scholarly journals Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical history of the large extinct European testudinids

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Vlachos ◽  
Adán Pérez-García ◽  
Márton Rabi
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
History Of ◽  
In The Beginning

Background. Large-sized testudinids had a long evolutionary history in Europe during the last 50 million years before becoming extinct in the beginning of the Pleistocene. Despite a 150-year long history in research and a decent fossil record, the European large testudinids have received limited attention so far. Methods. New excavations, descriptions of new specimens from Greece, Spain and Germany, revisions of previously published European taxa and comparative studies with extant testudinids now provide a major advancement in understanding the anatomy and evolutionary history of these turtles. This contribution aims to provide an updated summary of the accumulated knowledge on European large tortoises and to explore in detail their phylogenetic relationships in a global context (including small-sized extinct and extant taxa). The phylogenetic analysis is based on a new character/taxon matrix of morphological characters. Parsimony analysis was performed both with and without molecular backbone constraints. Results. We describe new material of large testudinids from Greece, Spain and Germany and revise most of the available material that has been previously published. Our morphology-based results are promising since they are consistent with recent molecular studies in identifying large testudinids traditionally referred to the Geochelone complex as polyphyletic. Furthermore, we were able to reproduce the molecular phylogeny of Mediterranean tortoises (Testudona). Discussion. The phylogenetic framework presented here allows addressing several open questions of the history of testudinids. First of all, it hints to a more complex biogeographic history of European testudinids than previously recognized. Although the early Paleogene history of testudinids cannot be accurately traced at the moment it seems probable that, besides Asia and North America, Europe also played a major role in the early diversification of Testudinidae. We demonstrate that large European testudinids do not form a monophyletic lineage. The widely recognized genus Cheirogaster should only include the Eocene type species, and exclude other large Paleogene or giant Neogene taxa so far known. Our analysis reveals that large size evolved independently in several clades and in several continents during warmer parts of the Cenozoic. Besides this general scheme other factors might have played a role regionally (e.g. changes in vegetation, island isolation).

scholarly journals Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical history of the large extinct European testudinids

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Vlachos ◽  
Adán Pérez-García ◽  
Márton Rabi
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
History Of ◽  
In The Beginning

Background. Large-sized testudinids had a long evolutionary history in Europe during the last 50 million years before becoming extinct in the beginning of the Pleistocene. Despite a 150-year long history in research and a decent fossil record, the European large testudinids have received limited attention so far. Methods. New excavations, descriptions of new specimens from Greece, Spain and Germany, revisions of previously published European taxa and comparative studies with extant testudinids now provide a major advancement in understanding the anatomy and evolutionary history of these turtles. This contribution aims to provide an updated summary of the accumulated knowledge on European large tortoises and to explore in detail their phylogenetic relationships in a global context (including small-sized extinct and extant taxa). The phylogenetic analysis is based on a new character/taxon matrix of morphological characters. Parsimony analysis was performed both with and without molecular backbone constraints. Results. We describe new material of large testudinids from Greece, Spain and Germany and revise most of the available material that has been previously published. Our morphology-based results are promising since they are consistent with recent molecular studies in identifying large testudinids traditionally referred to the Geochelone complex as polyphyletic. Furthermore, we were able to reproduce the molecular phylogeny of Mediterranean tortoises (Testudona). Discussion. The phylogenetic framework presented here allows addressing several open questions of the history of testudinids. First of all, it hints to a more complex biogeographic history of European testudinids than previously recognized. Although the early Paleogene history of testudinids cannot be accurately traced at the moment it seems probable that, besides Asia and North America, Europe also played a major role in the early diversification of Testudinidae. We demonstrate that large European testudinids do not form a monophyletic lineage. The widely recognized genus Cheirogaster should only include the Eocene type species, and exclude other large Paleogene or giant Neogene taxa so far known. Our analysis reveals that large size evolved independently in several clades and in several continents during warmer parts of the Cenozoic. Besides this general scheme other factors might have played a role regionally (e.g. changes in vegetation, island isolation).

scholarly journals Early diversification and permeable species boundaries in the Mediterranean firs

2019 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Balao ◽  
María Teresa Lorenzo ◽  
José Manuel Sánchez-Robles ◽  
Ovidiu Paun ◽  
Juan Luis García-Castaño ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Independent Species

Abstract Background and Aims Inferring the evolutionary relationships of species and their boundaries is critical in order to understand patterns of diversification and their historical drivers. Despite Abies (Pinaceae) being the second most diverse group of conifers, the evolutionary history of Circum-Mediterranean firs (CMFs) remains under debate. Methods We used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) on all proposed CMF taxa to investigate their phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic status. Key Results Based on thousands of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we present here the first formal test of species delimitation, and the first fully resolved, complete species tree for CMFs. We discovered that all previously recognized taxa in the Mediterranean should be treated as independent species, with the exception of Abies tazaotana and Abies marocana. An unexpectedly early pulse of speciation in the Oligocene–Miocene boundary is here documented for the group, pre-dating previous hypotheses by millions of years, revealing a complex evolutionary history encompassing both ancient and recent gene flow between distant lineages. Conclusions Our phylogenomic results contribute to shed light on conifers’ diversification. Our efforts to resolve the CMF phylogenetic relationships help refine their taxonomy and our knowledge of their evolution.

scholarly journals Molecular Phylogenetics of the Dragon's Blood Croton Section Cyclostigma (Euphorbiaceae): A Polyphyletic Assemblage Unraveled

2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricarda Riina ◽  
Paul E. Berry ◽  
Benjamin W. van Ee
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetics ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Reticulate Evolution ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Dragon’S Blood ◽  
History Of

The phylogenetic relationships of Croton section Cyclostigma sensu Webster were examined using nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid spacer trnL–F sequences from 48 of the 63 species in the group, including members of the four recognized subsections and representing the group's full morphological and geographic range. The two gene phylogenies concurred that section Cyclostigma sensu Webster is polyphyletic, with its members appearing in nine different clades throughout Croton. The clade that retains the taxonomic type of the section and about half of the species sampled is redefined here as a reduced, monophyletic section Cyclostigma, and the remaining species are placed in other sections or informal clades. The ITS and chloroplast phylogenies are discordant regarding the position of the redefined section Cyclostigma suggesting that reticulate evolution might have played a role in the evolutionary history of this group. These results highlight that the tree habit has evolved on multiple occasions in Croton, and that there are other morphological characters that can effectively distinguish different tree lineages in the genus.

scholarly journals Phylogenomic history of enigmatic pygmy perches: implications for biogeography, taxonomy and conservation

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 172125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean J. Buckley ◽  
Fabricius M. C. B. Domingos ◽  
Catherine R. M. Attard ◽  
Chris J. Brauer ◽  
Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Mitochondrial Data ◽  
Australian Continent ◽  
History Of ◽  
Arid Habitat ◽  
East West

Pygmy perches (Percichthyidae) are a group of poorly dispersing freshwater fishes that have a puzzling biogeographic disjunction across southern Australia. Current understanding of pygmy perch phylogenetic relationships suggests past east–west migrations across a vast expanse of now arid habitat in central southern Australia, a region lacking contemporary rivers. Pygmy perches also represent a threatened group with confusing taxonomy and potentially cryptic species diversity. Here, we present the first study of the evolutionary history of pygmy perches based on genome-wide information. Data from 13 991 ddRAD loci and a concatenated sequence of 1 075 734 bp were generated for all currently described and potentially cryptic species. Phylogenetic relationships, biogeographic history and cryptic diversification were inferred using a framework that combines phylogenomics, species delimitation and estimation of divergence times. The genome-wide phylogeny clarified the biogeographic history of pygmy perches, demonstrating multiple east–west events of divergence within the group across the Australian continent. These results also resolved discordance between nuclear and mitochondrial data from a previous study. In addition, we propose three cryptic species within a southwestern species complex. The finding of potentially new species demonstrates that pygmy perches may be even more susceptible to ecological and demographic threats than previously thought. Our results have substantial implications for improving conservation legislation of pygmy perch lineages, especially in southwestern Western Australia.

scholarly journals Amazonia as the Origin and Diversification Area of Didelphidae (Mammalia: Metatheria), and a Review of the Fossil Record of the Clade

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariela C. Castro ◽  
Murilo J. Dahur ◽  
Gabriel S. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Parametric Models ◽  
Isthmus Of Panama ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Northern Portion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Environmental Events ◽  
Fossil Records

AbstractDidelphidae is the largest New World radiation of marsupials, and is mostly represented by arboreal, small- to medium-sized taxa that inhabit tropical and/or subtropical forests. The group originated and remained isolated in South America for millions of years, until the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. In this study, we present the first reconstruction of the biogeographic history of Didelphidae including all major clades, based on parametric models and stratified analyses over time. We also compiled all the pre-Quaternary fossil records of the group, and contrasted these data to our biogeographic inferences, as well as to major environmental events that occurred in the South American Cenozoic. Our results indicate the relevance of Amazonia in the early diversification of Didelphidae, including the divergence of the major clades traditionally ranked as subfamilies and tribes. Cladogeneses in other areas started in the late Miocene, an interval of intense shifts, especially in the northern portion of Andes and Amazon Basin. Occupation of other areas continued through the Pliocene, but few were only colonized in Quaternary times. The comparison between the biogeographic inference and the fossil records highlights some further steps towards better understanding the spatiotemporal evolution of the clade. Finally, our results stress that the early history of didelphids is obscured by the lack of Paleogene fossils, which are still to be unearthed from low-latitude deposits of South America.

scholarly journals Early diversification of sperm size in the evolutionary history of the old world leaf warblers (Phylloscopidae)

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 777-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Supriya ◽  
M. Rowe ◽  
T. Laskemoen ◽  
D. Mohan ◽  
T. D. Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Old World ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
History Of ◽  
Leaf Warblers ◽  
Sperm Size

scholarly journals Evolution of Philodendron (Araceae) species along Neotropical biomes

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leticia Loss-Oliveira ◽  
Cassia CMS Sakuragui ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Soares ◽  
Carlos G Schrago
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Neotropical Region ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Amazon Forest ◽  
Ancestral Reconstruction ◽  
Biogeographic History ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Sister Clade ◽  
History Of ◽  
Wide Geographic Distribution

Philodendron is the second most diverse genus of the Araceae, a tropical monocot family with significant morphological diversity along its wide geographic distribution in the Neotropics. Although evolutionary studies of Philodendron were conducted in recent years, the phylogenetic relationship among its species remains unclear. Additionally, analyses conducted to date suggested the inclusion of all American representatives of a closely related genus, Homalomena, within the Philodendron clade. A thorough evaluation of the phylogeny and timescale of these lineages is thus necessary to elucidate the tempo and mode of evolution of this large Neotropical genus and to unveil the biogeographic history of Philodendron evolution along the Amazonian and Atlantic Rain Forests, as well as open dry forests of South America. To this end, we have estimated the molecular phylogeny for 68 Philodendron species, which consists of the largest sampling assembled to date aiming the study of the evolutionary affinities. We have also performed ancestral reconstruction of species distribution along biomes. Finally, we contrasted these results with the inferred timescale of Philodendron and Homalomena lineage diversification. Our estimates indicate that American Homalomena is the sister clade to Philodendron. The early diversification of Philodendron took place in the Amazon Forest from Early to Middle Miocene, followed by colonization of the Atlantic Forest and the savanna-like landscapes, respectively. Based on the age of the last common ancestor of Philodendron, the species of this genus diversified by rapid radiations, leading to its wide extant distribution in the Neotropical region.

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