1
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Isdaner AJ, Levis NA, Pfennig DW. Comparative transcriptomics reveals that a novel form of phenotypic plasticity evolved via lineage-specific changes in gene expression. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10646. [PMID: 37869437 PMCID: PMC10589077 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel forms of phenotypic plasticity may evolve by lineage-specific changes or by co-opting mechanisms from more general forms of plasticity. Here, we evaluated whether a novel resource polyphenism in New World spadefoot toads (genus Spea) evolved by co-opting mechanisms from an ancestral form of plasticity common in anurans-accelerating larval development rate in response to pond drying. We compared overlap in differentially expressed genes between alternative trophic morphs constituting the polyphenism in Spea versus those found between tadpoles of Old World spadefoot toads (genus Pelobates) when experiencing different pond-drying regimes. Specifically, we (1) generated a de novo transcriptome and conducted differential gene expression analysis in Spea multiplicata, (2) utilized existing gene expression data and a recently published transcriptome for Pelobates cultripes when exposed to different drying regimes, and (3) identified unique and overlapping differentially expressed transcripts. We found thousands of differentially expressed genes between S. multiplicata morphs that were involved in major developmental reorganization, but the vast majority of these were not differentially expressed in P. cultripes. Thus, S. multiplicata's novel polyphenism appears to have arisen primarily through lineage-specific changes in gene expression and not by co-opting existing patterns of gene expression involved in pond-drying plasticity. Therefore, although ancestral stress responses might jump-start evolutionary innovation, substantial lineage-specific modification might be needed to refine these responses into more complex forms of plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Isdaner
- Department of BiologyUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Nicholas A. Levis
- Department of BiologyUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of BiologyIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndianaUSA
| | - David W. Pfennig
- Department of BiologyUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
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2
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Pincheira‐Donoso D, Harvey LP, Johnson JV, Hudson D, Finn C, Goodyear LEB, Guirguis J, Hyland EM, Hodgson DJ. Genome size does not influence extinction risk in the world's amphibians. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lilly P. Harvey
- School of Science and Technology Nottingham Trent University Nottingham UK
| | - Jack V. Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Dave Hudson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Catherine Finn
- School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | | | - Jacinta Guirguis
- School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Edel M. Hyland
- School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Dave J. Hodgson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn UK
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3
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Liedtke HC, Harney E, Gomez-Mestre I. Cross-species transcriptomics uncovers genes underlying genetic accommodation of developmental plasticity in spadefoot toads. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2220-2234. [PMID: 33730392 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
That hardcoded genomes can manifest as plastic phenotypes responding to environmental perturbations is a fascinating feature of living organisms. How such developmental plasticity is regulated at the molecular level is beginning to be uncovered aided by the development of -omic techniques. Here, we compare the transcriptome-wide responses of two species of spadefoot toads with differing capacity for developmental acceleration of their larvae in the face of a shared environmental risk: pond drying. By comparing gene expression profiles over time and performing cross-species network analyses, we identified orthologues and functional gene pathways whose environmental sensitivity in expression have diverged between species. Genes related to lipid, cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis and metabolism make up most of a module of genes environmentally responsive in one species, but canalized in the other. The evolutionary changes in the regulation of the genes identified through these analyses may have been key in the genetic accommodation of developmental plasticity in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Christoph Liedtke
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Ewan Harney
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Seville, Spain
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4
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Chen C, Pfennig KS. Female toads engaging in adaptive hybridization prefer high-quality heterospecifics as mates. Science 2020; 367:1377-1379. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz5109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization—interbreeding between species—is generally thought to occur randomly between members of two species. Contrary to expectation, female plains spadefoot toads (Spea bombifrons) can increase their evolutionary fitness by preferentially mating with high-quality males of another species, the Mexican spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata). Aspects of Mexican spadefoot males’ mating calls predict their hybrid offspring’s fitness, and plains spadefoot females prefer Mexican spadefoot males on the basis of these attributes, but only in populations and ecological conditions where hybridization is adaptive. By selecting fitness-enhancing mates of another species, females increase hybridization’s benefits and exert sexual selection across species. Nonrandom mating between species can thereby increase the potential for adaptive gene flow between species so that adaptive introgression is not simply happenstance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Chen
- Department of Biology, Campus Box 3280, Coker Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Karin S. Pfennig
- Department of Biology, Campus Box 3280, Coker Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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5
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Yu JP, Liu W, Mai CL, Liao WB. Genome size variation is associated with life‐history traits in birds. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. P. Yu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education) China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Institute of Eco‐adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - W. Liu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education) China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Institute of Eco‐adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - C. L. Mai
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education) China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Institute of Eco‐adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles China West Normal University Nanchong China
| | - W. B. Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education) China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City China West Normal University Nanchong China
- Institute of Eco‐adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles China West Normal University Nanchong China
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6
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Seidl F, Levis NA, Schell R, Pfennig DW, Pfennig KS, Ehrenreich IM. Genome of Spea multiplicata, a Rapidly Developing, Phenotypically Plastic, and Desert-Adapted Spadefoot Toad. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:3909-3919. [PMID: 31578218 PMCID: PMC6893194 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Frogs and toads (anurans) are widely used to study many biological processes. Yet, few anuran genomes have been sequenced, limiting research on these organisms. Here, we produce a draft genome for the Mexican spadefoot toad, Spea multiplicata, which is a member of an unsequenced anuran clade. Atypically for amphibians, spadefoots inhabit deserts. Consequently, they possess many unique adaptations, including rapid growth and development, prolonged dormancy, phenotypic (developmental) plasticity, and adaptive, interspecies hybridization. We assembled and annotated a 1.07 Gb Sp. multiplicata genome containing 19,639 genes. By comparing this sequence to other available anuran genomes, we found gene amplifications in the gene families of nodal, hyas3, and zp3 in spadefoots, and obtained evidence that anuran genome size differences are partially driven by variability in intergenic DNA content. We also used the genome to identify genes experiencing positive selection and to study gene expression levels in spadefoot hybrids relative to their pure-species parents. Completion of the Sp. multiplicata genome advances efforts to determine the genetic bases of spadefoots' unique adaptations and enhances comparative genomic research in anurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Seidl
- Molecular and Computational Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, and
| | - Nicholas A Levis
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Rachel Schell
- Molecular and Computational Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, and
| | - David W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Karin S Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Ian M Ehrenreich
- Molecular and Computational Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, and
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7
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Grosso J, Baldo D, Costa CS, Natale GS, Candioti FV. Embryonic ontogeny of three species of Horned Frogs, with a review of early development in Ceratophryidae. J Morphol 2019; 281:17-32. [PMID: 31705582 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Horned Frogs of the family Ceratophryidae are conspicuous anurans represented by three endemic South American genera. Most ceratophryids inhabit semiarid environments, but three species of Ceratophrys occupy tropical or temperate humid areas. Several morphological and behavioral characters of larvae and adults are conserved across the family. Based on examination of specimens and accounts in the literature, the embryonic development of C. ornata, C. cranwelli, and the monotypic genus Chacophrys are described and compared with that of species of Lepidobatrachus. Ceratophryid embryos share a suite of morphological features and heterochronic shifts during development. Most features, such as gill structure, ciliation, early hatching, and precocious differentiation of the gut and hind limbs, are shared by all the species regardless the differences in the habitats that occupy. This is consistent with previous observations of some adult characters, and likely supports the hypothesis of an early diversification of ceratophryids in semiarid environments. Other embryonic features, such as the morphology and ontogeny of the oral disc and digestive tract, are correlated with larval feeding habits and vary within the family. The evolutionary and ecological significance of some conserved characters (e.g., gastrulation pattern, Type-A adhesive glands) and other taxon-specific features (e.g., nasal appendix) remain to be explored in the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Grosso
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET-FML), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Diego Baldo
- Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS, CONICET-UNaM), Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Carolina Salgado Costa
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medioambiente (CIM, UNLP-CONICET), Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermo S Natale
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medioambiente (CIM, UNLP-CONICET), Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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Lertzman-Lepofsky G, Mooers AØ, Greenberg DA. Ecological constraints associated with genome size across salamander lineages. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191780. [PMID: 31530144 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Salamanders have some of the largest, and most variable, genome sizes among the vertebrates. Larger genomes have been associated with larger cell sizes, lower metabolic rates, and longer embryonic and larval durations in many different taxonomic groups. These life-history traits are often important for dictating fitness under different environmental conditions, suggesting that a species' genome size may have the potential to constrain its ecological distribution. We test how genome size varies with the ephemerality of larval habitat across the salamanders, predicting that species with larger genomes will be constrained to more permanent habitats that permit slower development, while species with smaller genomes will be more broadly distributed across the gradient of habitat ephemerality. We found that salamanders with larger genomes are almost exclusively associated with permanent aquatic habitats. In addition, the evolutionary transition rate between permanent and ephemeral larval habitats is much higher in salamander lineages with smaller genome sizes. These patterns suggest that genome size may act as an evolutionary constraint on the ecological habitats of salamanders, restricting those species with large genomes and slower development to habitats with permanent sources of water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavia Lertzman-Lepofsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Arne Ø Mooers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Dan A Greenberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
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9
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De Novo Assembly and Annotation of the Larval Transcriptome of Two Spadefoot Toads Widely Divergent in Developmental Rate. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:2647-2655. [PMID: 31217263 PMCID: PMC6686947 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians are highly vulnerable and diverse vertebrates for which we still have modest genomic resources. Amphibian larvae are key components of continental wetlands, where they have strong influences on energy fluxes, nutrient cycling, and community structure. Amphibian larvae are highly sensitive to environmental conditions and can often alter their physiology, behavior and even morphology in response to the local conditions experienced, although we still know relatively little about the transcriptomic changes that enable such plasticity. Here we contribute the larval transcriptomes of two spadefoot toad species with divergent developmental rates and degree of developmental plasticity in response to pond drying.
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10
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Grosso J, Baldo D, Cardozo D, Kolenc F, Borteiro C, de Oliveira MIR, Bonino MF, Barrasso DA, Vera Candioti F. Early ontogeny and sequence heterochronies in Leiuperinae frogs (Anura: Leptodactylidae). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218733. [PMID: 31246982 PMCID: PMC6597095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of early development in Neotropical Leiuperinae frogs (Anura, Leptodactylidae) has been addressed by several works in recent times. However, a comparative developmental approach under a phylogenetic context was not available. Herein we analyzed the morphological and ontogenetic diversity of embryos belonging to 22 species of the three largest genera in Leiuperinae. We find that in most cases, variations fit with the phylogeny at the inter- and intrageneric levels. Embryo kyphosis and whitish color are synapomorphies for the clade grouping Physalaemus and Engystomops. The presence of a third lower tooth row on the oral disc is plesiomorphic for Leiuperinae, only changing in derived clades. The configurations and developmental trajectories of the lower lip are exceptionally diverse. The developmental sequences optimized on the phylogenetic tree recover an early differentiated first lower tooth row a synapomorphy of Pseudopaludicola and Physalaemus, and an early differentiated second row as synapomorphy of Pleurodema. On the other hand, few features are highly conserved in the subfamily, such as the adhesive glands universally present in a type-C configuration. Our results also suggest that the morphology and ontogeny of embryos is in some cases associated to the environment where they develop. A large body size, poorly developed transient respiratory structures, large yolk provision and delayed development of the digestive tract occur convergently in embryos inhabiting cold, oxygenated environments. Embryos that develop in warmer water bodies in xeric environments show more complex and persistent transient respiratory structures and an early onset of hind limbs development. Our survey highlights that morphology and early development of anurans can be a valuable source of information for phylogenetic studies, and provide fundamental bases to explore and discuss how evolutionary changes can be shaped by environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Grosso
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET-FML), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Diego Baldo
- Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, (IBS-CONICET), Misiones, Argentina
| | - Darío Cardozo
- Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, (IBS-CONICET), Misiones, Argentina
| | - Francisco Kolenc
- Sección Herpetología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Claudio Borteiro
- Sección Herpetología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marianna I. R. de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Evolução (PPGBioEvo-UFBA), Ondina, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Marcelo F. Bonino
- Laboratorio de Ecología, Biología Evolutiva y Comportamiento de Herpetozoos (LEBECH), INIBIOMA (CONICET-UNCo), Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Diego A. Barrasso
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus-CONICET), Chubut, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia “San Juan Bosco” (UNPSJB), Chubut, Argentina
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11
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Marangoni F, Stănescu F, Courtis A, Piñeiro JM, Ingaramo MDR, Cajade R, Cogălniceanu D. Coping with Aridity: Life History ofChacophrys pierottii,a Fossorial Anuran of Gran Chaco. SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-17-00070.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Marangoni
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Avenida Libertad 5400, cp. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Florina Stănescu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Al. Universităţii 1, campus B, Constanţa 900470, Romania
| | - Azul Courtis
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Avenida Libertad 5400, cp. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - José Miguel Piñeiro
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Avenida Libertad 5400, cp. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
- Fundación Amado Bonpland, San Juan 1182, cp. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - María del Rosario Ingaramo
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Avenida Libertad 5400, cp. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Cajade
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Avenida Libertad 5400, cp. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
- Fundación Amado Bonpland, San Juan 1182, cp. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Dan Cogălniceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Al. Universităţii 1, campus B, Constanţa 900470, Romania
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12
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Liedtke HC, Gower DJ, Wilkinson M, Gomez-Mestre I. Macroevolutionary shift in the size of amphibian genomes and the role of life history and climate. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1792-1799. [PMID: 30250158 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0674-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The evolution and great diversity of genome size has been of long-standing interest to biologists, but has seldom been investigated on a broad phylogenetic scale. Here we present a comparative quantitative analysis of factors shaping genome size evolution in amphibians, the extant class of vertebrates with the largest variation in genome size. We find that amphibian genomes have undergone saltations in size, although these are rare and the evolutionary history of genome size in amphibians has otherwise been one of gradual, time-dependent variation (that is, Brownian motion). This macroevolutionary homogeneity is remarkable given the evolutionary and ecological diversity of most other aspects of the natural history of amphibians. Contrary to previous claims, we find no evidence for associations between life cycle complexity and genome size despite the high diversity of reproductive modes and the multiple events of independent evolution of divergent life cycles in the group. Climate (temperature and humidity) affects genome size indirectly, at least in frogs, as a consequence of its effect on premetamorphic developmental period, although directionality of the relationship between developmental period and genome size is not unequivocal.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Christoph Liedtke
- Ecology, Evolution and Developmental Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution and Developmental Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.
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13
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Morphological novelty emerges from pre-existing phenotypic plasticity. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1289-1297. [PMID: 29988161 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity-first evolution (PFE) posits that novel features arise when selection refines pre-existing phenotypic plasticity into an adaptive phenotype. However, PFE is controversial because few tests have been conducted in natural populations. Here we present evidence that PFE fostered the origin of an evolutionary novelty that allowed certain amphibians to invade a new niche-a distinctive carnivore morph. We compared morphology, gene expression and growth of three species of spadefoot toad tadpoles when reared on alternative diets: Scaphiopus holbrookii, which (like most frogs) never produce carnivores; Spea multiplicata, which sometimes produce carnivores, but only through diet-induced plasticity; and Spea bombifrons, which often produce carnivores regardless of diet. Consistent with PFE, we found diet-induced plasticity-in morphology and gene expression-in Sc. holbrookii, adaptive refinement of this plasticity in Sp. multiplicata, and further refinement of the carnivore phenotype in Sp. bombifrons. Generally, phenotypic plasticity might play a significant, if underappreciated, role in evolutionary innovation.
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14
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Levis NA, Pfennig DW. Phenotypic plasticity, canalization, and the origins of novelty: Evidence and mechanisms from amphibians. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 88:80-90. [PMID: 29408711 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A growing number of biologists have begun asking whether environmentally induced phenotypic change--'phenotypic plasticity'--precedes and facilitates the origin and canalization of novel, complex phenotypes. However, such 'plasticity-first evolution' (PFE) remains controversial. Here, we summarize the PFE hypothesis and describe how it can be evaluated in natural systems. We then review the evidence for PFE from amphibians (a group in which phenotypic plasticity is especially widespread) and describe how phenotypic plasticity might have facilitated macroevolutionary change. Finally, we discuss what is known about the proximate mechanisms of PFE in amphibians. We close with suggestions for future research. As we describe, amphibians offer some of the best support for plasticity's role in the origin of evolutionary novelties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Levis
- Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - David W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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15
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Kulkarni SS, Denver RJ, Gomez-Mestre I, Buchholz DR. Genetic accommodation via modified endocrine signalling explains phenotypic divergence among spadefoot toad species. Nat Commun 2017; 8:993. [PMID: 29051478 PMCID: PMC5648835 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00996-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic differences among species may evolve through genetic accommodation, but mechanisms accounting for this process are poorly understood. Here we compare hormonal variation underlying differences in the timing of metamorphosis among three spadefoot toads with different larval periods and responsiveness to pond drying. We find that, in response to pond drying, Pelobates cultripes and Spea multiplicata accelerate metamorphosis, increase standard metabolic rate (SMR), and elevate whole-body content of thyroid hormone (the primary morphogen controlling metamorphosis) and corticosterone (a stress hormone acting synergistically with thyroid hormone to accelerate metamorphosis). In contrast, Scaphiopus couchii has the shortest larval period, highest whole-body thyroid hormone and corticosterone content, and highest SMR, and these trait values are least affected by pond drying among the three species. Our findings support that the atypically rapid and canalized development of S. couchii evolved by genetic accommodation of endocrine pathways controlling metamorphosis, showing how phenotypic plasticity within species may evolve into trait variation among species. Genetic accommodation is a potential mechanism for the phenotypic divergence of species. Here, Kulkarni et al. compare endocrine responses of three spadefoot toad species to pond drying and suggest how evolution of mechanisms of developmental plasticity may account for trait variation among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh S Kulkarni
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Robert J Denver
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Almonte, E-41092, Spain.
| | - Daniel R Buchholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
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16
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Chen J, Bever GS, Yi HY, Norell MA. A burrowing frog from the late Paleocene of Mongolia uncovers a deep history of spadefoot toads (Pelobatoidea) in East Asia. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19209. [PMID: 26750105 PMCID: PMC4707494 DOI: 10.1038/srep19209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossils are indispensible in understanding the evolutionary origins of the modern fauna. Crown-group spadefoot toads (Anura: Pelobatoidea) are the best-known fossorial frog clade to inhabit arid environments, with species utilizing a characteristic bony spade on their foot for burrowing. Endemic to the Northern Hemisphere, they are distributed across the Holarctic except East Asia. Here we report a rare fossil of a crown-group spadefoot toad from the late Paleocene of Mongolia. The phylogenetic analysis using both morphological and molecular information recovered this Asian fossil inside the modern North American pelobatoid clade Scaphiopodidae. The presence of a spade and the phylogenetic position of the new fossil frog strongly support its burrowing behavior. The late Paleocene age and other information suggestive of a mild climate cast doubt on the conventional assertion that burrowing evolved as an adaptation to aridity in spadefoot toads. Temporally and geographically, the new fossil provides the earliest record of Scaphiopodidae worldwide, and the only member of the group in Asia. Quantitative biogeographic analysis suggests that Scaphiopodidae, despite originating in North America, dispersed into East Asia via Beringia in the Early Cenozoic. The absence of spadefoot toads in East Asia today is a result of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianye Chen
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York 10025.,Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York 10024
| | - Gaberiel S Bever
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York 10024.,Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York 11568
| | - Hong-Yu Yi
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JW
| | - Mark A Norell
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York 10025.,Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York 10024
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17
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Ontogeny of the Thyroid Glands During Larval Development of South American Horned Frogs (Anura, Ceratophryidae). Evol Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-014-9292-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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