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Landis MJ, Thompson A. phyddle: software for phylogenetic model exploration with deep learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.06.606717. [PMID: 39149349 PMCID: PMC11326143 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.06.606717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Many realistic phylogenetic models lack tractable likelihood functions, prohibiting their use with standard inference methods. We present phyddle, a pipeline-based toolkit for performing phylogenetic modeling tasks using likelihood-free deep learning approaches. phyddle coordinates modeling tasks through five analysis steps (Simulate, Format, Train, Estimate, and Plot) that transform raw phylogenetic datasets as input into numerical and visualized model-based output. Benchmarks show that phyddle accurately performs a range of inference tasks, such as estimating macroevolutionary parameters, selecting among continuous trait evolution models, and passing coverage tests for epidemiological models, even for models that lack tractable likelihoods. phyddle has a flexible command-line interface, making it easy to integrate deep learning approaches for phylogenetics into research workflows. Learn more about phyddle at https://phyddle.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Landis
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ammon Thompson
- Participant in an education program sponsored by U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
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McClain CR, Webb TJ, Heim NA, Knope ML, Monarrez PM, Payne JL. Navigating uncertainty in maximum body size in marine metazoans. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11506. [PMID: 38840585 PMCID: PMC11151150 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Body size is a fundamental biological trait shaping ecological interactions, evolutionary processes, and our understanding of the structure and dynamics of marine communities on a global scale. Accurately defining a species' body size, despite the ease of measurement, poses significant challenges due to varied methodologies, tool usage, and subjectivity among researchers, resulting in multiple, often discrepant size estimates. These discrepancies, stemming from diverse measurement approaches and inherent variability, could substantially impact the reliability and precision of ecological and evolutionary studies reliant on body size data across extensive species datasets. This study examines the variation in reported maximum body sizes across 69,570 individual measurements of maximum size, ranging from <0.2 μm to >45 m, for 27,271 species of marine metazoans. The research aims to investigate how reported maximum size variations within species relate to organism size, taxonomy, habitat, and the presence of skeletal structures. The investigation particularly focuses on understanding why discrepancies in maximum size estimates arise and their potential implications for broader ecological and evolutionary studies relying on body size data. Variation in reported maximum sizes is zero for 38% of species, and low for most species, although it exceeds two orders of magnitude for some species. The likelihood of zero variation in maximum size decreased with more measurements and increased in larger species, though this varied across phyla and habitats. Pelagic organisms consistently had low maximum size range values, while small species with unspecified habitats had the highest variation. Variations in maximum size within a species were notably smaller than interspecific variation at higher taxonomic levels. Significant variation in maximum size estimates exists within marine species, and partially explained by organism size, taxonomic group, and habitat. Variation in maximum size could be reduced by standardized measurement protocols and improved meta-data. Despite the variation, egregious errors in published maximum size measurements are rare, and their impact on comparative macroecological and macroevolutionary research is likely minimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig R. McClain
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayetteLouisianaUSA
| | - Thomas J. Webb
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Noel A. Heim
- Department of Earth and Climate SciencesTufts UniversityMedfordMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Pedro M. Monarrez
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space SciencesUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jonathan L. Payne
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
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Pol D, Baiano MA, Černý D, Novas FE, Cerda IA, Pittman M. A new abelisaurid dinosaur from the end Cretaceous of Patagonia and evolutionary rates among the Ceratosauria. Cladistics 2024; 40:307-356. [PMID: 38771085 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12583] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Gondwanan dinosaur faunae during the 20 Myr preceding the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K/Pg) extinction included several lineages that were absent or poorly represented in Laurasian landmasses. Among these, the South American fossil record contains diverse abelisaurids, arguably the most successful groups of carnivorous dinosaurs from Gondwana in the Cretaceous, reaching their highest diversity towards the end of this period. Here we describe Koleken inakayali gen. et sp. n., a new abelisaurid from the La Colonia Formation (Maastrichtian, Upper Cretaceous) of Patagonia. Koleken inakayali is known from several skull bones, an almost complete dorsal series, complete sacrum, several caudal vertebrae, pelvic girdle and almost complete hind limbs. The new abelisaurid shows a unique set of features in the skull and several anatomical differences from Carnotaurus sastrei (the only other abelisaurid known from the La Colonia Formation). Koleken inakayali is retrieved as a brachyrostran abelisaurid, clustered with other South American abelisaurids from the latest Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian), such as Aucasaurus, Niebla and Carnotaurus. Leveraging our phylogeny estimates, we explore rates of morphological evolution across ceratosaurian lineages, finding them to be particularly high for elaphrosaurine noasaurids and around the base of Abelisauridae, before the Early Cretaceous radiation of the latter clade. The Noasauridae and their sister clade show contrasting patterns of morphological evolution, with noasaurids undergoing an early phase of accelerated evolution of the axial and hind limb skeleton in the Jurassic, and the abelisaurids exhibiting sustained high rates of cranial evolution during the Early Cretaceous. These results provide much needed context for the evolutionary dynamics of ceratosaurian theropods, contributing to broader understanding of macroevolutionary patterns across dinosaurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Pol
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mattia Antonio Baiano
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Área Laboratorio e Investigación, Museo Municipal Ernesto Bachmann, Villa El Chocón, Neuquén, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - David Černý
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Fernando E Novas
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ignacio A Cerda
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina
- Museo Provincial Carlos Ameghino, Cipolletti, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Li W, Wang R, Liu MF, Folk RA, Xue B, Saunders RMK. Climatic and biogeographic processes underlying the diversification of the pantropical flowering plant family Annonaceae. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1287171. [PMID: 38525154 PMCID: PMC10957689 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1287171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Tropical forests harbor the richest biodiversity among terrestrial ecosystems, but few studies have addressed the underlying processes of species diversification in these ecosystems. We use the pantropical flowering plant family Annonaceae as a study system to investigate how climate and biogeographic events contribute to diversification. A super-matrix phylogeny comprising 835 taxa (34% of Annonaceae species) based on eight chloroplast regions was used in this study. We show that global temperature may better explain the recent rapid diversification in Annonaceae than time and constant models. Accelerated accumulation of niche divergence (around 15 Ma) lags behind the increase of diversification rate (around 25 Ma), reflecting a heterogeneous transition to recent diversity increases. Biogeographic events are related to only two of the five diversification rate shifts detected. Shifts in niche evolution nevertheless appear to be associated with increasingly seasonal environments. Our results do not support the direct correlation of any particular climatic niche shifts or historical biogeographical event with shifts in diversification rate. Instead, we suggest that Annonaceae diversification can lead to later niche divergence as a result of increasing interspecific competition arising from species accumulation. Shifts in niche evolution appear to be associated with increasingly seasonal environments. Our results highlight the complexity of diversification in taxa with long evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixi Li
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Runxi Wang
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ming-Fai Liu
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ryan A. Folk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Bine Xue
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
| | - Richard M. K. Saunders
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Title PO, Singhal S, Grundler MC, Costa GC, Pyron RA, Colston TJ, Grundler MR, Prates I, Stepanova N, Jones MEH, Cavalcanti LBQ, Colli GR, Di-Poï N, Donnellan SC, Moritz C, Mesquita DO, Pianka ER, Smith SA, Vitt LJ, Rabosky DL. The macroevolutionary singularity of snakes. Science 2024; 383:918-923. [PMID: 38386744 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh2449] [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: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Snakes and lizards (Squamata) represent a third of terrestrial vertebrates and exhibit spectacular innovations in locomotion, feeding, and sensory processing. However, the evolutionary drivers of this radiation remain poorly known. We infer potential causes and ultimate consequences of squamate macroevolution by combining individual-based natural history observations (>60,000 animals) with a comprehensive time-calibrated phylogeny that we anchored with genomic data (5400 loci) from 1018 species. Due to shifts in the dynamics of speciation and phenotypic evolution, snakes have transformed the trophic structure of animal communities through the recurrent origin and diversification of specialized predatory strategies. Squamate biodiversity reflects a legacy of singular events that occurred during the early history of snakes and reveals the impact of historical contingency on vertebrate biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal O Title
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sonal Singhal
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gabriel C Costa
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36117, USA
| | - R Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Timothy J Colston
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
- Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez 00680, Puerto Rico
| | - Maggie R Grundler
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ivan Prates
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Natasha Stepanova
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Marc E H Jones
- Science Group: Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Lucas B Q Cavalcanti
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Guarino R Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Craig Moritz
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Daniel O Mesquita
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Eric R Pianka
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Stephen A Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Laurie J Vitt
- Sam Noble Museum and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Werner CS, Kasan K, Geyer JK, Elmasri M, Farrell MJ, Nunn CL. Using phylogeographic link-prediction in primates to prioritize human parasite screening. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:583-594. [PMID: 38384356 PMCID: PMC10878720 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Objectives The ongoing risk of emerging infectious disease has renewed calls for understanding the origins of zoonoses and identifying future zoonotic disease threats. Given their close phylogenetic relatedness and geographic overlap with humans, non-human primates (NHPs) have been the source of many infectious diseases throughout human evolution. NHPs harbor diverse parasites, with some infecting only a single host species while others infect species from multiple families. Materials and Methods We applied a novel link-prediction method to predict undocumented instances of parasite sharing between humans and NHPs. Our model makes predictions based on phylogenetic distances and geographic overlap among NHPs and humans in six countries with high NHP diversity: Columbia, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, China and Indonesia. Results Of the 899 human parasites documented in the Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network (GIDEON) database for these countries, 12% were shared with at least one other NHP species. The link prediction model identified an additional 54 parasites that are likely to infect humans but were not reported in GIDEON. These parasites were mostly host generalists, yet their phylogenetic host breadth varied substantially. Discussion As human activities and populations encroach on NHP habitats, opportunities for parasite sharing between human and non-human primates will continue to increase. Our study identifies specific infectious organisms to monitor in countries with high NHP diversity, while the comparative analysis of host generalism, parasite taxonomy, and transmission mode provides insights to types of parasites that represent high zoonotic risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney S. Werner
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Koray Kasan
- Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Julie K. Geyer
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mohamad Elmasri
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maxwell J. Farrell
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Charles L. Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Heuer K, Traut N, de Sousa AA, Valk SL, Clavel J, Toro R. Diversity and evolution of cerebellar folding in mammals. eLife 2023; 12:e85907. [PMID: 37737580 PMCID: PMC10617990 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The process of brain folding is thought to play an important role in the development and organisation of the cerebrum and the cerebellum. The study of cerebellar folding is challenging due to the small size and abundance of its folia. In consequence, little is known about its anatomical diversity and evolution. We constituted an open collection of histological data from 56 mammalian species and manually segmented the cerebrum and the cerebellum. We developed methods to measure the geometry of cerebellar folia and to estimate the thickness of the molecular layer. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to study the diversity and evolution of cerebellar folding and its relationship with the anatomy of the cerebrum. Our results show that the evolution of cerebellar and cerebral anatomy follows a stabilising selection process. We observed two groups of phenotypes changing concertedly through evolution: a group of 'diverse' phenotypes - varying over several orders of magnitude together with body size, and a group of 'stable' phenotypes varying over less than 1 order of magnitude across species. Our analyses confirmed the strong correlation between cerebral and cerebellar volumes across species, and showed in addition that large cerebella are disproportionately more folded than smaller ones. Compared with the extreme variations in cerebellar surface area, folial anatomy and molecular layer thickness varied only slightly, showing a much smaller increase in the larger cerebella. We discuss how these findings could provide new insights into the diversity and evolution of cerebellar folding, the mechanisms of cerebellar and cerebral folding, and their potential influence on the organisation of the brain across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Heuer
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité de Neuroanatomie Appliquée et ThéoriqueParisFrance
| | - Nicolas Traut
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité de Neuroanatomie Appliquée et ThéoriqueParisFrance
| | | | - Sofie Louise Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, FZ JülichJülichGermany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Julien Clavel
- Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNAVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Roberto Toro
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité de Neuroanatomie Appliquée et ThéoriqueParisFrance
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Deregnaucourt I, Bardin J, Villier L, Julliard R, Béthoux O. Disparification and extinction trade-offs shaped the evolution of Permian to Jurassic Odonata. iScience 2023; 26:107420. [PMID: 37583549 PMCID: PMC10424082 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107420] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Owing to their prevalence in nowadays terrestrial ecosystems, insects are a relevant group to assess the impact of mass extinctions on emerged land. However, limitations of the insect fossil record make it difficult to assess the impact of such events based on taxonomic diversity alone. Therefore, we documented trends in morphological diversity, i.e., disparity, using wings of Permian to Jurassic Odonata as model. Our results show a decreasing trend in disparity while species richness increased. Both the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic transitions are revealed as important events, associated with strong morphospace restructuring due to selective extinction. In each case, a recovery was assured by the diversification of new forms compensating the loss of others. Early representatives of Odonata continuously evolved new shapes, a pattern contrasting with the classical assertion of a morphospace fulfilled early and followed by selective extinctions and specialization within it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Deregnaucourt
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier, CP38, F-75005 Paris, France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, 43 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jérémie Bardin
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier, CP38, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Loïc Villier
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier, CP38, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Romain Julliard
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, 43 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Béthoux
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier, CP38, F-75005 Paris, France
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Dimayacyac JR, Wu S, Jiang D, Pennell M. Evaluating the Performance of Widely Used Phylogenetic Models for Gene Expression Evolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.09.527893. [PMID: 37645857 PMCID: PMC10461906 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.09.527893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Phylogenetic comparative methods are increasingly used to test hypotheses about the evolutionary processes that drive divergence in gene expression among species. However, it is unknown whether the distributional assumptions of phylogenetic models designed for quantitative phenotypic traits are realistic for expression data and importantly, the reliability of conclusions of phylogenetic comparative studies of gene expression may depend on whether the data is well-described by the chosen model. To evaluate this, we first fit several phylogenetic models of trait evolution to 8 previously published comparative expression datasets, comprising a total of 54,774 genes with 145,927 unique gene-tissue combinations. Using a previously developed approach, we then assessed how well the best model of the set described the data in an absolute (not just relative) sense. First, we find that Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models, in which expression values are constrained around an optimum, were the preferred model for 66% of gene-tissue combinations. Second, we find that for 61% of gene-tissue combinations, the best fit model of the set was found to perform well; the rest were found to be performing poorly by at least one of the test statistics we examined. Third, we find that when simple models do not perform well, this appears to be typically a consequence of failing to fully account for heterogeneity in the rate of the evolution. We advocate that assessment of model performance should become a routine component of phylogenetic comparative expression studies; doing so can improve the reliability of inferences and inspire the development of novel models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Rafael Dimayacyac
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shanyun Wu
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Daohan Jiang
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Matt Pennell
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, USA
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Herder EA, Skeen HR, Lutz HL, Hird SM. Body Size Poorly Predicts Host-Associated Microbial Diversity in Wild Birds. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0374922. [PMID: 37039681 PMCID: PMC10269867 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03749-22] [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: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The composition and diversity of avian microbiota are shaped by many factors, including host ecologies and environmental variables. In this study, we examine microbial diversity across 214 bird species sampled in Malawi at five major body sites: blood, buccal cavity, gizzard, intestinal tract, and cloaca. Microbial community dissimilarity differed significantly across body sites. Ecological theory predicts that as area increases, so does diversity. We tested the hypothesis that avian microbiota diversity is correlated with body size, used as a proxy for area, using comparative phylogenetic methods. Using Pagel's lambda, we found that few microbial diversity metrics had significant phylogenetic signals. Phylogenetic generalized least squares identified a significant but weak negative correlation between host size and microbial diversity of the blood and a similarly significant but weakly positive correlation between the cloacal microbiota and host size among birds within the order Passeriformes. Phylosymbiosis, or a congruent branching pattern between host phylogeny and their associated microbiota similarity, was tested and found to be weak or not significant in four of the body sites with sufficient sample size (blood, buccal, cloaca, and intestines). Taken together, these results suggest that the avian microbiome is highly variable, with microbiota diversity demonstrating few clear associations with bird size. Finally, the blood microbiota have a unique relationship with host size. IMPORTANCE All animals coexist and interact with microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, microscopic eukaryotes, and viruses. These microorganisms can have an enormous influence on the biology and health of macro-organisms. However, the general rules that govern these host-associated microbial communities are poorly described, especially in wild animals. In this paper, we investigate the microbial communities of over 200 species of birds from Malawi and characterize five body site bacterial microbiota in depth. Because the evolutionary relationships of the host underlie the relationship between any host-associated microbiota relationships, we use phylogenetic comparative methods to account for this relationship. We find that the size of a host (the bird) and the diversity and composition of the microbiota are largely uncorrelated. We also find that the general pattern of similarity between host phylogeny and microbiota similarity is weak. Together, we see that bird microbiota are not strongly tied to host size or evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Herder
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Heather R. Skeen
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Holly L. Lutz
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sarah M. Hird
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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Qi XG, Wu J, Zhao L, Wang L, Guang X, Garber PA, Opie C, Yuan Y, Diao R, Li G, Wang K, Pan R, Ji W, Sun H, Huang ZP, Xu C, Witarto AB, Jia R, Zhang C, Deng C, Qiu Q, Zhang G, Grueter CC, Wu D, Li B. Adaptations to a cold climate promoted social evolution in Asian colobine primates. Science 2023; 380:eabl8621. [PMID: 37262163 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl8621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The biological mechanisms that underpin primate social evolution remain poorly understood. Asian colobines display a range of social organizations, which makes them good models for investigating social evolution. By integrating ecological, geological, fossil, behavioral, and genomic analyses, we found that colobine primates that inhabit colder environments tend to live in larger, more complex groups. Specifically, glacial periods during the past 6 million years promoted the selection of genes involved in cold-related energy metabolism and neurohormonal regulation. More-efficient dopamine and oxytocin pathways developed in odd-nosed monkeys, which may have favored the prolongation of maternal care and lactation, increasing infant survival in cold environments. These adaptive changes appear to have strengthened interindividual affiliation, increased male-male tolerance, and facilitated the stepwise aggregation from independent one-male groups to large multilevel societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Guang Qi
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinwei Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lan Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lu Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | | | - Paul A Garber
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Christopher Opie
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Yuan Yuan
- College of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Runjie Diao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gang Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kun Wang
- College of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ruliang Pan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Weihong Ji
- School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Zhi-Pang Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chunzhong Xu
- Shanghai Wild Animal Park Development Co., Shanghai, China
| | - Arief B Witarto
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pertahanan, Jabodetabek, Indonesia
| | - Rui Jia
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | | | - Cheng Deng
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Qiu
- College of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Cyril C Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Dongdong Wu
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Baoguo Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
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12
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Sanisidro O, Mihlbachler MC, Cantalapiedra JL. A macroevolutionary pathway to megaherbivory. Science 2023; 380:616-618. [PMID: 37167399 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade1833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Several scenarios have been proposed to explain rapid net size increases in some early Cenozoic mammalian lineages: sustained and gradual directional change, successive occupation of adaptive zones associated with progressively larger body sizes, and nondirectional evolution associated with branching events in combination with higher diversification potential of the larger lineages. We test these hypotheses in brontotheres, which are among the first radiations of mammals that consistently evolved multitonne sizes. Body-mass evolution in brontotheres mainly occurred during speciation and had no preferential direction. Long-term directional change stemmed from the higher survival of larger lineages in less-saturated herbivore guilds. Our study emphasizes the role of differential species proliferation in explaining the long-term phenotypic trends observed in the fossil record, which are more than an accumulation of steady microevolutionary changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Sanisidro
- Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group (GloCEE), Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthew C Mihlbachler
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Juan L Cantalapiedra
- Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group (GloCEE), Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
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13
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Mendes R, Nunes VL, Marabuto E, Costa GJ, Silva SE, Paulo OS, Simões PC. Testing drivers of acoustic divergence in cicadas (Cicadidae: Tettigettalna). J Evol Biol 2023; 36:461-479. [PMID: 36514855 PMCID: PMC10107868 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14133] [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: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Divergence in acoustic signals may have a crucial role in the speciation process of animals that rely on sound for intra-specific recognition and mate attraction. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis (AAH) postulates that signals should diverge according to the physical properties of the signalling environment. To be efficient, signals should maximize transmission and decrease degradation. To test which drivers of divergence exert the most influence in a speciose group of insects, we used a phylogenetic approach to the evolution of acoustic signals in the cicada genus Tettigettalna, investigating the relationship between acoustic traits (and their mode of evolution) and body size, climate and micro-/macro-habitat usage. Different traits showed different evolutionary paths. While acoustic divergence was generally independent of phylogenetic history, some temporal variables' divergence was associated with genetic drift. We found support for ecological adaptation at the temporal but not the spectral level. Temporal patterns are correlated with micro- and macro-habitat usage and temperature stochasticity in ways that run against the AAH predictions, degrading signals more easily. These traits are likely to have evolved as an anti-predator strategy in conspicuous environments and low-density populations. Our results support a role of ecological selection, not excluding a likely role of sexual selection in the evolution of Tettigettalna calling songs, which should be further investigated in an integrative approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Mendes
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vera L Nunes
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Eduardo Marabuto
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo J Costa
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sara E Silva
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Octávio S Paulo
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paula C Simões
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
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14
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Rothier PS, Fabre AC, Clavel J, Benson RBJ, Herrel A. Mammalian forelimb evolution is driven by uneven proximal-to-distal morphological diversity. eLife 2023; 12:81492. [PMID: 36700542 PMCID: PMC9908075 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate limb morphology often reflects the environment due to variation in locomotor requirements. However, proximal and distal limb segments may evolve differently from one another, reflecting an anatomical gradient of functional specialization that has been suggested to be impacted by the timing of development. Here, we explore whether the temporal sequence of bone condensation predicts variation in the capacity of evolution to generate morphological diversity in proximal and distal forelimb segments across more than 600 species of mammals. Distal elements not only exhibit greater shape diversity, but also show stronger within-element integration and, on average, faster evolutionary responses than intermediate and upper limb segments. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that late developing distal bones display greater morphological variation than more proximal limb elements. However, the higher integration observed within the autopod deviates from such developmental predictions, suggesting that functional specialization plays an important role in driving within-element covariation. Proximal and distal limb segments also show different macroevolutionary patterns, albeit not showing a perfect proximo-distal gradient. The high disparity of the mammalian autopod, reported here, is consistent with the higher potential of development to generate variation in more distal limb structures, as well as functional specialization of the distal elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila S Rothier
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleParisFrance
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Naturhistorisches Museum BernBernSwitzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of BernBernSwitzerland
- Life Sciences Department, Vertebrates Division, Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Julien Clavel
- Life Sciences Department, Vertebrates Division, Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023VilleurbanneFrance
| | - Roger BJ Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleParisFrance
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15
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Artuso S, Gamisch A, Staedler YM, Schönenberger J, Comes HP. Evidence for an evo-devo-derived hypothesis on three-dimensional flower shape modularity in a tropical orchid clade. Evolution 2022; 76:2587-2604. [PMID: 36128635 PMCID: PMC9828045 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Covarying suites of phenotypic traits, or modules, are increasingly recognized to promote morphological evolution. However, information on how modularity influences flower diversity is rare and lacking for Orchidaceae. Here, we combine high-resolution X-ray computed tomography scanning with three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to test various hypotheses about three-dimensional patterns of flower evolutionary modularity in Malagasy Bulbophyllum orchids and examine rates and modes of module evolution. Based on the four evolutionary modules identified (i.e., sepals, lateral petals, labellum + column-foot, and column-part), our data support the hypothesis that both genetic-developmental and functional adaptive factors shaped evolutionary flower trait covariation in these tropical orchids. In line with "evo-devo" studies, we also find that the labellum evolved independently from the rest of the petal whorl. Finally, we show that modules evolved with different rates, and either in a neutral fashion (only column-part) or under selective constraints, as likely imposed by pollinators. Overall, this study supports current views that modular units can enhance the range and rate of morphological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Artuso
- Department of Environment and BiodiversityUniversity of SalzburgSalzburg5020Austria
| | - Alexander Gamisch
- Department of Environment and BiodiversityUniversity of SalzburgSalzburg5020Austria
| | - Yannick M. Staedler
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaVienna1030Austria
| | - Jürg Schönenberger
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaVienna1030Austria
| | - Hans Peter Comes
- Department of Environment and BiodiversityUniversity of SalzburgSalzburg5020Austria
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16
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Goswami A, Noirault E, Coombs EJ, Clavel J, Fabre AC, Halliday TJD, Churchill M, Curtis A, Watanabe A, Simmons NB, Beatty BL, Geisler JH, Fox DL, Felice RN. Attenuated evolution of mammals through the Cenozoic. Science 2022; 378:377-383. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abm7525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Cenozoic diversification of placental mammals is the archetypal adaptive radiation. Yet, discrepancies between molecular divergence estimates and the fossil record fuel ongoing debate around the timing, tempo, and drivers of this radiation. Analysis of a three-dimensional skull dataset for living and extinct placental mammals demonstrates that evolutionary rates peak early and attenuate quickly. This long-term decline in tempo is punctuated by bursts of innovation that decreased in amplitude over the past 66 million years. Social, precocial, aquatic, and herbivorous species evolve fastest, especially whales, elephants, sirenians, and extinct ungulates. Slow rates in rodents and bats indicate dissociation of taxonomic and morphological diversification. Frustratingly, highly similar ancestral shape estimates for placental mammal superorders suggest that their earliest representatives may continue to elude unequivocal identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eve Noirault
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Ellen J. Coombs
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Julien Clavel
- Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas J. D. Halliday
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Morgan Churchill
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
| | - Abigail Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Akinobu Watanabe
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nancy B. Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian L. Beatty
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jonathan H. Geisler
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David L. Fox
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ryan N. Felice
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
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17
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Ashokan A, Leong-Škorničková J, Suksathan P, Newman M, Kress WJ, Gowda V. Floral evolution and pollinator diversification in Hedychium: Revisiting Darwin's predictions using an integrative taxonomic approach. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1410-1427. [PMID: 35862825 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16039] [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: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Hedychium J. Koenig (Zingiberaceae) is endemic to the Indo-Malayan Realm and is known for its colorful and fragrant flowers. Historically, two different pollination syndromes characterize Hedychium: diurnal or bird pollination, and nocturnal or moth pollination. In this study, we aim to understand the evolution of nocturnal and diurnal flowers, and to test its putative association with lineage diversification in Hedychium. METHODS A molecular tree of Hedychium was used as a scaffold upon which we estimated ancestral character states, phylogenetic signals, and correlations for certain categorical and continuous floral traits. Furthermore, we used phylomorphospace and trait-dependent diversification rate estimation analyses to understand phenotypic evolution and associated lineage diversification in Hedychium. RESULTS Although floral color and size lacked any association with specific pollinators, white or pale flowers were most common in the early branching clades when compared to bright-colored flowers, which were more widely represented in the most-derived clade IV. Five categorical and two continuous characters were identified to have informative evolutionary patterns, which also emphasized that ecology may have played a critical role in the diversification of Hedychium. CONCLUSIONS From our phylogenetic analyses and ecological observations, we conclude that specializations in pollinator interactions are rare in the hyperdiverse clade IV, thus challenging the role of both moth-specialization and bird-specialization as central factors in the diversification of Hedychium. However, our results also suggest that clade III (predominantly island clade) may show specializations, and future studies should investigate ecological and pollinator interactions, along with inclusion of new traits such as floral fragrance and anthesis time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajith Ashokan
- Tropical Ecology and Evolution (TrEE) Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India
| | - Jana Leong-Škorničková
- Research & Conservation branch, Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, 259569, Singapore
| | - Piyakaset Suksathan
- Herbarium (QBG), Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, P. O. Box 7, Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, 50180, Thailand
| | - Mark Newman
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - W John Kress
- Department of Botany, MRC-166, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P. O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, United States
| | - Vinita Gowda
- Tropical Ecology and Evolution (TrEE) Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India
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18
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Slater GJ. Topographically distinct adaptive landscapes for teeth, skeletons, and size explain the adaptive radiation of Carnivora (Mammalia). Evolution 2022; 76:2049-2066. [PMID: 35880607 PMCID: PMC9546082 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Models of adaptive radiation were originally developed to explain the early, rapid appearance of distinct modes of life within diversifying clades. Phylogenetic tests of this hypothesis have yielded limited support for temporally declining rates of phenotypic evolution across diverse clades, but the concept of an adaptive landscape that links form to fitness, while also crucial to these models, has received more limited attention. Using methods that assess the temporal accumulation of morphological variation and estimate the topography of the underlying adaptive landscape, I found evidence of an early partitioning of mandibulo-dental morphological variation in Carnivora (Mammalia) that occurs on an adaptive landscape with multiple peaks, consistent with classic ideas about adaptive radiation. Although strong support for this mode of adaptive radiation is present in traits related to diet, its signal is not present in body mass data or for traits related to locomotor behavior and substrate use. These findings suggest that adaptive radiations may occur along some axes of ecomorphological variation without leaving a signal in others and that their dynamics are more complex than simple univariate tests might suggest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham J. Slater
- Department of the Geophysical SciencesUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIllinois60637
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19
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Hongjamrassilp W, Zhang R, Natterson-Horowitz B, Blumstein DT. Glaucoma through Animal’s Eyes: Insights from the Evolution of Intraocular Pressure in Mammals and Birds. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162027. [PMID: 36009617 PMCID: PMC9404445 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Understanding how a disease evolved across the animal kingdom could help us better understand the disease and might lead to novel methods for treatment. Here, we studied the evolution of glaucoma, an irreversible eye disease, in mammals and birds, by studying the evolution of intraocular pressure (IOP), a central driver of glaucoma, and searching for associations between life history traits and IOP. Our results revealed that IOP is a taxa-specific trait that is higher in some species than in others. Higher IOPs appear to have evolved multiple times in mammals and birds. Higher IOPs were found in mammals with higher body mass and in aquatic birds. We also found that higher IOPs evolved through stabilizing selection, with the optimum IOP in mammals and birds being 17.67 and 14.31 mmHg, respectively. This supports the hypothesis that higher IOPs may be an adaptive trait for certain animals. Focusing on species with higher IOPs but no evidence of glaucoma may help identify glaucoma-resistant adaptations, which could be developed into human therapies. Abstract Glaucoma, an eye disorder caused by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in humans. Understanding how IOP levels have evolved across animal species could shed light on the nature of human vulnerability to glaucoma. Here, we studied the evolution of IOP in mammals and birds and explored its life history correlates. We conducted a systematic review, to create a dataset of species-specific IOP levels and reconstructed the ancestral states of IOP using three models of evolution (Brownian, Early burst, and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU)) to understand the evolution of glaucoma. Furthermore, we tested the association between life history traits (e.g., body mass, blood pressure, diet, longevity, and habitat) and IOP using phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS). IOP in mammals and birds evolved under the OU model, suggesting stabilizing selection toward an optimal value. Larger mammals had higher IOPs and aquatic birds had higher IOPs; no other measured life history traits, the type of tonometer used, or whether the animal was sedated when measuring IOP explained the significant variation in IOP in this dataset. Elevated IOP, which could result from physiological and anatomical processes, evolved multiple times in mammals and birds. However, we do not understand how species with high IOP avoid glaucoma. While we found very few associations between life history traits and IOP, we suggest that more detailed studies may help identify mechanisms by which IOP is decoupled from glaucoma. Importantly, species with higher IOPs (cetaceans, pinnipeds, and rhinoceros) could be good model systems for studying glaucoma-resistant adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp
- Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence: or (W.H.); (D.T.B.)
| | - Roger Zhang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - B. Natterson-Horowitz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Division of Cardiology, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, A2-237, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence: or (W.H.); (D.T.B.)
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20
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Maestri R, Luza AL, Hartz SM, de Freitas TRO, Patterson BD. Bridging macroecology and macroevolution in the radiation of sigmodontine rodents. Evolution 2022; 76:1790-1805. [PMID: 35794070 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Investigations of phenotypic disparity across geography often ignore macroevolutionary processes. As a corollary, the random null expectations to which disparity is compared and interpreted may be unrealistic. We tackle this issue by representing, in geographical space, distinct processes of phenotypic evolution underlying ecological disparity. Under divergent natural selection, assemblages in a given region should have empirical disparity higher than expected under an evolutionarily oriented null model, whereas the opposite may indicate constraints on phenotypic evolution. We gathered phylogenies, biogeographic distributions, and data on the skull morphology of sigmodontine rodents to discover which regions of the Neotropics were more influenced by divergent, neutral, or constrained phenotypic evolution. We found that regions with higher disparity than expected by the evolutionary-oriented null model, in terms of both size and shape, were concentrated in the Atlantic Forest, suggesting a larger role for divergent natural selection there. Phenotypic disparity in the rest of South America, mainly the Amazon basin, northeastern Brazil, and Southern Andes, was constrained-lower than predicted by the evolutionary model. We also demonstrated equivalence between the disparity produced by randomization-based null models and constrained-evolution null models. Therefore, including evolutionary simulations into the null modeling framework used in ecophylogenetics can strengthen inferences on the processes underlying phenotypic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renan Maestri
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil.,Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, 60605
| | - André L Luza
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Sandra M Hartz
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Thales R O de Freitas
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Bruce D Patterson
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, 60605
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21
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Gilbert MC, Lerose CS, Conith AJ, Albertson RC. Breaking constraints: The development and evolution of extreme fin morphology in the Bramidae. Evol Dev 2022; 24:109-124. [PMID: 35848377 PMCID: PMC9542103 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The developmental process establishes the foundation upon which natural selection may act. In that same sense, it is inundated with numerous constraints that work to limit the directions in which a phenotype may respond to selective pressures. Extreme phenotypes have been used in the past to identify tradeoffs and constraints and may aid in recognizing how alterations to the Baupläne can influence the trajectories of lineages. The Bramidae, a family of Scombriformes consisting of 20 extant species, are unique in that five species greatly deviate from the stout, ovaloid bodies that typify the bramids. The Ptericlinae, or fanfishes, are instead characterized by relatively elongated body plans and extreme modifications to their medial fins. Here, we explore the development of Bramidae morphologies and examine them through a phylogenetic lens to investigate the concepts of developmental and evolutionary constraints. Contrary to our predictions that the fanfishes had been constrained by inherited properties of an ancestral state, we find that the fanfishes exhibit both increased rates of trait evolution and differ substantially from the other bramids in their developmental trajectories. Conversely, the remaining bramid genera differ little, both among one another and in comparison, to the sister family Caristiidae. In all, our data suggest that the fanfishes have broken constraints, thereby allowing them to mitigate trade-offs on distinctive aspects of morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C. Gilbert
- Biology Department, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate ProgramUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
| | - Catherine S. Lerose
- Biology Department, Morrill Science CenterUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Biology, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Graduate ProgramNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Andrew J. Conith
- Biology Department, Morrill Science CenterUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
| | - R. Craig Albertson
- Biology Department, Morrill Science CenterUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
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22
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Edwards DL, Avila LJ, Martinez L, Sites JW, Morando M. Environmental correlates of phenotypic evolution in ecologically diverse Liolaemus lizards. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9009. [PMID: 35784059 PMCID: PMC9201750 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary correlations between phenotypic and environmental traits characterize adaptive radiations. However, the lizard genus Liolaemus, one of the most ecologically diverse terrestrial vertebrate radiations on earth, has so far shown limited or mixed evidence of adaptive diversification in phenotype. Restricted use of comprehensive environmental data, incomplete taxonomic representation and not considering phylogenetic uncertainty may have led to contradictory evidence. We compiled a 26-taxon dataset for the Liolaemus gracilis species group, representing much of the ecological diversity represented within Liolaemus and used environmental data to characterize how environments occupied by species' relate to phenotypic evolution. Our analyses, explicitly accounting for phylogenetic uncertainty, suggest diversification in phenotypic traits toward the present, with body shape evolution rapidly evolving in this group. Body shape evolution correlates with the occupation of different structural habitats indicated by vegetation axes suggesting species have adapted for maximal locomotory performance in these habitats. Our results also imply that the effects of phylogenetic uncertainty and model misspecification may be more extensive on univariate, relative to multivariate analyses of evolutionary correlations, which is an important consideration in analyzing data from rapidly radiating adaptive radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L. Edwards
- The Department of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCaliforniaUSA
| | - Luciano J. Avila
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC‐CONICET)Puerto MadrynArgentina
| | - Lorena Martinez
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC‐CONICET)Puerto MadrynArgentina
- VigoSpain
| | - Jack W. Sites
- Department of Biology and M.L. Bean Life Science MuseumBrigham Young University (BYU)ProvoUtahUSA
- TrentonKentuckyUSA
| | - Mariana Morando
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC‐CONICET)Puerto MadrynArgentina
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23
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Casadei‐Ferreira A, Feitosa RM, Pie MR. Size and shape in the evolution of the worker head in
Pheidole
ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Casadei‐Ferreira
- Departamento de Zoologia Setor de Ciências Biológicas Centro Politécnico Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Paraná Brazil
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Onna Okinawa Japan
| | - R. M. Feitosa
- Departamento de Zoologia Setor de Ciências Biológicas Centro Politécnico Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Paraná Brazil
| | - M. R. Pie
- Departamento de Zoologia Setor de Ciências Biológicas Centro Politécnico Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Paraná Brazil
- Biology Department Edge Hill University Ormskirk Lancashire UK
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24
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Martinez-Gutierrez CA, Aylward FO. Genome size distributions in bacteria and archaea are strongly linked to evolutionary history at broad phylogenetic scales. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010220. [PMID: 35605022 PMCID: PMC9166353 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary forces that determine genome size in bacteria and archaea have been the subject of intense debate over the last few decades. Although the preferential loss of genes observed in prokaryotes is explained through the deletional bias, factors promoting and preventing the fixation of such gene losses often remain unclear. Importantly, statistical analyses on this topic typically do not consider the potential bias introduced by the shared ancestry of many lineages, which is critical when using species as data points because of the potential dependence on residuals. In this study, we investigated the genome size distributions across a broad diversity of bacteria and archaea to evaluate if this trait is phylogenetically conserved at broad phylogenetic scales. After model fit, Pagel's lambda indicated a strong phylogenetic signal in genome size data, suggesting that the diversification of this trait is influenced by shared evolutionary histories. We used a phylogenetic generalized least-squares analysis (PGLS) to test whether phylogeny influences the predictability of genome size from dN/dS ratios and 16S copy number, two variables that have been previously linked to genome size. These results confirm that failure to account for evolutionary history can lead to biased interpretations of genome size predictors. Overall, our results indicate that although bacteria and archaea can rapidly gain and lose genetic material through gene transfers and deletions, respectively, phylogenetic signal for genome size distributions can still be recovered at broad phylogenetic scales that should be taken into account when inferring the drivers of genome size evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Frank O. Aylward
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
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25
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Cruz-Laufer AJ, Pariselle A, Jorissen MWP, Muterezi Bukinga F, Al Assadi A, Van Steenberge M, Koblmüller S, Sturmbauer C, Smeets K, Huyse T, Artois T, Vanhove MPM. Somewhere I belong: phylogeny and morphological evolution in a species-rich lineage of ectoparasitic flatworms infecting cichlid fishes. Cladistics 2022; 38:465-512. [PMID: 35488795 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A substantial portion of biodiversity has evolved through adaptive radiation. However, the effects of explosive speciation on species interactions remain poorly understood. Metazoan parasites infecting radiating host lineages could improve our knowledge because of their intimate host relationships. Yet limited molecular, phenotypic and ecological data discourage multivariate analyses of evolutionary patterns and encourage the use of discrete characters. Here, we assemble new molecular, morphological and host range data widely inferred from a species-rich lineage of parasites (Cichlidogyrus, Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) infecting cichlid fishes to address data scarcity. We infer a multimarker (28S/18S rDNA, ITS1, COI mtDNA) phylogeny of 58 of 137 species and characterize major lineages through synapomorphies inferred from mapping morphological characters. We predict the phylogenetic position of species without DNA data through shared character states, a morphological phylogenetic analysis, and a classification analysis with support vector machines. Based on these predictions and a cluster analysis, we assess the systematic informativeness of continuous characters, search for continuous equivalents for discrete characters, and suggest new characters for morphological traits not analysed to date. We also model the attachment/reproductive organ and host range evolution using the data for 136 of 137 described species and multivariate phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs). We show that discrete characters not only can mask phylogenetic signals, but also are key for characterizing species groups. Regarding the attachment organ morphology, a divergent evolutionary regime for at least one lineage was detected and a limited morphological variation indicates host and environmental parameters affecting its evolution. However, moderate success in predicting phylogenetic positions, and a low systematic informativeness and high multicollinearity of morphological characters call for a revaluation of characters included in species characterizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando J Cruz-Laufer
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
| | - Antoine Pariselle
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.,Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory "Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome", Research Centre "Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, Biodiversity and Environment", Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Michiel W P Jorissen
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium.,Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Fidel Muterezi Bukinga
- Section de Parasitologie, Département de Biologie, Centre de Recherche en Hydrobiologie, Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Anwar Al Assadi
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Nobelstraße 12, Stuttgart, 70569, Germany
| | - Maarten Van Steenberge
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium.,Operational Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, Brussels, B-1000, Belgium
| | - Stephan Koblmüller
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Karen Smeets
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
| | - Tine Huyse
- Section de Parasitologie, Département de Biologie, Centre de Recherche en Hydrobiologie, Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo.,Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium
| | - Tom Artois
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
| | - Maarten P M Vanhove
- Faculty of Sciences, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, UHasselt - Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium.,Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium
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26
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Suissa JS, Friedman WE. Rapid diversification of vascular architecture underlies the Carboniferous fern radiation. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212209. [PMID: 35473384 PMCID: PMC9043699 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular plants account for 93% of Earth's terrestrial flora. Xylem and phloem, vital for transporting water and nutrients through the plant, unite this diverse clade. Three-dimensional arrangements of these tissues (vascular architecture) are manifold across living and extinct species. However, the evolutionary processes underlying this variation remain elusive. Using ferns, a diverse clade with multiple radiations over their ca 400-million-year history, we synthesized data across 3339 species to explore the tempo and mode of vascular evolution and to contextualize dynamics of phenotypic innovation during major fern diversification events. Our results reveal three paradigm shifts in our understanding of fern vascular evolution. (i) The canonical theory on the stepwise and unidirectional evolution of vascular architecture does not capture the complexities of character evolution among ferns. Rather, a new model permitting additional transitions, rate heterogeneity and multiple reversions is more likely. (ii) Major shifts in vascular architecture correspond to developmental changes in body size, not regional water availability. (iii) The early Carboniferous radiation of crown-group ferns was characterized by an explosion of phenotypic innovation. By contrast, during the Cretaceous and Cenozoic rise of eupolypods, rates of vascular evolution were dramatically low and seemingly decoupled from lineage diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S Suissa
- The Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Boston, Boston, MA 02131, USA
| | - William E Friedman
- The Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Boston, Boston, MA 02131, USA
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27
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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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28
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Cruz FB, Moreno Azócar DL, Perotti MG, Acosta JC, Stellatelli O, Vega L, Luna F, Antenucci D, Abdala C, Schulte JA. The role of climate and maternal manipulation in determining and maintaining reproductive mode in
Liolaemus
lizards. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. B. Cruz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) CONICET‐UNComahue Bariloche Río Negro Argentina
| | - D. L. Moreno Azócar
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) CONICET‐UNComahue Bariloche Río Negro Argentina
| | - M. G. Perotti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) CONICET‐UNComahue Bariloche Río Negro Argentina
| | - J. C. Acosta
- DIBIOVA‐Departamento de Biología CIGEOBIO‐CONICET. FCEFyN‐UNSJ San Juan Argentina
| | - O. Stellatelli
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados Departamento de Biología Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET‐UNMdP, Mar del Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - L. Vega
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados Departamento de Biología Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET‐UNMdP, Mar del Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - F. Luna
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET‐UNMdP, Mar del Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - D. Antenucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET‐UNMdP, Mar del Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - C. Abdala
- Unidad ejecutora Lillo (UEL; CONICET‐FML) FCNeIML‐UNT, S.M. Tucumán Tucumán Argentina
| | - J. A. Schulte
- Division of Amphibians and Reptiles National Museum of Natural History Washington DC USA
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29
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Nelsen MP, Leavitt SD, Heller K, Muggia L, Lumbsch HT. Contrasting Patterns of Climatic Niche Divergence in Trebouxia-A Clade of Lichen-Forming Algae. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:791546. [PMID: 35242115 PMCID: PMC8886231 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.791546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Lichen associations are overwhelmingly supported by carbon produced by photosynthetic algal symbionts. These algae have diversified to occupy nearly all climates and continents; however, we have a limited understanding of how their climatic niches have evolved through time. Here we extend previous work and ask whether phylogenetic signal in, and the evolution of, climatic niche, varies across climatic variables, phylogenetic scales, and among algal lineages in Trebouxia—the most common genus of lichen-forming algae. Our analyses reveal heterogeneous levels of phylogenetic signal across variables, and that contrasting models of evolution underlie the evolution of climatic niche divergence. Together these analyses demonstrate the variable processes responsible for shaping climatic tolerance in Trebouxia, and provide a framework within which to better understand potential responses to climate change-associated perturbations. Such predictions reveal a disturbing trend in which the pace at which modern climate change is proceeding will vastly exceed the rate at which Trebouxia climatic niches have previously evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Nelsen
- The Field Museum, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Steven D Leavitt
- Department of Biology, M. L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Kathleen Heller
- The Field Museum, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Chicago, IL, United States.,Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - H Thorsten Lumbsch
- The Field Museum, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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30
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General statistical model shows that macroevolutionary patterns and processes are consistent with Darwinian gradualism. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1113. [PMID: 35236836 PMCID: PMC8891346 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28595-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroevolution posed difficulties for Darwin and later theorists because species’ phenotypes frequently change abruptly, or experience long periods of stasis, both counter to the theory of incremental change or gradualism. We introduce a statistical model that accommodates this uneven evolutionary landscape by estimating two kinds of historical change: directional changes that shift the mean phenotype along the branches of a phylogenetic tree, and evolvability changes that alter a clade’s ability to explore its trait-space. In mammals, we find that both processes make substantial independent contributions to explaining macroevolution, and are rarely linked. ‘Watershed’ moments of increased evolvability greatly outnumber reductions in evolutionary potentials, and large or abrupt phenotypic shifts are explicable statistically as biased random walks, allowing macroevolutionary theory to engage with the language and concepts of gradualist microevolution. Our findings recast macroevolutionary phenomena, illustrating the necessity of accounting for a variety of evolutionary processes simultaneously. ‘Macroevolution posed difficulties for Darwin and later theorists because species frequently change abruptly, or experience long periods of stasis, both counter to the theory of incremental change or gradualism. Here, the authors propose a macroevolutionary statistical model that accommodates this uneven evolutionary landscape, and shows how even abrupt macroevolutionary changes are compatible with gradualist microevolutionary processes.’
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31
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Pavón-Vázquez CJ, Brennan IG, Skeels A, Keogh JS. Competition and geography underlie speciation and morphological evolution in Indo-Australasian monitor lizards. Evolution 2022; 76:476-495. [PMID: 34816437 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
How biotic and abiotic factors act together to shape biological diversity is a major question in evolutionary biology. The recent availability of large datasets and development of new methodological approaches provide new tools to evaluate the predicted effects of ecological interactions and geography on lineage diversification and phenotypic evolution. Here, we use a near complete phylogenomic-scale phylogeny and a comprehensive morphological dataset comprising more than a thousand specimens to assess the role of biotic and abiotic processes in the diversification of monitor lizards (Varanidae). This charismatic group of lizards shows striking variation in species richness among its clades and multiple instances of endemic radiation in Indo-Australasia (i.e., the Indo-Australian Archipelago and Australia), one of Earth's most biogeographically complex regions. We found heterogeneity in diversification dynamics across the family. Idiosyncratic biotic and geographic conditions appear to have driven diversification and morphological evolution in three endemic Indo-Australasian radiations. Furthermore, incumbency effects partially explain patterns in the biotic exchange between Australia and New Guinea. Our results offer insight into the dynamic history of Indo-Australasia, the evolutionary significance of competition, and the long-term consequences of incumbency effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J Pavón-Vázquez
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.,Current Address: Department of Biological Sciences, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, 11201
| | - Ian G Brennan
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Alexander Skeels
- Landscape Ecology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, CH-8092, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland
| | - J Scott Keogh
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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32
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Moen DS, Cabrera-Guzmán E, Caviedes-Solis IW, González-Bernal E, Hanna AR. Phylogenetic analysis of adaptation in comparative physiology and biomechanics: overview and a case study of thermal physiology in treefrogs. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274250. [PMID: 35119071 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Comparative phylogenetic studies of adaptation are uncommon in biomechanics and physiology. Such studies require data collection from many species, a challenge when this is experimentally intensive. Moreover, researchers struggle to employ the most biologically appropriate phylogenetic tools for identifying adaptive evolution. Here, we detail an established but greatly underutilized phylogenetic comparative framework - the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process - that explicitly models long-term adaptation. We discuss challenges in implementing and interpreting the model, and we outline potential solutions. We demonstrate use of the model through studying the evolution of thermal physiology in treefrogs. Frogs of the family Hylidae have twice colonized the temperate zone from the tropics, and such colonization likely involved a fundamental change in physiology due to colder and more seasonal temperatures. However, which traits changed to allow colonization is unclear. We measured cold tolerance and characterized thermal performance curves in jumping for 12 species of treefrogs distributed from the Neotropics to temperate North America. We then conducted phylogenetic comparative analyses to examine how tolerances and performance curves evolved and to test whether that evolution was adaptive. We found that tolerance to low temperatures increased with the transition to the temperate zone. In contrast, jumping well at colder temperatures was unrelated to biogeography and thus did not adapt during dispersal. Overall, our study shows how comparative phylogenetic methods can be leveraged in biomechanics and physiology to test the evolutionary drivers of variation among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Moen
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Elisa Cabrera-Guzmán
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Itzue W Caviedes-Solis
- Science Unit, Lingnan University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Edna González-Bernal
- CONACYT - CIIDIR Oaxaca, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, C.P. 71230, Oaxaca, México
| | - Allison R Hanna
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
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33
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Rombaut LMK, Capp EJR, Hughes EC, Varley ZK, Beckerman AP, Cooper N, Thomas GH. The evolution of the traplining pollinator role in hummingbirds: specialization is not an evolutionary dead end. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212484. [PMID: 35042413 PMCID: PMC8767203 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2484] [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: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trapliners are pollinators that visit widely dispersed flowers along circuitous foraging routes. The evolution of traplining in hummingbirds is thought to entail morphological specialization through the reciprocal coevolution of longer bills with the long-tubed flowers of widely dispersed plant species. Specialization, such as that exhibited by traplining hummingbirds, is often viewed as both irreversible and an evolutionary dead end. We tested these predictions in a macroevolutionary framework. Specifically, we assessed the relationship between beak morphology and foraging and tested whether transitions to traplining are irreversible and lead to lower rates of diversification as predicted by the hypothesis that specialization is an evolutionary dead end. We find that there have been multiple independent transitions to traplining across the hummingbird phylogeny, but reversals have been rare or incomplete at best. Multiple independent lineages of trapliners have become morphologically specialized, convergently evolving relatively large bills for their body size. Traplining is not an evolutionary dead end however, since trapliners continue to give rise to new traplining species at a rate comparable to non-trapliners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louie M. K. Rombaut
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Elliot J. R. Capp
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Emma C. Hughes
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Zoë K. Varley
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum Tring, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, UK
| | - Andrew P. Beckerman
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Natalie Cooper
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Gavin H. Thomas
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum Tring, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, UK
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Farrell MJ, Elmasri M, Stephens D, Davies TJ. Predicting missing links in global host‐parasite networks. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:715-726. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell J. Farrell
- Department of Biology McGill University
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department University of Toronto
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases University of Georgia
| | | | - David Stephens
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics McGill University
| | - T. Jonathan Davies
- Botany, Forest & Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding University of Johannesburg
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Knaus PL, van Heteren AH, Lungmus JK, Sander PM. High Blood Flow Into the Femur Indicates Elevated Aerobic Capacity in Synapsids Since the Synapsida-Sauropsida Split. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.751238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Varanids are the only non-avian sauropsids that are known to approach the warm-blooded mammals in stamina. Furthermore, a much higher maximum metabolic rate (MMR) gives endotherms (including birds) higher stamina than crocodiles, turtles, and non-varanid lepidosaurs. This has led researchers to hypothesize that mammalian endothermy evolved as a second step after the acquisition of elevated MMR in non-mammalian therapsids from a plesiomorphic state of low metabolic rates. In recent amniotes, MMR correlates with the index of blood flow into the femur (Qi), which is calculated from femoral length and the cross-sectional area of the nutrient foramen. Thus, Qi may serve as an indicator of MMR range in extinct animals. Using the Qi proxy and phylogenetic eigenvector maps, here we show that elevated MMRs evolved near the base of Synapsida. Non-mammalian synapsids, including caseids, edaphosaurids, sphenacodontids, dicynodonts, gorgonopsids, and non-mammalian cynodonts, show Qi values in the range of recent endotherms and varanids, suggesting that raised MMRs either evolved in synapsids shortly after the Synapsida-Sauropsida split in the Mississippian or that the low MMR of lepidosaurs and turtles is apomorphic, as has been postulated for crocodiles.
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Sander PM, Griebeler EM, Klein N, Juarbe JV, Wintrich T, Revell LJ, Schmitz L. Early giant reveals faster evolution of large body size in ichthyosaurs than in cetaceans. Science 2021; 374:eabf5787. [PMID: 34941418 DOI: 10.1126/science.abf5787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- P Martin Sander
- Abteilung Paläontologie, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany.,The Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - Eva Maria Griebeler
- Institut für Organismische und Molekulare Evolutionsbiologie, Evolutionäre Ökologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Nicole Klein
- Abteilung Paläontologie, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jorge Velez Juarbe
- Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - Tanja Wintrich
- Abteilung Paläontologie, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany.,Anatomisches Institut, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Liam J Revell
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA.,Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Lars Schmitz
- The Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA.,W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Pitzer Colleges, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
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37
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García-Navas V, Tobias JA, Schweizer M, Wegmann D, Schodde R, Norman JA, Christidis L. Trophic niche shifts and phenotypic trait evolution are largely decoupled in Australasian parrots. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:212. [PMID: 34837943 PMCID: PMC8626917 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01940-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trophic shifts from one dietary niche to another have played major roles in reshaping the evolutionary trajectories of a wide range of vertebrate groups, yet their consequences for morphological disparity and species diversity differ among groups. METHODS Here, we use phylogenetic comparative methods to examine whether the evolution of nectarivory and other trophic shifts have driven predictable evolutionary pathways in Australasian psittaculid parrots in terms of ecological traits such as body size, beak shape, and dispersal capacity. RESULTS We found no evidence for an 'early-burst' scenario of lineage or morphological diversification. The best-fitting models indicate that trait evolution in this group is characterized by abrupt phenotypic shifts (evolutionary jumps), with no sign of multiple phenotypic optima correlating with different trophic strategies. Thus, our results point to the existence of weak directional selection and suggest that lineages may be evolving randomly or slowly toward adaptive peaks they have not yet reached. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to a growing body of evidence indicating that the relationship between avian morphology and feeding ecology may be more complex than usually assumed and highlights the importance of adding more flexible models to the macroevolutionary toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente García-Navas
- Department of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station EBD (CSIC), Seville, Spain.
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park), Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Daniel Wegmann
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Richard Schodde
- Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, Australia
| | | | - Les Christidis
- Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
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38
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Mizumoto N, Bourguignon T. The evolution of body size in termites. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211458. [PMID: 34784763 PMCID: PMC8596001 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites are social cockroaches. Because non-termite cockroaches are larger than basal termite lineages, which themselves include large termite species, it has been proposed that termites experienced a unidirectional body size reduction since they evolved eusociality. However, the validity of this hypothesis remains untested in a phylogenetic framework. Here, we reconstructed termite body size evolution using head width measurements of 1638 modern and fossil termite species. We found that the unidirectional body size reduction model was only supported by analyses excluding fossil species. Analyses including fossil species suggested that body size diversified along with speciation events and estimated that the size of the common ancestor of modern termites was comparable to that of modern species. Our analyses further revealed that body size variability among species, but not body size reduction, is associated with features attributed to advanced termite societies. Our results suggest that miniaturization took place at the origin of termites, while subsequent complexification of termite societies did not lead to further body size reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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39
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Hibbins MS, Hahn MW. The effects of introgression across thousands of quantitative traits revealed by gene expression in wild tomatoes. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009892. [PMID: 34748547 PMCID: PMC8601620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
It is now understood that introgression can serve as powerful evolutionary force, providing genetic variation that can shape the course of trait evolution. Introgression also induces a shared evolutionary history that is not captured by the species phylogeny, potentially complicating evolutionary analyses that use a species tree. Such analyses are often carried out on gene expression data across species, where the measurement of thousands of trait values allows for powerful inferences while controlling for shared phylogeny. Here, we present a Brownian motion model for quantitative trait evolution under the multispecies network coalescent framework, demonstrating that introgression can generate apparently convergent patterns of evolution when averaged across thousands of quantitative traits. We test our theoretical predictions using whole-transcriptome expression data from ovules in the wild tomato genus Solanum. Examining two sub-clades that both have evidence for post-speciation introgression, but that differ substantially in its magnitude, we find patterns of evolution that are consistent with histories of introgression in both the sign and magnitude of ovule gene expression. Additionally, in the sub-clade with a higher rate of introgression, we observe a correlation between local gene tree topology and expression similarity, implicating a role for introgressed cis-regulatory variation in generating these broad-scale patterns. Our results reveal a general role for introgression in shaping patterns of variation across many thousands of quantitative traits, and provide a framework for testing for these effects using simple model-informed predictions. It is now known from studying large genetic datasets that species often hybridize and cross with each other over many generations – a phenomenon known as introgression. Introgression introduces new genetic variation into a population, and this variation can cause traits to be shared among the introgressing species. When researchers study the evolution of trait variation among species, this source of trait sharing is rarely accounted for. Here, we present a statistical model of the effects of introgression on trait variation. This model predicts that, when averaged across many thousands of traits, introgressing species are consistently more similar than expected from standard approaches. Researchers studying gene expression often consider the expression of many thousands of genes, making this a case where the expected effects of introgression are likely to manifest. We tested our model prediction using ovule gene expression data from the wild tomato genus Solanum, in two groups of species with evidence of historical introgression. We found that patterns of expression similarity in both groups are consistent with their histories of introgression and the predictions from our model. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for introgression as a source of trait variation among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S. Hibbins
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Matthew W. Hahn
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
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40
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Predictive Factors of Chemical and Visual Sensory Organ Size: The Roles of Sex, Environment, and Evolution. Evol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-021-09554-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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41
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Stachewicz JD, Fountain‐Jones NM, Koontz A, Woolf H, Pearse WD, Gallinat AS. Strong trait correlation and phylogenetic signal in North American ground beetle (Carabidae) morphology. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Stachewicz
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | | | - Austin Koontz
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Hillary Woolf
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - William D. Pearse
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus Buckhurst Rd. Ascot Berkshire SL5 7PY UK
| | - Amanda S. Gallinat
- Department of Geography University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
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42
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McCord CL, Nash CM, Cooper WJ, Westneat MW. Phylogeny of the damselfishes (Pomacentridae) and patterns of asymmetrical diversification in body size and feeding ecology. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258889. [PMID: 34705840 PMCID: PMC8550381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The damselfishes (family Pomacentridae) inhabit near-shore communities in tropical and temperature oceans as one of the major lineages in coral reef fish assemblages. Our understanding of their evolutionary ecology, morphology and function has often been advanced by increasingly detailed and accurate molecular phylogenies. Here we present the next stage of multi-locus, molecular phylogenetics for the group based on analysis of 12 nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences from 345 of the 422 damselfishes. The resulting well-resolved phylogeny helps to address several important questions about higher-level damselfish relationships, their evolutionary history and patterns of divergence. A time-calibrated phylogenetic tree yields a root age for the family of 55.5 mya, refines the age of origin for a number of diverse genera, and shows that ecological changes during the Eocene-Oligocene transition provided opportunities for damselfish diversification. We explored the idea that body size extremes have evolved repeatedly among the Pomacentridae, and demonstrate that large and small body sizes have evolved independently at least 40 times and with asymmetric rates of transition among size classes. We tested the hypothesis that transitions among dietary ecotypes (benthic herbivory, pelagic planktivory and intermediate omnivory) are asymmetric, with higher transition rates from intermediate omnivory to either planktivory or herbivory. Using multistate hidden-state speciation and extinction models, we found that both body size and dietary ecotype are significantly associated with patterns of diversification across the damselfishes, and that the highest rates of net diversification are associated with medium body size and pelagic planktivory. We also conclude that the pattern of evolutionary diversification in feeding ecology, with frequent and asymmetrical transitions between feeding ecotypes, is largely restricted to the subfamily Pomacentrinae in the Indo-West Pacific. Trait diversification patterns for damselfishes across a fully resolved phylogeny challenge many recent general conclusions about the evolution of reef fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlene L. McCord
- College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, California, United States of America
| | - Chloe M. Nash
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Division of Fishes, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - W. James Cooper
- Department of Biology and Program in Marine and Coastal Science, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States of America
| | - Mark W. Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Division of Fishes, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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43
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Tavares WC, Coutinho LC, Oliveira JA. Locomotor habits and phenotypic evolution of the appendicular skeleton in the oryzomyalian radiation in the Neotropics (Sigmodontinae, Cricetidae, Rodentia). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William Corrêa Tavares
- Núcleo Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Biologia—NUMPEX‐BIO Campus Duque de Caxias Professor Geraldo Cidade Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Duque de Caxias Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Ludmilla Carvalho Coutinho
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazil
- Setor de Mastozoologia Departamento de Vertebrados Museu Nacional Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - João Alves Oliveira
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazil
- Setor de Mastozoologia Departamento de Vertebrados Museu Nacional Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazil
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44
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45
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Begum T, Serrano‐Serrano ML, Robinson‐Rechavi M. Performance of a phylogenetic independent contrast method and an improved pairwise comparison under different scenarios of trait evolution after speciation and duplication. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tina Begum
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Martha Liliana Serrano‐Serrano
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson‐Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
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46
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Artuso S, Gamisch A, Staedler YM, Schönenberger J, Comes HP. Evidence for selectively constrained 3D flower shape evolution in a Late Miocene clade of Malagasy Bulbophyllum orchids. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:853-867. [PMID: 34309843 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Questions concerning the evolution of complex biological structures are central to the field of evolutionary biology. Yet, still little information is known about the modes and temporal dynamics of three-dimensional (3D) flower shape evolution across the history of clades. Here, we combined high-resolution X-ray computed tomography with 3D geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to test models of whole-flower shape evolution in the orchid family, using an early Late Miocene clade (c. 50 spp.) of Malagasy Bulbophyllum as model system. Based on landmark data of 38 species, our high-dimensional model fitting decisively rejects a purely neutral mode of evolution, suggesting instead that flower shapes evolved towards a primary adaptive optimum. Only a small number of recently evolved species/lineages attained alternative shape optima, resulting in an increased rate of phenotypic evolution. Our findings provide evidence of constrained 3D flower shape evolution in a small-sized clade of tropical orchids, resulting in low rates of phenotypic evolution and uncoupled trait-diversification rates. We hypothesise that this deep imprint of evolutionary constraint on highly complex floral structures might reflect long-term (directional and/or stabilizing) selection exerted by the group's main pollinators (flies).
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Artuso
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, A-5020, Austria
| | - Alexander Gamisch
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, A-5020, Austria
| | - Yannick M Staedler
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, A-1030, Austria
| | - Jürg Schönenberger
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, A-1030, Austria
| | - Hans Peter Comes
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, A-5020, Austria
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47
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Crane M, Silva I, Grainger MJ, Gale GA. Limitations and gaps in global bat wing morphology trait data. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matt Crane
- Conservation Ecology Program King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi 49 Thakham, Bangkhuntien Bangkok10150Thailand
| | - Inês Silva
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) Am Untermarkt 20 Görlitz02826Germany
- Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf (HZDR) Bautzner Landstraße 400 Dresden01328Germany
| | - Matthew J. Grainger
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Postbox 5685 Torgarden Trondheim7485Norway
| | - George A. Gale
- Conservation Ecology Program King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi 49 Thakham, Bangkhuntien Bangkok10150Thailand
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48
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Congreve CR, Patzkowsky ME, Wagner PJ. An early burst in brachiopod evolution corresponding with significant climatic shifts during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211450. [PMID: 34465239 PMCID: PMC8437024 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1450] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We employ modified tip-dating methods to date divergence times within the Strophomenoidea, one of the most abundant and species-rich brachiopod clades to radiate during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE), to determine if significant environmental changes at this time correlate with the diversification of the clade. Models using origination, extinction and sampling rates to estimate prior probabilities of divergence times strongly support both high rates of anatomical change per million years and rapid divergences shortly before the clade first appears in the fossil record. These divergence times indicate much higher rates of cladogenesis than are typical of brachiopods during this interval. The correspondence of high speciation rates and high anatomical disparity suggests punctuated (speciational) change drove the high frequencies of early anatomical change, which in turn suggests increased ecological opportunities rather than shifting developmental constraints account for high rates of anatomical change. The pulse of rapid evolution began coincident with cooling temperatures, the start of major oscillations in sea level and increased levels of atmospheric oxygen. Our results suggest that these factors permitted major geographical and ecological expansion of strophomenoids with intervals of geographical isolation, resulting in elevated speciation rates and corresponding elevated frequencies of punctuated change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis R Congreve
- Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Jordan Hall, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Mark E Patzkowsky
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, Deike Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Peter J Wagner
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NB 68588, USA
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49
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Zelditch ML, Goswami A. What does modularity mean? Evol Dev 2021; 23:377-403. [PMID: 34464501 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Modularity is now generally recognized as a fundamental feature of organisms, one that may have profound consequences for evolution. Modularity has recently become a major focus of research in organismal biology across multiple disciplines including genetics, developmental biology, functional morphology, population and evolutionary biology. While the wealth of new data, and also new theory, has provided exciting and novel insights, the concept of modularity has become increasingly ambiguous. That ambiguity is underlain by diverse intuitions about what modularity means, and the ambiguity is not merely about the meaning of the word-the metrics of modularity are measuring different properties and the methods for delimiting modules delimit them by different, sometimes conflicting criteria. The many definitions, metrics and methods can lead to substantial confusion not just about what modularity means as a word but also about what it means for evolution. Here we review various concepts, using graphical depictions of modules. We then review some of the metrics and methods for analyzing modularity at different levels. To place these in theoretical context, we briefly review theories about the origins and evolutionary consequences of modularity. Finally, we show how mismatches between concepts, metrics and methods can produce theoretical confusion, and how potentially illogical interpretations can be made sensible by a better match between definitions, metrics, and methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam L Zelditch
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Darlim G, Montefeltro FC, Langer MC. 3D skull modelling and description of a new baurusuchid (Crocodyliformes, Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Late Cretaceous (Bauru Basin) of Brazil. J Anat 2021; 239:622-662. [PMID: 33870512 PMCID: PMC8349455 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Baurusuchidae is one of the most diverse groups of South American notosuchians, unambiguously recorded in Late Cretaceous deposits of Brazil and Argentina. The group is characterized by a reduced tooth formula, a lateromedially compressed rostrum, and a verticalized quadrate, representing one of the top predators of their faunas. Historically, skull morphology is the most employed tool to investigate the relationships of baurusuchids, as most of the species have been primarily based on cranial remains. The present study describes a new baurusuchid species from the Bauru Basin of Brazil, based on the first tridimensional digital reconstruction of individualized skull bones for Notosuchia, and discusses its phylogenetic position within the group. The new species differs from all the other known baurusuchids by a depression on the posterior portion of the nasal bearing a crest, an infraorbital crest of the jugal that extends until the anterior margin of the lacrimal, the dorsal surface of the frontal lacking a longitudinal crest or depression, and the lateral convexity of the squamosal prongs participating in the occipital wall. The new taxon is consistently positioned as sister to the remaining baurusuchines, with Aplestosuchus sordidus and Stratiotosuchus maxhechti, as successive sister-taxa to a monophyletic Baurusuchus (Ba. albertoi, Ba. Salgadoensis, and Ba. pachecoi). Our updated phylogenetic analysis helps to differentiate the two major Baurusuchidae lineages, Baurusuchinae and Pissarrachampsinae. Yet, the new species shares morphological features with both groups, suggesting the occurrence of "Zones of Variability" in the radiation of Baurusuchidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Darlim
- Laboratório de Paleontologia de Ribeirão PretoFFCLRPUniversidade de São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
| | | | - Max C. Langer
- Laboratório de Paleontologia de Ribeirão PretoFFCLRPUniversidade de São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
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