Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of the Australian trapdoor spider genus Conothele (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Halonoproctidae): diversification into arid habitats in an otherwise tropical radiation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel A. Huey ◽  
Mia J. Hillyer ◽  
Mark S. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Continental Drift ◽  
Ancestral Area ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Units ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Single Clade ◽  
History Of ◽  
Lineage Diversity

In Australia, climate change and continental drift have given rise to a complex biota comprising mesic specialists, arid-adapted lineages, and taxa that have arrived on the continent from Asia. We explore the phylogenetic diversity and biogeographic history of the Australian trapdoor spider genus Conothele Thorell, 1878 that is widespread in Australia’s monsoonal tropics and arid zone. We sequenced three mtDNA and five nuDNA markers from 224 specimens. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among specimens and estimated the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using species delimitation methods. The timing of divergences was estimated and ancestral area reconstructions were conducted. We recovered 61 OTUs, grouped into four major clades; a single clade represented by an arboreal ecomorph, and three fossorial clades. The Australian Conothele had a crown age of ~19 million years, and ancestral area reconstructions showed a complex history with multiple transitions among the monsoonal tropics, central arid zone, south-west and Pilbara bioregion. Conothele arrived on the continent during periods of biotic exchange with Asia. Since then, Conothele has colonised much of the Australian arid and monsoonal zones, during a period of climatic instability. The Pilbara bioregion harbours high lineage diversity, emphasising the role of climate refugia.

From the desert it came: evolution of the Australian paper daisy genus Leucochrysum (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae)

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander N. Schmidt-Lebuhn ◽  
Kiarrah J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
Nuclear Gene ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Ancestral Area ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Ancestral Area Reconstruction ◽  
History Of ◽  
Australian Flora

Present patterns of diversity in the Australian flora have been shaped by increasing seasonality since the Eocene, and by pronounced aridification in the past 3 million years. Arid-zone plants are commonly hypothesised to be the products of radiations of ancestrally temperate or coastal lineages, as in the case of the everlasting paper daisy tribe Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae). However, these inferences are often based on higher-level phylogenies, whereas evolutionary processes in the Australian Gnaphalieae have rarely been studied at the species level. Here, we reconstructed the phylogeny and biogeographic history of the small, but ecologically diverse, paper daisy genus Leucochrysum, to examine recent habitat shifts and character changes, at the same time exploring the feasibility of using amplicon sequencing of low-copy nuclear gene regions to resolve phylogenetic relationships in Australian Gnaphalieae. On the balance of evidence, outgroup comparison and ancestral-area reconstruction support an ancestral range in the arid zone with subsequent diversification towards the south-east, demonstrating a complex evolutionary history with a re-colonisation of temperate areas. Low amplification success rates suggest that methods other than amplicon sequencing of currently available primers will be more promising for molecular phylogenetic work at a larger scale.

Phylogenetic relationships in the lizard genus Diplodactylus Gray and resurrection of Lucasium Wermuth (Gekkota, Diplodactylidae)

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Oliver ◽  
Mark N. Hutchinson ◽  
Steven J. B. Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
The Other ◽  
Sister Group Relationship ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Species Groups

Diplodactylid geckos offer a model system for investigating the biogeographic history of Australia and adaptive radiations in the arid zone, but there is considerable uncertainty in the systematics of several key genera. We used sequence data from mitochondrial DNA to carry out a comprehensive analysis of phylogenetic relationships of geckos in the genus Diplodactylus. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses were highly concordant and allocated all species to one of two monophyletic clades, one comprising the species placed in the vittatus and conspicillatus species groups, the other comprising species placed in the stenodactylus and steindachneri species groups, plus D. byrnei, formerly in the vittatus group. The distinctness of these two clades is supported by external morphology of the digits, body and limb proportions, and osteology of the bones in the orbital region, and we use these characters to formally define the two clades as genera. We revive and expand the genus Lucasium for D. byrnei, D. steindachneri and the stenodactylus group, with the other species staying in a redefined Diplodactylus. The monotypic Rhynchoedura is distinct from Lucasium, although the Bayesian mtDNA analysis (but not parsimony) gives some support for a sister-group relationship between Lucasium and Rhynchoedura. Molecular data suggest that each of these clades represents a distinct radiation into semiarid and arid terrestrial habitats during the mid-Tertiary, well before the hypothesised Pliocene onset of major aridification.

Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic range evolution in cat-eyed snakes, Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L Weinell ◽  
Anthony J Barley ◽  
Cameron D Siler ◽  
Nikolai L Orlov ◽  
Natalia B Ananjeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Boiga Irregularis ◽  
Brown Tree Snake ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dispersal Events

Abstract The genus Boiga includes 35, primarily arboreal snake species distributed from the Middle East to Australia and many islands in the western Pacific, with particularly high species diversity in South-East Asia. Despite including the iconic mangrove snakes (Boiga dendrophila complex) and the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis; infamous for avian extinctions on small islands of the Pacific), species-level phylogenetic relationships and the biogeographic history of this ecologically and morphologically distinct clade are poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for 24 Boiga species and used these data to estimate a robust phylogenetic inference, in order to (1) test the hypothesis that Boiga is monophyletic, (2) evaluate the validity of current species-level taxonomy and (3) examine whether geographic range evolution in Boiga is consistent with expectations concerning dispersal and colonization of vertebrates between continents and islands. Our results support the prevailing view that most dispersal events are downstream – from continents to oceanic islands – but we also identify a role for upstream dispersal from oceanic islands to continents. Additionally, the novel phylogeny of Boiga presented here is informative for updating species-level taxonomy within the genus.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of the unique Saxifraga sect. Irregulares (Saxifragaceae) from eastern Asia

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 958-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng‐Hua Zhang ◽  
Chao‐Yong Wang ◽  
Cheng Zhang ◽  
Dai‐Gui Zhang ◽  
Ke‐Gang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical history of the large extinct European testudinids

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Vlachos ◽  
Adán Pérez-García ◽  
Márton Rabi
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
History Of ◽  
In The Beginning

Background. Large-sized testudinids had a long evolutionary history in Europe during the last 50 million years before becoming extinct in the beginning of the Pleistocene. Despite a 150-year long history in research and a decent fossil record, the European large testudinids have received limited attention so far. Methods. New excavations, descriptions of new specimens from Greece, Spain and Germany, revisions of previously published European taxa and comparative studies with extant testudinids now provide a major advancement in understanding the anatomy and evolutionary history of these turtles. This contribution aims to provide an updated summary of the accumulated knowledge on European large tortoises and to explore in detail their phylogenetic relationships in a global context (including small-sized extinct and extant taxa). The phylogenetic analysis is based on a new character/taxon matrix of morphological characters. Parsimony analysis was performed both with and without molecular backbone constraints. Results. We describe new material of large testudinids from Greece, Spain and Germany and revise most of the available material that has been previously published. Our morphology-based results are promising since they are consistent with recent molecular studies in identifying large testudinids traditionally referred to the Geochelone complex as polyphyletic. Furthermore, we were able to reproduce the molecular phylogeny of Mediterranean tortoises (Testudona). Discussion. The phylogenetic framework presented here allows addressing several open questions of the history of testudinids. First of all, it hints to a more complex biogeographic history of European testudinids than previously recognized. Although the early Paleogene history of testudinids cannot be accurately traced at the moment it seems probable that, besides Asia and North America, Europe also played a major role in the early diversification of Testudinidae. We demonstrate that large European testudinids do not form a monophyletic lineage. The widely recognized genus Cheirogaster should only include the Eocene type species, and exclude other large Paleogene or giant Neogene taxa so far known. Our analysis reveals that large size evolved independently in several clades and in several continents during warmer parts of the Cenozoic. Besides this general scheme other factors might have played a role regionally (e.g. changes in vegetation, island isolation).

scholarly journals The biogeographic history of eelpouts and related fishes: linking phylogeny, environmental change, and patterns of dispersal in a globally distributed fish group

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Hotaling ◽  
Marek L. Borowiec ◽  
Luana S.F. Lins ◽  
Thomas Desvignes ◽  
Joanna L. Kelley
Keyword(s):  
Continental Drift ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fish Group ◽  
Polar Ocean ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Key Events ◽  
Globally Distributed

AbstractModern genetic data sets present unprecedented opportunities to understand the evolutionary origins of taxonomic groups comprising hundreds to thousands of species. When the timing of key events are known, it is also possible to investigate biogeographic history in the context of major phenomena (e.g., continental drift). In this study, we investigated the biogeographic history of the suborder Zoarcoidei, a globally distributed fish group that includes species inhabiting both poles and multiple taxa that produce antifreeze proteins to survive chronic subfreezing temperatures. We first generated a multi-locus, time-calibrated phylogeny for the group. We then used biogeographic modeling to reconstruct ancestral ranges across the tree and quantify the type and frequency of biogeographic events (e.g., founder, dispersal). With these results, we considered how the cooling of the Southern and Arctic Oceans, which reached their present-day subfreezing temperatures 10-15 million years ago (Mya) and 2-3 Mya, respectively, may have shaped the evolutionary history of Zoarcoidei, with an emphasis on the most speciose and widely distributed family, eelpouts (family Zoarcidae). Our phylogenetic results clarified standing issues in the Zoarcoidei taxonomy and showed that the group began to diversify in the Oligocene ∼31-32 Mya, with the center of origin for all families in north temperate waters. Within-area speciation was the most common biogeographic event in the group’s history (80% of all events) followed by dispersal (20%). Finally, we found mixed evidence for polar ocean cooling underpinning Zoarcoidei diversification, with support limited to eelpout speciation in the Southern Ocean over the last 10 million years.

Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of Paradolichopithecus sushkini Trofimov 1977, a large-bodied cercopithecine monkey from the Pliocene of Eurasia

2008 ◽  
Vol 179 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masanaru Takai ◽  
Evgeny N. Maschenko ◽  
Takeshi D. Nishimura ◽  
Tomoko Anezaki ◽  
Tomoki Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Phylogenomic history of enigmatic pygmy perches: implications for biogeography, taxonomy and conservation

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 172125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean J. Buckley ◽  
Fabricius M. C. B. Domingos ◽  
Catherine R. M. Attard ◽  
Chris J. Brauer ◽  
Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Mitochondrial Data ◽  
Australian Continent ◽  
History Of ◽  
Arid Habitat ◽  
East West

Pygmy perches (Percichthyidae) are a group of poorly dispersing freshwater fishes that have a puzzling biogeographic disjunction across southern Australia. Current understanding of pygmy perch phylogenetic relationships suggests past east–west migrations across a vast expanse of now arid habitat in central southern Australia, a region lacking contemporary rivers. Pygmy perches also represent a threatened group with confusing taxonomy and potentially cryptic species diversity. Here, we present the first study of the evolutionary history of pygmy perches based on genome-wide information. Data from 13 991 ddRAD loci and a concatenated sequence of 1 075 734 bp were generated for all currently described and potentially cryptic species. Phylogenetic relationships, biogeographic history and cryptic diversification were inferred using a framework that combines phylogenomics, species delimitation and estimation of divergence times. The genome-wide phylogeny clarified the biogeographic history of pygmy perches, demonstrating multiple east–west events of divergence within the group across the Australian continent. These results also resolved discordance between nuclear and mitochondrial data from a previous study. In addition, we propose three cryptic species within a southwestern species complex. The finding of potentially new species demonstrates that pygmy perches may be even more susceptible to ecological and demographic threats than previously thought. Our results have substantial implications for improving conservation legislation of pygmy perch lineages, especially in southwestern Western Australia.

scholarly journals History and Geography of Neotropical Tree Diversity

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Dick ◽  
R. Toby Pennington
Keyword(s):  
Community Assembly ◽  
Tree Diversity ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Neotropical Forests ◽  
The Past ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Neotropical Tree ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Early botanical explorers invoked biogeographic history to explain the remarkable tree diversity of Neotropical forests. In this context, we review the history of Neotropical tree diversity over the past 100 million years, focusing on biomes with significant tree diversity. We evaluate hypotheses for rain forest origins, intercontinental disjunctions, and models of Neotropical tree diversification. To assess the impact of biotic interchange on the Amazon tree flora, we examined biogeographic histories of trees in Ecuador's Yasuní Forest, which suggest that nearly 50% of its species descend from immigrant lineages that colonized South America during the Cenozoic. Long-distance and intercontinental dispersal, combined with trait filtering and niche evolution, are important factors in the community assembly of Neotropical forests. We evaluate the role of pre-Columbian people on Neotropical tree diversity and discuss the future of Neotropical forests in the Anthropocene.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document