BMRs evolved predominantly at a constant rate and without a long-term directional trend, whereas Tb evolved with much greater rate heterogeneity and with adaptive evolution towards colder bodies. Furthermore, rapid shifts that lead to both increases and decreases in BMRs were linked to abrupt changes towards colder ambient temperatures-although only in mammals. Our results suggest that natural selection effectively exploited the diversity in mammalian BMRs under diverse, often-adverse historical thermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Avaria-Llautureo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK. .,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ambientes Sustentables (CIBAS), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC), Concepción, Chile.
| | - Cristián E Hernández
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Filoinformática, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Enrique Rodríguez-Serrano
- Laboratorio de Mastozoología, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
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Sánchez‐Villagra MR, van Schaik CP. Evaluating the self‐domestication hypothesis of human evolution. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:133-143. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Rapid Change in Mammalian Eye Shape Is Explained by Activity Pattern. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1082-1088.e3. [PMID: 30853430 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The rate of morphological evolution along the branches of a phylogeny varies widely [1-6]. Although such rate variation is often assumed to reflect the strength of historical natural selection resulting in adaptation [7-14], this lacks empirical and analytical evidence. One way to demonstrate a relationship between branchwise rates and adaptation would be to show that rapid rates of evolution are linked with ecological shifts or key innovations. Here, we test for this link by determining whether activity pattern, the time of day at which species are active, explains rapid bursts of evolutionary change in eye shape. Using modern approaches to identify shifts in the rate of morphological evolution [7, 13], we find that over 74% of rapid eye-shape change during mammalian evolutionary history is directly explained by distinct selection pressures acting on nocturnal, cathemeral, and diurnal species. Our results reveal how ecological changes occurring along the branches of a phylogeny can manifest in subsequent changes in the rate of morphological evolution. Although selective pressures exerted by different activity patterns have acted uniformly across all mammals, we find differences in the rate of eye-shape evolution among orders. The key to understanding this is in how ecology itself has evolved. We find heterogeneity in how activity pattern has evolved among mammals that ultimately led to differences in the rate of eye-shape evolution among species. Our approach represents an exciting new way to pinpoint factors driving adaptation, enabling a clearer understanding of the factors that drive the evolution of biological diversity.
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A neutral evolution test derived from a theoretical amino acid substitution model. J Theor Biol 2019; 467:31-38. [PMID: 30711455 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A neutral evolution model that explicitly considers codons, amino acids, and the degeneracy of the genetic code is developed. The model is built from nucleotides up to amino acids, and it represents a refinement of the neutral theory of molecular evolution. The model is based on a stochastic process that leads to a stationary probability distribution of amino acids. The latter is used as a neutral test of evolution. We provide some examples for assessing the neutrality test for a small set of protein sequences. The Jukes-Cantor model is generalized to deal with amino acids and it is compared with our neutral model, along with the empirical BLOSUM62 substitution model. The neutral test provides a baseline to which the evolution of any protein can be analyzed, and it clearly helps in discerning putative amino acids with unexpected frequencies that might be under positive or negative selection. Our model and neutral test are as universal as the standard genetic code.
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Transitions between foot postures are associated with elevated rates of body size evolution in mammals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:2618-2623. [PMID: 30692262 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1814329116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial mammals have evolved various foot postures: flat-footed (plantigrady), tiptoed (digitigrady), and hooved (unguligrady) postures. Although the importance of foot posture on ecology and body size of mammalian species has been widely recognized, its evolutionary trajectory and influence on body size evolution across mammalian phylogeny remain untested. Taking a Bayesian phylogenetic approach combined with a comprehensive dataset of foot postures in 880 extant mammalian species, we investigated the evolutionary history of foot postures and rates of body size evolution, within the same posture and at transitions between postures. Our results show that the common ancestor of mammals was plantigrade, and transitions predominantly occurred only between plantigrady and digitigrady and between digitigrady and unguligrady. At the transitions between plantigrady and digitigrady and between digitigrady and unguligrady, rates of body size evolution are significantly elevated leading to the larger body masses of digitigrade species (∼1 kg) and unguligrade species (∼78 kg) compared with their respective ancestral postures [plantigrady (∼0.75 kg) and digitigrady]. Our results demonstrate the importance of foot postures on mammalian body size evolution and have implications for mammalian body size increase through time. In addition, we highlight a way forward for future studies that seek to integrate morphofunctional and macroevolutionary approaches.
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Sakamoto M, Ruta M, Venditti C. Extreme and rapid bursts of functional adaptations shape bite force in amniotes. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20181932. [PMID: 30963871 PMCID: PMC6367170 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation is the fundamental driver of functional and biomechanical evolution. Accordingly, the states of biomechanical traits (absolute or relative trait values) have long been used as proxies for adaptations in response to direct selection. However, ignoring evolutionary history, in particular ancestry, passage of time and the rate of evolution, can be misleading. Here, we apply a recently developed phylogenetic statistical approach using significant rate shifts to detect instances of exceptional rates of adaptive changes in bite force in a large group of terrestrial vertebrates, the amniotes. Our results show that bite force in amniotes evolved through multiple bursts of exceptional rates of adaptive changes, whereby whole groups-including Darwin's finches, maniraptoran dinosaurs (group of non-avian dinosaurs including birds), anthropoids and hominins (fossil and modern humans)-experienced significant rate increases compared to the background rate. However, in most parts of the amniote tree of life, we find no exceptional rate increases, indicating that coevolution with body size was primarily responsible for the patterns observed in bite force. Our approach represents a template for future studies in functional morphology and biomechanics, where exceptional rates of adaptive changes can be quantified and potentially linked to specific ecological factors underpinning major evolutionary radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Sakamoto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6BX, UK
| | - Marcello Ruta
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6BX, UK
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Sakamoto M, Venditti C. Phylogenetic non-independence in rates of trait evolution. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2018.0502. [PMID: 30282748 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Statistical non-independence of species' biological traits is recognized in most traits under selection. Yet, whether or not the evolutionary rates of such biological traits are statistically non-independent remains to be tested. Here, we test the hypothesis that phenotypic evolutionary rates are non-independent, i.e. contain phylogenetic signal, using empirical rates of evolution in three separate traits: body mass in mammals, beak shape in birds and bite force in amniotes. Specifically, we test if evolutionary rates are phylogenetically interdependent. We find evidence for phylogenetic signal in evolutionary rates in all three case studies. While phylogenetic signal diminishes deeper in time, this is reflective of statistical power owing to small sample and effect sizes. When effect size is large, e.g. owing to the presence of fossil tips, we detect high phylogenetic signals even in deeper time slices. Thus, we recommend that rates be treated as being non-independent throughout the evolutionary history of the group of organisms under study, and any summaries or analyses of rates through time-including associations of rates with traits-need to account for the undesired effects of shared ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Sakamoto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BX, UK
| | - Chris Venditti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BX, UK
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39
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Harano T, Kutsukake N. Directional selection in the evolution of elongated upper canines in clouded leopards and sabre-toothed cats. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1268-1283. [PMID: 29904973 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Extremely developed or specialized traits such as the elongated upper canines of extinct sabre-toothed cats are often not analogous to those of any extant species, which limits our understanding of their evolutionary cause. However, an extant species may have undergone directional selection for a similar extreme phenotype. Among living felids, the clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, has exceptionally long upper canines for its body size. We hypothesized that directional selection generated the elongated upper canines of clouded leopards in a manner similar to the process in extinct sabre-toothed cats. To test this, we developed an approach that compared the effect of directional selection among lineages in a phylogeny using a simulation of trait evolution and approximate Bayesian computation. This approach was applied to analyse the evolution of upper canine length in the Felidae phylogeny. Our analyses consistently showed directional selection favouring longer upper canines in the clouded leopard lineage and a lineage leading to the sabre-toothed cat with the longest upper canines, Smilodon. Most of our analyses detected an effect of directional selection for longer upper canines in the lineage leading to another sabre-toothed cat, Homotherium, although this selection may have occurred exclusively in the primitive species. In all the analyses, the clouded leopard and Smilodon lineages showed comparable directional selection. This implies that clouded leopards share a selection advantage with sabre-toothed cats in having elongated upper canines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Harano
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, School of Advanced Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, School of Advanced Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan
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40
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Dunbar RIM, Mac Carron P, Shultz S. Primate social group sizes exhibit a regular scaling pattern with natural attractors. Biol Lett 2018; 14:20170490. [PMID: 29343560 PMCID: PMC5803586 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Primate groups vary considerably in size across species. Nonetheless, the distribution of mean species group size has a regular scaling pattern with preferred sizes approximating 2.5, 5, 15, 30 and 50 individuals (although strepsirrhines lack the latter two), with a scaling ratio of approximately 2.5 similar to that observed in human social networks. These clusters appear to form distinct social grades that are associated with rapid evolutionary change, presumably in response to intense environmental selection pressures. These findings may have wider implications for other highly social mammal taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, New Richards Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK
- Department of Computer Sciences, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Padraig Mac Carron
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, New Richards Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK
| | - Susanne Shultz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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41
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Montgomery SH, Mundy NI, Barton RA. Brain evolution and development: adaptation, allometry and constraint. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0433. [PMID: 27629025 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic traits are products of two processes: evolution and development. But how do these processes combine to produce integrated phenotypes? Comparative studies identify consistent patterns of covariation, or allometries, between brain and body size, and between brain components, indicating the presence of significant constraints limiting independent evolution of separate parts. These constraints are poorly understood, but in principle could be either developmental or functional. The developmental constraints hypothesis suggests that individual components (brain and body size, or individual brain components) tend to evolve together because natural selection operates on relatively simple developmental mechanisms that affect the growth of all parts in a concerted manner. The functional constraints hypothesis suggests that correlated change reflects the action of selection on distributed functional systems connecting the different sub-components, predicting more complex patterns of mosaic change at the level of the functional systems and more complex genetic and developmental mechanisms. These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive but make different predictions. We review recent genetic and neurodevelopmental evidence, concluding that functional rather than developmental constraints are the main cause of the observed patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen H Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nicholas I Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, St Andrews Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Robert A Barton
- Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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42
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Abstract
Abstract
Conservation planning of threatened taxa relies upon accurate data on systematics, ecological traits and suitable habitats. The genus Gazella includes taxa with distinct morphologies and ecological traits, but close phylogenetic relationships. The North African Gazella cuvieri and Gazella leptoceros loderi share morphological and physiological characters but the former is darker and found in mountain areas, while the latter is lighter and associated with sand dunes. Here we aim to assess the genetic distinctiveness of these taxa, to characterize their ecological niches and to identify potential occurrence areas, by analysing 327 samples across North-West Africa. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial (CYTB) and five nuclear gene fragments (KCAS, LAC, SPTBN1, PRKCI and THYR) show that both taxa comprise a single monophyletic group. However, ecological niche-based modelling suggests that populations of these taxa occupy distinct geographic areas and specific environments. Predicted areas of sympatry were restricted, as a consequence of local sharp transitions in climatic traits. The lack of genetic differentiation between these taxa suggests they should be lumped into G. cuvieri, while ecological and morphological differences indicate they correspond to distinct ecotypes. Conservation planning of G. cuvieri should consider the preservation of both mountain and lowland ecotypes to maintain the overall adaptive potential of the species. This integrative approach provides valuable insights in identifying evolutionary units and should be extended to other gazelles.
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Brocklehurst N, Brink KS. Selection towards larger body size in both herbivorous and carnivorous synapsids during the Carboniferous. Facets (Ott) 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2016-0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Body size is one of the most important characteristics of an organism, impacting a great variety of ecological characteristics. The influence of diet on body size has received considerable attention, with previous studies suggesting a greater tendency towards increased body size in herbivores than macro-carnivores. The earliest known herbivorous and macro-carnivorous synapsids provide an ideal case study for examining body size evolution in different dietary regimes. Sphenacomorpha contains two lineages: Edaphosauridae (some of the most abundant terrestrial herbivores in the late Carboniferous and early Permian), and Sphenacodontia (the largest and most abundant carnivores of that time). Phylogenetic comparative analyses are used to compare trait evolution in sphenacomorphs, including a Bayesian method for identifying branches along which phenotypic selection occurred. Two branches show rapid increases in body size in the late Carboniferous. The first occurred in Edaphosauridae, along the branch leading to the herbivorous members. The later shift towards larger size occurred in Sphenacodontia, producing a clade of large carnivores. It is possible that the rapid appearance of large herbivorous synapsids in the Carboniferous provided the selective pressure for carnivores to increase their size. Following these two shifts, rates of evolution in edaphosaurids slowed significantly, but the carnivorous sphenacodontians showed further increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Brocklehurst
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kirstin S. Brink
- Department of Oral Health Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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44
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Chira AM, Thomas GH. The impact of rate heterogeneity on inference of phylogenetic models of trait evolution. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:2502-2518. [PMID: 27653965 PMCID: PMC5217074 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Rates of trait evolution are known to vary across phylogenies; however, standard evolutionary models assume a homogeneous process of trait change. These simple methods are widely applied in small‐scale phylogenetic studies, whereas models of rate heterogeneity are not, so the prevalence and patterns of potential rate variation in groups up to hundreds of species remain unclear. The extent to which trait evolution is modelled accurately on a given phylogeny is also largely unknown because studies typically lack absolute model fit tests. We investigated these issues by applying both rate‐static and variable‐rates methods on (i) body mass data for 88 avian clades of 10–318 species, and (ii) data simulated under a range of rate‐heterogeneity scenarios. Our results show that rate heterogeneity is present across small‐scaled avian clades, and consequently applying only standard single‐process models prompts inaccurate inferences about the generating evolutionary process. Specifically, these approaches underestimate rate variation, and systematically mislabel temporal trends in trait evolution. Conversely, variable‐rates approaches have superior relative fit (they are the best model) and absolute fit (they describe the data well). We show that rate changes such as single internal branch variations, rate decreases and early bursts are hard to detect, even by variable‐rates models. We also use recently developed absolute adequacy tests to highlight misleading conclusions based on relative fit alone (e.g. a consistent preference for constrained evolution when isolated terminal branch rate increases are present). This work highlights the potential for robust inferences about trait evolution when fitting flexible models in conjunction with tests for absolute model fit.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Chira
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - G H Thomas
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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45
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Schneider H. Tempo and mode in the evolution of morphological disparity in the Neotropical fern genus Pleopeltis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Harald Schneider
- Department of Life Sciences; Natural History Museum; London SW7 5BD UK
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46
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Goswami A, Mannion PD, Benton MJ. Radiation and extinction: investigating clade dynamics in deep time. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Goswami
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment; University College London; Darwin Building Gower Street London WC1E 6BT UK
- Department of Earth Sciences; University College London; Gower Street London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Philip D. Mannion
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering; Imperial College London; South Kensington Campus London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Michael J. Benton
- School of Earth Sciences; University of Bristol; Wills Memorial Building Queens Road Clifton BS8 1RJ UK
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