Ancient DNA of northern China Hystricidae sub-fossils reveals the evolutionary history of old world porcupines in the Late Pleistocene

The genus Capsicum (Solanaceae) includes approximately 20 wild species and 4-5 domesticated taxa commonly referred to as ‘chilies’ or ‘peppers’. The pre-Colombian distribution of the genus was New World. The evolutionary history of the genus is now envisaged as including three distinct lines leading to the domesticated taxa. The route of Capsicum to the Old World is thought to have followed three different courses. First, explorers introduced it to Europe with secondary introduction into Africa via further exploratory expeditions; second, botanical gardens played a major role in introduction; and third, introduction followed the slave trade routes. Today, pepper production in Africa is of two types, vegetable and spice. Statistical profiles on production are difficult to interpret, but the data available indicate that Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Ghana are the leading producers. Production is mainly a local phenomenon and large acreage is seldom devoted to the growing of peppers. The primary peppers in Africa are C. annuum and C. frutescens.

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Evolutionary history of the Pectoral Sparrow Arremon taciturnus : evidence for diversification during the Late Pleistocene

Ibis ◽

10.1111/ibi.12813 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 162 (4) ◽

pp. 1198-1210

Author(s):

Carina Carneiro de Melo Moura ◽

Alexandre M. Fernandes ◽

Alexandre Aleixo ◽

Helder Farias Pereira de Araújo ◽

Erich de Freitas Mariano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Late Pleistocene ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

History Of

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Old World and New World Phasmatodea: Phylogenomics Resolve the Evolutionary History of Stick and Leaf Insects

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.3389/fevo.2019.00345 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sabrina Simon ◽

Harald Letsch ◽

Sarah Bank ◽

Thomas R. Buckley ◽

Alexander Donath ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

New World ◽

Old World ◽

History Of

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Papio cynocephalus Endogenous Retrovirus among Old World Monkeys: Evidence for Coevolution and Ancient Cross-Species Transmissions

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.74.3.1578-1586.2000 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 1578-1586 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Rui Mang ◽

Jolanda Maas ◽

Antoinette C. van der Kuyl ◽

Jaap Goudsmit

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

Germ Line ◽

Purifying Selection ◽

Endogenous Retrovirus ◽

New World Monkeys ◽

Papio Cynocephalus ◽

Genetic Characteristics ◽

Old World ◽

Colobus Badius ◽

History Of

ABSTRACT To study the evolutionary history of Papio cynocephalus endogenous retrovirus (PcEV), we analyzed the distribution and genetic characteristics of PcEV among 17 different species of primates. The viral pol-env and long terminal repeat and untranslated region (LTR-UTR) sequences could be recovered from all Old World species of the papionin tribe, which includes baboons, macaques, geladas, and mangabeys, but not from the New World monkeys and hominoids we tested. The Old World genera Cercopithecus andMiopithecus hosted either a PcEV variant with an incomplete genome or a virus with substantial mismatches in the LTR-UTR. A complete PcEV was found in the genome of Colobus guereza—but not in Colobus badius—with a copy number of 44 to 61 per diploid genome, comparable to that seen in papionins, and with a sequence most closely related to a virus of the papionin tribe. Analysis of evolutionary distances among PcEV sequences for synonymous and nonsynonymous sites indicated that purifying selection was operational during PcEV evolution. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that possibly two subtypes of PcEV entered the germ line of a common ancestor of the papionins and subsequently coevolved with their hosts. One strain of PcEV was apparently transmitted from a papionin ancestor to an ancestor of the central African lowland C. guereza.

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Evolutionary History of Drosophila buzzatii. I. Natural Chromosomal Polymorphism in Colonized Populations of the Old World

Evolution ◽

10.2307/2407948 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 148 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

A. Fontdevila ◽

A. Ruiz ◽

G. Alonso ◽

J. Ocana

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

Chromosomal Polymorphism ◽

Old World ◽

Drosophila Buzzatii ◽

History Of

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Ancient DNA forces reconsideration of evolutionary history of Mediterranean pygmy elephantids

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2006.0467 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 451-454 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Nikos Poulakakis ◽

Aris Parmakelis ◽

Petros Lymberakis ◽

Moysis Mylonas ◽

Eleftherios Zouros ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequence ◽

Ancient Dna ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Multiple Displacement Amplification ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Mediterranean Islands ◽

Amplification Method ◽

History Of

During the Pleistocene pygmy elephantids, some only a quarter of their ancestors' size, were present on Mediterranean islands until about 10 000 years ago (y.a.). Using a new methodology for ancient DNA (aDNA) studies, the whole genomic multiple displacement amplification method, we were able to retrieve cytochrome b (cyt b ) DNA fragments from 4200 to 800 000 y.a. specimens from island and mainland samples, including pygmy and normal-sized forms. The short DNA sequence (43 bp) retrieved from the 800 000 y.a. sample is one of the oldest DNA fragment ever retrieved. Duplication of the experiments in two laboratories, the occurrence of three diagnostic sites and the results of the phylogenetic analyses strongly support its authenticity. Our results challenge the prevailing view that pygmy elephantids of the eastern Mediterranean originated exclusively from Elephas , suggesting independent histories of dwarfism and the presence of both pygmy mammoths and elephant-like taxa on these islands. Based on our molecular data, the origin of the Tilos and Cyprus elephantids from a lineage within the genus Elephas is confirmed, while the DNA sequence from the Cretan sample falls clearly within the mammoth clade. Thus, the name Mammuthus creticus rather than Elephas creticus , seems to be justified for this form. Our findings also suggest a need to re-evaluate the evolutionary history of the Sicilian/Maltese species, traditionally included in the genus Elephas .

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