Does extinction wield an axe or pruning shears? How interactions between phylogeny and ecology affect patterns of extinction

Paleobiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walton A. Green ◽  
Gene Hunt ◽  
Scott L. Wing ◽  
William A. DiMichele
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Planktonic Foraminifera ◽  
Extinction Probability ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
Ecological Preferences ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Ecological Criteria ◽  
Close Relatives

Extinctions are caused by environmental and ecological change but are recognized and measured in the fossil record by the disappearance of clades or lineages. If the ecological preferences of lineages or taxa are weakly congruent with their phylogenetic relationships, even large ecological perturbations are unlikely to drive major clades extinct because the factors that eliminate some species are unlikely to affect close relatives with different ecological preferences. In contrast, if phylogenetic relatedness and ecological preferences are congruent, then ecological perturbations can more easily cause extinctions of large clades. In order to quantify this effect, we used a computer model to simulate the diversification and extinction of clades based on ecological criteria. By varying the parameters of the model, we explored (1) the relationship between the extinction probability for a clade of a given size (number of terminals) and the overall intensity of extinction (the proportion of the terminals that go extinct), and (2) the congruence between ecological traits of the terminals and their phylogenetic relationships. Data from two extinctions (planktonic foraminifera at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary and vascular land plants at the Middle/Late Pennsylvanian boundary) show phylogenetic clustering of both ecological traits and extinction probability and demonstrate the interaction of these factors. The disappearance of large clades is observed in the fossil record, but our model suggests that it is very improbable without both high overall extinction intensities and high congruence between ecology and phylogeny.

Hidden diversity of small predators: new thorny lacewings from mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Neuroptera: Rhachiberothidae: Paraberothinae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 157 (7) ◽  
pp. 1149-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Nakamine ◽  
Shûhei Yamamoto ◽  
Yui Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Fossil Records

AbstractThorny lacewings (Rhachiberothidae) are currently distributed only within Africa, whereas they are prevalent in the fossil record of various Cretaceous ambers across the Northern Hemisphere, with a handful of the fossil records from some Eocene European ambers. Four rhachiberothid species in four extinct genera are known from the mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. Here, we report further examples of the remarkable palaeodiversity of this group from the same amber deposit, adding the four new fossil genera and seven new species: Acanthoberotha cuspis gen. et sp. nov., Astioberotha falcipes gen. et sp. nov., Stygioberotha siculifera gen. et sp. nov., Uranoberotha chariessa gen. et sp. nov., Creagroparaberotha cuneata sp. nov., Micromantispa galeata sp. nov. and M. spicata sp. nov. Based on a series of well-preserved specimens, we discuss the fine details of the raptorial forelegs and genital segments, which may be important for elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among genera. Our findings reveal an unexpectedly diverse assemblage of thorny lacewings in the Cretaceous System, highlighting the morphologically diverse rhachiberothids in Burmese amber. The discovery of seven additional rhachiberothid species in Myanmar amber suggests the potential for much higher diversity and abundance of the Cretaceous rhachiberothids than previously documented. Furthermore, morphological variation in the raptorial forelegs was found to be extremely diverse among the Burmese amber paraberothines, especially in terms of the size, number and shape of spines (or spine-like setae) on the inner edges of protibia, and the morphological structure of the probasitarsus.

scholarly journals Towards a morphological metric of assemblage dynamics in the fossil record: a test case using planktonic foraminifera

2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1691) ◽  
pp. 20150227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Y. Hsiang ◽  
Leanne E. Elder ◽  
Pincelli M. Hull
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Planktonic Foraminifera ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
The North ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Assemblage Size

With a glance, even the novice naturalist can tell you something about the ecology of a given ecosystem. This is because the morphology of individuals reflects their evolutionary history and ecology, and imparts a distinct ‘look’ to communities—making it possible to immediately discern between deserts and forests, or coral reefs and abyssal plains. Once quantified, morphology can provide a common metric for characterizing communities across space and time and, if measured rapidly, serve as a powerful tool for quantifying biotic dynamics. Here, we present and test a new high-throughput approach for analysing community shape in the fossil record using semi-three-dimensional (3D) morphometrics from vertically stacked images (light microscopic or photogrammetric). We assess the potential informativeness of community morphology in a first analysis of the relationship between 3D morphology, ecology and phylogeny in 16 extant species of planktonic foraminifera—an abundant group in the marine fossil record—and in a preliminary comparison of four assemblages from the North Atlantic. In the species examined, phylogenetic relatedness was most closely correlated with ecology, with all three ecological traits examined (depth habitat, symbiont ecology and biogeography) showing significant phylogenetic signal. By contrast, morphological trees (based on 3D shape similarity) were relatively distantly related to both ecology and phylogeny. Although improvements are needed to realize the full utility of community morphometrics, our approach already provides robust volumetric measurements of assemblage size, a key ecological characteristic.

scholarly journals A review of the systematic biology of fossil and living bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha (Actinopterygii: Teleostei)

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Hilton ◽  
Sébastien Lavoué
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
The State ◽  
Heterogeneous Group ◽  
Marine Deposits ◽  
Evolutionary Study ◽  
Future Needs ◽  
Phylogenetic Affinities ◽  
Basal Position ◽  
Systematic Biology

ABSTRACT The bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha, have been the focus of a great deal of morphological, systematic, and evolutionary study, due in part to their basal position among extant teleostean fishes. This group includes the mooneyes (Hiodontidae), knifefishes (Notopteridae), the abu (Gymnarchidae), elephantfishes (Mormyridae), arawanas and pirarucu (Osteoglossidae), and the African butterfly fish (Pantodontidae). This morphologically heterogeneous group also has a long and diverse fossil record, including taxa from all continents and both freshwater and marine deposits. The phylogenetic relationships among most extant osteoglossomorph families are widely agreed upon. However, there is still much to discover about the systematic biology of these fishes, particularly with regard to the phylogenetic affinities of several fossil taxa, within Mormyridae, and the position of Pantodon. In this paper we review the state of knowledge for osteoglossomorph fishes. We first provide an overview of the diversity of Osteoglossomorpha, and then discuss studies of the phylogeny of Osteoglossomorpha from both morphological and molecular perspectives, as well as biogeographic analyses of the group. Finally, we offer our perspectives on future needs for research on the systematic biology of Osteoglossomorpha.

scholarly journals Temporal ranges and ancestry in the hominin fossil record: The case of Australopithecus sediba

2018 ◽  
Vol 114 (3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Robinson ◽  
Timothy L. Campbell ◽  
Susanne Cote ◽  
Darryl J. de Ruiter
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Evolutionary Relationships ◽  
Temporal Data ◽  
Genus Homo ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Fossil Hominin

In attempting to resolve the phylogenetic relationships of fossil taxa, researchers can use evidence from two sources – morphology and known temporal ranges. For most taxa, the available evidence is stronger for one of these data sources. We examined the limitations of temporal data for reconstructing hominin evolutionary relationships, specifically focusing on the hypothesised ancestor–descendant relationship between Australopithecus sediba and the genus Homo. Some have implied that because the only known specimens of A. sediba are dated to later than the earliest fossils attributed to Homo, the former species is precluded from being ancestral to the latter. However, A. sediba is currently known from one site dated to 1.98 Ma and, thus, its actual temporal range is unknown. Using data from the currently known temporal ranges of fossil hominin species, and incorporating dating error in the analysis, we estimate that the average hominin species’ temporal range is ~0.97 Myr, which is lower than most figures suggested for mammalian species generally. Using this conservative figure in a thought experiment in which the Malapa specimens are hypothesised to represent the last appearance date, the middle of the temporal range, and first appearance date for the species, the first appearance date of A. sediba would be 2.95, 2.47 and 1.98 Ma, respectively. As these scenarios are all equally plausible, and 2.95 Ma predates the earliest specimens that some have attributed to Homo, we cannot refute the hypothesis that the species A. sediba is ancestral to our genus based solely on currently available temporal data.

scholarly journals Ecological regime shift preserved in the Anthropocene stratigraphic record

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1929) ◽  
pp. 20200695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Tomašových ◽  
Paolo G. Albano ◽  
Tomáš Fuksi ◽  
Ivo Gallmetzer ◽  
Alexandra Haselmair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Regime Shift ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Benthic Assemblages ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Ecological Release ◽  
Continental Shelves ◽  
Decadal Scale

Palaeoecological data are unique historical archives that extend back far beyond the last several decades of ecological observations. However, the fossil record of continental shelves has been perceived as too coarse (with centennial-millennial resolution) and incomplete to detect processes occurring at yearly or decadal scales relevant to ecology and conservation. Here, we show that the youngest (Anthropocene) fossil record on the northern Adriatic continental shelf provides decadal-scale resolution that accurately documents an abrupt ecological change affecting benthic communities during the twentieth century. The magnitude and the duration of the twentieth century shift in body size of the bivalve Corbula gibba is unprecedented given that regional populations of this species were dominated by small-size classes throughout the Holocene. The shift coincided with compositional changes in benthic assemblages, driven by an increase from approximately 25% to approximately 70% in median per-assemblage abundance of C. gibba . This regime shift increase occurred preferentially at sites that experienced at least one hypoxic event per decade in the twentieth century. Larger size and higher abundance of C. gibba probably reflect ecological release as it coincides with an increase in the frequency of seasonal hypoxia that triggered mass mortality of competitors and predators. Higher frequency of hypoxic events is coupled with a decline in the depth of intense sediment mixing by burrowing benthic organisms from several decimetres to less than 20 cm, significantly improving the stratigraphic resolution of the Anthropocene fossil record and making it possible to detect sub-centennial ecological changes on continental shelves.

scholarly journals Diversity-dependence brings molecular phylogenies closer to agreement with the fossil record

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1732) ◽  
pp. 1300-1309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rampal S. Etienne ◽  
Bart Haegeman ◽  
Tanja Stadler ◽  
Tracy Aze ◽  
Paul N. Pearson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standard Model ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Planktonic Foraminifera ◽  
Fossil Evidence ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
The Standard Model ◽  
Molecular Phylogenies ◽  
Biological Realism

The branching times of molecular phylogenies allow us to infer speciation and extinction dynamics even when fossils are absent. Troublingly, phylogenetic approaches usually return estimates of zero extinction, conflicting with fossil evidence. Phylogenies and fossils do agree, however, that there are often limits to diversity. Here, we present a general approach to evaluate the likelihood of a phylogeny under a model that accommodates diversity-dependence and extinction. We find, by likelihood maximization, that extinction is estimated most precisely if the rate of increase in the number of lineages in the phylogeny saturates towards the present or first decreases and then increases. We demonstrate the utility and limits of our approach by applying it to the phylogenies for two cases where a fossil record exists (Cetacea and Cenozoic macroperforate planktonic foraminifera) and to three radiations lacking fossil evidence ( Dendroica , Plethodon and Heliconius ). We propose that the diversity-dependence model with extinction be used as the standard model for macro-evolutionary dynamics because of its biological realism and flexibility.

scholarly journals Detecting past changes in vegetation resilience in the context of a changing climate

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 20180768 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. John Calder ◽  
Bryan Shuman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Recovery Time ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Complete Recovery ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Return To Equilibrium ◽  
History Record ◽  
Time Required

Anthropogenic climate change is continuously altering ecological responses to disturbance and must be accounted for when examining ecological resilience. One way to measure resilience in ecological datasets is by considering the amount and duration of change from a baseline created by perturbations, such as disturbances like wildfire. Recovery occurs when ecological conditions return to equilibrium, meaning that no subsequent changes can be attributed to the effects of the disturbance, but climate change often causes the recovered state to differ from the previous baseline. The palaeoecological record provides an opportunity to examine these expectations because palaeoclimates changed continuously; few periods existed when environmental conditions were stationary. Here we demonstrate a framework for examining resilience in palaeoecological records against the backdrop of a non-stationary climate by considering resilience as two components of (i) resistance (magnitude of change) and (ii) recovery (time required to return) to predicted equilibrium values. Measuring these components of resilience in palaeoecological records requires high-resolution fossil (e.g. pollen) records, local palaeoclimate reconstructions, a model to predict ecological change in response to climate change, and disturbance records measured at the same spatial scale as the ecological (e.g. vegetation history) record. Resistance following disturbance is measured as the deviation of the fossil record from the ecological state predicted by the palaeoclimate records, and recovery time is measured as the time required for the fossil record to return to predicted values. We show that some cases may involve nearly persistent equilibrium despite large climate changes, but that others can involve a shift to a new state without any complete recovery.

scholarly journals Factors influencing test porosity in planktonic foraminifera

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (21) ◽  
pp. 6607-6619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet E. Burke ◽  
Willem Renema ◽  
Michael J. Henehan ◽  
Leanne E. Elder ◽  
Catherine V. Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Pore Space ◽  
Planktonic Foraminifera ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Geochemical Data ◽  
Test Surface ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Pore Characteristics ◽  
Test Volume

Abstract. The clustering of mitochondria near pores in the test walls of foraminifera suggests that these perforations play a critical role in metabolic gas exchange. As such, pore measurements could provide a novel means of tracking changes in metabolic rate in the fossil record. However, in planktonic foraminifera, variation in average pore area, density, and porosity (the total percentage of a test wall that is open pore space) have been variously attributed to environmental, biological, and taxonomic drivers, complicating such an interpretation. Here we examine the environmental, biological, and evolutionary determinants of pore characteristics in 718 individuals, representing 17 morphospecies of planktonic foraminifera from 6 core tops in the North Atlantic. Using random forest models, we find that porosity is primarily correlated to test surface area, test volume, and habitat temperature, key factors in determining metabolic rates. In order to test if this correlation arose spuriously through the association of cryptic species with distinct biomes, we cultured Globigerinoides ruber in three different temperature conditions, and found that porosity increased with temperature. Crucially, these results show that porosity can be plastic: changing in response to environmental drivers within the lifetime of an individual foraminifer. This demonstrates the potential of porosity as a proxy for foraminiferal metabolic rates, with significance for interpreting geochemical data and the physiology of foraminifera in non-analog environments. It also highlights the importance of phenotypic plasticity (i.e., ecophenotypy) in accounting for some aspects of morphological variation in the modern and fossil record.

Two new calcicolous species of Pinguicula sect. Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) growing on rocky habitats of the Iberian Peninsula

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 456 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-284
Author(s):  
MANUEL B. CRESPO ◽  
MARIO MARTÍNEZ-AZORÍN ◽  
MARÍA ÁNGELES ALONSO ◽  
LLORENÇ SÁEZ
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Central Eastern ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Rocky Habitats ◽  
Easy Differentiation

Two new rupicolous species of Pinguicula are described from the limestone and dolomitic mountain ranges of central and southern Iberian Peninsula, which were previously identified as P. submediterranea, P. mundi or P. dertosensis. First, the name P. tejedensis sp. nov. is applied to populations concealed to the high elevation areas of Sierra de Tejeda and Sierra de Almijara, in Granada Province (Andalusia, southern Iberian Peninsula). They resemble P. submediterranea, a name here revived for the Subbetic populations of Jaen Province, but its floral features, fruits and seeds allow easy differentiation. Second, P. casperiana is proposed to name populations occurring in the medium to high elevation areas of Serranía de Cuenca, between Cuenca and Guadalajara Provinces (Castilla-La Mancha, central-eastern Iberian Peninsula). Members of the Castillian species are closer to P. dertosensis and also akin to P. mundi, but again their floral features, fruits and seeds allow safe recognition. Both species are significantly different to each other and with regard to their morphologically close relatives, and they also show molecular divergences that support recognition at species rank. Data on morphological traits, ecology, distribution, biogeography and phylogenetic relationships are also presented.

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