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Liu X, Song H, Chu D, Dai X, Wang F, Silvestro D. Heterogeneous selectivity and morphological evolution of marine clades during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1248-1258. [PMID: 38862784 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02438-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Morphological disparity and taxonomic diversity are distinct measures of biodiversity, typically expected to evolve synergistically. However, evidence from mass extinctions indicates that they can be decoupled, and while mass extinctions lead to a drastic loss of diversity, their impact on disparity remains unclear. Here we evaluate the dynamics of morphological disparity and extinction selectivity across the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. We developed an automated approach, termed DeepMorph, for the extraction of morphological features from fossil images using a deep learning model and applied it to a high-resolution temporal dataset encompassing 599 genera across six marine clades. Ammonoids, brachiopods and ostracods experienced a selective loss of complex and ornamented forms, while bivalves, gastropods and conodonts did not experience morphologically selective extinctions. The presence and intensity of morphological selectivity probably reflect the variations in environmental tolerance thresholds among different clades. In clades affected by selective extinctions, the intensity of diversity loss promoted the loss of morphological disparity. Conversely, under non-selective extinctions, the magnitude of diversity loss had a negligible impact on disparity. Our results highlight that the Permian-Triassic mass extinction had heterogeneous morphological selective impacts across clades, offering new insights into how mass extinctions can reshape biodiversity and ecosystem structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Haijun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
| | - Daoliang Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xu Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Fengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Daniele Silvestro
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Coiro M, Seyfullah LJ. Disparity of cycad leaves dispels the living fossil metaphor. Commun Biol 2024; 7:328. [PMID: 38485767 PMCID: PMC10940627 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06024-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The living fossil metaphor is tightly linked with the cycads. This group of gymnosperms is supposed to be characterised by long-term morphological stasis, particularly after their peak of diversity and disparity in the Jurassic. However, no formal test of this hypothesis exists. Here, we use a recent phylogenetic framework and an improved character matrix to reconstruct the Disparity Through Time for cycad leaves using a Principal Coordinate Analysis and employing Pre-Ordination Ancestral State Reconstruction to test the impact of sampling on the results. Our analysis shows that the cycad leaf morsphospace expanded up to the present, with numerous shifts in its general positioning, independently of sampling biases. Moreover, they also show that Zamiaceae expanded rapidly in the Early Cretaceous and continued to expand up to the present, while now-extinct clades experienced a slow contraction from their peak in the Triassic. We also show that rates of evolution were constantly high up to the Early Cretaceous, and then experienced a slight decrease in the Paleogene, followed by a Neogene acceleration. These results show a much more dynamic history for cycads, and suggest that the 'living fossil' metaphor is actually a hindrance to our understanding of their macroevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Coiro
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship, Montclair, NJ, USA.
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López‐Martínez AM, Magallón S, von Balthazar M, Schönenberger J, Sauquet H, Chartier M. Angiosperm flowers reached their highest morphological diversity early in their evolutionary history. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1348-1360. [PMID: 38029781 PMCID: PMC10952840 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19389] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Flowers are the complex and highly diverse reproductive structures of angiosperms. Because of their role in sexual reproduction, the evolution of flowers is tightly linked to angiosperm speciation and diversification. Accordingly, the quantification of floral morphological diversity (disparity) among angiosperm subgroups and through time may give important insights into the evolutionary history of angiosperms as a whole. Based on a comprehensive dataset focusing on 30 characters describing floral structure across angiosperms, we used 1201 extant and 121 fossil flowers to measure floral disparity and explore patterns of floral evolution through time and across lineages. We found that angiosperms reached their highest floral disparity in the Early Cretaceous. However, decreasing disparity toward the present likely has not precluded the innovation of other complex traits at other morphological levels, which likely played a key role in the outstanding angiosperm species richness. Angiosperms occupy specific regions of the theoretical morphospace, indicating that only a portion of the possible floral trait combinations is observed in nature. The ANA grade, the magnoliids, and the early-eudicot grade occupy large areas of the morphospace (higher disparity), whereas nested groups occupy narrower regions (lower disparity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M. López‐Martínez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de BiologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 3er Circuito de Ciudad UniversitariaCoyoacánCiudad de México04510Mexico
- Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de BiologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 3er Circuito de Ciudad UniversitariaCoyoacánCiudad de México04510Mexico
| | - Susana Magallón
- Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de BiologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 3er Circuito de Ciudad UniversitariaCoyoacánCiudad de México04510Mexico
| | - Maria von Balthazar
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 14ViennaA‐1030Austria
| | - Jürg Schönenberger
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 14ViennaA‐1030Austria
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW)Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain TrustSydneyNSW2000Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales, Biological Sciences North (D26)SydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Marion Chartier
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 14ViennaA‐1030Austria
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Smith TJ, Sansom RS, Pisani D, Donoghue PCJ. Fossilization can mislead analyses of phenotypic disparity. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230522. [PMID: 37554036 PMCID: PMC10410227 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0522] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Analyses of morphological disparity can incorporate living and fossil taxa to facilitate the exploration of how phenotypic variation changes through time. However, taphonomic processes introduce non-random patterns of data loss in fossil data and their impact on perceptions of disparity is unclear. To address this, we characterize how measures of disparity change when simulated and empirical data are degraded through random and structured data loss. We demonstrate that both types of data loss can distort the disparity of clades, and that the magnitude and direction of these changes varies between the most commonly employed distance metrics and disparity indices. The inclusion of extant taxa and exceptionally preserved fossils mitigates these distortions and clarifies the full extent of the data lost, most of which would otherwise go uncharacterized. This facilitates the use of ancestral state estimation and evolutionary simulations to further control for the effects of data loss. Where the addition of such reference taxa is not possible, we urge caution in the extrapolation of general patterns in disparity from datasets that characterize subsets of phenotype, which may represent no more than the traits that they sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Smith
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Robert S. Sansom
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Davide Pisani
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Philip C. J. Donoghue
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Li Y, Brinkworth A, Green E, Oyston J, Wills M, Ruta M. Divergent vertebral formulae shape the evolution of axial complexity in mammals. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:367-381. [PMID: 36878987 PMCID: PMC9998275 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-01982-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Complexity, defined as the number of parts and their degree of differentiation, is a poorly explored aspect of macroevolutionary dynamics. The maximum anatomical complexity of organisms has undoubtedly increased through evolutionary time. However, it is unclear whether this increase is a purely diffusive process or whether it is at least partly driven, occurring in parallel in most or many lineages and with increases in the minima as well as the means. Highly differentiated and serially repeated structures, such as vertebrae, are useful systems with which to investigate these patterns. We focus on the serial differentiation of the vertebral column in 1,136 extant mammal species, using two indices that quantify complexity as the numerical richness and proportional distribution of vertebrae across presacral regions and a third expressing the ratio between thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. We address three questions. First, we ask whether the distribution of complexity values in major mammal groups is similar or whether clades have specific signatures associated with their ecology. Second, we ask whether changes in complexity throughout the phylogeny are biased towards increases and whether there is evidence of driven trends. Third, we ask whether evolutionary shifts in complexity depart from a uniform Brownian motion model. Vertebral counts, but not complexity indices, differ significantly between major groups and exhibit greater within-group variation than recognized hitherto. We find strong evidence of a trend towards increasing complexity, where higher values propagate further increases in descendant lineages. Several increases are inferred to have coincided with major ecological or environmental shifts. We find support for multiple-rate models of evolution for all complexity metrics, suggesting that increases in complexity occurred in stepwise shifts, with evidence for widespread episodes of recent rapid divergence. Different subclades evolve more complex vertebral columns in different configurations and probably under different selective pressures and constraints, with widespread convergence on the same formulae. Further work should therefore focus on the ecological relevance of differences in complexity and a more detailed understanding of historical patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Li
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK.,Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS, Nanjing, China
| | - Andrew Brinkworth
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Emily Green
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - Jack Oyston
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Matthew Wills
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
| | - Marcello Ruta
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
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Bippus AC, Flores JR, Hyvönen J, Tomescu AMF. The role of paleontological data in bryophyte systematics. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4273-4290. [PMID: 35394022 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Systematics reconstructs tempo and mode in biological evolution by resolving the phylogenetic fabric of biodiversity. The staggering duration and complexity of evolution, coupled with loss of information (extinction), render exhaustive reconstruction of the evolutionary history of life unattainable. Instead, we sample its products-phenotypes and genotypes-to generate phylogenetic hypotheses, which we sequentially reassess and update against new data. Current consensus in evolutionary biology emphasizes fossil integration in total-evidence analyses, requiring in-depth understanding of fossils-age, phenotypes, and systematic affinities-and a detailed morphological framework uniting fossil and extant taxa. Bryophytes present a special case: deep evolutionary history but sparse fossil record and phenotypic diversity encompassing small dimensional scales. We review how these peculiarities shape fossil inclusion in bryophyte systematics. Paucity of the bryophyte fossil record, driven primarily by phenotypic (small plant size) and ecological constraints (patchy substrate-hugging populations), and incomplete exploration, results in many morphologically isolated, taxonomically ambiguous fossil taxa. Nevertheless, instances of exquisite preservation and pioneering studies demonstrate the feasibility of including bryophyte fossils in evolutionary inference. Further progress will arise from developing extensive morphological matrices for bryophytes, continued exploration of the fossil record, re-evaluation of previously described fossils, and training specialists in identification and characterization of bryophyte fossils, and in bryophyte morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Bippus
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Jorge R Flores
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (Botany), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaakko Hyvönen
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (Botany), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Center & Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alexandru M F Tomescu
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt, Arcata, CA, USA
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Evolution and dispersal of snakes across the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5335. [PMID: 34521829 PMCID: PMC8440539 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25136-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass extinctions have repeatedly shaped global biodiversity. The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction caused the demise of numerous vertebrate groups, and its aftermath saw the rapid diversification of surviving mammals, birds, frogs, and teleost fishes. However, the effects of the K-Pg extinction on the evolution of snakes-a major clade of predators comprising over 3,700 living species-remains poorly understood. Here, we combine an extensive molecular dataset with phylogenetically and stratigraphically constrained fossil calibrations to infer an evolutionary timescale for Serpentes. We reveal a potential diversification among crown snakes associated with the K-Pg mass extinction, led by the successful colonisation of Asia by the major extant clade Afrophidia. Vertebral morphometrics suggest increasing morphological specialisation among marine snakes through the Paleogene. The dispersal patterns of snakes following the K-Pg underscore the importance of this mass extinction event in shaping Earth's extant vertebrate faunas.
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Cole SR, Hopkins MJ. Selectivity and the effect of mass extinctions on disparity and functional ecology. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabf4072. [PMID: 33952521 PMCID: PMC8099180 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf4072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Selectivity of mass extinctions is thought to play a major role in coupling or decoupling of taxonomic, morphological, and ecological diversity, yet these measures have never been jointly evaluated within a single clade over multiple mass extinctions. We investigate extinction selectivity and changes in taxonomic diversity, morphological disparity, and functional ecology over the ~160-million-year evolutionary history of diplobathrid crinoids (Echinodermata), which spans two mass extinctions. Whereas previous studies documented extinction selectivity for crinoids during background extinction, we find no evidence for selectivity during mass extinctions. Despite no evidence for extinction selectivity, disparity remains strongly correlated with richness over extinction events, contradicting expected patterns of disparity given nonselective extinction. Results indicate that (i) disparity and richness can remain coupled across extinctions even when selective extinction does not occur, (ii) simultaneous decreases in taxonomic diversity and disparity are insufficient evidence for extinction selectivity, and (iii) selectivity differs between background and mass extinction regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina R Cole
- Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 37012, MRC 121, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.
- Division of Paleontology (Invertebrates), American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Melanie J Hopkins
- Division of Paleontology (Invertebrates), American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
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