1
|
Fordham DA, Brown SC, Canteri E, Austin JJ, Lomolino MV, Haythorne S, Armstrong E, Bocherens H, Manica A, Rey-Iglesia A, Rahbek C, Nogués-Bravo D, Lorenzen ED. 52,000 years of woolly rhinoceros population dynamics reveal extinction mechanisms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316419121. [PMID: 38830089 PMCID: PMC11181021 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316419121] [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: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The extinction of the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) at the onset of the Holocene remains an enigma, with conflicting evidence regarding its cause and spatiotemporal dynamics. This partly reflects challenges in determining demographic responses of late Quaternary megafauna to climatic and anthropogenic causal drivers with available genetic and paleontological techniques. Here, we show that elucidating mechanisms of ancient extinctions can benefit from a detailed understanding of fine-scale metapopulation dynamics, operating over many millennia. Using an abundant fossil record, ancient DNA, and high-resolution simulation models, we untangle the ecological mechanisms and causal drivers that are likely to have been integral in the decline and later extinction of the woolly rhinoceros. Our 52,000-y reconstruction of distribution-wide metapopulation dynamics supports a pathway to extinction that began long before the Holocene, when the combination of cooling temperatures and low but sustained hunting by humans trapped woolly rhinoceroses in suboptimal habitats along the southern edge of their range. Modeling indicates that this ecological trap intensified after the end of the last ice age, preventing colonization of newly formed suitable habitats, weakening stabilizing metapopulation processes, triggering the extinction of the woolly rhinoceros in the early Holocene. Our findings suggest that fragmentation and resultant metapopulation dynamics should be explicitly considered in explanations of late Quaternary megafauna extinctions, sending a clarion call to the fragility of the remaining large-bodied grazers restricted to disjunct fragments of poor-quality habitat due to anthropogenic environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Damien A. Fordham
- The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, AdelaideSA, 5005, Australia
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø2100, Denmark
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø2100, Denmark
| | - Stuart C. Brown
- The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, AdelaideSA, 5005, Australia
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K1350, Denmark
| | - Elisabetta Canteri
- The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, AdelaideSA, 5005, Australia
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø2100, Denmark
| | - Jeremy J. Austin
- The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, AdelaideSA, 5005, Australia
| | - Mark V. Lomolino
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science, Syracuse, NY13210
| | - Sean Haythorne
- The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, AdelaideSA, 5005, Australia
- Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Edward Armstrong
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Hervé Bocherens
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Tübingen72074, Germany
- Department of Geosciences, Biogeology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen72074, Germany
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB23EJCambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alba Rey-Iglesia
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K1350, Denmark
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø2100, Denmark
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø2100, Denmark
- Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
- Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M5230, Denmark
| | - David Nogués-Bravo
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø2100, Denmark
| | - Eline D. Lorenzen
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K1350, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pereira AG, Antonelli A, Silvestro D, Faurby S. Two Major Extinction Events in the Evolutionary History of Turtles: One Caused by an Asteroid, the Other by Hominins. Am Nat 2024; 203:644-654. [PMID: 38781523 DOI: 10.1086/729604] [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] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
AbstractWe live in a time of accelerated biological extinctions that has the potential to mirror past mass extinction events. However, the rarity of mass extinctions and the restructuring of diversity they cause complicate direct comparisons between the current extinction crisis and earlier events. Among animals, turtles (Testudinata) are one of few groups that have both a rich fossil record and sufficiently stable ecological and functional roles to enable meaningful comparisons between the end-Cretaceous mass extinction (∼66 Ma) and the ongoing wave of extinctions. Here we analyze the fossil record of the entire turtle clade and identify two peaks in extinction rates over their evolutionary history. The first coincides with the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition, reflecting patterns previously reported for other taxa. The second major extinction event started in the Pliocene and continues until now. This peak is detectable only for terrestrial turtles and started much earlier in Africa and Eurasia than elsewhere. On the basis of the timing, geography, and functional group of this extinction event, we postulate a link to co-occurring hominins rather than climate change as the cause. These results lend further support to the view that negative biodiversity impacts were already incurred by our ancestors and related lineages and demonstrate the severity of this continued impact through human activities.
Collapse
|
3
|
Cox DTC, Gaston KJ. Cathemerality: a key temporal niche. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:329-347. [PMID: 37839797 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Given the marked variation in abiotic and biotic conditions between day and night, many species specialise their physical activity to being diurnal or nocturnal, and it was long thought that these strategies were commonly fairly fixed and invariant. The term 'cathemeral', was coined in 1987, when Tattersall noted activity in a Madagascan primate during the hours of both daylight and darkness. Initially thought to be rare, cathemerality is now known to be a quite widespread form of time partitioning amongst arthropods, fish, birds, and mammals. Herein we provide a synthesis of present understanding of cathemeral behaviour, arguing that it should routinely be included alongside diurnal and nocturnal strategies in schemes that distinguish and categorise species across taxa according to temporal niche. This synthesis is particularly timely because (i) the study of animal activity patterns is being revolutionised by new and improved technologies; (ii) it is becoming apparent that cathemerality covers a diverse range of obligate to facultative forms, each with their own common sets of functional traits, geographic ranges and evolutionary history; (iii) daytime and nighttime activity likely plays an important but currently neglected role in temporal niche partitioning and ecosystem functioning; and (iv) cathemerality may have an important role in the ability of species to adapt to human-mediated pressures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T C Cox
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kevin J Gaston
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
He F, Svenning JC, Chen X, Tockner K, Kuemmerle T, le Roux E, Moleón M, Gessner J, Jähnig SC. Freshwater megafauna shape ecosystems and facilitate restoration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38411930 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Freshwater megafauna, such as sturgeons, giant catfishes, river dolphins, hippopotami, crocodylians, large turtles, and giant salamanders, have experienced severe population declines and range contractions worldwide. Although there is an increasing number of studies investigating the causes of megafauna losses in fresh waters, little attention has been paid to synthesising the impacts of megafauna on the abiotic environment and other organisms in freshwater ecosystems, and hence the consequences of losing these species. This limited understanding may impede the development of policies and actions for their conservation and restoration. In this review, we synthesise how megafauna shape ecological processes in freshwater ecosystems and discuss their potential for enhancing ecosystem restoration. Through activities such as movement, burrowing, and dam and nest building, megafauna have a profound influence on the extent of water bodies, flow dynamics, and the physical structure of shorelines and substrata, increasing habitat heterogeneity. They enhance nutrient cycling within fresh waters, and cross-ecosystem flows of material, through foraging and reproduction activities. Freshwater megafauna are highly connected to other freshwater organisms via direct consumption of species at different trophic levels, indirect trophic cascades, and through their influence on habitat structure. The literature documenting the ecological impacts of freshwater megafauna is not evenly distributed among species, regions, and types of ecological impacts, with a lack of quantitative evidence for large fish, crocodylians, and turtles in the Global South and their impacts on nutrient flows and food-web structure. In addition, population decline, range contraction, and the loss of large individuals have reduced the extent and magnitude of megafaunal impacts in freshwater ecosystems, rendering a posteriori evaluation more difficult. We propose that reinstating freshwater megafauna populations holds the potential for restoring key ecological processes such as disturbances, trophic cascades, and species dispersal, which will, in turn, promote overall biodiversity and enhance nature's contributions to people. Challenges for restoration actions include the shifting baseline syndrome, potential human-megafauna competition for habitats and resources, damage to property, and risk to human life. The current lack of historical baselines for natural distributions and population sizes of freshwater megafauna, their life history, trophic interactions with other freshwater species, and interactions with humans necessitates further investigation. Addressing these knowledge gaps will improve our understanding of the ecological roles of freshwater megafauna and support their full potential for facilitating the development of effective conservation and restoration strategies to achieve the coexistence of humans and megafauna.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fengzhi He
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shengbei Street 4888, Changchun, 130102, China
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Xing Chen
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Klement Tockner
- Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Faculty for Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
| | - Elizabeth le Roux
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Marcos Moleón
- Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avenida de Fuente Nueva S/N, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Jörn Gessner
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang Y, Westaway KE, Haberle S, Lubeek JK, Bailey M, Ciochon R, Morley MW, Roberts P, Zhao JX, Duval M, Dosseto A, Pan Y, Rule S, Liao W, Gully GA, Lucas M, Mo J, Yang L, Cai Y, Wang W, Joannes-Boyau R. The demise of the giant ape Gigantopithecus blacki. Nature 2024; 625:535-539. [PMID: 38200315 PMCID: PMC10794149 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06900-0] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The largest ever primate and one of the largest of the southeast Asian megafauna, Gigantopithecus blacki1, persisted in China from about 2.0 million years until the late middle Pleistocene when it became extinct2-4. Its demise is enigmatic considering that it was one of the few Asian great apes to go extinct in the last 2.6 million years, whereas others, including orangutan, survived until the present5. The cause of the disappearance of G. blacki remains unresolved but could shed light on primate resilience and the fate of megafauna in this region6. Here we applied three multidisciplinary analyses-timing, past environments and behaviour-to 22 caves in southern China. We used 157 radiometric ages from six dating techniques to establish a timeline for the demise of G. blacki. We show that from 2.3 million years ago the environment was a mosaic of forests and grasses, providing ideal conditions for thriving G. blacki populations. However, just before and during the extinction window between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago there was enhanced environmental variability from increased seasonality, which caused changes in plant communities and an increase in open forest environments. Although its close relative Pongo weidenreichi managed to adapt its dietary preferences and behaviour to this variability, G. blacki showed signs of chronic stress and dwindling populations. Ultimately its struggle to adapt led to the extinction of the greatest primate to ever inhabit the Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Kira E Westaway
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Simon Haberle
- School of Culture, History and Languages, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Juliën K Lubeek
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marian Bailey
- GARG, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Russell Ciochon
- Department of Anthropology and Museum of Natural History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Mike W Morley
- College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Patrick Roberts
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jian-Xin Zhao
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mathieu Duval
- National Research Centre on Human Evolution CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anthony Dosseto
- Wollongong Isotope Geochronology Laboratory, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yue Pan
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sue Rule
- School of Culture, History and Languages, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Wei Liao
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Grant A Gully
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Mary Lucas
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Jinyou Mo
- Natural History Museum of Guangxi, Nanning, China
| | - Liyun Yang
- Chongzuo Zhuang Ethnological Musuem, Chongzuo, China
| | - Yanjun Cai
- Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Renaud Joannes-Boyau
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- GARG, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Seeholzer GF, Brumfield RT. Speciation-by-Extinction. Syst Biol 2023; 72:1433-1442. [PMID: 37542735 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad049] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Extinction is a dominant force shaping patterns of biodiversity through time; however its role as a catalyst of speciation through its interaction with intraspecific variation has been overlooked. Here, we synthesize ideas alluded to by Darwin and others into the model of "speciation-by-extinction" in which speciation results from the extinction of intermediate populations within a single geographically variable species. We explore the properties and distinguishing features of speciation-by-extinction with respect to other established speciation models. We demonstrate its plausibility by showing that the experimental extinction of populations within variable species can result in speciation. The prerequisites for speciation-by-extinction, geographically structured intraspecific variation and local extinction, are ubiquitous in nature. We propose that speciation-by-extinction may be a prevalent, but underappreciated, speciation mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Glenn F Seeholzer
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Robb T Brumfield
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bergman J, Pedersen RØ, Lundgren EJ, Lemoine RT, Monsarrat S, Pearce EA, Schierup MH, Svenning JC. Worldwide Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene population declines in extant megafauna are associated with Homo sapiens expansion rather than climate change. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7679. [PMID: 37996436 PMCID: PMC10667484 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43426-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene is evident from the fossil record, with dominant theories suggesting a climate, human or combined impact cause. Consequently, two disparate scenarios are possible for the surviving megafauna during this time period - they could have declined due to similar pressures, or increased in population size due to reductions in competition or other biotic pressures. We therefore infer population histories of 139 extant megafauna species using genomic data which reveal population declines in 91% of species throughout the Quaternary period, with larger species experiencing the strongest decreases. Declines become ubiquitous 32-76 kya across all landmasses, a pattern better explained by worldwide Homo sapiens expansion than by changes in climate. We estimate that, in consequence, total megafauna abundance, biomass, and energy turnover decreased by 92-95% over the past 50,000 years, implying major human-driven ecosystem restructuring at a global scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juraj Bergman
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Rasmus Ø Pedersen
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Erick J Lundgren
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Rhys T Lemoine
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Sophie Monsarrat
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Rewilding Europe, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elena A Pearce
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Mikkel H Schierup
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wölke FJR, Cabral A, Lim JY, Kissling WD, Onstein RE. Africa as an evolutionary arena for large fruits. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:1574-1586. [PMID: 37334569 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Strong paleoclimatic change and few Late Quaternary megafauna extinctions make mainland Africa unique among continents. Here, we hypothesize that, compared with elsewhere, these conditions created the ecological opportunity for the macroevolution and geographic distribution of large fruits. We assembled global phylogenetic, distribution and fruit size data for palms (Arecaceae), a pantropical, vertebrate-dispersed family with > 2600 species, and integrated these with data on extinction-driven body size reduction in mammalian frugivore assemblages since the Late Quaternary. We applied evolutionary trait, linear and null models to identify the selective pressures that have shaped fruit sizes. We show that African palm lineages have evolved towards larger fruit sizes and exhibited faster trait evolutionary rates than lineages elsewhere. Furthermore, the global distribution of the largest palm fruits across species assemblages was explained by occurrence in Africa, especially under low canopies, and extant megafauna, but not by mammalian downsizing. These patterns strongly deviated from expectations under a null model of stochastic (Brownian motion) evolution. Our results suggest that Africa provided a distinct evolutionary arena for palm fruit size evolution. We argue that megafaunal abundance and the expansion of savanna habitat since the Miocene provided selective advantages for the persistence of African plants with large fruits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Friederike J R Wölke
- Evolution and Adaptation, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Andressa Cabral
- Evolution and Adaptation, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Jun Ying Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Block S16, 6 Science Drive 2, Singapore City, 117546, Singapore
| | - W Daniel Kissling
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Renske E Onstein
- Evolution and Adaptation, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333CR, Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Speakman JR, Hall KD. Models of body weight and fatness regulation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220231. [PMID: 37661735 PMCID: PMC10475878 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Body weight and fatness appear to be regulated phenomena. Several different theoretical models are available to capture the essence of this idea. These include the set-point, dynamic equilibrium, adiposity force, control theory-settling point, Hall-Guo, operation point and dual intervention point (DIP) models. The set-point model posits a single reference point around which levels of fat are regulated. The dynamic equilibrium model suggests that the apparent regulation of body fat around a reference point is an illusion owing to the necessary impacts of weight change on energy expenditure. Control theory focuses on the importance of feedback gain and suggests set-point and dynamic equilibrium are ends of a continuum of feedback gain. Control theory models have also been called 'settling point' models. The Hall-Guo, operation point and DIP models also bring together the set-point and dynamic equilibrium ideas into a single framework. The DIP proposes a zone of indifference where dynamic equilibrium 'regulation' predominates, bounded by upper and lower intervention points beyond which physiological mechanisms are activated. The drifty gene hypothesis is an idea explaining where this individual variation in the upper intervention point might come from. We conclude that further experiments to test between the models are sorely required. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures and evidence (Part II)'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John R. Speakman
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, 518055, People's Republic of China
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
- China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Kevin D. Hall
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Williams JW, Spanbauer TL, Heintzman PD, Blois J, Capo E, Goring SJ, Monchamp ME, Parducci L, Von Eggers JM. Strengthening global-change science by integrating aeDNA with paleoecoinformatics. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:946-960. [PMID: 37230884 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.04.016] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) data are close to enabling insights into past global-scale biodiversity dynamics at unprecedented taxonomic extent and resolution. However, achieving this potential requires solutions that bridge bioinformatics and paleoecoinformatics. Essential needs include support for dynamic taxonomic inferences, dynamic age inferences, and precise stratigraphic depth. Moreover, aeDNA data are complex and heterogeneous, generated by dispersed researcher networks, with methods advancing rapidly. Hence, expert community governance and curation are essential to building high-value data resources. Immediate recommendations include uploading metabarcoding-based taxonomic inventories into paleoecoinformatic resources, building linkages among open bioinformatic and paleoecoinformatic data resources, harmonizing aeDNA processing workflows, and expanding community data governance. These advances will enable transformative insights into global-scale biodiversity dynamics during large environmental and anthropogenic changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John W Williams
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53704, USA.
| | - Trisha L Spanbauer
- Department of Environmental Science and Lake Erie Center, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Peter D Heintzman
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessica Blois
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California -Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Eric Capo
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Linnaeus väg 4-6, 907 36 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Simon J Goring
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53704, USA
| | | | - Laura Parducci
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy; Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jordan M Von Eggers
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lauer DA, Lawing AM, Short RA, Manthi FK, Müller J, Head JJ, McGuire JL. Disruption of trait-environment relationships in African megafauna occurred in the middle Pleistocene. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4016. [PMID: 37463920 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39480-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian megafauna have been critical to the functioning of Earth's biosphere for millions of years. However, since the Plio-Pleistocene, their biodiversity has declined concurrently with dramatic environmental change and hominin evolution. While these biodiversity declines are well-documented, their implications for the ecological function of megafaunal communities remain uncertain. Here, we adapt ecometric methods to evaluate whether the functional link between communities of herbivorous, eastern African megafauna and their environments (i.e., functional trait-environment relationships) was disrupted as biodiversity losses occurred over the past 7.4 Ma. Herbivore taxonomic and functional diversity began to decline during the Pliocene as open grassland habitats emerged, persisted, and expanded. In the mid-Pleistocene, grassland expansion intensified, and climates became more variable and arid. It was then that phylogenetic diversity declined, and the trait-environment relationships of herbivore communities shifted significantly. Our results divulge the varying implications of different losses in megafaunal biodiversity. Only the losses that occurred since the mid-Pleistocene were coincident with a disturbance to community ecological function. Prior diversity losses, conversely, occurred as the megafaunal species and trait pool narrowed towards those adapted to grassland environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Lauer
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
| | - A Michelle Lawing
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Rachel A Short
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Rapid City, SD, 57703, USA
| | - Fredrick K Manthi
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Johannes Müller
- Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jason J Head
- Department of Zoology and University Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Jenny L McGuire
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Darimont CT, Cooke R, Bourbonnais ML, Bryan HM, Carlson SM, Estes JA, Galetti M, Levi T, MacLean JL, McKechnie I, Paquet PC, Worm B. Humanity's diverse predatory niche and its ecological consequences. Commun Biol 2023; 6:609. [PMID: 37386144 PMCID: PMC10310721 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04940-w] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although humans have long been predators with enduring nutritive and cultural relationships with their prey, seldom have conservation ecologists considered the divergent predatory behavior of contemporary, industrialized humans. Recognizing that the number, strength and diversity of predator-prey relationships can profoundly influence biodiversity, here we analyze humanity's modern day predatory interactions with vertebrates and estimate their ecological consequences. Analysing IUCN 'use and trade' data for ~47,000 species, we show that fishers, hunters and other animal collectors prey on more than a third (~15,000 species) of Earth's vertebrates. Assessed over equivalent ranges, humans exploit up to 300 times more species than comparable non-human predators. Exploitation for the pet trade, medicine, and other uses now affects almost as many species as those targeted for food consumption, and almost 40% of exploited species are threatened by human use. Trait space analyses show that birds and mammals threatened by exploitation occupy a disproportionally large and unique region of ecological trait space, now at risk of loss. These patterns suggest far more species are subject to human-imposed ecological (e.g., landscapes of fear) and evolutionary (e.g., harvest selection) processes than previously considered. Moreover, continued overexploitation will likely bear profound consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris T Darimont
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, Canada.
| | - Rob Cooke
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, UK.
| | - Mathieu L Bourbonnais
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographic Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Heather M Bryan
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, Canada
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Stephanie M Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - James A Estes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Mauro Galetti
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Department of Biodiversity, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jessica L MacLean
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, Canada
| | - Iain McKechnie
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, Quadra Island, BC, Canada
| | - Paul C Paquet
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, Canada
| | - Boris Worm
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Shao Y, Zhou L, Li F, Zhao L, Zhang BL, Shao F, Chen JW, Chen CY, Bi X, Zhuang XL, Zhu HL, Hu J, Sun Z, Li X, Wang D, Rivas-González I, Wang S, Wang YM, Chen W, Li G, Lu HM, Liu Y, Kuderna LFK, Farh KKH, Fan PF, Yu L, Li M, Liu ZJ, Tiley GP, Yoder AD, Roos C, Hayakawa T, Marques-Bonet T, Rogers J, Stenson PD, Cooper DN, Schierup MH, Yao YG, Zhang YP, Wang W, Qi XG, Zhang G, Wu DD. Phylogenomic analyses provide insights into primate evolution. Science 2023; 380:913-924. [PMID: 37262173 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn6919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Comparative analysis of primate genomes within a phylogenetic context is essential for understanding the evolution of human genetic architecture and primate diversity. We present such a study of 50 primate species spanning 38 genera and 14 families, including 27 genomes first reported here, with many from previously less well represented groups, the New World monkeys and the Strepsirrhini. Our analyses reveal heterogeneous rates of genomic rearrangement and gene evolution across primate lineages. Thousands of genes under positive selection in different lineages play roles in the nervous, skeletal, and digestive systems and may have contributed to primate innovations and adaptations. Our study reveals that many key genomic innovations occurred in the Simiiformes ancestral node and may have had an impact on the adaptive radiation of the Simiiformes and human evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Long Zhou
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Fang Li
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Animal Sex and Development, ZhejiangWanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Lan Zhao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Bao-Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Feng Shao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Southwest University School of Life Sciences, Chongqing 400715, China
| | | | - Chun-Yan Chen
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Xupeng Bi
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
| | | | - Jiang Hu
- Grandomics Biosciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zongyi Sun
- Grandomics Biosciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xin Li
- Grandomics Biosciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Depeng Wang
- Grandomics Biosciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | | | - Sheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Yun-Mei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Wu Chen
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Gang Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Hui-Meng Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Lukas F K Kuderna
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Illumina Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina Inc, San Diego, CA 92122, USA
| | - Kyle Kai-How Farh
- Illumina Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina Inc, San Diego, CA 92122, USA
| | - Peng-Fei Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Ming Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhi-Jin Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - George P Tiley
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Anne D Yoder
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Takashi Hayakawa
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
- Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Aichi 484-0081, Japan
| | - Tomas Marques-Bonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jeffrey Rogers
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Peter D Stenson
- Institute of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - David N Cooper
- Institute of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | | | - Yong-Gang Yao
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Xiao-Guang Qi
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Heo N, Leopold DJ, Lomolino MV, Yun S, Fernando DD. Global and regional drivers of abundance patterns in the hart's tongue fern complex (Aspleniaceae). ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:737-750. [PMID: 36273331 PMCID: PMC10184436 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The hart's tongue fern (HTF) complex is a monophyletic group composed of five geographically segregated members with divergent abundance patterns across its broad geographic range. We postulated hierarchical systems of environmental controls in which climatic and land-use change drive abundance patterns at the global scale, while various ecological conditions function as finer scale determinants that further increase geographic disparities at regional to local scales. METHODS After quantifying the abundance patterns of the HTF complex, we estimated their correlations with global climate and land-use dynamics. Regional determinants were assessed using boosted regression tree models with 18 potential ecological variables. Moreover, we investigated long-term population trends in the USA to understand the interplay of climate change and anthropogenic activities on a temporal scale. KEY RESULTS Latitudinal climate shifts drove latitudinal abundance gradients, and regionally different levels of land-use change resulted in global geographic disparities in population abundance. At a regional scale, population isolation, which accounts for rescue effects, played an important role, particularly in Europe and East Asia where several hot spots occurred. Furthermore, the variables most strongly influencing abundance patterns greatly differed by region: precipitation seasonality in Europe; spatial heterogeneity of temperature and precipitation in East Asia; and magnitudes of past climate change, temperature seasonality and edaphic conditions in North America. In the USA, protected populations showed increasing trends compared with unprotected populations at the same latitude, highlighting the critical role of habitat protection in conservation measures. CONCLUSIONS Geographic disparities in the abundance patterns of the HTF complex were determined by hierarchical systems of environmental controls, wherein climatic and land-use dynamics act globally but are modulated by various regional and local determinants operating at increasingly finer scales. We highlighted that fern conservation must be tailored to particular geographic contexts and environmental conditions by incorporating a better understanding of the dynamics acting at different spatiotemporal scales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Namjoo Heo
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Donald J Leopold
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Mark V Lomolino
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Seona Yun
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Danilo D Fernando
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Climate-driven habitat shifts of high-ranked prey species structure Late Upper Paleolithic hunting. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4238. [PMID: 36918697 PMCID: PMC10015039 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31085-x] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Changing climates in the past affected both human and faunal population distributions, thereby structuring human diets, demography, and cultural evolution. Yet, separating the effects of climate-driven and human-induced changes in prey species abundances remains challenging, particularly during the Late Upper Paleolithic, a period marked by rapid climate change and marked ecosystem transformation. To disentangle the effects of climate and hunter-gatherer populations on animal prey species during the period, we synthesize disparate paleoclimate records, zooarchaeological data, and archaeological data using ecological methods and theory to test to what extent climate and anthropogenic impacts drove broad changes in human subsistence observed in the Late Upper Paleolithic zooarchaeological records. We find that the observed changes in faunal assemblages during the European Late Upper Paleolithic are consistent with climate-driven animal habitat shifts impacting the natural abundances of high-ranked prey species on the landscape rather than human-induced resource depression. The study has important implications for understanding how past climate change impacted and structured the diet and demography of human populations and can serve as a baseline for considerations of resilience and adaptation in the present.
Collapse
|
16
|
DeSantis LRG, Feranec RS, Southon J, Cerling TE, Harris J, Binder WJ, Cohen JE, Farrell AB, Lindsey EL, Meachen J, Robin O'Keefe F, Takeuchi GT. On the relationship between collagen- and carbonate-derived carbon isotopes with implications for the inference of carnivore dietary behavior. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1031383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of Rancho La Brea predators have yielded disparate dietary interpretations when analyzing bone collagen vs. enamel carbonate—requiring a better understanding of the relationship between stable carbon isotopes in these tissues. Stable carbon isotope spacing between collagen and carbonate (Δca-co) has also been used as a proxy for inferring the trophic level of mammals, with higher Δca-co values indicative of high carbohydrate consumption. To clarify the stable isotope ecology of carnivorans, past and present, we analyzed bone collagen (carbon and nitrogen) and enamel carbonate (carbon) of extinct and extant North American felids and canids, including dire wolves, sabertooth cats, coyotes, and pumas, supplementing these with data from African wild dogs and African lions. Our results reveal that Δca-co values are positively related to enamel carbonate values in secondary consumers and are less predictive of trophic level. Results indicate that the foraging habitat and diet of prey affects Δca-co in carnivores, like herbivores. Average Δca-co values in Pleistocene canids (8.7+/−1‰) and felids (7.0+/−0.7‰) overlap with previously documented extant herbivore Δca-co values suggesting that trophic level estimates may be relative to herbivore Δca-co values in each ecosystem and not directly comparable between disparate ecosystems. Physiological differences between felids and canids, ontogenetic dietary differences, and diagenesis at Rancho La Brea do not appear to be primary drivers of Δca-co offsets. Environmental influences affecting protein and fat consumption in prey and subsequently by predators, and nutrient routing to tissues may instead be driving Δca-co offsets in extant and extinct mammals.
Collapse
|
17
|
Consistent diel activity patterns of forest mammals among tropical regions. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7102. [PMID: 36402775 PMCID: PMC9675769 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34825-1] [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: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An animal's daily use of time (their "diel activity") reflects their adaptations, requirements, and interactions, yet we know little about the underlying processes governing diel activity within and among communities. Here we examine whether community-level activity patterns differ among biogeographic regions, and explore the roles of top-down versus bottom-up processes and thermoregulatory constraints. Using data from systematic camera-trap networks in 16 protected forests across the tropics, we examine the relationships of mammals' diel activity to body mass and trophic guild. Also, we assess the activity relationships within and among guilds. Apart from Neotropical insectivores, guilds exhibited consistent cross-regional activity in relation to body mass. Results indicate that thermoregulation constrains herbivore and insectivore activity (e.g., larger Afrotropical herbivores are ~7 times more likely to be nocturnal than smaller herbivores), while bottom-up processes constrain the activity of carnivores in relation to herbivores, and top-down processes constrain the activity of small omnivores and insectivores in relation to large carnivores' activity. Overall, diel activity of tropical mammal communities appears shaped by similar processes and constraints among regions reflecting body mass and trophic guilds.
Collapse
|
18
|
Late Pleistocene megafauna extinction leads to missing pieces of ecological space in a North American mammal community. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2115015119. [PMID: 36122233 PMCID: PMC9522422 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115015119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The conservation status of large-bodied mammals is dire. Their decline has serious consequences because they have unique ecological roles not replicated by smaller-bodied animals. Here, we use the fossil record of the megafauna extinction at the terminal Pleistocene to explore the consequences of past biodiversity loss. We characterize the isotopic and body-size niche of a mammal community in Texas before and after the event to assess the influence on the ecology and ecological interactions of surviving species (>1 kg). Preextinction, a variety of C4 grazers, C3 browsers, and mixed feeders existed, similar to modern African savannas, with likely specialization among the two sabertooth species for juvenile grazers. Postextinction, body size and isotopic niche space were lost, and the δ13C and δ15N values of some survivors shifted. We see mesocarnivore release within the Felidae: the jaguar, now an apex carnivore, moved into the specialized isotopic niche previously occupied by extinct cats. Puma, previously absent, became common and lynx shifted toward consuming more C4-based resources. Lagomorphs were the only herbivores to shift toward C4 resources. Body size changes from the Pleistocene to Holocene were species-specific, with some animals (deer, hare) becoming significantly larger and others smaller (bison, rabbits) or exhibiting no change to climate shifts or biodiversity loss. Overall, the Holocene body-size-isotopic niche was drastically reduced and considerable ecological complexity lost. We conclude biodiversity loss led to reorganization of survivors and many "missing pieces" within our community; without intervention, the loss of Earth's remaining ecosystems that support megafauna will likely suffer the same fate.
Collapse
|
19
|
Alt KW, Al-Ahmad A, Woelber JP. Nutrition and Health in Human Evolution–Past to Present. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14173594. [PMID: 36079850 PMCID: PMC9460423 DOI: 10.3390/nu14173594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Anyone who wants to understand the biological nature of humans and their special characteristics must look far back into evolutionary history. Today’s way of life is drastically different from that of our ancestors. For almost 99% of human history, gathering and hunting have been the basis of nutrition. It was not until about 12,000 years ago that humans began domesticating plants and animals. Bioarchaeologically and biochemically, this can be traced back to our earliest roots. Modern living conditions and the quality of human life are better today than ever before. However, neither physically nor psychosocially have we made this adjustment and we are paying a high health price for it. The studies presented allow us to reconstruct food supply, lifestyles, and dietary habits: from the earliest primates, through hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic, farming communities since the beginning of the Anthropocene, to the Industrial Age and the present. The comprehensive data pool allows extraction of all findings of medical relevance. Our recent lifestyle and diet are essentially determined by our culture rather than by our millions of years of ancestry. Culture is permanently in a dominant position compared to natural evolution. Thereby culture does not form a contrast to nature but represents its result. There is no doubt that we are biologically adapted to culture, but it is questionable how much culture humans can cope with.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kurt W. Alt
- Center of Natural and Cultural Human History, Danube Private University, 3500 Krems, Austria
- Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
- Correspondence:
| | - Ali Al-Ahmad
- Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 71906 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Johan Peter Woelber
- Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 71906 Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Assessing multitemporal calibration for species distribution models. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
21
|
Vyshedskiy A. Language evolution is not limited to speech acquisition: a large study of language development in children with language deficits highlights the importance of the voluntary imagination component of language. RESEARCH IDEAS AND OUTCOMES 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e86401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Did the boy bite the cat or was it the other way around? When processing a sentence with several objects, one has to establish ‘who did what to whom’. When a sentence cannot be interpreted by recalling an image from memory, we rely on the special type of voluntary constructive imagination called Prefrontal synthesis (PFS). PFS is defined as the ability to juxtapose mental visuospatial objects at will. We hypothesised that PFS has fundamental importance for language acquisition. To test this hypothesis, we designed a PFS-targeting intervention and administered it to 6,454 children with language deficiencies (age 2 to 12 years). The results from the three-year-long study demonstrated that children who engaged with the PFS intervention showed 2.2-fold improvement in combinatorial language comprehension compared to children with similar initial evaluations. These findings suggest that language can be improved by training the PFS and exposes the importance of the visuospatial component of language. This manuscript reflects on the experimental findings from the point of view of human language evolution. When used as a proxy for evolutionary language acquisition, the study results suggest a dichotomy of language evolution, with its speech component and its visuospatial component developing in parallel. The study highlights the radical idea that evolutionary acquisition of language was driven primarily by improvements of voluntary imagination rather than by improvements in the speech apparatus.
Collapse
|
22
|
Pacheco C, Stronen AV, Jędrzejewska B, Plis K, Okhlopkov IM, Mamaev NV, Drovetski SV, Godinho R. Demography and evolutionary history of grey wolf populations around the Bering Strait. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:4851-4865. [PMID: 35822863 PMCID: PMC9545117 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Glacial and interglacial periods throughout the Pleistocene have been substantial drivers of change in species distributions. Earlier analyses suggested that modern grey wolves (Canis lupus) trace their origin to a single Late Pleistocene Beringian population that expanded east and westwards, starting c. 25,000 years ago (ya). Here, we examined the demographic and phylogeographic histories of extant populations around the Bering Strait with wolves from two inland regions of the Russian Far East (RFE) and one coastal and two inland regions of North‐western North America (NNA), genotyped for 91,327 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our results indicated that RFE and NNA wolves had a common ancestry until c. 34,400 ya, suggesting that these populations started to diverge before the previously proposed expansion out of Beringia. Coastal and inland NNA populations diverged c. 16,000 ya, concordant with the minimum proposed date for the ecological viability of the migration route along the Pacific Northwest coast. Demographic reconstructions for inland RFE and NNA populations reveal spatial and temporal synchrony, with large historical effective population sizes that declined throughout the Pleistocene, possibly reflecting the influence of broadscale climatic changes across continents. In contrast, coastal NNA wolves displayed a consistently lower effective population size than the inland populations. Differences between the demographic history of inland and coastal wolves may have been driven by multiple ecological factors, including historical gene flow patterns, natural landscape fragmentation, and more recent anthropogenic disturbance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Pacheco
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Astrid Vik Stronen
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Insubria University, Varese, Italy.,Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Kamila Plis
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Innokentiy M Okhlopkov
- Institute of Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Nikolay V Mamaev
- Institute of Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Sergei V Drovetski
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Raquel Godinho
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Simpson AG, Wing SL, Fenster CB. Diversification in the Rosales is influenced by dispersal, geographic range size, and pre-existing species richness. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:922-938. [PMID: 35446437 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Biodiversity results from origination and extinction, justifying interest in identifying traits that influence this balance. Traits implicated in the success or failure of lineages include dispersal, colonization ability, and geographic range size. We investigated the impact of dispersal and range size on contemporary diversity in the Rosales. METHODS We used the multiple-state speciation and extinction (MuSSE) method to explore the effects on genus-level diversification of two genus-level traits (geographic range size and within-genus proclivity to speciate) and two species traits (seed dispersal and growth habit) and the multiple hidden-state speciation and extinction (MuHiSSE) method for species-level associations. Finally, we conducted a PGLS (phylogenetic least-squares) analysis to distinguish between speciation within genera versus origination of new genera. RESULTS At the species level, animal dispersal enhances diversification rate in both woody and herbaceous lineages, while woody lineages without animal dispersal have higher extinction rates than speciation rates. At the genus level, herbaceous taxa have positive diversification rates regardless of other character states. Diversification rate variation is also explained by two interactions: (1) a three-way interaction between large geographic range, animal-mediated dispersal, and high within-genus species richness, whereby genera possessing all three traits have high diversification rates, and (2) a four-way interaction by which the three-way interaction is stronger in woody genera than in herbaceous genera. CONCLUSIONS Colonization ability may underlie the relationship between dispersal type and range size and may influence past diversification rates by decreasing extinction rates during late Cenozoic climate volatility. Thus, colonization ability could be used to predict future extinction risk to aid conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Simpson
- Program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Scott L Wing
- Program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Charles B Fenster
- Program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Cooke R, Gearty W, Chapman ASA, Dunic J, Edgar GJ, Lefcheck JS, Rilov G, McClain CR, Stuart-Smith RD, Kathleen Lyons S, Bates AE. Anthropogenic disruptions to longstanding patterns of trophic-size structure in vertebrates. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:684-692. [PMID: 35449460 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01726-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Diet and body mass are inextricably linked in vertebrates: while herbivores and carnivores have converged on much larger sizes, invertivores and omnivores are, on average, much smaller, leading to a roughly U-shaped relationship between body size and trophic guild. Although this U-shaped trophic-size structure is well documented in extant terrestrial mammals, whether this pattern manifests across diverse vertebrate clades and biomes is unknown. Moreover, emergence of the U-shape over geological time and future persistence are unknown. Here we compiled a comprehensive dataset of diet and body size spanning several vertebrate classes and show that the U-shaped pattern is taxonomically and biogeographically universal in modern vertebrate groups, except for marine mammals and seabirds. We further found that, for terrestrial mammals, this U-shape emerged by the Palaeocene and has thus persisted for at least 66 million years. Yet disruption of this fundamental trophic-size structure in mammals appears likely in the next century, based on projected extinctions. Actions to prevent declines in the largest animals will sustain the functioning of Earth's wild ecosystems and biomass energy distributions that have persisted through deep time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rob Cooke
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, UK. .,Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. .,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - William Gearty
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
| | - Abbie S A Chapman
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jillian Dunic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Graham J Edgar
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network and MarineGEO Program, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Gil Rilov
- National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Limnological and Oceanographic Research, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Rick D Stuart-Smith
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - S Kathleen Lyons
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Amanda E Bates
- Biology Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Changing surface ocean circulation caused the local demise of echinoid Scaphechinus mirabilis in Taiwan during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8204. [PMID: 35581306 PMCID: PMC9114427 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11920-3] [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: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abundant fossil specimens of Scaphechinus mirabilis, now occurring mostly in temperate waters, have been found in the Toukoshan Formation (Pleistocene) in Miaoli County, Taiwan. Environmental changes leading to its extirpation (local extinction) have thus far been elusive. Here, we reconstruct past environmental and oceanic conditions off northwest Taiwan by analyzing clumped isotopes, as well as stable oxygen isotopes, of well-preserved fossil echinoid tests collected from the Toukoshan Formation. Radiocarbon dates suggest that these samples are from Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3). Paleotemperature estimates based on clumped isotopes indicate that fossil echinoids were living in oceanic conditions that range from 9 to 14 °C on average, comparable with the estimate derived for a modern sample from Mutsu Bay, Japan. Notably, this temperature range is ~ 10 °C colder than today’s conditions off northwest Taiwan. The substantially lower temperatures during ~ 30 ka (MIS 3) compared to the modern conditions might be due to the rerouting of surface currents off northwest Taiwan when the sea level was ~ 60 m lower than today, in addition to the cooling caused by a lower atmospheric CO2 level during the Last Glacial Period. Colder waters brought here by the China Coastal Current (CCC) and the existence of shallow subtidal zones termed “Miaoli Bay” (mainly located in the present-day Miaoli county) during MIS 3 plausibly sustained generations of S. mirabilis, yielding tens of thousands of fossil specimens in the well-preserved fossil beds. The likely extirpation driver is the drastic change from a temperate climate to much warmer conditions in the shallow sea during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.
Collapse
|
26
|
Evolutionary causes and consequences of ungulate migration. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:998-1006. [PMID: 35513579 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01749-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Ungulate migrations are crucial for maintaining abundant populations and functional ecosystems. However, little is known about how or why migratory behaviour evolved in ungulates. To investigate the evolutionary origins of ungulate migration, we employed phylogenetic path analysis using a comprehensive species-level phylogeny of mammals. We found that 95 of 207 extant ungulate species are at least partially migratory, with migratory behaviour originating independently in 17 lineages. The evolution of migratory behaviour is associated with reliance on grass forage and living at higher latitudes wherein seasonal resource waves are most prevalent. Indeed, originations coincide with mid-Miocene cooling and the subsequent rise of C4 grasslands. Also, evolving migratory behaviour supported the evolution of larger bodies, allowing ungulates to exploit new ecological space. Reconstructions of migratory behaviour further revealed that seven of ten recently extinct species were probably migratory, suggesting that contemporary migrations are important models for understanding the ecology of the past.
Collapse
|
27
|
Verry AJF, Mitchell KJ, Rawlence NJ. Genetic evidence for post-glacial expansion from a southern refugium in the eastern moa ( Emeus crassus). Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220013. [PMID: 35538842 PMCID: PMC9091836 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cycles of glacial expansion and contraction throughout the Pleistocene drove increases and decreases, respectively, in the geographical range and population size of many animal species. Genetic data have revealed that during glacial maxima the distribution of many Eurasian animals was restricted to small refugial areas, from which species expanded to reoccupy parts of their former range as the climate warmed. It has been suggested that the extinct eastern moa (Emeus crassus)-a large, flightless bird from New Zealand-behaved analogously during glacial maxima, possibly surviving only in a restricted area of lowland habitat in the southern South Island of New Zealand during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, previous studies have lacked the power and geographical sampling to explicitly test this hypothesis using genetic data. Here we analyse 46 ancient mitochondrial genomes from Late Pleistocene and Holocene bones of the eastern moa from across their post-LGM distribution. Our results are consistent with a post-LGM increase in the population size and genetic diversity of eastern moa. We also demonstrate that genetic diversity was higher in eastern moa from the southern extent of their range, supporting the hypothesis that they expanded from a single glacial refugium following the LGM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. F. Verry
- Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Kieren J. Mitchell
- Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Nicolas J. Rawlence
- Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Onstein RE, Kissling WD, Linder HP. The megaherbivore gap after the non-avian dinosaur extinctions modified trait evolution and diversification of tropical palms. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212633. [PMID: 35414237 PMCID: PMC9006001 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs (66 Ma) led to a 25 million year gap of megaherbivores (>1000 kg) before the evolution of megaherbivorous mammals in the Late Eocene (40 Ma). The botanical consequences of this 'Palaeocene megaherbivore gap' (PMHG) remain poorly explored. We hypothesize that the absence of megaherbivores should result in changes in the diversification and trait evolution of associated plant lineages. We used phylogenetic time- and trait-dependent diversification models with palms (Arecaceae) and show that the PMHG was characterized by speciation slowdowns, decreased evolution of armature and increased evolution of megafaunal (≥4 cm) fruits. This suggests that the absence of browsing by megaherbivores during the PMHG may have led to a loss of defence traits, but the absence of megaherbivorous seed dispersers did not lead to a loss of megafaunal fruits. Instead, increases in PMHG fruit sizes may be explained by simultaneously rising temperatures, rainforest expansion, and the subsequent radiation of seed-dispersing birds and mammals. We show that the profound impact of the PMHG on plant diversification can be detected even with the overwriting of adaptations by the subsequent Late Eocene opening up of megaherbivore-associated ecological opportunities. Our study provides a quantitative, comparative framework to assess diversification and adaptation during one of the most enigmatic periods in angiosperm history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renske E. Onstein
- Evolution and Adaptation, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle–Jena–Leipzig, Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - W. Daniel Kissling
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - H. Peter Linder
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, ZH Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Small brains predisposed Late Quaternary mammals to extinction. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3453. [PMID: 35361771 PMCID: PMC8971383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07327-9] [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: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Late Quaternary witnessed a dramatic wave of large mammal extinctions, that are usually attributed to either human hunting or climatic change. We hypothesized that the large mammals that survived the extinctions might have been endowed with larger brain sizes than their relatives, which could have conferred enhanced behavioral plasticity and the ability to cope with the rapidly changing Late Quaternary environmental conditions. We assembled data on brain sizes of 291 extant mammal species plus 50 more that went extinct during the Late Quaternary. Using logistic, and mixed effect models, and controlling for phylogeny and body mass, we found that large brains were associated with higher probability to survive the Late Quaternary extinctions, and that extant species have brains that are, on average, 53% larger when accounting for order as a random effect, and 83% when fitting a single regression line. Moreover, we found that models that used brain size in addition to body size predicted extinction status better than models that used only body size. We propose that possessing a large brain was an important, yet so far neglected characteristic of surviving megafauna species.
Collapse
|
30
|
Stabilizing selection on Atlantic cod supergenes through a millennium of extensive exploitation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114904119. [PMID: 35165196 PMCID: PMC8872764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114904119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological disruption due to human impacts is evident worldwide, and a key to mitigation lies in characterizing the underlying mechanisms of species and ecosystem stability. Here we show that three extensive “supergenes” are maintained in Atlantic cod by stabilizing selection, tying these genes to the persistence of a keystone species distributed across the northern Atlantic Ocean. Removal of this species has caused severe ecosystem reshuffling in several areas of its range. Genomic inference of historic stock sizes further shows that cod has been under pressure in the North Sea system since the Viking period, in line with zooarchaeological records. Expansion of fisheries in Northern Europe through the past millennium is well documented and supports the inferred long-term declines. Life on Earth has been characterized by recurring cycles of ecological stasis and disruption, relating biological eras to geological and climatic transitions through the history of our planet. Due to the increasing degree of ecological abruption caused by human influences many advocate that we now have entered the geological era of the Anthropocene, or “the age of man.” Considering the ongoing mass extinction and ecosystem reshuffling observed worldwide, a better understanding of the drivers of ecological stasis will be a requisite for identifying routes of intervention and mitigation. Ecosystem stability may rely on one or a few keystone species, and the loss of such species could potentially have detrimental effects. The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) has historically been highly abundant and is considered a keystone species in ecosystems of the northern Atlantic Ocean. Collapses of cod stocks have been observed on both sides of the Atlantic and reported to have detrimental effects that include vast ecosystem reshuffling. By whole-genome resequencing we demonstrate that stabilizing selection maintains three extensive “supergenes” in Atlantic cod, linking these genes to species persistence and ecological stasis. Genomic inference of historic effective population sizes shows continued declines for cod in the North Sea–Skagerrak–Kattegat system through the past millennia, consistent with an early onset of the marine Anthropocene through industrialization and commercialization of fisheries throughout the medieval period.
Collapse
|
31
|
Bottom-up versus top-down megafauna-vegetation interactions in ancient Beringia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2121734119. [PMID: 35082158 PMCID: PMC8812515 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121734119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
32
|
Abstract
The progress of science has sometimes been unjustifiably delayed by the premature rejection of a hypothesis for which substantial evidence existed and which later achieved consensus. Continental drift, meteorite impact cratering, and anthropogenic global warming are examples from the first half of the twentieth century. This article presents evidence that the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis (YDIH) is a twenty-first century case.The hypothesis proposes that the airburst or impact of a comet ∼12,850 years ago caused the ensuing ∼1200-year-long Younger Dryas (YD) cool period and contributed to the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna in the Western Hemisphere and the disappearance of the Clovis Paleo-Indian culture. Soon after publication, a few scientists reported that they were unable to replicate the critical evidence and the scientific community at large came to reject the hypothesis. By today, however, many independent studies have reproduced that evidence at dozens of YD sites. This article examines why scientists so readily accepted the early false claims of irreproducibility and what lessons the premature rejection of the YDIH holds for science.
Collapse
|
33
|
Abraham JO, Hempson GP, Faith JT, Staver AC. Seasonal strategies differ between tropical and extratropical herbivores. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:681-692. [PMID: 34921402 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal diet shifts and migration are key components of large herbivore population dynamics, but we lack a systematic understanding of how these behaviors are distributed on a macroecological scale. The prevalence of seasonal strategies is likely related to herbivore body size and feeding guild, and may also be influenced by properties of the environment, such as soil nutrient availability and climate seasonality. We evaluated the distribution of seasonal dietary shifts and migration across large-bodied mammalian herbivores and determined how these behaviors related to diet, body size, and environment. We found that herbivore strategies were consistently correlated with their traits: seasonal diet shifts were most prevalent among mixed feeding herbivores and migration among grazers and larger herbivores. Seasonality also played a role, particularly for migration, which was more common at higher latitudes. Both dietary shifts and migration were more widespread among extratropical herbivores, which also exhibited more intermediate diets and body sizes. Our findings suggest that strong seasonality in extratropical systems imposes pressure on herbivores, necessitating widespread behavioral responses to navigate seasonal resource bottlenecks. It follows that tropical and extratropical herbivores may have divergent responses to global change, with intensifying herbivore pressure in extratropical systems contrasting with diminishing herbivore pressure in tropical systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joel O Abraham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Gareth P Hempson
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - J Tyler Faith
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Origins Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - A Carla Staver
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Murchie TJ, Monteath AJ, Mahony ME, Long GS, Cocker S, Sadoway T, Karpinski E, Zazula G, MacPhee RDE, Froese D, Poinar HN. Collapse of the mammoth-steppe in central Yukon as revealed by ancient environmental DNA. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7120. [PMID: 34880234 PMCID: PMC8654998 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27439-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The temporal and spatial coarseness of megafaunal fossil records complicates attempts to to disentangle the relative impacts of climate change, ecosystem restructuring, and human activities associated with the Late Quaternary extinctions. Advances in the extraction and identification of ancient DNA that was shed into the environment and preserved for millennia in sediment now provides a way to augment discontinuous palaeontological assemblages. Here, we present a 30,000-year sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) record derived from loessal permafrost silts in the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada. We observe a substantial turnover in ecosystem composition between 13,500 and 10,000 calendar years ago with the rise of woody shrubs and the disappearance of the mammoth-steppe (steppe-tundra) ecosystem. We also identify a lingering signal of Equus sp. (North American horse) and Mammuthus primigenius (woolly mammoth) at multiple sites persisting thousands of years after their supposed extinction from the fossil record.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Murchie
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. .,Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
| | - Alistair J Monteath
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew E Mahony
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - George S Long
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Scott Cocker
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Tara Sadoway
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Emil Karpinski
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Grant Zazula
- Yukon Government, Palaeontology Program, Department of Tourism and Culture, Whitehorse, Canada.,Collections and Research, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ross D E MacPhee
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology/Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
| | - Duane Froese
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
| | - Hendrik N Poinar
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. .,Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. .,Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. .,Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. .,CIFAR Humans and the Microbiome Program, Toronto, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Teutloff N, Meller P, Finckh M, Cabalo AS, Ramiro GJ, Neinhuis C, Lautenschläger T. Hunting techniques and their harvest as indicators of mammal diversity and threat in Northern Angola. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021; 67:101. [PMID: 34776813 PMCID: PMC8572081 DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01541-y] [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: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Over-exploitation of wildlife especially bushmeat trade is the second most important threat to animal biodiversity. This also applies to Northern Angola but data on bushmeat and hunting techniques for this region are rare. Therefore, we study the most common hunting techniques, frequently captured species, and their economic value, and discuss the local resource use in relation to Angolan law and urgent global crises like the loss of biodiversity, the food supply in South African countries, and the risk of zoonoses. We recorded bushmeat hunting in 27 localities in the province of Uíge, accompanied hunters along their snare lines and interviewed additional 20 locals. Seven main types of snares and traps and their characteristics were defined. Hunters own on average 92 ± 128.7 snares and traps and capture about 25.3 ± 23.6 animals monthly. In total, respondents recognized 28 species of mammals of which one is considered as extinct and two as very rare. The majority of recorded species are hunted regularly. Rodents are most commonly caught followed by primates and duikers. Harvesting rates decrease with species’ body size, leading to high economic value of and achievable prices for rare, large animals. Overall, our results document the hunting pressure on mammals and the persisting popularity of bushmeat in Northern Angola which poses an imminent threat to remaining mammal populations. Moreover, it endangers ecosystem integrity, rural livelihoods, and human health through the risk of new zoonoses. Our findings underscore the urgent need for sustainable solutions. The Angolan government should play a more active role in enforcing existing hunting legislation to reduce illegal bushmeat trade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nele Teutloff
- Department of Biology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Paulina Meller
- Biodiversity, Evolution & Ecology of Plants, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Finckh
- Biodiversity, Evolution & Ecology of Plants, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Almeida Segredo Cabalo
- University of Kimpa Vita, Rua Henrique Freitas No. 1, Bairro Popular, Uíge, Province of Uíge Angola
| | - Guedes José Ramiro
- University of Kimpa Vita, Rua Henrique Freitas No. 1, Bairro Popular, Uíge, Province of Uíge Angola
| | - Christoph Neinhuis
- Department of Biology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Thea Lautenschläger
- Department of Biology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Fordham DA, Brown SC, Akçakaya HR, Brook BW, Haythorne S, Manica A, Shoemaker KT, Austin JJ, Blonder B, Pilowsky J, Rahbek C, Nogues-Bravo D. Process-explicit models reveal pathway to extinction for woolly mammoth using pattern-oriented validation. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:125-137. [PMID: 34738712 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Pathways to extinction start long before the death of the last individual. However, causes of early stage population declines and the susceptibility of small residual populations to extirpation are typically studied in isolation. Using validated process-explicit models, we disentangle the ecological mechanisms and threats that were integral in the initial decline and later extinction of the woolly mammoth. We show that reconciling ancient DNA data on woolly mammoth population decline with fossil evidence of location and timing of extinction requires process-explicit models with specific demographic and niche constraints, and a constrained synergy of climatic change and human impacts. Validated models needed humans to hasten climate-driven population declines by many millennia, and to allow woolly mammoths to persist in mainland Arctic refugia until the mid-Holocene. Our results show that the role of humans in the extinction dynamics of woolly mammoth began well before the Holocene, exerting lasting effects on the spatial pattern and timing of its range-wide extinction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Damien A Fordham
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stuart C Brown
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - H Reşit Akçakaya
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Barry W Brook
- School of Natural Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Sean Haythorne
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - Kevin T Shoemaker
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Jeremy J Austin
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Benjamin Blonder
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Julia Pilowsky
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, England.,Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - David Nogues-Bravo
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Global hunter-gatherer population densities constrained by influence of seasonality on diet composition. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1536-1545. [PMID: 34504317 PMCID: PMC7611941 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01548-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The dependence of hunter-gatherers on local net primary production (NPP) to provide food played a major role in shaping long-term human population dynamics. Observations of contemporary hunter-gatherers have shown an overall correlation between population density and annual NPP but with a 1,000-fold variation in population density per unit NPP that remains unexplained. Here, we build a process-based hunter-gatherer population model embedded within a global terrestrial biosphere model, which explicitly addresses the extraction of NPP through dynamically allocated hunting and gathering activities. The emergent results reveal a strong, previously unrecognized effect of seasonality on population density via diet composition, whereby hunter-gatherers consume high fractions of meat in regions where growing seasons are short, leading to greatly reduced population density due to trophic inefficiency. This seasonal carnivory bottleneck largely explains the wide variation in population density per unit NPP and questions the prevailing usage of annual NPP as the proxy of carrying capacity for ancient humans. Our process-based approach has the potential to greatly refine our understanding of dynamical responses of ancient human populations to past environmental changes.
Collapse
|
38
|
Zeller U, Göttert T. Humans, megafauna and landscape structure – Rock engravings from Namibia encourage a comparative approach to central Europe and southern Africa. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/vz.71.e72811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This paper deals with reflections that arose after observing prehistoric rock engravings at different locations in Namibia. These observations stimulated comparative considerations with focus on southern Africa and central Europe. Similar to the Aurignacian rock art of European origin, the most common motifs in the Namibian rock engravings are large animals. While in Europe, the species that served as a blueprint for the illustration of Aurignacian rock art have mostly disappeared, the megafauna illustrated on the rock engravings in Namibia can still be found in the immediate vicinity of the rock art. Against this background, we discuss and further develop a comparative regional approach. We reconstruct and evaluate the suitability of African savannas and still-existing megafauna communities as an appropriate reference-frame for natural European grassland systems and extinct associated warm-adapted megafauna (Eemian Interglacial megafauna). Special attention is laid on the unique situation in Africa in the light of a global extinction wave of megafauna following increasing human activity in the Late Quaternary. This leads us to discuss the use of domesticated ungulates as surrogate taxa to fulfill ecosystem functions in Europe as part of concepts termed “rewilding” or “naturalistic grazing”. After critically examining these concepts, we conclude that using domesticated forms as representatives of extinct or locally disappeared species in Europe has its justification to some extent. If, however, the naturally occurring megaherbivore community still exists (Africa), these naturally occurring species should be given priority due to their organismic abilities and limitations adapted to the harsh conditions in their specific environment. Finally, we discuss the application of (transboundary) protected areas as effective instruments to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. A holistic approach, including nature conservation and preservation of cultural achievements (domesticated forms, grazing systems), appears promising for the effective protection of the natural African savanna ecosystems with their unique fauna elements, as illustrated in rock engravings that inspired us to write this paper.
Collapse
|
39
|
Zhang S, Li C, Li Y, Chen Q, Hu D, Cheng Z, Wang X, Shan Y, Bai J, Liu G. Genetic Differentiation of Reintroduced Père David's Deer ( Elaphurus davidianus) Based on Population Genomics Analysis. Front Genet 2021; 12:705337. [PMID: 34557217 PMCID: PMC8452920 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.705337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reintroduction is an important conservation tool to restore a species in its historically distribution area, but the rate of reintroduction success varies across species or regions due to different reasons. Genetic evaluation is important to the conservation management of reintroduced species. Conservation concerns relate to genetic threats for species with a small population size or severely historically bottle-necked species, such as negative consequences associated with loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding. The last 40years have seen a rapid increasing of population size for Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), which originated from a limited founder population. However, the genetic structure of reintroduced Père David's deer has not been investigated in terms of population genomics, and it is still not clear about the evolutionary history of Père David's deer and to what extent the inbreeding level is. Conservation genomics methods were used to reconstruct the demographic history of Père David's deer, evaluate genetic diversity, and characterize genetic structure among 18 individuals from the captive, free-ranging and wild populations. The results showed that 1,456,457 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained for Père David's deer, and low levels of genome-wide genetic diversity were observed in Père David's deer compared with Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Sika deer (Cervus nippon). A moderate population genetic differentiation was detected among three populations of Père David's deer, especially between the captive population in Beijing Père David's deer park and the free-ranging population in Jiangsu Dafeng National Nature Reserve. The effective population size of Père David's deer started to decline ~25.8ka, and the similar levels of three populations' LD reflected the genetic impacts of long-term population bottlenecks in the Père David's deer. The findings of this study could highlight the necessity of individual exchange between different facilities, and genetic management should generally be integrated into conservation planning with other management considerations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shumiao Zhang
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Yiping Li
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Defu Hu
- College of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhibin Cheng
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfang Shan
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Jiade Bai
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Ancient Faunal History Revealed by Interdisciplinary Biomolecular Approaches. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13080370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Starting four decades ago, studies have examined the ecology and evolutionary dynamics of populations and species using short mitochondrial DNA fragments and stable isotopes. Through technological and analytical advances, the methods and biomolecules at our disposal have increased significantly to now include lipids, whole genomes, proteomes, and even epigenomes. At an unprecedented resolution, the study of ancient biomolecules has made it possible for us to disentangle the complex processes that shaped the ancient faunal diversity across millennia, with the potential to aid in implicating probable causes of species extinction and how humans impacted the genetics and ecology of wild and domestic species. However, even now, few studies explore interdisciplinary biomolecular approaches to reveal ancient faunal diversity dynamics in relation to environmental and anthropogenic impact. This review will approach how biomolecules have been implemented in a broad variety of topics and species, from the extinct Pleistocene megafauna to ancient wild and domestic stocks, as well as how their future use has the potential to offer an enhanced understanding of drivers of past faunal diversity on Earth.
Collapse
|
41
|
Tello F, Verdú JR, Rossini M, Zunino M. Onthophagus pilauco sp. nov. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae): evidence of beetle extinction in the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in Chilean Northern Patagonia. Zookeys 2021; 1043:133-145. [PMID: 34168516 PMCID: PMC8219658 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1043.61706] [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: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The South American Pleistocene-Holocene transition has been characterized by drastic climatic and diversity changes. These rapid changes induced one of the largest and most recent extinctions in the megafauna at the continental scale. However, examples of the extinction of small animals (e.g., insects) are scarce, and the underlying causes of the extinction have been little studied. In this work, a new extinct dung beetle species is described from a late Pleistocene sequence (~15.2 k cal yr BP) at the paleoarcheological site Pilauco, Chilean Northern Patagonia. Based on morphological characters, this fossil is considered to belong to the genus Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 and named Onthophagus pilauco sp. nov. We carried out a comprehensive revision of related groups, and we analyzed the possible mechanism of diversification and extinction of this new species. We hypothesize that Onthophagus pilauco sp. nov. diversified as a member of the osculatii species-complex following migration processes related to the Great American Biotic Interchange (~3 Ma). The extinction of O. pilauco sp. nov. may be related to massive defaunation and climatic changes recorded in the Plesitocene-Holocene transition (12.8 k cal yr BP). This finding is the first record of this genus in Chile, and provides new evidence to support the collateral-extinction hypothesis related to the defaunation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Tello
- Transdisciplinary Center for Quaternary Research (TAQUACH), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - José R Verdú
- I.U.I. CIBIO, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain Universidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Michele Rossini
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki, 00014, Finland University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Mario Zunino
- Scuola di Biodiversità, Polo universitario Asti Studi Superiori, Asti, Italy Polo universitario Asti Studi Superiori Asti Italy
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bortolini E, Pagani L, Oxilia G, Posth C, Fontana F, Badino F, Saupe T, Montinaro F, Margaritora D, Romandini M, Lugli F, Papini A, Boggioni M, Perrini N, Oxilia A, Cigliano RA, Barcelona R, Visentin D, Fasser N, Arrighi S, Figus C, Marciani G, Silvestrini S, Bernardini F, Menghi Sartorio JC, Fiorenza L, Cecchi JM, Tuniz C, Kivisild T, Gianfrancesco F, Peresani M, Scheib CL, Talamo S, D'Esposito M, Benazzi S. Early Alpine occupation backdates westward human migration in Late Glacial Europe. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2484-2493.e7. [PMID: 33887180 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Before the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ∼16.5 ka ago)1 set in motion major shifts in human culture and population structure,2 a consistent change in lithic technology, material culture, settlement pattern, and adaptive strategies is recorded in Southern Europe at ∼18-17 ka ago. In this time frame, the landscape of Northeastern Italy changed considerably, and the retreat of glaciers allowed hunter-gatherers to gradually recolonize the Alps.3-6 Change within this renewed cultural frame (i.e., during the Late Epigravettian phase) is currently associated with migrations favored by warmer climate linked to the Bølling-Allerød onset (14.7 ka ago),7-11 which replaced earlier genetic lineages with ancestry found in an individual who lived ∼14 ka ago at Riparo Villabruna, Italy, and shared among different contexts (Villabruna Cluster).9 Nevertheless, these dynamics and their chronology are still far from being disentangled due to fragmentary evidence for long-distance interactions across Europe.12 Here, we generate new genomic data from a human mandible uncovered at Riparo Tagliente (Veneto, Italy), which we directly dated to 16,980-16,510 cal BP (2σ). This individual, affected by focal osseous dysplasia, is genetically affine to the Villabruna Cluster. Our results therefore backdate by at least 3 ka the diffusion in Southern Europe of a genetic component linked to Balkan/Anatolian refugia, previously believed to have spread during the later Bølling/Allerød event. In light of the new genetic evidence, this population replacement chronologically coincides with the very emergence of major cultural transitions in Southern and Western Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenio Bortolini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy; CaSEs (Culture and Socio-Ecological Dynamics) Department of Humanities, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Luca Pagani
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35131 Padova, Italy; Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Riia 23b 51010 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Gregorio Oxilia
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy.
| | - Cosimo Posth
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany; Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 19-23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Federica Fontana
- Department of Humanities - Section of Prehistoric and Anthropological Sciences, University of Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Federica Badino
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy; Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, Lab of Palynology and Palaeoecology, CNR - Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG), 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Tina Saupe
- Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Riia 23b 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Francesco Montinaro
- Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Riia 23b 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Davide Margaritora
- Department of Humanities - Section of Prehistoric and Anthropological Sciences, University of Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Federico Lugli
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Andrea Papini
- Dentist surgeon, via Walter Tobagi 35, 59100 Prato, Italy
| | - Marco Boggioni
- Dentist surgeon, via D'Andrade 34/207, 16154 Genova Sestri Ponente, Italy
| | - Nicola Perrini
- Dentist surgeon, Centro di Odontoiatria e Stomatologia, Via Luca Signorelli, 5, 51100 Pistoia PT, Italy
| | - Antonio Oxilia
- General surgeon, via Marcantonio Della Torre, 7, 37131 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Rosa Barcelona
- Sequentia Biotech, Calle Comte D'Urgell 240, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso," National Research Council of Italy, Via P.Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy; Departamento de Matemáticas, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial de Barcelona (ETSEIB), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Davide Visentin
- Archaeology of Social Dynamics, Institució Milà i Fontanals, Spanish National Research Council (IMF-CSIC), C/Egipcíaques 15, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nicolò Fasser
- Department of Humanities - Section of Prehistoric and Anthropological Sciences, University of Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Simona Arrighi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Carla Figus
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Giulia Marciani
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Sara Silvestrini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Federico Bernardini
- Department of Humanities, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Dorsoduro, 3484/D, 30123 Venezia, Italy; Multidisciplinary Laboratory, The "Abdus Salam" International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 Trieste, Italy
| | - Jessica C Menghi Sartorio
- Department of Humanities - Section of Prehistoric and Anthropological Sciences, University of Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luca Fiorenza
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia; Earth Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Jacopo Moggi Cecchi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via del Proconsolo, 12, Firenze 50122, Italy
| | - Claudio Tuniz
- Multidisciplinary Laboratory, The "Abdus Salam" International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera, 11 - 34151 Trieste, Italy; Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Toomas Kivisild
- Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Riia 23b 51010 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Fernando Gianfrancesco
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso," National Research Council of Italy, Via P.Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Peresani
- Department of Humanities - Section of Prehistoric and Anthropological Sciences, University of Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Christiana L Scheib
- Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Riia 23b 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician," University of Bologna, Via Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maurizio D'Esposito
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso," National Research Council of Italy, Via P.Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani, 1 48121 Ravenna, Italy; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Contrasting dynamical responses of sympatric caribou and muskoxen to winter weather and earlier spring green-up in the Arctic. FOOD WEBS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
44
|
Lundgren EJ, Ramp D, Stromberg JC, Wu J, Nieto NC, Sluk M, Moeller KT, Wallach AD. Equids engineer desert water availability. Science 2021; 372:491-495. [PMID: 33926950 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd6775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Megafauna play important roles in the biosphere, yet little is known about how they shape dryland ecosystems. We report on an overlooked form of ecosystem engineering by donkeys and horses. In the deserts of North America, digging of ≤2-meter wells to groundwater by feral equids increased the density of water features, reduced distances between waters, and, at times, provided the only water present. Vertebrate richness and activity were higher at equid wells than at adjacent dry sites, and, by mimicking flood disturbance, equid wells became nurseries for riparian trees. Our results suggest that equids, even those that are introduced or feral, are able to buffer water availability, which may increase resilience to ongoing human-caused aridification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erick J Lundgren
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia. .,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Jianguo Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nathan C Nieto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Martin Sluk
- Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Karla T Moeller
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Arian D Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Amiot C, Ji W, Ellis EC, Anderson MG. Temporal and sociocultural effects of human colonisation on native biodiversity: filtering and rates of adaptation. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Amiot
- Human Wildlife Interaction Research Group, Inst. of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey Univ. Albany New Zealand
- UMR 6554 CNRS, LETG–Angers, Univ. d'Angers Angers France
| | - Weihong Ji
- Human Wildlife Interaction Research Group, Inst. of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey Univ. Albany New Zealand
| | - Erle C. Ellis
- Dept of Geography and Environmental Systems, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore USA
| | - Michael G. Anderson
- Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation Group, Inst. of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey Univ. Albany New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Moodley Y, Westbury MV, Russo IRM, Gopalakrishnan S, Rakotoarivelo A, Olsen RA, Prost S, Tunstall T, Ryder OA, Dalén L, Bruford MW. Interspecific Gene Flow and the Evolution of Specialization in Black and White Rhinoceros. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:3105-3117. [PMID: 32585004 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Africa's black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhinoceros are closely related sister-taxa that evolved highly divergent obligate browsing and grazing feeding strategies. Although their precursor species Diceros praecox and Ceratotherium mauritanicum appear in the fossil record ∼5.2 Ma, by 4 Ma both were still mixed feeders, and were even spatiotemporally sympatric at several Pliocene sites in what is today Africa's Rift Valley. Here, we ask whether or not D. praecox and C. mauritanicum were reproductively isolated when they came into Pliocene secondary contact. We sequenced and de novo assembled the first annotated black rhinoceros reference genome and compared it with available genomes of other black and white rhinoceros. We show that ancestral gene flow between D. praecox and C. mauritanicum ceased sometime between 3.3 and 4.1 Ma, despite conventional methods for the detection of gene flow from whole genome data returning false positive signatures of recent interspecific migration due to incomplete lineage sorting. We propose that ongoing Pliocene genetic exchange, for up to 2 My after initial divergence, could have potentially hindered the development of obligate feeding strategies until both species were fully reproductively isolated, but that the more severe and shifting paleoclimate of the early Pleistocene was likely the ultimate driver of ecological specialization in African rhinoceros.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshan Moodley
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Republic of South Africa
| | - Michael V Westbury
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Isa-Rita M Russo
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Shyam Gopalakrishnan
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrinajoro Rakotoarivelo
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Republic of South Africa.,Natiora Ahy Madagasikara, Ampahibe, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Remi-Andre Olsen
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Stefan Prost
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, Germany.,South African National Biodiversity Institute, National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Tate Tunstall
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA
| | - Oliver A Ryder
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael W Bruford
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.,Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Prates L, Perez SI. Late Pleistocene South American megafaunal extinctions associated with rise of Fishtail points and human population. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2175. [PMID: 33846353 PMCID: PMC8041891 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the 1970s, Paul Martin proposed that big game hunters armed with fluted projectile points colonized the Americas and drove the extinction of megafauna. Around fifty years later, the central role of humans in the extinctions is still strongly debated in North American archaeology, but little considered in South America. Here we analyze the temporal dynamic and spatial distribution of South American megafauna and fluted (Fishtail) projectile points to evaluate the role of humans in Pleistocene extinctions. We observe a strong relationship between the temporal density and spatial distribution of megafaunal species stratigraphically associated with humans and Fishtail projectile points, as well as with the fluctuations in human demography. On this basis we propose that the direct effect of human predation was the main factor driving the megafaunal decline, with other secondary, but necessary, co-occurring factors for the collapse of the megafaunal community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciano Prates
- grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.9499.d0000 0001 2097 3940División Arqueología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - S. Ivan Perez
- grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.9499.d0000 0001 2097 3940División Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ben-Dor M, Sirtoli R, Barkai R. The evolution of the human trophic level during the Pleistocene. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175 Suppl 72:27-56. [PMID: 33675083 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The human trophic level (HTL) during the Pleistocene and its degree of variability serve, explicitly or tacitly, as the basis of many explanations for human evolution, behavior, and culture. Previous attempts to reconstruct the HTL have relied heavily on an analogy with recent hunter-gatherer groups' diets. In addition to technological differences, recent findings of substantial ecological differences between the Pleistocene and the Anthropocene cast doubt regarding that analogy's validity. Surprisingly little systematic evolution-guided evidence served to reconstruct HTL. Here, we reconstruct the HTL during the Pleistocene by reviewing evidence for the impact of the HTL on the biological, ecological, and behavioral systems derived from various existing studies. We adapt a paleobiological and paleoecological approach, including evidence from human physiology and genetics, archaeology, paleontology, and zoology, and identified 25 sources of evidence in total. The evidence shows that the trophic level of the Homo lineage that most probably led to modern humans evolved from a low base to a high, carnivorous position during the Pleistocene, beginning with Homo habilis and peaking in Homo erectus. A reversal of that trend appears in the Upper Paleolithic, strengthening in the Mesolithic/Epipaleolithic and Neolithic, and culminating with the advent of agriculture. We conclude that it is possible to reach a credible reconstruction of the HTL without relying on a simple analogy with recent hunter-gatherers' diets. The memory of an adaptation to a trophic level that is embedded in modern humans' biology in the form of genetics, metabolism, and morphology is a fruitful line of investigation of past HTLs, whose potential we have only started to explore.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miki Ben-Dor
- Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Ran Barkai
- Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
On the Misidentification of Species: Sampling Error in Primates and Other Mammals Using Geometric Morphometrics in More Than 4000 Individuals. Evol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-021-09531-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
|
50
|
Fry E, Kim SK, Chigurapti S, Mika KM, Ratan A, Dammermann A, Mitchell BJ, Miller W, Lynch VJ. Functional Architecture of Deleterious Genetic Variants in the Genome of a Wrangel Island Mammoth. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:48-58. [PMID: 32031213 PMCID: PMC7094797 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Woolly mammoths were among the most abundant cold-adapted species during the Pleistocene. Their once-large populations went extinct in two waves, an end-Pleistocene extinction of continental populations followed by the mid-Holocene extinction of relict populations on St. Paul Island ∼5,600 years ago and Wrangel Island ∼4,000 years ago. Wrangel Island mammoths experienced an episode of rapid demographic decline coincident with their isolation, leading to a small population, reduced genetic diversity, and the fixation of putatively deleterious alleles, but the functional consequences of these processes are unclear. Here, we show that a Wrangel Island mammoth genome had many putative deleterious mutations that are predicted to cause diverse behavioral and developmental defects. Resurrection and functional characterization of several genes from the Wrangel Island mammoth carrying putatively deleterious substitutions identified both loss and gain of function mutations in genes associated with developmental defects (HYLS1), oligozoospermia and reduced male fertility (NKD1), diabetes (NEUROG3), and the ability to detect floral scents (OR5A1). These data suggest that at least one Wrangel Island mammoth may have suffered adverse consequences from reduced population size and isolation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin Fry
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago
| | - Sun K Kim
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | | | | | - Aakrosh Ratan
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia
| | | | - Brian J Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
| | - Webb Miller
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Vincent J Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY
| |
Collapse
|