scholarly journals Phylogeny, biogeography, and morphological ancestral character reconstruction in the Mediterranean genus Fumana (Cistaceae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-220
Author(s):  
Elena Carrió ◽  
Meike Engelbrecht ◽  
Patricio García‐Fayos ◽  
Jaime Güemes
Keyword(s):  
Character Reconstruction ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Ancestral Character Reconstruction

scholarly journals Coping with the extremes: comparative osteology of the tepui-associated toad Oreophrynella and its bearing on the evolution of osteological novelties in the genus

2020 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-139
Author(s):  
Philippe J R Kok ◽  
Milan A J van der Velden ◽  
D Bruce Means ◽  
Sebastian Ratz ◽  
Iván Josipovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Vertebral Column ◽  
Relative Length ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Microcomputed Tomography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Character Reconstruction ◽  
Ancestral Character Reconstruction ◽  
Comparative Osteology

Abstract The only study of the osteology of the toad genus Oreophrynella dates back to 1971 and was based on a single species. Here, we use high-resolution X-ray microcomputed tomography to analyse the osteology of all nine described Oreophrynella species, which are compared with representatives of other bufonid lineages. Oreophrynella is unique among bufonids in having opposable digits. Osteological synapomorphies confirmed for the genus are as follows: presence of parietal fontanelles and exposed frontoparietal fontanelle, absence of quadratojugal, five presacral vertebrae, distally enlarged terminal phalanges and urostyle greatly expanded into flanges. Ancestral character reconstruction indicates that arboreal habits in some Oreophrynella species are likely to have evolved after the evolution of opposable digits. Opposable digits, in combination with an extension of the interdigital integument and the relative length/orientation of the digits, are likely to be adaptations to facilitate life on rocky tepui summits and an exaptation to arboreality. Cranial simplification in Oreophrynella, in the form of cranial fontanelles and absence of the quadratojugal, is possibly driven by a reduction of developmental costs, increase in flexibility and reduction of body weight. Cranial simplification combined with the shortening of the vertebral column and the shift towards a partly firmisternal girdle might be adaptations to the peculiar tumbling behaviour displayed by Oreophrynella.

Towards uncovering evolution of lineage-specific calcium oxalate crystal patterns in Piperales

Botany ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry T. Horner ◽  
Marie-Stéphanie Samain ◽  
Sarah T. Wagner ◽  
Stefan Wanke
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Oxalate ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Calcium Oxalate Crystal ◽  
Character Reconstruction ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Crystal Type ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses ◽  
Crystal Sand ◽  
Ancestral Character Reconstruction

Piperales is among the largest and most diverse angiosperm orders (>4000 species), occurring broadly in tropical and temperate habitats. Twenty-four of the species from 12 genera, representing all lineages of Piperales, except the holoparasitic Hydnoraceae, display a mixture of leaf calcium oxalate crystal types found in previous studies of the two genera of Piperaceae subfamily Piperoideae (Peperomia Ruiz & Pav. and Piper L.). Crystal macropatterns, a result of varying leaf anatomies and diverse habitats, are investigated in a comparative way by using clearings and recent molecular phylogenetic hypotheses to trace crystal types and macropattern evolution. Ancestral character reconstruction reveals that the most recent common ancestor of Piperales had either crystal sand or druses or both and that prisms, raphides, and styloids are derived from the ancestral crystal type(s). These results are also recovered for both the ancestors of the perianth-less and the perianth-bearing Piperales. Raphides or druses are found in the two other subfamilies of Piperaceae (Verhuellioideae and Zippelioideae). Asaraceae and Lactoridaceae display crystal sand, whereas Aristolochia L. (Aristolochiaceae) species display mainly druses. Our crystal investigation, combined with ancestral character reconstruction, suggests that styloids, raphides, and prisms are derived within Piperales from crystal sand or druses.

scholarly journals An Extraordinary Rosette and Resurrection New Spikemoss, Selaginella iridescens (Selaginellaceae) from Hainan Island, China

Taxonomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-312
Author(s):  
Jie Yang ◽  
Meng-Hua Zhang ◽  
Ya-Rong Wang ◽  
Lang-Xing Yuan ◽  
Xian-Chun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Hainan Island ◽  
Main Stem ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Character Reconstruction ◽  
Ancestral Character Reconstruction ◽  
A New Species

Selaginella iridescens (Selaginellaceae), a new species of spikemoss from Hainan Island, China, is described based on morphological and molecular evidence. The new species morphologically resembles S. pseudotamariscina from Vietnam which was recently recognized and segregated from S. tamariscina and S. pulvinata. Some characters of S. iridescens, including the iridescent leaves and long arista (0.35–1.20 mm long), the widely membranaceous margin of axillary leaves (ca. 2/3), dorsal leaves sulcate extending to the top, and slender main stem, dorsoventrally prostrate, distinguish it from S. pseudotamariscina. Phylogenetic results based on rbcL of 28 Selaginella species indicate that S. iridescens is sister to S. pseudotamariscina, and distant from the S. tamariscina-S.pulvinata clade. The ancestral character reconstruction result reveals that the rosette is apomorphic and has evolved independently at least six times in Selaginella.

The role of floral oils in the evolution of apid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Policarová ◽  
Sophie Cardinal ◽  
Aline Cristina Martins ◽  
Jakub Straka
Keyword(s):  
Transition Rates ◽  
Evolutionary Transition ◽  
Character Reconstruction ◽  
Ancestral Lineage ◽  
Origin Of Oil ◽  
Floral Oil ◽  
Ancestral Character Reconstruction ◽  
Cell Construction

AbstractMost bees collect pollen and nectar for their larvae, while some also collect other resources. We investigated the evolution of floral oil-collecting behaviour in the Apidae and the evolutionary effects of floral oils on host brood cells for cuckoo bees. Focusing on apid bee phylogeny, we reconstructed the evolution of floral oil collection by females, use of floral oils in cell construction and the inclusion of oils in provisioning immatures. Ancestral character reconstruction demonstrates that floral oil-collecting behaviour arose four times independently. We also found that in cuckoo bees, parasitization of oil-collecting bees arose three times (including one secondary return) in Apidae. Except for Ctenoplectrina, oil cuckoo bees are all closely related to each other, forming an independent clade within the Nomadinae. Analysis of evolutionary transition rates indicates that there is a greater tendency for switching from an oil-collecting host to a non-oil-collecting host than the reverse. In apid bees, evolutionary transition rates are higher for switching to cuckoo behaviour from an ancestral lineage in which females collect floral oils than from other pollen-collecting lineages. We conclude that adaptation to oil collection is advantageous for pollen-collecting bees, and that the origin of oil cuckoo bees from non-oil cuckoo bees is constrained.

115 Heart failure mortality due to ischemic etiology: is it the same in the Mediterranean lifestyle?

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-29
Author(s):  
M JIMENEZNAVARRO ◽  
J GOMEZDOBLAS ◽  
G GOMEZHERNANDEZ ◽  
A DOMINGUEZFRANCO ◽  
J GARCIAPINILLA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
The Mediterranean

The Mountains of the Mediterranean World

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. McNeill
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean World ◽  
The Mediterranean

Southern Gaul and the Mediterranean

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Mullen
Keyword(s):  
The Mediterranean
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