scholarly journals Specialized proteinine rove beetles shed light on insect–fungal associations in the Cretaceous

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1845) ◽  
pp. 20161439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenyang Cai ◽  
Alfred F. Newton ◽  
Margaret K. Thayer ◽  
Richard A. B. Leschen ◽  
Diying Huang
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Rove Beetles ◽  
Rove Beetle ◽  
Slime Moulds ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fungal Associations ◽  
Specialized Structure ◽  
Shed Light

Insects and fungi have a long history of association in shared habitats. Fungus-feeding, or mycophagy, is remarkably widespread in beetles (Coleoptera) and appears to be a primitive feeding habit that preceded feeding on plant tissues. Numerous Mesozoic beetles belonging to extant fungus-associated families are known, but direct fossil evidence elucidating mycophagy in insects has remained elusive. Here, we report a remarkable genus and species, Vetuproteinus cretaceus gen. et sp. nov., belonging to a new tribe (Vetuproteinini trib. nov.) of the extant rove beetle subfamily Proteininae (Staphylinidae) in Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The mouthparts of this beetle have a markedly enlarged protruding galea bearing an apparent spore brush, a specialized structure we infer was used to scrape spores off surfaces and direct them into the mouth, as in multiple modern spore-feeding beetles. Considering the long evolutionary history of Fungi, the Mid-Cretaceous beetles likely fed on ancient Basidiomycota and/or Ascomycota fungi or spore-producing organisms such as slime moulds (Myxomycetes). The discovery of the first Mesozoic proteinine illustrates the antiquity of the subfamily, and suggests that ancestral Proteininae were already diverse and widespread in Pangaea before the supercontinent broke up.

scholarly journals Nephromyces represents a diverse and novel lineage of the Apicomplexa that has retained apicoplasts

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio A Muñoz-Gómez ◽  
Keira Durnin ◽  
Laura Eme ◽  
Christopher Paight ◽  
Christopher E Lane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Style ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathways ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sea Squirts ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Apicoplast Genome

Abstract A most interesting exception within the parasitic Apicomplexa is Nephromyces, an extracellular, probably mutualistic, endosymbiont found living inside molgulid ascidian tunicates (i.e., sea squirts). Even though Nephromyces is now known to be an apicomplexan, many other questions about its nature remain unanswered. To gain further insights into the biology and evolutionary history of this unusual apicomplexan, we aimed to (1) find the precise phylogenetic position of Nephromyces within the Apicomplexa, (2) search for the apicoplast genome of Nephromyces, and (3) infer the major metabolic pathways in the apicoplast of Nephromyces. To do this, we sequenced a metagenome and a metatranscriptome from the molgulid renal sac, the specialized habitat where Nephromyces thrives. Our phylogenetic analyses of conserved nucleus-encoded genes robustly suggest that Nephromyces is a novel lineage sister to the Hematozoa, which comprises both the Haemosporidia (e.g., Plasmodium) and the Piroplasmida (e.g., Babesia and Theileria). Furthermore, a survey of the renal sac metagenome revealed 13 small contigs that closely resemble the genomes of the non-photosynthetic reduced plastids, or apicoplasts, of other apicomplexans. We show that these apicoplast genomes correspond to a diverse set of most closely related but genetically divergent Nephromyces lineages that co-inhabit a single tunicate host. In addition, the apicoplast of Nephromyces appears to have retained all biosynthetic pathways inferred to have been ancestral to parasitic apicomplexans. Our results shed light on the evolutionary history of the only probably mutualistic apicomplexan known, Nephromyces, and provide context for a better understanding of its life style and intricate symbiosis.

A fossil water measurer from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha: Hydrometridae)

2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Møller Andersen ◽  
David Grimaldi
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Wing Venation ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
History Of

AbstractSemiaquatic bugs (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha) comprise about 1,800 extant species classified in eight families. So far, 38 fossil species belonging to six families have been described or recorded, most of Cenozoic age. Knowledge about the evolutionary history of the major groups of Gerromorpha is seriously hampered by the scarcity of well-preserved Mesozoic fossils, especially from the Cretaceous. The present paper reports on a well-preserved semiaquatic bug from amber collected in the northern part of Myanmar (Burma). The source of this fossiliferous amber was previously considered to be Eocene in age, but recent evidence indicates that it originated in the Middle Cretaceous (Turonian-Cenomanian), or 100-90 Ma. The fossil species is described as Carinametra burmensis gen. et sp. n. The presence of three pairs of cephalic trichobothria, a prolonged head, long slender antennae and legs, reduced wing venation, etc., places the fossil in the gerromorphan family Hydrometridae or water measurers. Other characters suggest a close relationship with the two extant genera of the most basal of the hydrometrid subfamilies, Heterocleptinae. We present and discuss the available evidence used in the dating of Burmese amber. Finally, we discuss the phylogenetic, paleobiological, and biogeographic significance of the new fossil.

scholarly journals Integrated phylogenomic and fossil evidence of stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) reveal a Permian–Triassic co-origination with insectivores

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 201689
Author(s):  
Erik Tihelka ◽  
Chenyang Cai ◽  
Mattia Giacomelli ◽  
Davide Pisani ◽  
Philip C. J. Donoghue
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Molecular Clock ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Transcriptomic Data ◽  
Insect Order ◽  
Fossil Evidence ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution

Stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) are a distinctive insect order whose members are characterized by mimicking various plant tissues such as twigs, foliage and bark. Unfortunately, the phylogenetic relationships among phasmatodean subfamilies and the timescale of their evolution remain uncertain. Recent molecular clock analyses have suggested a Cretaceous–Palaeogene origin of crown Phasmatodea and a subsequent Cenozoic radiation, contrasting with fossil evidence. Here, we analysed transcriptomic data from a broad diversity of phasmatodeans and, combined with the assembly of a new suite of fossil calibrations, we elucidate the evolutionary history of stick and leaf insects. Our results differ from recent studies in the position of the leaf insects (Phylliinae), which are recovered as sister to a clade comprising Clitumninae, Lancerocercata, Lonchodinae, Necrosciinae and Xenophasmina . We recover a Permian to Triassic origin of crown Phasmatodea coinciding with the radiation of early insectivorous parareptiles, amphibians and synapsids. Aschiphasmatinae and Neophasmatodea diverged in the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous. A second spur in origination occurred in the Late Cretaceous, coinciding with the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, and was probably driven by visual predators such as stem birds (Enantiornithes) and the radiation of angiosperms.

scholarly journals The earliest beetle with mouthparts specialized for feeding on nectar is a parasitoid of mid-Cretaceous Hymenoptera

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Batelka ◽  
Jakub Prokop
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Early Permian ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background During the Mesozoic, there were many insects in several holometabolous orders (Neuroptera, Mecoptera and Diptera) with elongated mouthparts adapted for feeding on nectar. The evolutionary history of the megadiverse order Coleptera, which has a great diversity of mouthparts and feeding strategies, is well documented since early Permian with a significant peak in diversity in the Triassic. Currently, however, there is no evidence that in the Mesozoic these beetles fed on nectar despite the recorded specializations for pollination of flowering plants in several families since the mid-Cretaceous. Results Here we describe a new wedge-shaped beetle Melanosiagon serraticornis gen. et sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber attributed to Macrosiagonini (Ripiphoridae: Ripiphorinae), which has elongated galea comparable to that in the extant parasitoid genus Macrosiagon, and a well known example of adaptation for nectar feeding in Coleoptera. Furthermore, Salignacicola gen. nov. is established for Macrosiagon ebboi Perrichot, Nel et Néraudeau, 2004, based on the holotype found in mid-Cretaceous amber from France. Systematic positions of both newly established genera are discussed. A list of potential wasp and bee hosts of Ripiphorinae from the Mesozoic is provided. Conclusions This study presents evidence of the earliest occurrence of specialized nectar feeding mouthparts in Coleoptera. Melanosiagon serraticornis is closely related to extant Macrosiagonini. In all genera belonging to subfamily Ripiphorinae the primary larvae are adapted for parasitism on aculeate Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) and adults are associated with blossoms of flowering plants, in terms of their specialized morphology. Adults of Macrosiagon visit blossoms of flowering plants to obtain nectar and lay eggs from which the hatching larvae attack visiting wasps and bees. An association with flowers of some tropical trees is already corroborated in some extant species. Interestingly the larvae of Ripiphorinae are also found in Burmese amber. Thus, both life stages of the mid-Cretaceous Ripiphorinae indicate a close association of this lineage with flowering trees.

Scydmaenus linqibini sp. nov., a new fossil Scydmaenini in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 036-040
Author(s):  
ZIWEI YIN ◽  
DEYAO ZHOU
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Morphological Disparity ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fossil Records

The tribe Scydmaenini is the second most diverse group of the ant-like stone beetle subfamily Scydmaeninae, with more than 730 extant species classified in seven extant genera (Newton, 2019). However, confirmed fossil records important for elucidating the evolutionary history of the tribe are extremely rare, represented by only two species previously reported from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber (Yin et al., 2018; Yin & Cai, 2019). Provided in this paper is the description of a third fossil species of Scydmaenini, again from Burmese amber, which sheds new light on the palaeodiversity and morphological disparity of this group during its early evolutionary stage.

scholarly journals Basal polyphagan beetles in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar: biogeographic implications and long-term morphological stasis

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1894) ◽  
pp. 20182175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenyang Cai ◽  
John F. Lawrence ◽  
Shûhei Yamamoto ◽  
Richard A. B. Leschen ◽  
Alfred F. Newton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Incertae Sedis ◽  
Morphological Stasis ◽  
New Synonym ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
History Of ◽  
Living Species

The origin and early evolutionary history of polyphagan beetles have been largely based on evidence from the derived and diverse ‘core Polyphaga’, whereas little is known about the species-poor basal polyphagan lineages, which include Scirtoidea (Clambidae, Decliniidae, Eucinetidae, and Scirtidae) and Derodontidae. Here, we report two new species Acalyptomerus thayerae sp. nov. and Sphaerothorax uenoi sp. nov., both belonging to extant genera of Clambidae, from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Acalyptomerus thayerae has a close affinity to A. herbertfranzi , a species currently occurring in Mesoamerica and northern South America. Sphaerothorax uenoi is closely related to extant species of Sphaerothorax , which are usually collected in forests of Nothofagus of Australia, Chile, and New Zealand. The discovery of two Cretaceous species from northern Myanmar indicates that both genera had lengthy evolutionary histories, originated at least by the earliest Cenomanian, and were probably more widespread than at present. Remarkable morphological similarities between fossil and living species suggest that both genera changed little over long periods of geological time. The long-term persistence of similar mesic microhabitats such as leaf litter may account for the 99 Myr morphological stasis in Acalyptomerus and Sphaerothorax . Additionally, the extinct staphylinoid family Ptismidae is proposed as a new synonym of Clambidae, and its only included species Ptisma zasukhae is placed as incertae sedis within Clambidae.

scholarly journals The Quaternary evolutionary history of Bristol rock cress (Arabis scabra, Brassicaceae), a Mediterranean element with an outpost in the north-western Atlantic region

2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus A Koch ◽  
Johanna Möbus ◽  
Clara A Klöcker ◽  
Stephanie Lippert ◽  
Laura Ruppert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Distribution Range ◽  
Gene Pools ◽  
British Isles ◽  
The South ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Distinct Gene ◽  
History Of ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract Background and Aims Bristol rock cress is among the few plant species in the British Isles considered to have a Mediterranean–montane element. Spatiotemporal patterns of colonization of the British Isles since the last interglacial and after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) from mainland Europe are underexplored and have not yet included such floristic elements. Here we shed light on the evolutionary history of a relic and outpost metapopulation of Bristol rock cress in the south-western UK. Methods Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) were used to identify distinct gene pools. Plastome assembly and respective phylogenetic analysis revealed the temporal context. Herbarium material was largely used to exemplify the value of collections to obtain a representative sampling covering the entire distribution range. Key Results The AFLPs recognized two distinct gene pools, with the Iberian Peninsula as the primary centre of genetic diversity and the origin of lineages expanding before and after the LGM towards mountain areas in France and Switzerland. No present-day lineages are older than 51 ky, which is in sharp contrast to the species stem group age of nearly 2 My, indicating severe extinction and bottlenecks throughout the Pleistocene. The British Isles were colonized after the LGM and feature high genetic diversity. Conclusions The short-lived perennial herb Arabis scabra, which is restricted to limestone, has expanded its distribution range after the LGM, following corridors within an open landscape, and may have reached the British Isles via the desiccated Celtic Sea at about 16 kya. This study may shed light on the origin of other rare and peculiar species co-occurring in limestone regions in the south-western British Isles.

Evolution of Plant NLRs: From Natural History to Precise Modifications

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 355-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Tamborski ◽  
Ksenia V. Krasileva
Keyword(s):  
Small Rnas ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Functional Specialization ◽  
Leucine Rich Repeat ◽  
Plant Immune System ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Common ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Shed Light

Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) monitor the plant intracellular environment for signs of pathogen infection. Several mechanisms of NLR-mediated immunity arose independently across multiple species. These include the functional specialization of NLRs into sensors and helpers, the independent emergence of direct and indirect recognition within NLR subfamilies, the regulation of NLRs by small RNAs, and the formation of NLR networks. Understanding the evolutionary history of NLRs can shed light on both the origin of pathogen recognition and the common constraints on the plant immune system. Attempts to engineer disease resistance have been sparse and rarely informed by evolutionary knowledge. In this review, we discuss the evolution of NLRs, give an overview of previous engineering attempts, and propose how to use evolutionary knowledge to advance future research in the generation of novel disease-recognition capabilities.

scholarly journals A Mesozoic clown beetle myrmecophile (Coleoptera: Histeridae)

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Lingzi Zhou ◽  
Adam Ślipiński ◽  
Dong Ren ◽  
Joseph Parker
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Host Switching ◽  
Crown Group ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Major Clade ◽  
Behavioral Adaptations ◽  
Stem Group ◽  
History Of

Complex interspecies relationships are widespread among metazoans, but the evolutionary history of these lifestyles is poorly understood. We describe a fossil beetle in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber that we infer to have been a social impostor of the earliest-known ant colonies. Promyrmister kistneri gen. et sp. nov. belongs to the haeteriine clown beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae), a major clade of ‘myrmecophiles’—specialized nest intruders with dramatic anatomical, chemical and behavioral adaptations for colony infiltration. Promyrmister reveals that myrmecophiles evolved close to the emergence of ant eusociality, in colonies of stem-group ants that predominate Burmese amber, or with cryptic crown-group ants that remain largely unknown at this time. The clown beetle-ant relationship has been maintained ever since by the beetles host-switching to numerous modern ant genera, ultimately diversifying into one of the largest radiations of symbiotic animals. We infer that obligate behavioral symbioses can evolve relatively rapidly, and be sustained over deep time.

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