scholarly journals Fossil evidence from South America for the diversification of Cunoniaceae by the earliest Palaeocene

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan A Jud ◽  
Maria A Gandolfo
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Herbarium Specimens ◽  
Crown Group ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
Extinct Species ◽  
Argentine Patagonia ◽  
History Of ◽  
Salamanca Formation

Abstract Background and Aims Cunoniaceae are woody plants with a distribution that suggests a complex history of Gondwanan vicariance, long-distance dispersal, diversification and extinction. Only four out of ~27 genera in Cunoniaceae are native to South America today, but the discovery of extinct species from Argentine Patagonia is providing new information about the history of this family in South America. Methods We describe fossil flowers collected from early Danian (early Palaeocene, ~64 Mya) deposits of the Salamanca Formation. We compare them with similar flowers from extant and extinct species using published literature and herbarium specimens. We used simultaneous analysis of morphology and available chloroplast DNA sequences (trnL–F, rbcL, matK, trnH–psbA) to determine the probable relationship of these fossils to living Cunoniaceae and the co-occurring fossil species Lacinipetalum spectabilum. Key Results Cunoniantha bicarpellata gen. et sp. nov. is the second species of Cunoniaceae to be recognized among the flowers preserved in the Salamanca Formation. Cunoniantha flowers are pentamerous and complete, the anthers contain in situ pollen, and the gynoecium is bicarpellate and syncarpous with two free styles. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Cunoniantha belongs to crown-group Cunoniaceae among the core Cunoniaceae clade, although it does not have obvious affinity with any tribe. Lacinipetalum spectabilum, also from the Salamanca Formation, belongs to the Cunoniaceae crown group as well, but close to tribe Schizomerieae. Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of West Gondwana in the evolution of Cunoniaceae during the early Palaeogene. The co-occurrence of C. bicarpellata and L. spectabilum, belonging to different clades within Cunoniaceae, indicates that the diversification of crown-group Cunoniaceae was under way by 64 Mya.

scholarly journals The genus <i>Allodia</i> (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) in Miocene Ethiopian amber

Fossil Record ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-346
Author(s):  
Valentine Bouju ◽  
Simon Rosse-Guillevic ◽  
Marion Griffon ◽  
Błażej Bojarski ◽  
Jacek Szwedo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Early Miocene ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
Extinct Species ◽  
New Information ◽  
Palearctic Region ◽  
History Of

Abstract. A new, extinct species of Allodia Winnertz is described from early Miocene amber of Ethiopia. Allodia paleoafricana sp. nov. is mostly characterized by the scutum with strong anteromarginal, dorsocentral, and lateral setae and the wing with the stem of the M-fork slightly shorter than the vein r–m and the base of the M4–CuA fork aligned with the base of r–m. The assignment to any of the two subgenera Allodia stricto sensu or Brachycampta Winnertz remains equivocal as the fossil intermingles traits found in both taxa. Allodia is known mostly from the Palearctic region, while only a few species have been described from Africa. In this regard, the new fossil species from Ethiopia brings significant new information regarding the Afrotropical distribution and natural history of the genus.

scholarly journals Recent and Rapid Radiation of the Highly Endangered Harlequin Frogs (Atelopus) into Central America Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 360
Author(s):  
Juan Ramírez ◽  
César Jaramillo ◽  
Erik Lindquist ◽  
Andrew Crawford ◽  
Roberto Ibáñez
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
South America ◽  
Central America ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Central American ◽  
Tree Model ◽  
South American Species ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Museum Samples ◽  
History Of

Populations of amphibians are experiencing severe declines worldwide. One group with the most catastrophic declines is the Neotropical genus Atelopus (Anura: Bufonidae). Many species of Atelopus have not been seen for decades and all eight Central American species are considered “Critically Endangered”, three of them very likely extinct. Nonetheless, the taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeographic history of Central American Atelopus are still poorly known. In this study, the phylogenetic relationships among seven of the eight described species in Central America were inferred based on mitochondrial DNA sequences from 103 individuals, including decades-old museum samples and two likely extinct species, plus ten South American species. Among Central American samples, we discovered two candidate species that should be incorporated into conservation programs. Phylogenetic inference revealed a ladderized topology, placing species geographically furthest from South America more nested in the tree. Model-based ancestral area estimation supported either one or two colonization events from South America. Relaxed-clock analysis of divergence times indicated that Atelopus colonized Central America prior to 4 million years ago (Ma), supporting a slightly older than traditional date for the closure of the Isthmus. This study highlights the invaluable role of museum collections in documenting past biodiversity, and these results could guide future conservation efforts. An abstract in Spanish (Resumen) is available as supplementary material.

scholarly journals Ancient and modern DNA reveal dynamics of domestication and cross-continental dispersal of the dromedary

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (24) ◽  
pp. 6707-6712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Almathen ◽  
Pauline Charruau ◽  
Elmira Mohandesan ◽  
Joram M. Mwacharo ◽  
Pablo Orozco-terWengel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Ancient Dna ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Arabian Peninsula ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Genotype Information ◽  
Mitochondrial Genotype ◽  
History Of ◽  
Approximate Bayesian

Dromedaries have been fundamental to the development of human societies in arid landscapes and for long-distance trade across hostile hot terrains for 3,000 y. Today they continue to be an important livestock resource in marginal agro-ecological zones. However, the history of dromedary domestication and the influence of ancient trading networks on their genetic structure have remained elusive. We combined ancient DNA sequences of wild and early-domesticated dromedary samples from arid regions with nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial genotype information from 1,083 extant animals collected across the species’ range. We observe little phylogeographic signal in the modern population, indicative of extensive gene flow and virtually affecting all regions except East Africa, where dromedary populations have remained relatively isolated. In agreement with archaeological findings, we identify wild dromedaries from the southeast Arabian Peninsula among the founders of the domestic dromedary gene pool. Approximate Bayesian computations further support the “restocking from the wild” hypothesis, with an initial domestication followed by introgression from individuals from wild, now-extinct populations. Compared with other livestock, which show a long history of gene flow with their wild ancestors, we find a high initial diversity relative to the native distribution of the wild ancestor on the Arabian Peninsula and to the brief coexistence of early-domesticated and wild individuals. This study also demonstrates the potential to retrieve ancient DNA sequences from osseous remains excavated in hot and dry desert environments.

scholarly journals Eocene origin, Miocene diversification and intercontinental dispersal of the genus Drosera (Droseraceae)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Sen ◽  
Neha Tiwari ◽  
R Ganesan
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Fossil Calibration ◽  
History Of ◽  
Nuclear Its

AbstractResolving the evolutionary history of plant carnivory is of great interest to biologists throughout the world. Among the carnivorous plants, Genus Drosera (Droseraceae) is highly diverse with a wide pantropical distribution. Despite being a group of interest for evolutionary biology studies since the time of Charles Darwin, the historical biogeography of this group remains poorly understood. In this study, with an improved species sampling from Genbank, we present a reanalyzed phylogenetic hypothesis of the genus Drosera. We developed a dated molecular phylogeny of Drosera from DNA sequences of nuclear ITS and chloroplast rbcL genes. Divergence times were estimated on the combined dataset using an uncorrelated lognormal relaxed clock model and a known fossil calibration implemented in BEAST. The maximum clade credibility tree was then used for ancestral range estimations using DEC+J model implemented in BioGeoBEARS. Our analysis suggests that Drosera evolved during the Mid Eocene 36 Ma [95% HPD: 49.5-26] and have diversified and dispersed from the late Miocene onwards. Ancestral areas estimated using the DEC+J models suggest an African origin followed major radiation within Australia. Diversification in Drosera is temporally congruent with the prevailing drier conditions during the Miocene. From Miocene, grasslands and open habitats dominated across continents and might have provided ecological opportunities for their dispersal and diversification. Several long-distance dispersals and range extensions and in situ radiations coinciding with the evolution of drier conditions can explain their extant distribution across continents. Overall our data set provides fresh insights into the biogeographic factors that shaped the origin and evolution of the genus Drosera.

scholarly journals A reassessment of the enigmatic diapsid Paliguana whitei and the early history of Lepidosauromorpha

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1957) ◽  
pp. 20211084
Author(s):  
David P. Ford ◽  
Susan E. Evans ◽  
Jonah N. Choiniere ◽  
Vincent Fernandez ◽  
Roger B. J. Benson
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Temporal Region ◽  
Crown Group ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
Dental Implantation ◽  
Evolutionary Radiation ◽  
Stem Lineage ◽  
History Of ◽  
Phylogenetic Affinities

Lepidosaurs include lizards, snakes, amphisbaenians and the tuatara, comprising a highly speciose evolutionary radiation with widely varying anatomical traits. Their stem-lineage originated by the late middle Permian 259 million years ago, but its early fossil record is poorly documented, obscuring the origins of key anatomical and functional traits of the group. Paliguana whitei , from the Early Triassic of South Africa, is an enigmatic fossil species with the potential to provide information on this. However, its anatomy and phylogenetic affinities remain highly uncertain, and have been debated since its discovery more than 100 years ago. We present microtomographic three-dimensional imaging of the cranial anatomy of P. whitei that clarifies these uncertainties, providing strong evidence for lepidosauromorph affinities based on the structure of the temporal region and the implantation of marginal dentition. Phylogenetic analysis including these new data recovers Paliguana as the earliest known stem-lepidosaur, within a long-lived group of early diverging lepidosauromorphs that persisted to at least the Middle Jurassic. Our results provide insights into cranial evolution on the lepidosaur stem-lineage, confirming that characteristics of pleurodont dental implantation evolved early on the lepidosaur stem-lineage. By contrast, key functional traits related to hearing (quadrate conch) and feeding (streptostyly) evolved later in the lepidosaur crown-group.

Charles Waterton (1782–1865) and wourali

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Padfield
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
British Guiana ◽  
History Of

Charles Waterton was the eccentric “Lord of Walton Hall” near Wakefield in Yorkshire. His Wanderings in South America was first published in 1826; translated into French, German and Spanish, it was a best seller. He brought back wourali used by the Macoushi natives of British Guiana (now Guyana) for killing prey; there is a piece of it in the Wakefield Museum. This paper traces the history of wourali which paralyses its victims; its attempted medical use for rabies and tetanus and, though different from curare, its belated use in modern anaesthesia.

Correspondence between Adolphe Brongniart and Robert Schomburgk: trading natural history collections for honours

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-336
Author(s):  
PIOTR DASZKIEWICZ ◽  
MICHEL JEGU
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Herbarium Specimens ◽  
British Guiana ◽  
Natural History Collections ◽  
History Of ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
German Naturalist

ABSTRACT: This paper discusses some correspondence between Robert Schomburgk (1804–1865) and Adolphe Brongniart (1801–1876). Four letters survive, containing information about the history of Schomburgk's collection of fishes and plants from British Guiana, and his herbarium specimens from Dominican Republic and southeast Asia. A study of these letters has enabled us to confirm that Schomburgk supplied the collection of fishes from Guiana now in the Laboratoire d'Ichtyologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. The letters of the German naturalist are an interesting source of information concerning the practice of sale and exchange of natural history collections in the nineteenth century in return for honours.

“What Freedom?”

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-331
Author(s):  
John Owen Havard
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
French Revolution ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Free Condition ◽  
Narrative Design ◽  
Economic Liberalism ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ways Of Thinking ◽  
John Owen

John Owen Havard, “‘What Freedom?’: Frankenstein, Anti-Occidentalism, and English Liberty” (pp. 305–331) “If he were vanquished,” Victor Frankenstein states of his monstrous creation in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), “I should be a free man.” But he goes on: “Alas! what freedom? such as the peasant enjoys when his family have been massacred before his eyes, his cottage burnt, his lands laid waste, and he is turned adrift, homeless, pennyless, and alone, but free.” Victor’s circumstances approximate the deracinated subject of an emergent economic liberalism, while looking to other destitute and shipwrecked heroes. Yet the ironic “freedom” described here carries an added charge, which Victor underscores when he concludes this account of his ravaged condition: “Such would be my liberty.” This essay revisits the geographic plotting of Frankenstein: the digression to the East in the nested “harem” episode, the voyage to England, the neglected episode of Victor’s imprisonment in Ireland, and the creature’s desire to live in South America. Locating Victor’s concluding appeal to his “free” condition within the novel’s expansive geography amplifies the political stakes of his downfall, calling attention to not only his own suffering but the wider trail of destruction left in his wake. Where existing critical accounts have emphasized the French Revolution and its violent aftermath, this obscures the novel’s pointed critique of a deep and tangled history of English liberty and its destructive legacies. Reexamining the novel’s geography in tandem with its use of form similarly allows us to rethink the overarching narrative design of Frankenstein, in ways that disrupt, if not more radically dislocate, existing rigid ways of thinking about the novel.

Systematics, Biogeography, and Morphological Character Evolution of the Hemiepiphytic Subfamily Monsteroideae (Araceae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Zuluaga ◽  
Martin Llano ◽  
Ken Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
R Package ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Seed Shape ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The Tropics

The subfamily Monsteroideae (Araceae) is the third richest clade in the family, with ca. 369 described species and ca. 700 estimated. It comprises mostly hemiepiphytic or epiphytic plants restricted to the tropics, with three intercontinental disjunctions. Using a dataset representing all 12 genera in Monsteroideae (126 taxa), and five plastid and two nuclear markers, we studied the systematics and historical biogeography of the group. We found high support for the monophyly of the three major clades (Spathiphylleae sister to Heteropsis Kunth and Rhaphidophora Hassk. clades), and for six of the genera within Monsteroideae. However, we found low rates of variation in the DNA sequences used and a lack of molecular markers suitable for species-level phylogenies in the group. We also performed ancestral state reconstruction of some morphological characters traditionally used for genera delimitation. Only seed shape and size, number of seeds, number of locules, and presence of endosperm showed utility in the classification of genera in Monsteroideae. We estimated ancestral ranges using a dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis model as implemented in the R package BioGeoBEARS and found evidence for a Gondwanan origin of the clade. One tropical disjunction (Monstera Adans. sister to Amydrium Schott–Epipremnum Schott) was found to be the product of a previous Boreotropical distribution. Two other disjunctions are more recent and likely due to long-distance dispersal: Spathiphyllum Schott (with Holochlamys Engl. nested within) represents a dispersal from South America to the Pacific Islands in Southeast Asia, and Rhaphidophora represents a dispersal from Asia to Africa. Future studies based on stronger phylogenetic reconstructions and complete morphological datasets are needed to explore the details of speciation and migration within and among areas in Asia.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document