scholarly journals The multi-peak adaptive landscape of crocodylomorph body size evolution

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro L. Godoy ◽  
Roger B. J. Benson ◽  
Mario Bronzati ◽  
Richard J. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Size Increase ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Evolutionary Trend ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Size Disparity ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Body Size Evolution

AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about the long-term patterns of body size evolution in Crocodylomorpha, the > 200-million-year-old group that includes living crocodylians and their extinct relatives. Extant crocodylians are mostly large-bodied (3–7 m) predators. However, extinct crocodylomorphs exhibit a wider range of phenotypes, and many of the earliest taxa were much smaller (< 1.2 m). This suggests a pattern of size increase through time that could be caused by multi-lineage evolutionary trends of size increase or by selective extinction of small-bodied species. In this study, we characterise patterns of crocodylomorph body size evolution using a model fitting-approach (with cranial measurements serving as proxies). We also estimate body size disparity through time and quantitatively test hypotheses of biotic and abiotic factors as potential drivers of crocodylomorph body size evolution.ResultsCrocodylomorphs reached an early peak in body size disparity during the Late Jurassic, and underwent essentially continually decreases in disparity since then. A multi-peak Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model outperforms all other evolutionary models fitted to our data (including both uniform and non-uniform), indicating that the macroevolutionary dynamics of crocodylomorph body size are better described within the concept of an adaptive landscape, with most body size variation emerging after shifts to new macroevolutionary regimes (analogous to adaptive zones). We did not find support for a consistent evolutionary trend towards larger sizes among lineages (i.e., Cope’s rule), or strong correlations of body size with climate. Instead, the intermediate to large body sizes of some crocodylomorphs are better explained by group-specific adaptations. In particular, the evolution of a more aquatic lifestyle (especially marine) correlates with increases in average body size, though not without exceptions.ConclusionsShifts between macroevolutionary regimes provide a better explanation of crocodylomorph body size evolution than do climatic factors, suggesting a central role for lineage-specific adaptations rather than climatic forcing. Shifts leading to larger body sizes occurred in most aquatic and semi-aquatic groups. This, combined with extinctions of groups occupying smaller body size regimes (particularly during the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic), gave rise to the upward-shifted body size distribution of extant crocodylomorphs compared to their smaller-bodied terrestrial ancestors.

scholarly journals Migratory lineages rapidly evolve larger body sizes than non-migratory relatives in ray-finned fishes

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1918) ◽  
pp. 20192615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Burns ◽  
Devin D. Bloom
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Environmental Heterogeneity ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Body Size Evolution ◽  
First Time

Migratory animals respond to environmental heterogeneity by predictably moving long distances in their lifetime. Migration has evolved repeatedly in animals, and many adaptations are found across the tree of life that increase migration efficiency. Life-history theory predicts that migratory species should evolve a larger body size than non-migratory species, and some empirical studies have shown this pattern. A recent study analysed the evolution of body size between diadromous and non-diadromous shads, herrings, anchovies and allies, finding that species evolved larger body sizes when adapting to a diadromous lifestyle. It remains unknown whether different fish clades adapt to migration similarly. We used an adaptive landscape framework to explore body size evolution for over 4500 migratory and non-migratory species of ray-finned fishes. By fitting models of macroevolution, we show that migratory species are evolving towards a body size that is larger than non-migratory species. Furthermore, we find that migratory lineages evolve towards their optimal body size more rapidly than non-migratory lineages, indicating body size is a key adaption for migratory fishes. Our results show, for the first time, that the largest vertebrate radiation on the planet exhibited strong evolutionary determinism when adapting to a migratory lifestyle.

Hierarchy and the reconstruction of evolutionary trends: evidence for constraints on the evolution of body size in terrestrial caniform carnivorans (Mammalia)

Paleobiology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Finarelli
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Size Increase ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Intermediate Size ◽  
Body Size Evolution

Body mass is an important organism-level variable in mammalian biology, correlated with physiology, life history, and ecology. To analyze the dynamics of body size evolution, increases and decreases in body mass were tallied for ancestor-descendant (AD) species pairs for 519 terrestrial caniform taxa. To account for uncertainty phylogeny, a bootstrapping routine shuffled hypothesized AD pairs, and average proportions of increases were binned as a function of ancestral body mass. A set of models relating the rate of body size increase were evaluated with the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). AIC selected three models of the candidate set as equivalent in support by the observed body mass data. These three models propose body size increase for small AD pairs and body size decrease for large AD pairs, although they differ in their treatment of taxa at intermediate sizes.These results demonstrate the presence of constraints bounding the caniform distribution at large and small body sizes, stabilizing the distribution through time, which stands in contrast to a broader mammalian pattern. At a finer phylogenetic scale, subclades within intermediate size classes display proportions that are significantly different from unbiased, with several clades previously cited as examples of “Cope's Rule” showing biased increases in size, and basal mustelids (badgers, and allied genera), Mephitidae (skunks), and Vulpini (“foxes”) exhibiting biased decreases. The caniform pattern is therefore the result of superimposed, clade-specific trajectories, demonstrating that the inferred dynamics of body size evolution and even the direction of trends in body size evolution within the Caniformia, and for mammals in general, depend on the hierarchical scale of the analysis.

Dinosaur Macroevolution and Macroecology

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 379-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger B.J. Benson
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Body Plan ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Species Diversification ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Body Size Evolution

Dinosaurs were large-bodied land animals of the Mesozoic that gave rise to birds. They played a fundamental role in structuring Jurassic–Cretaceous ecosystems and had physiology, growth, and reproductive biology unlike those of extant animals. These features have made them targets of theoretical macroecology. Dinosaurs achieved substantial structural diversity, and their fossil record documents the evolutionary assembly of the avian body plan. Phylogeny-based research has allowed new insights into dinosaur macroevolution, including the adaptive landscape of their body size evolution, patterns of species diversification, and the origins of birds and bird-like traits. Nevertheless, much remains unknown due to incompleteness of the fossil record at both local and global scales. This presents major challenges at the frontier of paleobiological research regarding tests of macroecological hypotheses and the effects of dinosaur biology, ecology, and life history on their macroevolution.

scholarly journals Rates of ecological divergence and body size evolution are correlated with species diversification in scaly tree ferns

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1834) ◽  
pp. 20161098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Ramírez-Barahona ◽  
Josué Barrera-Redondo ◽  
Luis E. Eguiarte
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Species Diversification ◽  
Tree Ferns ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Body Size Evolution

Variation in species richness across regions and between different groups of organisms is a major feature of evolution. Several factors have been proposed to explain these differences, including heterogeneity in the rates of species diversification and the age of clades. It has been frequently assumed that rapid rates of diversification are coupled to high rates of ecological and morphological evolution, leading to a prediction that remains poorly explored for most species: the positive association between ecological niche divergence, morphological evolution and species diversification. We combined a time-calibrated phylogeny with distribution, ecological and body size data for scaly tree ferns (Cyatheaceae) to test whether rates of species diversification are predicted by the rates at which clades have evolved distinct ecological niches and body sizes. We found that rates of species diversification are positively correlated with rates of ecological and morphological evolution, with rapidly diversifying clades also showing rapidly evolving ecological niches and body sizes. Our results show that rapid diversification of scaly tree ferns is associated with the evolution of species with comparable morphologies that diversified into similar, yet distinct, environments. This suggests parallel evolutionary pathways opening in different tropical regions whenever ecological and geographical opportunities arise. Accordingly, rates of ecological niche and body size evolution are relevant to explain the current patterns of species richness in this ‘ancient’ fern lineage across the tropics.

scholarly journals Rates and modes of body size evolution in early carnivores and herbivores: a case study from Captorhinidae

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Brocklehurst
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Rate Variation ◽  
Basal Node ◽  
Rates Of Evolution ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
High Fibre ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Adaptive Peak ◽  
Quantitative Examination ◽  
Body Size Evolution

Body size is an extremely important characteristic, impacting on a variety of ecological and life-history traits. It is therefore important to understand the factors which may affect its evolution, and diet has attracted much interest in this context. A recent study which examined the evolution of the earliest terrestrial herbivores in the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian concluded that in the four herbivorous clades examined there was a trend towards increased body size, and that this increase was more substantial than that observed in closely related carnivorous clades. However, this hypothesis was not based on quantitative examination, and phylogenetic comparative methods provide a more robust means of testing such hypotheses. Here, the evolution of body size within different dietary regimes is examined in Captorhinidae, the most diverse and longest lived of these earliest high fibre herbivores. Evolutionary models were fit to their phylogeny to test for variation in rate and mode of evolution between the carnivorous and herbivorous members of this clade, and an analysis of rate variation throughout the tree was carried out. Estimates of ancestral body sizes were calculated in order to compare the rates and direction of evolution of lineages with different dietary regimes. Support for the idea that the high fibre herbivores within captorhinids are being drawn to a higher adaptive peak in body size than the carnivorous members of this clade is weak. A shift in rates of body size evolution is identified, but this does not coincide with the evolution of high-fibre herbivory, instead occurring earlier in time and at a more basal node. Herbivorous lineages which show an increase in size are not found to evolve at a faster rate than those which show a decrease; in fact, it is those which experience a size decrease which evolve at higher rates. It is possible the shift in rates of evolution is related to the improved food processing ability of the more derived captorhinids rather than a shift in diet, but the evidence for this is circumstantial.

scholarly journals Rates and modes of body size evolution in early carnivores and herbivores: a case study from Captorhinidae

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Brocklehurst
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Rate Variation ◽  
Basal Node ◽  
Rates Of Evolution ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
High Fibre ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Adaptive Peak ◽  
Quantitative Examination ◽  
Body Size Evolution

Body size is an extremely important characteristic, impacting on a variety of ecological and life-history traits. It is therefore important to understand the factors which may affect its evolution, and diet has attracted much interest in this context. A recent study, examining the evolution of the earliest terrestrial herbivores in the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian, concluded that in the four herbivorous clades examined there was a trend towards increased body size, and that this increase was more substantial than that observed in closely related carnivorous clades. However, this hypothesis was not based on quantitative examination, and phylogenetic comparative methods provide a more robust means of testing such hypotheses. Here, the evolution of body size within different dietary regimes is examined in Captorhinidae, the most diverse and longest lived of these earliest high fibre herbivores. Evolutionary models were fit to their phylogeny to test for variation in rate and mode of evolution between the carnivorous and herbivorous members of this clade, and an analysis of rate variation throughout the tree was carried out. Estimates of ancestral body sizes were calculated in order to compare the rates and direction of evolution of lineages with different dietary regimes. Support for the idea that the high fibre herbivores within captorhinids are being drawn to a higher adaptive peak in body size than the carnivorous members of this clade is weak. A shift in rates of body size evolution is identified, but this does not coincide with the evolution of high-fibre herbivory, instead occurring earlier in time and at a more basal node. Herbivorous lineages which show an increase in size are not found to evolve at a faster rate than those which show a decrease; in fact it is those which experience a size decrease which evolve at significantly higher rates. The opposite is true of the carnivorous lineages, suggesting that in captorhinids it is the carnivores which show the greater trend towards increased body size. It is possible the shift in rates of evolution is related to the improved food processing ability of the more derived captorhinids rather than a shift in diet, but the evidence for this is circumstantial.

scholarly journals Insights into Body Size Evolution: A Comparative Transcriptome Study on Three Species of Asian Sisoridae Catfish

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wansheng Jiang ◽  
Yicheng Guo ◽  
Kunfeng Yang ◽  
Qiong Shi ◽  
Junxing Yang
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Ribosome Biogenesis ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Adaptor Protein ◽  
Orthologous Gene ◽  
Basic Question ◽  
Functional Screening ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Body Size Evolution

Body size is one of the most important attributes of a species, but the basic question of why and how each species reaches a different “right size” is still largely unknown. Herein, three phylogenetically closely related catfishes from Sisoridae, including one extraordinarily large-sized Bagarius yarrelli and two average-sized Glyptothorax macromaculatus and Oreoglanis setiger, were comparatively studied using RNA-Seq. Approximately 17,000 protein-coding genes were annotated for each of the three fishes, and 9509 genes were identified as high-confidence orthologous gene pairs. Comparative expressions uncovered a similar functional cluster about ribosome biogenesis was enriched in different tissues of the upregulated genes of Bagarius yarrelli. Moreover, differentially expressed genes and positively selected genes revealed that the glycolysis/pyruvate metabolism and cell cycle pathways have also greatly enhanced in this large-sized species. In total, 20 size-related candidate genes (including two growth modulators: the serine/threonine-protein kinases 3 (AKT3) and adaptor protein 1 (SH2B1), and a crucial pyruvate kinase (PKM2A)) were identified by multiplying comparative analyses along with gene functional screening, which would play major roles in enabling the large body size associated with Bagarius yarrelli and provide new insights into body size evolution. In conjunction with field observations and morphological comparisons, we hypothesize that habitat preferences promote size divergence of sisorids.

scholarly journals Shared patterns in body size declines among crinoids during the Palaeozoic extinction events

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariusz A. Salamon ◽  
Tomasz Brachaniec ◽  
Dorota Kołbuk ◽  
Anwesha Saha ◽  
Przemysław Gorzelak
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Model Comparison ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Mass Extinctions ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Comparison Approach ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Body Size Evolution ◽  
Extinction Events

AbstractCrinoids were among the most abundant marine benthic animals throughout the Palaeozoic, but their body size evolution has received little attention. Here, we compiled a comprehensive database on crinoid calyx biovolumes throughout the Palaeozoic. A model comparison approach revealed contrasting and complex patterns in body size dynamics between the two major crinoid clades (Camerata and Pentacrinoidea). Interestingly, two major drops in mean body size at around two mass extinction events (during the late Ordovician and the late Devonian respectively) are observed, which is reminiscent of current patterns of shrinking body size of a wide range of organisms as a result of climate change. The context of some trends (marked declines during extinctions) suggests the cardinal role of abiotic factors (dramatic climate change associated with extinctions) on crinoid body size evolution; however, other patterns (two intervals with either relative stability or steady size increase in periods between mass extinctions) are more consistent with biotic drivers.

scholarly journals New insights into the genetic mechanisms of body size evolution in Carnivora

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Huang ◽  
Di Sun ◽  
Tianzhen Wu ◽  
Xing Liu ◽  
Shixia Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Large Body ◽  
The Body ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Body Size Evolution

Abstract Background The range of body sizes in Carnivora is unparalleled in any other mammalian order, with more than 130,000 times in body mass and 50 times in length. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the huge difference in body size of Carnivora have not been explored so far. Results Herein, we performed a comparative genomics analysis of 20 carnivores to explore the genetic basis of great body size variation in carnivores. Phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) revealed that 337 genes were significantly related to both head body length and body mass, these genes were defined as body size associated genes (BSAGs). Fourteen positively related BSAGs were found to be associated with obesity and three of which were identified to be under rapid evolution in the extremely large body-sized carnivores, which suggested that these obesity-related BSAGs might have driven the body size expansion in carnivores. Interestingly, 100 BSAGs were examined to be associated with cancer control in carnivores, particularly 15 cancer-related genes were found to be under rapid evolution in extremely large carnivores. These results strongly suggested that large body-sized carnivores might have evolved effective mechanism to resist cancer, which could be regarded as molecular evidence to support for the Peto’s paradox. For small carnivores, we identified 15 rapidly evolving genes and found six genes with fixed amino acid changes that were reported to reduce body size. Conclusion This study brings new insights into the molecular mechanisms that drove the diversifying evolution of body size in carnivores, and provides new target genes for exploring the mysteries of body size evolution in mammals.

scholarly journals Fitting macroevolutionary models to phylogenies: an example using vertebrate body sizes

1998 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Ø. Mooers ◽  
Dolph Schluter
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Free Model ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Body Size Evolution ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Best Fit

How do traits change through time and with speciation? We present a simple and generally applicable method for comparing various models of the macroevolution of traits within a maximum likelihood framework. We illustrate four such models: 1) variance among species accumulates in direct proportion to time separating them (gradual model); 2) variation accumulates with the number of speciation events separating them (speciational model); 3) differences between species are unrelated to phylogenetic relatedness (pitchfork model); and 4) a free model where the trait evolves at its own idiosyncratic rate among lineages. Using species-specific body size, we compare the four models across two data sets: twenty-one clades of vertebrate species, and two clades of bird families. For the twenty-one vertebrate trees, the pitchfork model is most successful, though not significantly, and the most successful by far for the youngest clades. The speciational model seems to be preferred for older clades. For both clades of bird families, the speciational model offers the best fit to family-level body size evolution. However, the pitchfork model does much worse for one clade than for the other, suggesting a difference in the relationship between diversification and body-size evolution in the two groups. These examples highlight some possibilities afforded by this simple approach.

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