1
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Crowell HL, Curlis JD, Weller HI, Davis Rabosky AR. Ecological drivers of ultraviolet colour evolution in snakes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5213. [PMID: 38890335 PMCID: PMC11189474 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) colour patterns invisible to humans are widespread in nature. However, research bias favouring species with conspicuous colours under sexual selection can limit our assessment of other ecological drivers of UV colour, like interactions between predators and prey. Here we demonstrate widespread UV colouration across Western Hemisphere snakes and find stronger support for a predator defence function than for reproduction. We find that UV colouration has evolved repeatedly in species with ecologies most sensitive to bird predation, with no sexual dichromatism at any life stage. By modelling visual systems of potential predators, we find that snake conspicuousness correlates with UV colouration and predator cone number, providing a plausible mechanism for selection. Our results suggest that UV reflectance should not be assumed absent in "cryptically coloured" animals, as signalling beyond human visual capacities may be a key outcome of species interactions in many taxa for which UV colour is likely underreported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley L Crowell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology (UMMZ), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - John David Curlis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology (UMMZ), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Hannah I Weller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
- Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa, 00790, Finland
| | - Alison R Davis Rabosky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology (UMMZ), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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2
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Wiens JJ. Trait-based species richness: ecology and macroevolution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1365-1387. [PMID: 37015839 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the origins of species richness patterns is a fundamental goal in ecology and evolutionary biology. Much research has focused on explaining two kinds of species richness patterns: (i) spatial species richness patterns (e.g. the latitudinal diversity gradient), and (ii) clade-based species richness patterns (e.g. the predominance of angiosperm species among plants). Here, I highlight a third kind of richness pattern: trait-based species richness (e.g. the number of species with each state of a character, such as diet or body size). Trait-based richness patterns are relevant to many topics in ecology and evolution, from ecosystem function to adaptive radiation to the paradox of sex. Although many studies have described particular trait-based richness patterns, the origins of these patterns remain far less understood, and trait-based richness has not been emphasised as a general category of richness patterns. Here, I describe a conceptual framework for how trait-based richness patterns arise compared to other richness patterns. A systematic review suggests that trait-based richness patterns are most often explained by when each state originates within a group (i.e. older states generally have higher richness), and not by differences in transition rates among states or faster diversification of species with certain states. This latter result contrasts with the widespread emphasis on diversification rates in species-richness research. I show that many recent studies of spatial richness patterns are actually studies of trait-based richness patterns, potentially confounding the causes of these patterns. Finally, I describe a plethora of unanswered questions related to trait-based richness patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0088, USA
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3
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Frýdlová P, Janovská V, Mrzílková J, Halašková M, Riegerová M, Dudák J, Tymlová V, Žemlička J, Zach P, Frynta D. The first description of dermal armour in snakes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6405. [PMID: 37076516 PMCID: PMC10115820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33244-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteoderms, also called dermal armour, often play a role in predator defence. The presence of osteoderms is highly irregularly distributed across the squamate phylogeny and they have not been found in snakes. In this study, we searched for candidate snake species that would benefit from such armour to protect their body, focusing primarily on fossorial species with defensive tail displays. We examined the tail morphology of 27 snake species from different families using micro-computed tomography (µCT) and micro- radiography. We discovered dermal armour in four species of sand boas (Erycidae) that also feature enlarged and highly modified caudal vertebrae. This is the first description of dermal armour in snakes. Ancestral state reconstructions revealed that osteoderms likely evolved once or multiple times in Erycidae. We have not found osteoderms in any other examined snake species. Nevertheless, similar structures are known from unrelated squamate clades, such as gerrhosaurids and geckos. This supports the idea of underlying deep developmental homology. We propose the hypothesis that osteoderms protect sand boas like the "brigandine armour" of medieval warriors. We interpret it as another component of the sand boas' rich defence strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Frýdlová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Janovská
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Mrzílková
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milada Halašková
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Riegerová
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Dudák
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Tymlová
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Žemlička
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Zach
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
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4
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Belluardo F, Jesus Muñoz-Pajares A, Miralles A, Silvestro D, Cocca W, Mihaja Ratsoavina F, Villa A, Roberts SH, Mezzasalma M, Zizka A, Antonelli A, Crottini A. Slow and steady wins the race: Diversification rate is independent from body size and lifestyle in Malagasy skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Scincinae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 178:107635. [PMID: 36208694 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Most of the unique and diverse vertebrate fauna that inhabits Madagascar derives from in situ diversification from colonisers that reached this continental island through overseas dispersal. The endemic Malagasy Scincinae lizards are amongst the most species-rich squamate groups on the island. They colonised all bioclimatic zones and display many ecomorphological adaptations to a fossorial (burrowing) lifestyle. Here we propose a new phylogenetic hypothesis for their diversification based on the largest taxon sampling so far compiled for this group. We estimated divergence times and investigated several aspects of their diversification (diversification rate, body size and fossorial lifestyle evolution, and biogeography). We found that diversification rate was constant throughout most of the evolutionary history of the group, but decreased over the last 6-4 million years and independently from body size and fossorial lifestyle evolution. Fossoriality has evolved from fully quadrupedal ancestors at least five times independently, which demonstrates that even complex morphological syndromes - in this case involving traits such as limb regression, body elongation, modification of cephalic scalation, depigmentation, and eyes and ear-opening regression - can evolve repeatedly and independently given enough time and eco-evolutionary advantages. Initial diversification of the group likely occurred in forests, and the divergence of sand-swimmer genera around 20 Ma appears linked to a period of aridification. Our results show that the large phenotypic variability of Malagasy Scincinae has not influenced diversification rate and that their rich species diversity results from a constant accumulation of lineages through time. By compiling large geographic and trait-related datasets together with the computation of a new time tree for the group, our study contributes important insights on the diversification of Malagasy vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Belluardo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Praça Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - A Jesus Muñoz-Pajares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de la Fuente Nueva S/N, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Aurélien Miralles
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Daniele Silvestro
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Ch. du Musée 10, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden; Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Walter Cocca
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Praça Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Fanomezana Mihaja Ratsoavina
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Domaine Sciences et Technologies, Université d'Antananarivo, B.P. 906, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Andrea Villa
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Sam Hyde Roberts
- SEED Madagascar, Unit 7, Beethoven Street 1A, W10 4LG London, UK; Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, 0X3 0BP Oxford, UK; Operation Wallacea, Wallace House, Old Bolingbroke, PE23 4EX Spilsby, UK
| | - Marcello Mezzasalma
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Alexander Zizka
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Alexandre Antonelli
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden; Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AE Richmond, UK; Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3RB Oxford, UK
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Praça Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
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5
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The evolution of reproductive modes and life cycles in amphibians. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7039. [PMID: 36396632 PMCID: PMC9672123 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34474-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians have undergone important evolutionary transitions in reproductive modes and life-cycles. We compare large-scale macroevolutionary patterns in these transitions across the three major amphibian clades: frogs, salamanders, and caecilians. We analyse matching reproductive and phylogenetic data for 4025 species. We find that having aquatic larvae is ancestral for all three groups and is retained by many extant species (33-44%). The most frequent transitions in each group are to relatively uncommon states: live-bearing in caecilians, paedomorphosis in salamanders, and semi-terrestriality in frogs. All three groups show transitions to more terrestrial reproductive modes, but only in caecilians have these evolved sequentially from most-to-least aquatic. Diversification rates are largely independent of reproductive modes. However, in salamanders direct development accelerates diversification whereas paedomorphosis decreases it. Overall, we find a widespread retention of ancestral modes, decoupling of trait transition rates from patterns of species richness, and the general independence of reproductive modes and diversification.
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6
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Cabral H, Guedes TB, Santana DJ. Functional traits and phylogeny explain snake distribution in the world's largest dry forest ecoregion, the Gran Chaco. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9503. [PMID: 36407904 PMCID: PMC9666913 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9503] [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: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroecological studies describe large‐scale diversity patterns through analyses of species distribution patterns and allows us to elucidate how species differing in ecology, physical requirements, and life histories are distributed in a multidimensional space. These patterns of distributions can be explained by vegetation, and climatic factors, and are determined by historical and current factors. The continuous accumulation of information on the distribution patterns of species is essential to understand the history and evolution of the biota. In this study, we aimed to identify functional and evolutionary drivers that explain the geographic patterns of vertical stratification. We compiled morphological, ecological, and distribution data of 140 species of Chacoan snakes and constructed null models to map their geographic pattern. We used a range of environmental variables to assess which drivers are influencing these biogeographic patterns. Lastly, we used evolutionary data to build the first map of the phylogenetic regions of Chacoan snakes. We found a latitudinal pattern, with a marked verticality in the snake assemblies in the Chaco. Verticality and long‐tailed species richness increased in areas with high stratified habitats and stable temperature. Fossoriality is driven mainly by soil conditions, especially soils with fewer sand particles and less stratified habitat. Phylogenetic regions in the Chaco showed a marked latitudinal pattern, like that observed in the geographic pattern of verticality. The distribution pattern of Chacoan snakes also reflects their evolutionary history, with a marked phylogenetic regionalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Cabral
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal Universidade Estadual Paulista São José do Rio Preto Brazil
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica del Paraguay Asunción Paraguay
- Mapinguari – Laboratório de Biogeografia e Sistemática de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande Brazil
| | - Thaís B. Guedes
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Center and Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Göteborg Sweden
| | - Diego J. Santana
- Mapinguari – Laboratório de Biogeografia e Sistemática de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande Brazil
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7
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Viciano J, López-Lázaro S, Tanga C. Post-Mortem Dental Profile as a Powerful Tool in Animal Forensic Investigations—A Review. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162038. [PMID: 36009628 PMCID: PMC9404435 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162038] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Veterinary forensics is becoming more important in our society as a result of the growing demand for investigations related to crimes against animals or investigations of criminal deaths caused by animals. A veterinarian may participate as an expert witness or may be required to give forensic assistance, by providing knowledge of the specialty to establish a complete picture of the involvement of an animal and allowing the Courts to reach a verdict. By applying diverse dental profiling techniques, not only can species, sex, age-at-death, and body size of an animal be estimated, but also data about their geographical origin (provenance) and the post-mortem interval. This review concentrates on the dental techniques that use the characteristics of teeth as a means of identification of freshly deceased and skeletonised animals. Furthermore, this highlights the information that can be extracted about the animal from the post-mortem dental profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Viciano
- Department of Medicine and Ageing Sciences, ‘G. d’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Correspondence: (J.V.); (S.L.-L.); (C.T.)
| | - Sandra López-Lázaro
- Departamento de Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 6850331, Chile
- Forensic Dentistry Lab, Centro de Investigación en Odontología Legal y Forense–CIO–, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
- Correspondence: (J.V.); (S.L.-L.); (C.T.)
| | - Carmen Tanga
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.V.); (S.L.-L.); (C.T.)
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8
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Das S, Brecko J, Pauwels OSG, Merilä J. Cranial osteology of
Hypoptophis
(Aparallactinae: Atractaspididae: Caenophidia), with a discussion on the evolution of its fossorial adaptations. J Morphol 2022; 283:510-538. [PMID: 35094424 PMCID: PMC9305546 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sunandan Das
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, FI‐00014 University of Helsinki Finland
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Department of Recent Vertebrates Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Rue Vautier 29, B‐1000 Brussels Belgium
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren Belgium
| | - Olivier S. G. Pauwels
- Department of Recent Vertebrates Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Rue Vautier 29, B‐1000 Brussels Belgium
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, FI‐00014 University of Helsinki Finland
- Division of Ecology and Biodiversity, Faculty of Science The University of Hong Kong, KBSB 3N19 Hong Kong SAR
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9
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Arbuckle K, Harris RJ. Radiating pain: venom has contributed to the diversification of the largest radiations of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:150. [PMID: 34344322 PMCID: PMC8336261 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01880-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding drivers of animal biodiversity has been a longstanding aim in evolutionary biology. Insects and fishes represent the largest lineages of invertebrates and vertebrates respectively, and consequently many ideas have been proposed to explain this diversity. Natural enemy interactions are often important in diversification dynamics, and key traits that mediate such interactions may therefore have an important role in explaining organismal diversity. Venom is one such trait which is intricately bound in antagonistic coevolution and has recently been shown to be associated with increased diversification rates in tetrapods. Despite ~ 10% of fish families and ~ 16% of insect families containing venomous species, the role that venom may play in these two superradiations remains unknown. Results In this paper we take a broad family-level phylogenetic perspective and show that variation in diversification rates are the main cause of variations in species richness in both insects and fishes, and that venomous families have diversification rates twice as high as non-venomous families. Furthermore, we estimate that venom was present in ~ 10% and ~ 14% of the evolutionary history of fishes and insects respectively. Conclusions Consequently, we provide evidence that venom has played a role in generating the remarkable diversity in the largest vertebrate and invertebrate radiations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01880-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - Richard J Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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10
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Wolfe JM, Luque J, Bracken-Grissom HD. How to become a crab: Phenotypic constraints on a recurring body plan. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2100020. [PMID: 33751651 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental question in biology is whether phenotypes can be predicted by ecological or genomic rules. At least five cases of convergent evolution of the crab-like body plan (with a wide and flattened shape, and a bent abdomen) are known in decapod crustaceans, and have, for over 140 years, been known as "carcinization." The repeated loss of this body plan has been identified as "decarcinization." In reviewing the field, we offer phylogenetic strategies to include poorly known groups, and direct evidence from fossils, that will resolve the history of crab evolution and the degree of phenotypic variation within crabs. Proposed ecological advantages of the crab body are summarized into a hypothesis of phenotypic integration suggesting correlated evolution of the carapace shape and abdomen. Our premise provides fertile ground for future studies of the genomic and developmental basis, and the predictability, of the crab-like body form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Wolfe
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Javier Luque
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa-Ancon, Panama.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Heather D Bracken-Grissom
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
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11
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de Barros FC, Grizante MB, Zampieri FAM, Kohlsdorf T. Peculiar relationships among morphology, burrowing performance and sand type in two fossorial microteiid lizards. ZOOLOGY 2020; 144:125880. [PMID: 33310388 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Associations among ecology, morphology and locomotor performance have been intensively investigated in several vertebrate lineages. Knowledge on how phenotypes evolve in natural environments likely benefits from identification of circumstances that might expand current ecomorphological equations. In this study, we used two species of Calyptommatus lizards from Brazilian Caatingas to evaluate if specific soil properties favor burrowing performance. As a derived prediction, we expected that functional associations would be easily detectable at the sand condition that favors low-resistance burrowing. We collected two endemic lizards and soil samples in their respective localities, obtained morphological data and recorded performance of both species in different sand types. As a result, the two species burrowed faster at the fine and homogeneous sand, the only condition where we detected functional associations between morphology and locomotion. In this sand type, lizards from both Calyptommatus species that have higher trunks and more concave heads were the ones that burrowed faster, and these phenotypic traits did not morphologically discriminate the two Calyptommatus populations studied. We discuss that integrative approaches comprising manipulation of environmental conditions clearly contribute to elucidate processes underlying phenotypic evolution in fossorial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio C de Barros
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, ICAQF, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Prof. Artur Riedel, 275, Diadema, SP, 09972-270, Brazil.
| | - Mariana B Grizante
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil; Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia, Brazil
| | - Felipe A M Zampieri
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Tiana Kohlsdorf
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil.
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12
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Ebel R, Müller J, Ramm T, Hipsley C, Amson E. First evidence of convergent lifestyle signal in reptile skull roof microanatomy. BMC Biol 2020; 18:185. [PMID: 33250048 PMCID: PMC7702674 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00908-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study of convergently acquired adaptations allows fundamental insight into life's evolutionary history. Within lepidosaur reptiles-i.e. lizards, tuatara, and snakes-a fully fossorial ('burrowing') lifestyle has independently evolved in most major clades. However, despite their consistent use of the skull as a digging tool, cranial modifications common to all these lineages are yet to be found. In particular, bone microanatomy, although highly diagnostic for lifestyle, remains unexplored in the lepidosaur cranium. This constitutes a key gap in our understanding of their complexly interwoven ecology, morphology, and evolution. In order to bridge this gap, we reconstructed the acquisition of a fossorial lifestyle in 2813 lepidosaurs and assessed the skull roof compactness from microCT cross-sections in a representative subset (n = 99). We tested this and five macroscopic morphological traits for their convergent evolution. RESULTS We found that fossoriality evolved independently in 54 lepidosaur lineages. Furthermore, a highly compact skull roof, small skull diameter, elongate cranium, and low length ratio of frontal and parietal were repeatedly acquired in concert with a fossorial lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS We report a novel case of convergence that concerns lepidosaur diversity as a whole. Our findings further indicate an early evolution of fossorial modifications in the amphisbaenian 'worm-lizards' and support a fossorial origin for snakes. Nonetheless, our results suggest distinct evolutionary pathways between fossorial lizards and snakes through different contingencies. We thus provide novel insights into the evolutionary mechanisms and constraints underlying amniote diversity and a powerful tool for the reconstruction of extinct reptile ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Ebel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute for Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Johannes Müller
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Ramm
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - Christy Hipsley
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - Eli Amson
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
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Machine learning approaches identify male body size as the most accurate predictor of species richness. BMC Biol 2020; 18:105. [PMID: 32854698 PMCID: PMC7453550 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00835-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major challenge in biodiversity science is to understand the factors contributing to the variability of species richness -the number of different species in a community or region - among comparable taxonomic lineages. Multiple biotic and abiotic factors have been hypothesized to have an effect on species richness and have been used as its predictors, but identifying accurate predictors is not straightforward. Spiders are a highly diverse group, with some 48,000 species in 120 families; yet nearly 75% of all species are found within just the ten most speciose families. Here we use a Random Forest machine learning algorithm to test the predictive power of different variables hypothesized to affect species richness of spider genera. RESULTS We test the predictive power of 22 variables from spiders' morphological, genetic, geographic, ecological and behavioral landscapes on species richness of 45 genera selected to represent the phylogenetic and biological breath of Araneae. Among the variables, Random Forest analyses find body size (specifically, minimum male body size) to best predict species richness. Multiple Correspondence analysis confirms this outcome through a negative relationship between male body size and species richness. Multiple Correspondence analyses furthermore establish that geographic distribution of congeneric species is positively associated with genus diversity, and that genera from phylogenetically older lineages are species poorer. Of the spider-specific traits, neither the presence of ballooning behavior, nor sexual size dimorphism, can predict species richness. CONCLUSIONS We show that machine learning analyses can be used in deciphering the factors associated with diversity patterns. Since no spider-specific biology could predict species richness, but the biologically universal body size did, we believe these conclusions are worthy of broader biological testing. Future work on other groups of organisms will establish whether the detected associations of species richness with small body size and wide geographic ranges hold more broadly.
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14
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Cyriac VP, Kodandaramaiah U. Warning signals promote morphological diversification in fossorial uropeltid snakes (Squamata: Uropeltidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many species possess warning colourations that signal unprofitability to predators. Warning colourations are also thought to provide prey with a ‘predator-free space’ and promote niche expansion. However, how such strategies release a species from environmental constraints and facilitate niche expansion is not clearly understood. Fossoriality in reptiles imposes several morphological limits on head and body size to facilitate burrowing underground, but many fossorial snakes live close to the surface and occasionally move above ground, exposing them to predators. In such cases, evolving antipredator defences that reduce predation on the surface could potentially relax the morphological constraints associated with fossoriality and promote morphological diversification. Fossorial uropeltid snakes possess varying degrees of conspicuous warning colourations that reduce avian predation when active above ground. We predicted that species with more conspicuous colourations will exhibit more robust body forms and show faster rates of morphological evolution because constraints imposed by fossoriality are relaxed. Using a comparative phylogenetic approach on the genus Uropeltis, we show that more conspicuous species tend to have more robust morphologies and have faster rates of head-shape evolution. Overall, we find that the evolution of warning colourations in Uropeltis can facilitate niche expansion by influencing rates of morphological diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Philip Cyriac
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P.O., Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Ullasa Kodandaramaiah
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P.O., Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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15
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Tonini JFR, Ferreira RB, Pyron RA. Specialized breeding in plants affects diversification trajectories in Neotropical frogs. Evolution 2020; 74:1815-1825. [PMID: 32510580 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many animals breed exclusively in plants that accumulate rainwater (phytotelma; e.g., bromeliad, bamboo, fruit husk, and tree hole), to which they are either physiologically or behaviorally specialized for this microhabitat. Of the numerous life-history modes observed in frogs, few are as striking or potentially consequential as the transition from pond- or stream-breeding to the deposition of eggs or larvae in phytotelmata. Such specialization can increase offspring survivorship due to reduced competition and predation, representing potential ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation, yet few lineages of phytotelma-breeding frogs appear to have diversified extensively after such a transition, at least in the New World. We use a phylogeny of Neotropical frogs and data on breeding microhabitat to understand the evolutionary transitions involved with specialized phytotelma-breeding. First, we find that phytotelma-breeding is present in at least 168 species in 10 families of frogs. Across the phylogeny, we estimate 14 origins of phytotelma-breeding and 115 reversals, showing that phytotelma-breeding is a highly labile character. Second, phytotelma-breeding lineages overall have higher net diversification than nonphytotelma-breeding ones. This specialization represents an ecological opportunity resulting in increased diversification in most families with phytotelma-breeding lineages, whereas phytotelma-breeding toads have restricted diversification histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Filipe Riva Tonini
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, 20052.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
| | - Rodrigo Barbosa Ferreira
- Projeto Bromeligenous, Instituto de Pesquisa, Ensino e Preservação Ambiental Marcos Daniel, Vitória, ES 29056-020, Brazil
| | - R Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, 20052
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16
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Wollenberg Valero KC, Marshall JC, Bastiaans E, Caccone A, Camargo A, Morando M, Niemiller ML, Pabijan M, Russello MA, Sinervo B, Werneck FP, Sites JW, Wiens JJ, Steinfartz S. Patterns, Mechanisms and Genetics of Speciation in Reptiles and Amphibians. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10090646. [PMID: 31455040 PMCID: PMC6769790 DOI: 10.3390/genes10090646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, the aspects of reptile and amphibian speciation that emerged from research performed over the past decade are reviewed. First, this study assesses how patterns and processes of speciation depend on knowing the taxonomy of the group in question, and discuss how integrative taxonomy has contributed to speciation research in these groups. This study then reviews the research on different aspects of speciation in reptiles and amphibians, including biogeography and climatic niches, ecological speciation, the relationship between speciation rates and phenotypic traits, and genetics and genomics. Further, several case studies of speciation in reptiles and amphibians that exemplify many of these themes are discussed. These include studies of integrative taxonomy and biogeography in South American lizards, ecological speciation in European salamanders, speciation and phenotypic evolution in frogs and lizards. The final case study combines genomics and biogeography in tortoises. The field of amphibian and reptile speciation research has steadily moved forward from the assessment of geographic and ecological aspects, to incorporating other dimensions of speciation, such as genetic mechanisms and evolutionary forces. A higher degree of integration among all these dimensions emerges as a goal for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathon C Marshall
- Department of Zoology, Weber State University, 1415 Edvalson Street, Dept. 2505, Ogden, UT 84401, USA
| | - Elizabeth Bastiaans
- Department of Biology, State University of New York, College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820, USA
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Arley Camargo
- Centro Universitario de Rivera, Universidad de la República, Ituzaingó 667, Rivera 40000, Uruguay
| | - Mariana Morando
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC, CENPAT-CONICET) Bv. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn U9120ACD, Argentina
| | - Matthew L Niemiller
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA
| | - Maciej Pabijan
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Fernanda P Werneck
- Programa de Coleções Científicas Biológicas, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus 69060-000, Brazil
| | - Jack W Sites
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - John J Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Sebastian Steinfartz
- Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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