WHY DOES A TRAIT EVOLVE MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN A CLADE? REPEATED EVOLUTION OF SNAKELIKE BODY FORM IN SQUAMATE REPTILES

Evolution ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Wiens ◽  
Matthew C. Brandley ◽  
Tod W. Reeder
Keyword(s):  
Body Form ◽  
Squamate Reptiles ◽  
Repeated Evolution

scholarly journals WHY DOES A TRAIT EVOLVE MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN A CLADE? REPEATED EVOLUTION OF SNAKELINE BODY FORM IN SQUAMATE REPTILES

Evolution ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Wiens ◽  
Matthew C. Brandley ◽  
Tod W. Reeder
Keyword(s):  
Body Form ◽  
Squamate Reptiles ◽  
Repeated Evolution

scholarly journals Convergent Evolution of Elongate Forms in Craniates and of Locomotion in Elongate Squamate Reptiles

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J Bergmann ◽  
Sara D W Mann ◽  
Gen Morinaga ◽  
Elyse S Freitas ◽  
Cameron D Siler
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Tree Of Life ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Vertebral Number ◽  
Body Form ◽  
Squamate Reptiles ◽  
Remote Locations ◽  
Caudal Vertebrae ◽  
Vertebral Shape

Abstract Synopsis Elongate, snake- or eel-like, body forms have evolved convergently many times in most major lineages of vertebrates. Despite studies of various clades with elongate species, we still lack an understanding of their evolutionary dynamics and distribution on the vertebrate tree of life. We also do not know whether this convergence in body form coincides with convergence at other biological levels. Here, we present the first craniate-wide analysis of how many times elongate body forms have evolved, as well as rates of its evolution and reversion to a non-elongate form. We then focus on five convergently elongate squamate species and test if they converged in vertebral number and shape, as well as their locomotor performance and kinematics. We compared each elongate species to closely related quadrupedal species and determined whether the direction of vertebral or locomotor change matched in each case. The five lineages examined are obscure species from remote locations, providing a valuable glimpse into their biology. They are the skink lizards Brachymeles lukbani, Lerista praepedita, and Isopachys anguinoides, the basal squamate Dibamus novaeguineae, and the basal snake Malayotyphlops cf. ruficaudus. Our results support convergence among these species in the number of trunk and caudal vertebrae, but not vertebral shape. We also find that the elongate species are relatively slower than their limbed counterparts and move with lower frequency and higher amplitude body undulations, with the exception of Isopachys. This is among the first evidence of locomotor convergence across distantly related, elongate species.

scholarly journals Convergent evolution of tail spines in squamate reptiles driven by microhabitat use

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 20190848
Author(s):  
Till Ramm ◽  
Emily J. Roycroft ◽  
Johannes Müller
Keyword(s):  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Complex Interplay ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
Squamate Reptiles ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Body Armour ◽  
Repeated Evolution ◽  
Degree Of Convergence ◽  
Rocky Habitats ◽  
High Degree

The repeated evolution of convergent or analogous traits is often used as evidence for adaptive evolution. Squamate reptiles show a high degree of convergence in a variety of morphological traits; however, the evolutionary mechanisms driving these patterns are not fully understood. Here, we investigate the evolution of tail spines, a trait that evolved multiple times in evolutionarily independent clades of lizards. Taking a comparative phylogenetic approach, we use 2877 squamate species to demonstrate that the evolution of spiny tails is correlated with microhabitat use, with species that live in rocky habitats significantly more likely to have evolved spiny tails. In the light of previous behavioural observations, our results suggest that spiny-tailed lizards have an advantage in rocky habitats through predation avoidance, where tail spines are used to prevent extraction from rocky crevices. In concordance with previous research on lizard body armour, our results suggest that the evolution of tail spines is coupled to both a rock-dwelling lifestyle and predator avoidance strategies, and highlight a complex interplay between different selective pressures on the evolution of defensive morphologies in reptiles.

DIGGING IN: DIVERSITY, DISPARITY, AND THE REPEATED EVOLUTION OF THE BORING HABIT IN THE MARINE BIVALVIA

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie S. Collins ◽  
◽  
Stewart M. Edie ◽  
Tingran Gao ◽  
Rudiger Bieler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Evolution

scholarly journals An evolutionary genomic approach reveals both conserved and species-specific genetic elements related to human disease in closely related Aspergillus fungi

Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew E Mead ◽  
Jacob L Steenwyk ◽  
Lilian P Silva ◽  
Patrícia A de Castro ◽  
Nauman Saeed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Disease ◽  
Evolutionary Rate ◽  
Fungal Disease ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Genetic Elements ◽  
Genomic Approach ◽  
Evolutionary Genomic ◽  
Repeated Evolution ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Encoding Genes

Abstract Aspergillosis is an important opportunistic human disease caused by filamentous fungi in the genus Aspergillus. Roughly 70% of infections are caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, with the rest stemming from approximately a dozen other Aspergillus species. Several of these pathogens are closely related to A. fumigatus and belong in the same taxonomic section, section Fumigati. Pathogenic species are frequently most closely related to non-pathogenic ones, suggesting Aspergillus pathogenicity evolved multiple times independently. To understand the repeated evolution of Aspergillus pathogenicity, we performed comparative genomic analyses on 18 strains from 13 species, including 8 species in section Fumigati, which aimed to identify genes, both ones previously connected to virulence as well as ones never before implicated, whose evolution differs between pathogens and non-pathogens. We found that most genes were present in all species, including approximately half of those previously connected to virulence, but a few genes were section- or species-specific. Evolutionary rate analyses identified over 1,700 genes whose evolutionary rate differed between pathogens and non-pathogens and dozens of genes whose rates differed between specific pathogens and the rest of the taxa. Functional testing of deletion mutants of 17 transcription factor-encoding genes whose evolution differed between pathogens and non-pathogens identified eight genes that affect either fungal survival in a model of phagocytic killing, host survival in an animal model of fungal disease, or both. These results suggest that the evolution of pathogenicity in Aspergillus involved both conserved and species-specific genetic elements, illustrating how an evolutionary genomic approach informs the study of fungal disease.

scholarly journals Global patterns in genomic diversity underpinning the evolution of insecticide resistance in the aphid crop pest Myzus persicae

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumar Saurabh Singh ◽  
Erick M. G. Cordeiro ◽  
Bartlomiej J. Troczka ◽  
Adam Pym ◽  
Joanna Mackisack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Myzus Persicae ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Resistance Mutations ◽  
Host Plant Adaptation ◽  
Repeated Evolution ◽  
Evolution Of Resistance ◽  
Selective Forces ◽  
Clonal Lines

AbstractThe aphid Myzus persicae is a destructive agricultural pest that displays an exceptional ability to develop resistance to both natural and synthetic insecticides. To investigate the evolution of resistance in this species we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly and living panel of >110 fully sequenced globally sampled clonal lines. Our analyses reveal a remarkable diversity of resistance mutations segregating in global populations of M. persicae. We show that the emergence and spread of these mechanisms is influenced by host–plant associations, uncovering the widespread co‐option of a host-plant adaptation that also offers resistance against synthetic insecticides. We identify both the repeated evolution of independent resistance mutations at the same locus, and multiple instances of the evolution of novel resistance mechanisms against key insecticides. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the genomic responses of global insect populations to strong selective forces, and hold practical relevance for the control of pests and parasites.

scholarly journals Variation in pleiotropic hub gene expression is associated with interspecific differences in head shape and eye size in Drosophila

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Buchberger ◽  
Anıl Bilen ◽  
Sanem Ayaz ◽  
David Salamanca ◽  
Cristina Matas de las Heras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Variation ◽  
Compound Eye ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Network Evolution ◽  
Head Shape ◽  
Eye Size ◽  
Recurrent Mutations ◽  
Repeated Evolution

Abstract Revealing the mechanisms underlying the breath-taking morphological diversity observed in nature is a major challenge in Biology. It has been established that recurrent mutations in hotspot genes cause the repeated evolution of morphological traits, such as body pigmentation or the gain and loss of structures. To date, however, it remains elusive whether hotspot genes contribute to natural variation in the size and shape of organs. Since natural variation in head morphology is pervasive in Drosophila, we studied the molecular and developmental basis of differences in compound eye size and head shape in two closely related Drosophila species. We show differences in the progression of retinal differentiation between species and we applied comparative transcriptomics and chromatin accessibility data to identify the GATA transcription factor Pannier (Pnr) as central factor associated with these differences. Although the genetic manipulation of Pnr affected multiple aspects of dorsal head development, the effect of natural variation is restricted to a subset of the phenotypic space. We present data suggesting that this developmental constraint is caused by the co-evolution of expression of pnr and its co-factor u-shaped (ush). We propose that natural variation in expression or function of highly connected developmental regulators with pleiotropic functions is a major driver for morphological evolution and we discuss implications on gene regulatory network evolution. In comparison to previous findings, our data strongly suggests that evolutionary hotspots are not the only contributors to the repeated evolution of eye size and head shape in Drosophila.

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