scholarly journals Adapting to extremes: reconstructing niche evolution in Australian Acacia over time and space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Hua ◽  
Marcel Cardillo ◽  
Lindell Bromham

Macroevolutionary analysis is increasingly being used to study biodiversity responses to climate change, for example by using phylogenetic node ages to infer periods of diversification, or phylogenetic reconstruction of traits to infer adaptation to particular stresses. Here we apply a new macroevolutionary method to investigate the responses of a diverse plant genus, Acacia, to increasing aridity and salinity in Australia from the Miocene to the present. The Niche Evolution Model (NEMo) combines environmental niche modelling with phylogenetic comparative methods in a single statistical framework, to estimate current environmental tolerances, reconstruct the history of niche evolution and infer rates of change in key aspects of environmental tolerance. Using a large database of Acacia occurrence records and presence-absence survey sites, we find that both spatial and temporal patterns in niche evolution of Acacia are consistent with the aridification history of Australia and suggest high niche lability along both axes, which has allowed Acacia to quickly exploit new niches created during the aridification of the continent, and resulting in their current dominance of many habitats across Australia. This study demonstrates that phylogenetic studies of niche evolution can move beyond application of simple trait-based models, allowing the underlying processes of speciation, adaptation and dispersal to be explicitly modelled in a macroecological and macroevolutionary context.

Author(s):  
Xia Hua ◽  
Marcel Cardillo ◽  
Lindell Bromham

AbstractThe environmental niche of a species is often studied from two different perspectives. Niche modelling correlates a species’ niche to known observations from contemporary species distribution. Niche evolution applies phylogenetic methods on summary statistics of species distribution to infer the patterns of changing niche over time. Even though the two areas of research are fundamentally linked and are typically both based on the same species distribution data, modelling the contemporary niche and inferring niche history are never combined in the same analytical framework. Here we provide a new way to combine both niche modelling and niche evolution, using distribution data and phylogenies. Doing so allows us to simultaneously infer the history of niche evolution and estimate the environmental niche of each tip species on the phylogeny. It also avoids some limitations of the separate methods, such as the failure of environmental niche models to account for the role of history in shaping current species distribution, and the use of unrealistic models of change in phylogenetic comparative methods. The novelty of our method is that it explicitly models three fundamental processes of niche evolution − adaptation, speciation, and dispersal − applying a reversible jump algorithm to infer the occurrences of these processes on phylogeny. Simulations demonstrate high accuracy of our method for estimating the environmental niche of tip species and reasonable power to identify the occurrences of the three processes on phylogeny. We also prove the efficacy of our approach using real-world data. We show that our method of combining niche modelling with niche evolution is far more effective at predicting salt tolerance in Australian Acacia species than using environmental niche modelling alone. We also show that we can correctly infer periods of evolutionary change in response to changing climate: our method identified two peak times in drought adaptation events in the evolutionary history of Australian Acacia, which correspond to the two drying periods in Australia during the Cenozoic. Therefore, we believe our method provides a promising approach to integrate different research areas in understanding species distribution.


Author(s):  
Youcef Bougoutaia ◽  
Teresa Garnatje ◽  
Joan Vallès ◽  
Meriem Kaid-Harche ◽  
Ahmed Ouhammou ◽  
...  

Abstract Artemisia herba-alba is an important component of Mediterranean dry steppe floras, being widely distributed in arid areas of the Iberian Peninsula and North-West Africa. In this study, we use genetic, cytogenetic and niche modelling tools to investigate the natural history of the species, focusing particularly on the role played by polyploidization to explain current diversity patterns throughout the main distribution range of the plant. Our sequencing data indicate a complex phylogeographical structure showing similar haplotype diversity patterns on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar and no clear signals of genetic refugia. According to our cytogeographical results, we inferred multiple polyploidization events, which probably took place on the Iberian Peninsula and in North Africa independently. Environmental niche modelling suggested stable potential distributions of A. herba-alba on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea under present and past Last Glacial Maximum conditions, which could be related to the intricate spatial genetic and cytogenetic patterns shown by the species. Finally, environmental modelling comparison among cytotypes revealed that the niche of tetraploids is narrower and nested in that of diploids, a result that could indicate environmental specialization and could potentially explain recurrent establishment success of tetraploids.


2019 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 934-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danilo Harms ◽  
J Dale Roberts ◽  
Mark S Harvey

Abstract The south-western division of Australia is the only biodiversity hotspot in Australia and is well-known for extreme levels of local endemism. Climate change has been identified as a key threat for flora and fauna, but very few data are presently available to evaluate its impact on invertebrate fauna. Here, we derive a molecular phylogeography for pseudoscorpions of the genus Pseudotyrannochthonius that in the south-west are restricted to regions with the highest rainfall. A dated molecular phylogeny derived from six gene fragments is used for biogeographic reconstruction analyses, spatial mapping, environmental niche-modelling, and to infer putative species. Phylogenetic analyses uncover nine clades with mostly allopatric distributions and often small linear ranges between 0.5 and 130 km. Molecular dating suggests that the origins of contemporary diversity fall into a period of warm/humid Palaeogene climates, but splits in the phylogeny coincide with major environmental shifts, such as significant global cooling during the Middle Miocene. By testing several models of historical biogeography available for the south-west, we determine that Pseudotyrannochthonius is an ancient relict lineage that principally follows a model of allopatric speciation in mesic zone refugia, although there are derivations from this model in that some species are older and distribution patterns more complex than expected. Ecological niche models indicate that drier and warmer future climates will lead to range contraction towards refugia of highest rainfall, probably mimicking past variations that have generated high diversity in these areas. Their conservation management will be crucial for preserving the unique biodiversity heritage of the south-west.


Author(s):  
K.A. Ushmaeva ◽  
◽  
A.S. Goncharov

This study is devoted to the study of relevant works on the history of the Stavropol Cossacks, works in the field of education of the Stavropol Cossacks as an independent Cossack group, trade, cultural and economic ties in the Stavropol Territory, spiritual life, language, culture, traditions and customs of the Stavropol Cossacks. Among modern studies in the history of the Stavropol Cossacks, the following topics stand out: military life and everyday life, folklore and song traditions, the movement for the revival of the Cossacks, as well as the current state and prospects for the development of Cossack organizations. The prospect of the development of pedagogical technologies based on the Cossack traditions of educating young people in Stavropol is highlighted as a separate topical topic. The relevance of the study lies in the need for a private study of the historiography of the regional Cossack group of Stavropol Cossacks in order to expand the scientific and pedagogical tools in the field of «Cossack studies». The practical significance of the study is expressed in the possibility of using the data of the article in the search for supporting material for teaching the "History of the Cossacks" in a higher educational institution (taking into account the regional specifics). The scientific novelty of the research is expressed in a new view of the Stavropol Cossacks as an independent Cossack group formed at the end of the XVIII century. The source base is represented mainly by archival data from the State Archives of the Stavropol Territory, data banks on archaeological, cultural and linguistic expeditions, sources of personal origin, the works of contemporary historians and directly the works of historians, whose studies formed the basis of the historiography of the history of the Stavropol Cossacks. The research methodology is based on the principles of historiographic comparative studies and comparative analysis of sources. Within the framework of the sociocultural approach, we rely on the following methods. Special-historical: the narrative method, the historical-comparative method, the historical-systemic method, the retrospective method. Sociological: document analysis, method of generalizing characteristics, method of ideal types. Culturological: comparative method, cultural-systemic method. Pedagogical: pedagogical interviewing, a method of studying and generalizing pedagogical experience.


AoB Plants ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Glasnović ◽  
Martina Temunović ◽  
Dmitar Lakušić ◽  
Tamara Rakić ◽  
Valentina Brečko Grubar ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Alejandro Rodríguez-Refojo

Se analizan los símbolos de la barca, la casa y la piedra, así como la metáfora del Libro del Mundo, en la obra poética de Andrés Sánchez Robayna. El análisis se apoya en las aportaciones de la simbología y la historia de las religiones con el objetivo de esclarecer algunos aspectos clave de la cosmovisión del autor y de su poética. La presencia de imágenes pertenecientes al simbolismo del centro, la concepción de la poesía como enigma y la indagación en la memoria como una parte fundamental del proceso creador constituyen los elementos que conducen al surgimiento de una conciencia religiosa del mundo.                                                                                                                                                                                                              This paper aims to analyse three symbols presented in Andrés Sánchez Robayna’s work of poetry: the boat, the house, the stone, and the metaphor of the Book of the World. This analysis is supported by contributions in the fields of symbolism and history of religions and it seeks to shed light on some key aspects of the author’s poetics and world view. The imagery related to the symbolism of the centre, the conception of poetry as an enigma and the search through memory as an essential phase in the creative process represent the main elements which lead to the emergence of a religious view of the world.


Author(s):  
Dmitrii S. Bug ◽  
Ildar M. Barkhatov ◽  
Yana V. Gudozhnikova ◽  
Artem V. Tishkov ◽  
Natalia V. Petukhova ◽  
...  

Osteopetrosis is a group of rare inheritable disorders of the skeleton characterized by increased bone density. The disease is remarkably heterogeneous in clinical presentation and often misdiagnosed. Therefore, genetic testing and molecular pathogenicity analysis are essential for precise diagnosis and new targets for preventive pharmacotherapy. Mutations in the CLCN7 gene give rise to the complete spectrum of osteopetrosis phenotypes and are responsible for about 75% of cases of autosomal dominant osteopetrosis. In this study, we report the identification of a novel variant in the CLCN7 gene in a patient diagnosed with osteopetrosis and provide evidence for its significance (likely deleterious) based on extensive comparative genomics, protein sequence and structure analysis. A set of automated bioinformatics tools used to predict consequences of this variant identified it as deleterious or pathogenic. Structure analysis revealed that the variant is located at the same “hot spot” as the most common CLCN7 mutations causing osteopetrosis. Deep phylogenetic reconstruction showed that not only Leu614Arg, but any non-aliphatic substitutions in this position are evolutionarily intolerant, further supporting the deleterious nature of the variant. The present study provides further evidence that reconstructing a precise evolutionary history of a gene helps predicting phenotypical consequences of variants of uncertain significance.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin A. Kerber ◽  
Robert W. Baloh

Dizziness is the quintessential symptom presentation in all of clinical medicine. It is a common reason that patients present to a physician. This chapter provides background information about the vestibular system, then reviews key aspects of history-taking and examination of the patient, then discusses specific disorders and common presentation types. Throughout the chapter the focus is on neurologic and vestibular disorders. Normal vestibular anatomy and physiology are discussed, followed by recommendations for history-taking and the physical examination. Specific disorders that cause dizziness are explored, along with common causes of non-specific dizziness. Common presentations are discussed, including acute severe dizziness, recurrent attacks, and recurrent positional vertigo. Finally, the chapter looks at laboratory investigations in diagnosis and management. Figures include population prevalence of dizziness symptoms, the anatomy of inner structures, primary afferent vestibular nerve activity, the head thrust test, the Dix-Hallpike maneuver, the supine positional test, the canalith repositioning procedure, and the barbecue roll maneuver. Tables list physiologic properties and clinical features of the components of the peripheral vestibular system, information to be acquired from history of the present illness, common symptoms patients report as dizziness, examination components, distinguishing among common peripheral and central vertigo syndromes, common causes of nonspecific dizziness, types of dizziness presentations, relevant imaging abnormalities on neuroimaging studies, vestibular testing components, and medical therapy for symptomatic dizziness. This review contains 8 highly rendered figures, 11 tables, and 69 references.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin A. Kerber ◽  
Robert W. Baloh

Dizziness is the quintessential symptom presentation in all of clinical medicine. It is a common reason that patients present to a physician. This chapter provides background information about the vestibular system, then reviews key aspects of history-taking and examination of the patient, then discusses specific disorders and common presentation types. Throughout the chapter the focus is on neurologic and vestibular disorders. Normal vestibular anatomy and physiology are discussed, followed by recommendations for history-taking and the physical examination. Specific disorders that cause dizziness are explored, along with common causes of non-specific dizziness. Common presentations are discussed, including acute severe dizziness, recurrent attacks, and recurrent positional vertigo. Finally, the chapter looks at laboratory investigations in diagnosis and management. Figures include population prevalence of dizziness symptoms, the anatomy of inner structures, primary afferent vestibular nerve activity, the head thrust test, the Dix-Hallpike maneuver, the supine positional test, the canalith repositioning procedure, and the barbecue roll maneuver. Tables list physiologic properties and clinical features of the components of the peripheral vestibular system, information to be acquired from history of the present illness, common symptoms patients report as dizziness, examination components, distinguishing among common peripheral and central vertigo syndromes, common causes of nonspecific dizziness, types of dizziness presentations, relevant imaging abnormalities on neuroimaging studies, vestibular testing components, and medical therapy for symptomatic dizziness. This review contains 8 highly rendered figures, 11 tables, and 69 references.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document