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Jónsdóttir GÓ, von Elm LM, Ingimarsson F, Tersigni S, Snorrason SS, Pálsson A, Steele SE. Diversity in the internal functional feeding elements of sympatric morphs of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300359. [PMID: 38771821 PMCID: PMC11108142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The diversity of functional feeding anatomy is particularly impressive in fishes and correlates with various interspecific ecological specializations. Intraspecific polymorphism can manifest in divergent feeding morphology and ecology, often along a benthic-pelagic axis. Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is a freshwater salmonid known for morphological variation and sympatric polymorphism and in Lake Þingvallavatn, Iceland, four morphs of charr coexist that differ in preferred prey, behaviour, habitat use, and external feeding morphology. We studied variation in six upper and lower jaw bones in adults of these four morphs using geometric morphometrics and univariate statistics. We tested for allometric differences in bone size and shape among morphs, morph effects on bone size and shape, and divergence along the benthic-pelagic axis. We also examined the degree of integration between bone pairs. We found differences in bone size between pelagic and benthic morphs for two bones (dentary and premaxilla). There was clear bone shape divergence along a benthic-pelagic axis in four bones (dentary, articular-angular, premaxilla and maxilla), as well as allometric shape differences between morphs in the dentary. Notably for the dentary, morph explained more shape variation than bone size. Comparatively, benthic morphs possess a compact and taller dentary, with shorter dentary palate, consistent with visible (but less prominent) differences in external morphology. As these morphs emerged in the last 10,000 years, these results indicate rapid functional evolution of specific feeding structures in arctic charr. This sets the stage for studies of the genetics and development of rapid and parallel craniofacial evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura-Marie von Elm
- Institute of Life- and Environmental Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Samuel Tersigni
- Institute of Life- and Environmental Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Arnar Pálsson
- Institute of Life- and Environmental Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Sarah Elizabeth Steele
- Institute of Life- and Environmental Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada
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2
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Haines GE, Moisan L, Derry AM, Hendry AP. Corrigendum. Am Nat 2024; 203:147-159. [PMID: 38207146 DOI: 10.1086/728406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
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3
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Ehemann NR, Meyer A, Hulsey CD. Morphological description of spontaneous pelvic fin loss in a neotropical cichlid fish. J Morphol 2024; 285:e21663. [PMID: 38100744 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Pelvic fins are a characteristic structure of the vertebrate Bauplan. Yet, pelvic fin loss has occurred repeatedly across a wide diversity of other lineages of tetrapods and at least 48 times in teleost fishes. This pelvic finless condition is often associated with other morphological features such as body elongation, loss of additional structures, and bilateral asymmetry. However, despite the remarkable diversity in the several thousand cichlid fish species, none of them are characterized by the complete absence of pelvic fins. Here, we examined the musculoskeletal structure and associated bilateral asymmetry in Midas cichlids (Amphilophus cf. citrinellus) that lost their pelvic fins spontaneously in the laboratory. Due to this apparent mutational loss of the pelvic girdle and fins, the external and internal anatomy are described in a series of "normal" Midas individuals and their pelvic finless sibling tankmates. First, other traits associated with teleost pelvic fin loss, the genetic basis of pelvic fin loss, and the potential for pleiotropic effects of these genes on other traits in teleosts were all reviewed. Using these traits as a guide, we investigated whether other morphological differences were associated with the pelvic girdle/fin loss. The mean values of the masses of muscle of the pectoral fin, fin ray numbers in the unpaired fins, and oral jaw tooth numbers did not differ between the two pelvic fin morphotypes. However, significant differences in meristic values of the paired traits assessed were observed for the same side of the body between morphotypes. Notably, bilateral asymmetry was found exclusively for the posterior lateral line scales. Finally, we found limited evidence of pleiotropic effects, such as lateral line scale numbers and fluctuating asymmetry between the Midas pelvic fin morphotypes. The fast and relatively isolated changes in the Midas cichlids suggest minor but interesting pleiotropic effects could accompany loss of cichlid pelvic fins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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4
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DeLorenzo L, Mathews D, Brandon AA, Joglekar M, Carmona Baez A, Moore EC, Ciccotto PJ, Roberts NB, Roberts RB, Powder KE. Genetic basis of ecologically relevant body shape variation among four genera of cichlid fishes. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:3975-3988. [PMID: 37161914 PMCID: PMC10502943 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Divergence in body shape is one of the most widespread and repeated patterns of morphological variation in fishes and is associated with habitat specification and swimming mechanics. Such ecological diversification is the first stage of the explosive adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes in the East African Rift Lakes. We use two hybrid crosses of cichlids (Metriaclima sp. × Aulonocara sp. and Labidochromis sp. × Labeotropheus sp., >975 animals total) to determine the genetic basis of body shape diversification that is similar to benthic-pelagic divergence across fishes. Using a series of both linear and geometric shape measurements, we identified 34 quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie various aspects of body shape variation. These QTL are spread throughout the genome, each explaining 3.2-8.6% of phenotypic variation, and are largely modular. Further, QTL are distinct both between these two crosses of Lake Malawi cichlids and compared to previously identified QTL for body shape in fishes such as sticklebacks. We find that body shape is controlled by many genes of small effect. In all, we find that convergent body shape phenotypes commonly observed across fish clades are most likely due to distinct genetic and molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah DeLorenzo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Destiny Mathews
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - A. Allyson Brandon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Mansi Joglekar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Aldo Carmona Baez
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Emily C. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Patrick J. Ciccotto
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Department of Biology, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC 28778, USA
| | - Natalie B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Reade B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kara E. Powder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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5
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Friedman ST, Muñoz MM. A latitudinal gradient of deep-sea invasions for marine fishes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:773. [PMID: 36774385 PMCID: PMC9922314 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36501-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the tropics harbor the greatest species richness globally, recent work has demonstrated that, for many taxa, speciation rates are faster at higher latitudes. Here, we explore lability in oceanic depth as a potential mechanism for this pattern in the most biodiverse vertebrates - fishes. We demonstrate that clades with the highest speciation rates also diversify more rapidly along the depth gradient, drawing a fundamental link between evolutionary and ecological processes on a global scale. Crucially, these same clades also inhabit higher latitudes, creating a prevailing latitudinal gradient of deep-sea invasions concentrated in poleward regions. We interpret these findings in the light of classic ecological theory, unifying the latitudinal variation of oceanic features and the physiological tolerances of the species living there. This work advances the understanding of how niche lability sculpts global patterns of species distributions and underscores the vulnerability of polar ecosystems to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah T Friedman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA. .,Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Martha M Muñoz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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6
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The Dynamic Ontogenetic Shape Patterns of Adaptive Divergence and Sexual Dimorphism. Evol Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-022-09592-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe interplay between ecological diversification and sexual dimorphism has been largely overlooked in the literature. Sexually dimorphic species which are also undergoing adaptive radiations are ideal for filling this knowledge gap. The Arctic charr in lake Thingvallavatn is one such system: it is a sexually dimorphic species which has recently diverged along the benthic-limnetic ecological axis. In a long-running common-garden experiment we studied the shape variation throughout ontogeny of intra- and inter- morph crosses of benthic and limnetic charr from the lake. We found that shape differences between ecomorphs and sexes had a genetic component. Prior to the onset of sexual maturation, shape differences were attributable to cross type and were related to adaptations to benthic and limnetic niches, i.e., shorter lower jaws and rounder snouts in the benthic and evenly protruding snouts and pointier snouts in the limnetic. Reciprocal hybrids showed intermediate, transgressive and/or maternal morphologies. However, after the onset of sexual maturation larger morphological differences occurred between sexes than among cross types. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the interplay between ecological diversification and sexual dimorphism is complex and dynamic throughout ontogeny, and that long-term common garden experiments are immensely valuable for studying shape dynamics in different evolutionary scenarios.
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7
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Santos ME, Lopes JF, Kratochwil CF. East African cichlid fishes. EvoDevo 2023; 14:1. [PMID: 36604760 PMCID: PMC9814215 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-022-00205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes are a very diverse and species-rich family of teleost fishes that inhabit lakes and rivers of India, Africa, and South and Central America. Research has largely focused on East African cichlids of the Rift Lakes Tanganyika, Malawi, and Victoria that constitute the biodiversity hotspots of cichlid fishes. Here, we give an overview of the study system, research questions, and methodologies. Research on cichlid fishes spans many disciplines including ecology, evolution, physiology, genetics, development, and behavioral biology. In this review, we focus on a range of organismal traits, including coloration phenotypes, trophic adaptations, appendages like fins and scales, sensory systems, sex, brains, and behaviors. Moreover, we discuss studies on cichlid phylogenies, plasticity, and general evolutionary patterns, ranging from convergence to speciation rates and the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying these processes. From a methodological viewpoint, the last decade has brought great advances in cichlid fish research, particularly through the advent of affordable deep sequencing and advances in genetic manipulations. The ability to integrate across traits and research disciplines, ranging from developmental biology to ecology and evolution, makes cichlid fishes a fascinating research system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Emília Santos
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - João F. Lopes
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Claudius F. Kratochwil
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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8
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Internal vertebral morphology of bony fishes matches the mechanical demands of different environments. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9499. [DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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9
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Bernal MA, Yule DL, Stott W, Evrard L, Dowling TE, Krabbenhoft TJ. Concordant patterns of morphological, stable isotope, and genetic variation in a recent ecological radiation (Salmonidae: Coregonus spp.). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:4495-4509. [PMID: 35785504 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Groups of sympatric taxa with low inter-specific genetic differentiation, but considerable ecological differences, offer great opportunities to study the dynamics of divergence and speciation. This is the case of ciscoes (Coregonus spp.) in the Laurentian Great Lakes, which are characterized by a complex evolutionary history and are commonly described as having undergone an adaptive radiation. In this study, morphometrics, stable isotopes and transcriptome sequencing were used to study the relationships within the Coregonus artedi complex in western Lake Superior. We observed general concordance for morphological, ecological and genomic variation, but the latter was more taxonomically informative as it showed less overlap among species in multivariate space. Low levels of genetic differentiation were observed between individuals morphologically identified as C. hoyi and C. zenithicus, which could be evidence of incomplete lineage sorting or recent hybridization between the two groups. Transcriptome-based single nucleotide polymorphisms exhibited significant divergence for genes associated with vision, development, metabolism and immunity among species that occupy different habitats. This study highlights the importance of using an integrative approach when studying groups of taxa with a complex evolutionary history, as individual-level analyses of multiple independent datasets can provide a clearer picture of the patterns and processes associated with the origins of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés A Bernal
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States of America.,Department of Biological Sciences and RENEW Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States of America
| | - Daniel L Yule
- U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center - Lake Superior Biological Station, 2800 Lake Shore Drive E., Ashland, WI 54806, United States of America
| | - Wendylee Stott
- Michigan State University CESU working for U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2807, United States of America
| | - Lori Evrard
- U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center - Lake Superior Biological Station, 2800 Lake Shore Drive E., Ashland, WI 54806, United States of America
| | - Thomas E Dowling
- Wayne State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Detroit, Michigan, 48202, United States of America
| | - Trevor J Krabbenhoft
- Department of Biological Sciences and RENEW Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States of America
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10
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Masonick P, Meyer A, Hulsey CD. Phylogenomic analyses show repeated evolution of hypertrophied lips among Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6568296. [PMID: 35417557 PMCID: PMC9017819 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes have repeatedly evolved an astounding diversity of trophic morphologies. For example, hypertrophied lips have evolved multiple times in both African and Neotropical cichlids and could have even evolved convergently within single species assemblages such as African Lake Malawi cichlids. However, the extremely high diversification rate in Lake Malawi cichlids and extensive potential for hybridization has cast doubt on whether even genome-level phylogenetic reconstructions could delineate if these types of adaptations have evolved once or multiple times. To examine the evolution of this iconic trait using protein-coding and noncoding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we analyzed the genomes of 86 Lake Malawi cichlid species, including 33 de novo resequenced genomes. Surprisingly, genome-wide protein-coding SNPs exhibited enough phylogenetic informativeness to reconstruct interspecific and intraspecific relationships of hypertrophied lip cichlids, although noncoding SNPs provided better support. However, thinning of noncoding SNPs indicated most discrepancies come from the relatively smaller number of protein-coding sites and not from fundamental differences in their phylogenetic informativeness. Both coding and noncoding reconstructions showed that several “sand-dwelling” hypertrophied lip species, sampled intraspecifically, form a clade interspersed with a few other nonhypertrophied lip lineages. We also recovered Abactochromis labrosus within the rock-dwelling “mbuna” lineage, starkly contrasting with the affinities of other hypertrophied lip taxa found in the largely sand-dwelling “nonmbuna” component of this radiation. Comparative analyses coupled with tests for introgression indicate there is no widespread introgression between the hypertrophied lip lineages and taken together suggest this trophic phenotype has likely evolved at least twice independently within-lake Malawi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Masonick
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - C Darrin Hulsey
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.,Current Address: School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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11
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Burress ED, Piálek L, Casciotta J, Almirón A, Říčan O. Rapid Parallel Morphological and Mechanical Diversification of South American Pike Cichlids (Crenicichla). Syst Biol 2022; 72:120-133. [PMID: 35244182 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Explosive bouts of diversification are one of the most conspicuous features of the tree of life. When such bursts are repeated in similar environments it suggests some degree of predictability in the evolutionary process. We assess parallel adaptive radiation of South American pike cichlids (Crenicichla) using phylogenomics and phylogenetic comparative methods. We find that species flocks in the Uruguay and Iguazú River basins rapidly diversified into the same set of ecomorphs that reflect feeding ecology. Both adaptive radiations involve expansion of functional morphology, resulting in unique jaw phenotypes. Yet, form and function were decoupled such that most ecomorphs share similar mechanical properties of the jaws (i.e., jaw motion during a feeding strike). Prey mobility explained six to nine-fold differences in the rate of morphological evolution, but had no effect on the rate of mechanical evolution. We find no evidence of gene flow between species flocks or with surrounding coastal lineages that may explain their rapid diversification. When compared to cichlids of the East African Great Lakes and other prominent adaptive radiations, pike cichlids share many themes, including rapid expansion of phenotypic diversity, specialization along the benthic-to-pelagic habitat and soft-to-hard prey axes, and the evolution of conspicuous functional innovations. Yet, decoupled evolution of form and function and the absence of hybridization as a catalyzing force are departures from patterns observed in other adaptive radiations. Many-to-one mapping of morphology to mechanical properties is a mechanism by which pike cichlids exhibit a diversity of feeding ecologies while avoiding exacerbating underlying mechanical trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward D Burress
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lubomír Piálek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jorge Casciotta
- División Zoología Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo,UNLP, Paseo del Bosque, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CIC,Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Adriana Almirón
- División Zoología Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo,UNLP, Paseo del Bosque, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Oldřich Říčan
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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12
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Markevich GN, Izvekova EI, Anisimova LA, Mugue NS, Bonk TV, Esin EV. Annual Temperatures and Dynamics of Food Availability are Associated with the Pelagic-Benthic Diversification in a Sympatric Pair of Salmonid Fish. Evol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-022-09560-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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13
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Abstract
Whole genome sequences are beginning to revolutionize our understanding of phylogenetic relationships. Yet, even whole genome sequences can fail to resolve the evolutionary history of the most rapidly radiating lineages, where incomplete lineage sorting, standing genetic variation, introgression, and other factors obscure the phylogenetic history of the group. To overcome such challenges, one emerging strategy is to integrate results across different methods. Most such approaches have been implemented on reduced representation genomic data sets, but whole genomes should provide the maximum possible evidence approach. Here, we test the ability of single nucleotide polymorphisms extracted from whole genome resequencing data, implemented in an integrative genomic approach, to resolve key nodes in the phylogeny of the mbuna, rock-dwelling cichlid fishes of Lake Malaŵi, which epitomize the phylogenetic intractability that often accompanies explosive lineage diversification. This monophyletic radiation has diversified at an unparalleled rate into several hundred species in less than 2 million years. Using an array of phylogenomic methods, we consistently recovered four major clades of mbuna, but a large basal polytomy among them. Although introgression between clades apparently contributed to the challenge of phylogenetic reconstruction, reduction of the data set to nonintrogressed sites still did not help to resolve the basal polytomy. On the other hand, relationships among six congeneric species pairs were resolved without ambiguity, even in one case where existing data led us to predict that resolution would be difficult. We conclude that the bursts of diversification at the earliest stages of the mbuna radiation may be phylogenetically unresolvable, but other regions of the tree are phylogenetically clearly supported. Integration of multiple phylogenomic approaches will continue to increase confidence in relationships inferred from these and other whole-genome data sets. [Incomplete lineage sorting; introgression; linkage disequilibrium; multispecies coalescence; rapid radiation; soft polytomy.]
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14
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Friedman ST, Collyer ML, Price SA, Wainwright PC. Divergent processes drive parallel evolution in marine and freshwater fishes. Syst Biol 2021; 71:1319-1330. [PMID: 34605882 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary comparisons between major environmental divides, such as between marine and freshwater systems, can reveal the fundamental processes governing diversification dynamics. Although processes may differ due to the different scales of their biogeographic barriers, freshwater and marine environments nevertheless offer similar opportunities for diversification in benthic, demersal, and pelagic habitats. Here, we compare the evolutionary patterns and processes shaping teleost diversity both in each of these three habitats and between marine and freshwater systems. Using specimens from the National Museum of Natural History, we developed a dataset of linear measurements capturing body shape in 2,266 freshwater and 3,344 marine teleost species. With a novel comparative approach, we contrast the primary axis of morphological diversification in each habitat with the major axis defined by phylogenetic signal. By comparing angles between these axes, we find that fish in corresponding habitats have more similar primary axes of morphological diversity than would be expected by chance, but that different historical processes underlie these parallel patterns in freshwater and marine environments. Marine diversification is more strongly aligned with phylogenetic signal and shows a trend toward lineages occupying separate regions of morphospace. In contrast, ecological signal appears to be a strong driver of diversification in freshwater lineages through repeated morphological evolution in densely packed regions of morphospace. In spite of these divergent histories, our findings reveal that habitat has driven convergent patterns of evolutionary diversification on a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T Friedman
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - M L Collyer
- Department of Science, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232, USA
| | - S A Price
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - P C Wainwright
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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15
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Hodge JR, Song Y, Wightman MA, Milkey A, Tran B, Štajner A, Roberts AS, Hemingson CR, Wainwright PC, Price SA. Constraints on the Ecomorphological Convergence of Zooplanktivorous Butterflyfishes. Integr Org Biol 2021; 3:obab014. [PMID: 34377941 PMCID: PMC8341894 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether distantly related organisms evolve similar strategies to meet the demands of a shared ecological niche depends on their evolutionary history and the nature of form-function relationships. In fishes, the visual identification and consumption of microscopic zooplankters, selective zooplanktivory, is a distinct type of foraging often associated with a suite of morphological specializations. Previous work has identified inconsistencies in the trajectory and magnitude of morphological change following transitions to selective zooplanktivory, alluding to the diversity and importance of ancestral effects. Here we investigate whether transitions to selective zooplanktivory have influenced the morphological evolution of marine butterflyfishes (family Chaetodontidae), a group of small-prey specialists well known for several types of high-precision benthivory. Using Bayesian ancestral state estimation, we inferred the recent evolution of zooplanktivory among benthivorous ancestors that hunted small invertebrates and browsed by picking or scraping coral polyps. Traits related to the capture of prey appear to be functionally versatile, with little morphological distinction between species with benthivorous and planktivorous foraging modes. In contrast, multiple traits related to prey detection or swimming performance are evolving toward novel, zooplanktivore-specific optima. Despite a relatively short evolutionary history, general morphological indistinctiveness, and evidence of constraint on the evolution of body size, convergent evolution has closed a near significant amount of the morphological distance between zooplanktivorous species. Overall, our findings describe the extent to which the functional demands associated with selective zooplanktivory have led to generalizable morphological features among butterflyfishes and highlight the importance of ancestral effects in shaping patterns of morphological convergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Hodge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Y Song
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - M A Wightman
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, USA
| | - A Milkey
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - B Tran
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - A Štajner
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - A S Roberts
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - C R Hemingson
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - P C Wainwright
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - S A Price
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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16
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Burns MD. Adaptation to herbivory and detritivory drives the convergent evolution of large abdominal cavities in a diverse freshwater fish radiation (Otophysi: Characiformes). Evolution 2021; 75:688-705. [PMID: 33491179 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Convergent evolution is often interpreted as evidence of natural selection favoring an optimal phenotype during adaptation. Morphological convergence is frequently found among lineages that converge on diet, but most studies have focused on morphological traits that relate exclusively to food handling and processing. In vertebrates, there is a strong inverse relationship between intestine length and trophic level. However, little is known about whether adaptation to a low trophic level influences the evolution of abdominal cavities that can accommodate larger intestines. Here, I reconstruct the evolutionary history of trophic ecology and examine abdominal cavity shape across 157 species of the fish order Characiformes to determine whether adaptation to an herbivorous-detritivorous diet drives convergent evolution of large abdominal cavities. Herbivorous-detritivorous species evolved significantly larger abdominal cavities than other trophic groups and repeatedly converged on a similar abdominal cavity morphology. Other trophic groups evolved abdominal cavity morphologies either stochastically or by selective pressures from an untested ecological character. These findings demonstrate that the selective demands of a larger intestinal tract promote the repeated convergence of a large abdominal cavity within herbivorous-detritivorous characiform fishes, while allowing other lineages to evolve randomly or adapt in response to other selection pressures, contributing to the overall body shape diversity of the order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Burns
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell Museum of Vertebrates, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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17
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Munyandamutsa PS, Jere WL, Kassam D, Mtethiwa A. Trophic divergence of Lake Kivu cichlid fishes along a pelagic versus littoral habitat axis. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1570-1585. [PMID: 33613990 PMCID: PMC7882941 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Local adaptation to the littoral and pelagic zones in two cichlid haplochromine fish species from Lake Kivu was investigated using morphometrics. Cranial variation and inferred jaw mechanics in both sexes of the two species across the two habitat types were quantified and compared. Comparisons of littoral versus pelagic populations revealed habitat-specific differences in the shape of the feeding apparatus. Also, kinematic transmission of the anterior jaw four-bar linkage that promotes greater jaw protrusion was higher in the pelagic zone than in the littoral zone for both species. Inferred bite force was likewise higher in pelagic zone fish. There were also sex-specific differences in craniofacial morphology as males exhibited longer heads than females in both habitats. As has been described for other cichlids in the East African Great Lakes, local adaptation to trophic resources in the littoral and pelagic habitats characterizes these two Lake Kivu cichlids. Similar studies involving other types of the Lake Kivu fishes are recommended to test the evidence of the observed trophic patterns and their genetic basis of divergences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe S. Munyandamutsa
- Africa Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceDepartment of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceBunda CollegeLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweCentreMalawi
- Department of Animal ProductionCollege of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary MedicineUniversity of RwandaKK 737MusanzeNorthRwanda
| | - Wilson L. Jere
- Africa Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceDepartment of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceBunda CollegeLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweCentreMalawi
| | - Daud Kassam
- Africa Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceDepartment of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceBunda CollegeLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweCentreMalawi
| | - Austin Mtethiwa
- Africa Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceDepartment of Aquaculture and Fisheries ScienceBunda CollegeLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLilongweCentreMalawi
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18
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Rincon-Sandoval M, Duarte-Ribeiro E, Davis AM, Santaquiteria A, Hughes LC, Baldwin CC, Soto-Torres L, Acero P A, Walker HJ, Carpenter KE, Sheaves M, Ortí G, Arcila D, Betancur-R R. Evolutionary determinism and convergence associated with water-column transitions in marine fishes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:33396-33403. [PMID: 33328271 PMCID: PMC7777220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006511117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeatable, convergent outcomes are prima facie evidence for determinism in evolutionary processes. Among fishes, well-known examples include microevolutionary habitat transitions into the water column, where freshwater populations (e.g., sticklebacks, cichlids, and whitefishes) recurrently diverge toward slender-bodied pelagic forms and deep-bodied benthic forms. However, the consequences of such processes at deeper macroevolutionary scales in the marine environment are less clear. We applied a phylogenomics-based integrative, comparative approach to test hypotheses about the scope and strength of convergence in a marine fish clade with a worldwide distribution (snappers and fusiliers, family Lutjanidae) featuring multiple water-column transitions over the past 45 million years. We collected genome-wide exon data for 110 (∼80%) species in the group and aggregated data layers for body shape, habitat occupancy, geographic distribution, and paleontological and geological information. We also implemented approaches using genomic subsets to account for phylogenetic uncertainty in comparative analyses. Our results show independent incursions into the water column by ancestral benthic lineages in all major oceanic basins. These evolutionary transitions are persistently associated with convergent phenotypes, where deep-bodied benthic forms with truncate caudal fins repeatedly evolve into slender midwater species with furcate caudal fins. Lineage diversification and transition dynamics vary asymmetrically between habitats, with benthic lineages diversifying faster and colonizing midwater habitats more often than the reverse. Convergent ecological and functional phenotypes along the benthic-pelagic axis are pervasive among different lineages and across vastly different evolutionary scales, achieving predictable high-fitness solutions for similar environmental challenges, ultimately demonstrating strong determinism in fish body-shape evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Rincon-Sandoval
- Department of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Caribe, Centro de Estudios en Ciencias del Mar (CECIMAR), Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
| | | | - Aaron M Davis
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | | | - Lily C Hughes
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560
| | - Carole C Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560
| | - Luisángely Soto-Torres
- Department of Biology, Universidad de Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, San Juan Puerto Rico, 00931
| | - Arturo Acero P
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Caribe, Centro de Estudios en Ciencias del Mar (CECIMAR), Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
| | - H J Walker
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0244
| | | | - Marcus Sheaves
- Marine Data Technology Hub, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Guillermo Ortí
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560
| | - Dahiana Arcila
- Department of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019
- Department of Ichthyology, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK
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19
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Friedman ST, Price SA, Corn KA, Larouche O, Martinez CM, Wainwright PC. Body shape diversification along the benthic-pelagic axis in marine fishes. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201053. [PMID: 32693721 PMCID: PMC7423681 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Colonization of novel habitats can result in marked phenotypic responses to the new environment that include changes in body shape and opportunities for further morphological diversification. Fishes have repeatedly transitioned along the benthic-pelagic axis, with varying degrees of association with the substrate. Previous work focusing on individual lineages shows that these transitions are accompanied by highly predictable changes in body form. Here, we generalize expectations drawn from this literature to study the effects of habitat on body shape diversification across 3344 marine teleost fishes. We compare rates and patterns of evolution in eight linear measurements of body shape among fishes that live in pelagic, demersal and benthic habitats. While average body shape differs between habitats, these differences are subtle compared with the high diversity of shapes found within each habitat. Benthic living increases the rate of body shape evolution and has led to numerous lineages evolving extreme body shapes, including both exceptionally wide bodies and highly elongate, eel-like forms. By contrast, we find that benthic living is associated with the slowest diversification of structures associated with feeding. Though we find that habitat can serve as an impetus for predictable trait changes, we also highlight the diversity of responses in marine teleosts to opportunities presented by major habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. T. Friedman
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - S. A. Price
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - K. A. Corn
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - O. Larouche
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - C. M. Martinez
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - P. C. Wainwright
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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20
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Enny A, Flaherty K, Mori S, Turner N, Nakamura T. Developmental constraints on fin diversity. Dev Growth Differ 2020; 62:311-325. [PMID: 32396685 PMCID: PMC7383993 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The fish fin is a breathtaking repository full of evolutionary diversity, novelty, and convergence. Over 500 million years, the adaptation to novel habitats has provided landscapes of fin diversity. Although comparative anatomy of evolutionarily divergent patterns over centuries has highlighted the fundamental architectures and evolutionary trends of fins, including convergent evolution, the developmental constraints on fin evolution, which bias the evolutionary trajectories of fin morphology, largely remain elusive. Here, we review the evolutionary history, developmental mechanisms, and evolutionary underpinnings of paired fins, illuminating possible developmental constraints on fin evolution. Our compilation of anatomical and genetic knowledge of fin development sheds light on the canalized and the unpredictable aspects of fin shape in evolution. Leveraged by an arsenal of genomic and genetic tools within the working arena of spectacular fin diversity, evolutionary developmental biology embarks on the establishment of conceptual framework for developmental constraints, previously enigmatic properties of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Enny
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Kathleen Flaherty
- Rutgers Animal CareRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Shunsuke Mori
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Natalie Turner
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Tetsuya Nakamura
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
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21
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Gaither MR, Greaves S, Amirthalingam P. The physiology of rapid ecological specialization: A look at the Midas cichlids. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1215-1218. [PMID: 32155299 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the process of speciation is a primary goal of evolutionary biology, yet the question of whether speciation can reach completion in the presence of gene flow remains controversial. For more than 50 years, the cichlids of Africa, and more recently those in South and Central America, have served as model systems for the study of speciation in nature. Cichlids are distinguished by their enormous species richness, their diversity of behavioural and trophic adaptations, and their rapid rate of divergence. In both Africa and South and Central America, the repeated interaction of geology, new founder events and adaptive evolution has created a series of natural experiments with speciation occurring both within and between waterbodies of differing ages. In the "From the Cover" paper in this issue of the Journal of Molecular Ecology, Raffini, Schneider, Franchini, Kautt and Meyer move beyond the question of which mechanisms drive speciation, and instead show that divergent morphologies and physiologies translate into adaptive traits. They investigate differences in physiology and gene expression profiles in a benthic/limnetic species pair of Midas cichlidsin a 24,000-year-old Nicaraguan crater lake. While recently diverged, these two species demonstrate significant ecological, but limited genetic differentiation. The authors find that the distinct morphotypes translate into relevant differences in swimming performance and metabolic rates that correspond to differential gene expression profiles. Hence, the authors take an integrative approach examining the impacts of morphological differences on performance and niche partitioning: an approach that can advance our understanding of the drivers of morphological and physiological divergence during speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle R Gaither
- Department of Biology, Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Samuel Greaves
- Department of Biology, Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Pavithiran Amirthalingam
- Department of Biology, Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
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22
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Kolmann MA, Burns MD, Ng JYK, Lovejoy NR, Bloom DD. Habitat transitions alter the adaptive landscape and shape phenotypic evolution in needlefishes (Belonidae). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3769-3783. [PMID: 32313635 PMCID: PMC7160164 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat occupancy can have a profound influence on macroevolutionary dynamics, and a switch in major habitat type may alter the evolutionary trajectory of a lineage. In this study, we investigate how evolutionary transitions between marine and freshwater habitats affect macroevolutionary adaptive landscapes, using needlefishes (Belonidae) as a model system. We examined the evolution of body shape and size in marine and freshwater needlefishes and tested for phenotypic change in response to transitions between habitats. Using micro-computed tomographic (µCT) scanning and geometric morphometrics, we quantified body shape, size, and vertebral counts of 31 belonid species. We then examined the pattern and tempo of body shape and size evolution using phylogenetic comparative methods. Our results show that transitions from marine to freshwater habitats have altered the adaptive landscape for needlefishes and expanded morphospace relative to marine taxa. We provide further evidence that freshwater taxa attain reduced sizes either through dwarfism (as inferred from axial skeletal reduction) or through developmental truncation (as inferred from axial skeletal loss). We propose that transitions to freshwater habitats produce morphological novelty in response to novel prey resources and changes in locomotor demands. We find that repeated invasions of different habitats have prompted predictable changes in morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Kolmann
- Department of Biological SciencesGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
- Friday Harbor LaboratoriesUniversity of WashingtonFriday HarborWAUSA
| | - Michael D. Burns
- Cornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell University Museum of VertebratesIthacaNYUSA
- Department of Biological SciencesWestern Michigan UniversityKalamazooMIUSA
| | - Justin Y. K. Ng
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Nathan R. Lovejoy
- Department of Biological ScienceUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoONCanada
| | - Devin D. Bloom
- Department of Biological Sciences & Institute of the Environment and SustainabilityWestern Michigan UniversityKalamazooMIUSA
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23
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Lecaudey LA, Sturmbauer C, Singh P, Ahi EP. Molecular mechanisms underlying nuchal hump formation in dolphin cichlid, Cyrtocara moorii. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20296. [PMID: 31889116 PMCID: PMC6937230 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56771-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
East African cichlid fishes represent a model to tackle adaptive changes and their connection to rapid speciation and ecological distinction. In comparison to bony craniofacial tissues, adaptive morphogenesis of soft tissues has been rarely addressed, particularly at the molecular level. The nuchal hump in cichlids fishes is one such soft-tissue and exaggerated trait that is hypothesized to play an innovative role in the adaptive radiation of cichlids fishes. It has also evolved in parallel across lakes in East Africa and Central America. Using gene expression profiling, we identified and validated a set of genes involved in nuchal hump formation in the Lake Malawi dolphin cichlid, Cyrtocara moorii. In particular, we found genes differentially expressed in the nuchal hump, which are involved in controlling cell proliferation (btg3, fosl1a and pdgfrb), cell growth (dlk1), craniofacial morphogenesis (dlx5a, mycn and tcf12), as well as regulators of growth-related signals (dpt, pappa and socs2). This is the first study to identify the set of genes associated with nuchal hump formation in cichlids. Given that the hump is a trait that evolved repeatedly in several African and American cichlid lineages, it would be interesting to see if the molecular pathways and genes triggering hump formation follow a common genetic track or if the trait evolved in parallel, with distinct mechanisms, in other cichlid adaptive radiations and even in other teleost fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurène Alicia Lecaudey
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christian Sturmbauer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Pooja Singh
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria.
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-75 236, Uppsala, Sweden.
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24
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Burress ED, Tan M, Wainwright PC. Head Shape Modulates Diversification of a Classic Cichlid Pharyngeal Jaw Innovation. Am Nat 2019; 194:693-706. [PMID: 31613667 DOI: 10.1086/705392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Functional innovations are often invoked to explain the uneven distribution of ecological diversity. Innovations may provide access to new adaptive zones by expanding available ecological opportunities and may serve as catalysts of adaptive radiation. However, diversity is often unevenly distributed within clades that share a key innovation, highlighting the possibility that the impact of the innovation is mediated by other traits. Pharyngognathy is a widely recognized innovation of the pharyngeal jaws that enhances the ability to process hard and tough prey in several major radiations of fishes, including marine wrasses and freshwater cichlids. We explored diversification of lower pharyngeal jaw shape, a key feature of pharyngognathy, and the extent to which it is influenced by head shape in Neotropical cichlids. While pharyngeal jaw shape was unaffected by either head length or head depth, its disparity declined dramatically with increasing head width. Head width also predicted the rate of pharyngeal jaw evolution such that higher rates were associated with narrow heads. Wide heads are associated with exploiting prey that require intense processing by pharyngeal jaws that have expanded surfaces for the attachment of enlarged muscles. However, we show that a wide head constrains access to adaptive peaks associated with several trophic roles. A constraint on the independent evolution of pharyngeal jaw and head shape may explain the uneven distribution of ecological diversity within a clade that shares a major functional innovation.
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25
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Hulsey CD, Alfaro ME, Zheng J, Meyer A, Holzman R. Pleiotropic jaw morphology links the evolution of mechanical modularity and functional feeding convergence in Lake Malawi cichlids. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182358. [PMID: 30963830 PMCID: PMC6408893 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Complexity in how mechanistic variation translates into ecological novelty could be critical to organismal diversification. For instance, when multiple distinct morphologies can generate the same mechanical or functional phenotype, this could mitigate trade-offs and/or provide alternative ways to meet the same ecological challenge. To investigate how this type of complexity shapes diversity in a classic adaptive radiation, we tested several evolutionary consequences of the anterior jaw four-bar linkage for Lake Malawi cichlid trophic diversification. Using a novel phylogenetic framework, we demonstrated that different mechanical outputs of the same four jaw elements are evolutionarily associated with both jaw protrusion distance and jaw protrusion angle. However, these two functional aspects of jaw protrusion have evolved independently. Additionally, although four-bar morphology showed little evidence for attraction to optima, there was substantial evidence of adaptive peaks for emergent four-bar linkage mechanics and jaw protrusion abilities among Malawi feeding guilds. Finally, we highlighted a clear case of two cichlid species that have -independently evolved to graze algae in less than 2 Myr and have converged on similar jaw protrusion abilities as well as four-bar linkage mechanics, but have evolved these similarities via non-convergent four-bar morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Darrin Hulsey
- Department of Biology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Michael E. Alfaro
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Jimmy Zheng
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roi Holzman
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University and the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences, PO Box 469, Eilat 88103, Israel
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26
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Burress ED, Piálek L, Casciotta JR, Almirón A, Tan M, Armbruster JW, Říčan O. Island- and lake-like parallel adaptive radiations replicated in rivers. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.1762. [PMID: 29298932 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Parallel adaptive radiations have arisen following the colonization of islands by lizards and lakes by fishes. In these classic examples, parallel adaptive radiation is a response to the ecological opportunities afforded by the colonization of novel ecosystems and similar adaptive landscapes that favour the evolution of similar suites of ecomorphs, despite independent evolutionary histories. Here, we demonstrate that parallel adaptive radiations of cichlid fishes arose in South American rivers. Speciation-assembled communities of pike cichlids (Crenicichla) have independently diversified into similar suites of novel ecomorphs in the Uruguay and Paraná Rivers, including crevice feeders, periphyton grazers and molluscivores. There were bursts in phenotypic evolution associated with the colonization of each river and the subsequent expansion of morphospace following the evolution of the ecomorphs. These riverine clades demonstrate that characteristics emblematic of textbook parallel adaptive radiations of island- and lake-dwelling assemblages are feasible evolutionary outcomes even in labile ecosystems such as rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward D Burress
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Lubomír Piálek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jorge R Casciotta
- División Zoologia Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Adriana Almirón
- División Zoologia Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Milton Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Jonathan W Armbruster
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Oldřich Říčan
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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27
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Burns MD, Sidlauskas BL. Ancient and contingent body shape diversification in a hyperdiverse continental fish radiation. Evolution 2019; 73:569-587. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Burns
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Oregon 97330
| | - Brian L. Sidlauskas
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Oregon 97330
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia 20560
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28
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Ribeiro E, Davis AM, Rivero-Vega RA, Ortí G, Betancur-R R. Post-Cretaceous bursts of evolution along the benthic-pelagic axis in marine fishes. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20182010. [PMID: 30963906 PMCID: PMC6304066 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological opportunity arising in the aftermath of mass extinction events is thought to be a powerful driver of evolutionary radiations. Here, we assessed how the wake of the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) mass extinction shaped diversification dynamics in a clade of mostly marine fishes (Carangaria), which comprises a disparate array of benthic and pelagic dwellers including some of the most astonishing fish forms (e.g. flatfishes, billfishes, remoras, archerfishes). Analyses of lineage diversification show time-heterogeneous rates of lineage diversification in carangarians, with highest rates reached during the Palaeocene. Likewise, a remarkable proportion of Carangaria's morphological variation originated early in the history of the group and in tandem with a marked incidence of habitat shifts. Taken together, these results suggest that all major lineages and body plans in Carangaria originated in an early burst shortly after the K-Pg mass extinction, which ultimately allowed the occupation of newly released niches along the benthic-pelagic habitat axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuell Ribeiro
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, PO Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931, USA
- Department of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Room 314, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Aaron M. Davis
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 159, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Rafael A. Rivero-Vega
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, PO Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931, USA
| | - Guillermo Ortí
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 159, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 2023 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Ricardo Betancur-R
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, PO Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931, USA
- Department of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Room 314, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 159, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
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29
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Hulsey CD, Holzman R, Meyer A. Dissecting a potential spandrel of adaptive radiation: Body depth and pectoral fin ecomorphology coevolve in Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11945-11953. [PMID: 30598789 PMCID: PMC6303698 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of body shape reflects both the ecological factors structuring organismal diversity as well as an organism's underlying anatomy. For instance, body depth in fishes is thought to determine their susceptibility to predators, attractiveness to mates, as well as swimming performance. However, the internal anatomy influencing diversification of body depth has not been extensively examined, and changes in body depth could arise as a by-product of functional changes in other anatomical structures. Using an improved phylogenetic hypothesis for a diverse set of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes, we tested the evolutionary association between body depth and the height of the pectoral girdle. To refine the functional importance of the observed substantial correlation, we also tested the coevolution of pectoral girdle height and pectoral fin area. The extensive coevolution of these traits suggests body depth in fishes like the Lake Malawi cichlids could diverge simply as a by-product of being tightly linked to ecomorphological divergence in other functional morphological structures like the pectoral fins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roi Holzman
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life scienceTel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel and The Inter‐University Institute for Marine SciencesEilatIsrael
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
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30
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Darrin Hulsey C, Zheng J, Holzman R, Alfaro ME, Olave M, Meyer A. Phylogenomics of a putatively convergent novelty: did hypertrophied lips evolve once or repeatedly in Lake Malawi cichlid fishes? BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:179. [PMID: 30486792 PMCID: PMC6263179 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1296-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phylogenies provide critical information about convergence during adaptive radiation. To test whether there have been multiple origins of a distinctive trophic phenotype in one of the most rapidly radiating groups known, we used ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) to examine the evolutionary affinities of Lake Malawi cichlids lineages exhibiting greatly hypertrophied lips. RESULTS The hypertrophied lip cichlids Cheilochromis euchilus, Eclectochromis ornatus, Placidochromis "Mbenji fatlip", and Placidochromis milomo are all nested within the non-mbuna clade of Malawi cichlids based on both concatenated sequence and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) inferred phylogenies. Lichnochromis acuticeps that exhibits slightly hypertrophied lips also appears to have evolutionary affinities to this group. However, Chilotilapia rhoadesii that lacks hypertrophied lips was recovered as nested within the species Cheilochromis euchilus. Species tree reconstructions and analyses of introgression provided largely ambiguous patterns of Malawi cichlid evolution. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to mitochondrial DNA phylogenies, bifurcating trees based on our 1024 UCE loci supported close affinities of Lake Malawi lineages with hypertrophied lips. However, incomplete lineage sorting in Malawi tends to render these inferences more tenuous. Phylogenomic analyses will continue to provide powerful inferences about whether phenotypic novelties arose once or multiple times during adaptive radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Darrin Hulsey
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jimmy Zheng
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Roi Holzman
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University and the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, 88103 Eilat, Israel
| | - Michael E. Alfaro
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Melisa Olave
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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31
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Chira AM, Cooney CR, Bright JA, Capp EJR, Hughes EC, Moody CJA, Nouri LO, Varley ZK, Thomas GH. Correlates of rate heterogeneity in avian ecomorphological traits. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1505-1514. [PMID: 30133084 PMCID: PMC6175488 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity in rates of trait evolution is widespread, but it remains unclear which processes drive fast and slow character divergence across global radiations. Here, we test multiple hypotheses for explaining rate variation in an ecomorphological trait (beak shape) across a globally distributed group (birds). We find low support that variation in evolutionary rates of species is correlated with life history, environmental mutagenic factors, range size, number of competitors, or living on islands. Indeed, after controlling for the negative effect of species' age, 80% of variation in species‐specific evolutionary rates remains unexplained. At the clade level, high evolutionary rates are associated with unusual phenotypes or high species richness. Taken together, these results imply that macroevolutionary rates of ecomorphological traits are governed by both ecological opportunity in distinct adaptive zones and niche differentiation among closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Chira
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - C R Cooney
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - J A Bright
- School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - E J R Capp
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - E C Hughes
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - C J A Moody
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - L O Nouri
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Z K Varley
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - G H Thomas
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.,Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Tring, Hertfordshire, UK
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32
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Albertson RC, Kawasaki KC, Tetrault ER, Powder KE. Genetic analyses in Lake Malawi cichlids identify new roles for Fgf signaling in scale shape variation. Commun Biol 2018; 1:55. [PMID: 30271938 PMCID: PMC6123627 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0060-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Elasmoid scales are the most common epithelial appendage among vertebrates, however an understanding of the genetic mechanisms that underlie variation in scale shape is lacking. Using an F2 mapping cross between morphologically distinct cichlid species, we identified >40 QTL for scale shape at different body positions. We show that while certain regions of the genome regulate variation in multiple scales, most are specific to scales at distinct positions. This suggests a degree of regional modularity in scale development. We also identified a single QTL for variation in scale shape disparity across the body. Finally, we screened a QTL hotspot for candidate loci, and identified the Fgf receptor fgfr1b as a prime target. Quantitative rtPCR and small molecule manipulation support a role for Fgf signaling in shaping cichlid scales. While Fgfs have previously been implicated in scale loss, these data reveal new roles for the pathway in scale shape variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Kenta C Kawasaki
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Emily R Tetrault
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Kara E Powder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings Street, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
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33
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Tavera J, Acero P. A, Wainwright PC. Multilocus phylogeny, divergence times, and a major role for the benthic-to-pelagic axis in the diversification of grunts (Haemulidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 121:212-223. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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34
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Higham TE, Rogers SM, Langerhans RB, Jamniczky HA, Lauder GV, Stewart WJ, Martin CH, Reznick DN. Speciation through the lens of biomechanics: locomotion, prey capture and reproductive isolation. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1294. [PMID: 27629033 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Speciation is a multifaceted process that involves numerous aspects of the biological sciences and occurs for multiple reasons. Ecology plays a major role, including both abiotic and biotic factors. Whether populations experience similar or divergent ecological environments, they often adapt to local conditions through divergence in biomechanical traits. We investigate the role of biomechanics in speciation using fish predator-prey interactions, a primary driver of fitness for both predators and prey. We highlight specific groups of fishes, or specific species, that have been particularly valuable for understanding these dynamic interactions and offer the best opportunities for future studies that link genetic architecture to biomechanics and reproductive isolation (RI). In addition to emphasizing the key biomechanical techniques that will be instrumental, we also propose that the movement towards linking biomechanics and speciation will include (i) establishing the genetic basis of biomechanical traits, (ii) testing whether similar and divergent selection lead to biomechanical divergence, and (iii) testing whether/how biomechanical traits affect RI. Future investigations that examine speciation through the lens of biomechanics will propel our understanding of this key process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E Higham
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sean M Rogers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - R Brian Langerhans
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Heather A Jamniczky
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - George V Lauder
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - David N Reznick
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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35
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Burress ED, Alda F, Duarte A, Loureiro M, Armbruster JW, Chakrabarty P. Phylogenomics of pike cichlids (Cichlidae: Crenicichla): the rapid ecological speciation of an incipient species flock. J Evol Biol 2017; 31:14-30. [PMID: 29044782 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The rapid rise of phenotypic and ecological diversity in independent lake-dwelling groups of cichlids is emblematic of the East African Great Lakes. In this study, we show that similar ecologically based diversification has occurred in pike cichlids (Crenicichla) throughout the Uruguay River drainage of South America. We collected genomic data from nearly 500 ultraconserved element (UCEs) loci and >260 000 base pairs across 33 species, to obtain a phylogenetic hypothesis for the major species groups and to evaluate the relationships and genetic structure among five closely related, endemic, co-occurring species (the Uruguay River species flock; URSF). Additionally, we evaluated ecological divergence of the URSF based on body and lower pharyngeal jaw (LPJ) shape and gut contents. Across the genus, we recovered novel relationships among the species groups. We found strong support for the monophyly of the URSF; however, relationships among these species remain problematic, likely because of the rapid and recent evolution of this clade. Clustered co-ancestry analysis recovered most species as well delimited genetic groups. The URSF species exhibit species-specific body and LPJ shapes associated with specialized trophic roles. Collectively, our results suggest that the URSF consists of incipient species that arose via ecological speciation associated with the exploration of novel trophic roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Burress
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - F Alda
- Museum of Natural Science, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - A Duarte
- Sección Zoología Vertebrados, Departmento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Loureiro
- Sección Zoología Vertebrados, Departmento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Sección Ictología, Departmento de Zoología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - J W Armbruster
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - P Chakrabarty
- Museum of Natural Science, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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36
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Burress ED, Tan M. Ecological opportunity alters the timing and shape of adaptive radiation. Evolution 2017; 71:2650-2660. [PMID: 28895124 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The uneven distribution of diversity is a conspicuous phenomenon across the tree of life. Ecological opportunity is a prominent catalyst of adaptive radiation and therefore may alter patterns of diversification. We evaluated the distribution of shifts in diversification rates across the cichlid phylogeny and the distribution of major clades across phylogenetic space. We also tested if ecological opportunity influenced these patterns. Colonization-associated ecological opportunity altered the tempo and mode of diversification during the adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes. Clades that arose following colonization events diversified faster than other clades. Speciation rate shifts were nonrandomly distributed across the phylogeny such that they were disproportionally concentrated around nodes that corresponded with colonization events (i.e., of continents, river basins, or lakes). Young clades tend to expand faster than older clades; however, colonization-associated ecological opportunity accentuated this pattern. There was an interaction between clade age and ecological opportunity that explained the trajectory of clades through phylogenetic space over time. Our results indicate that ecological opportunities afforded by continental and ecosystem-scale colonization events explain the dramatic speciation rate heterogeneity and phylogenetic imbalance that arose during the evolutionary history of cichlid fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward D Burress
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Milton Tan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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37
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Hulsey CD, Zheng J, Faircloth BC, Meyer A, Alfaro ME. Phylogenomic analysis of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes: Further evidence that the three-stage model of diversification does not fit. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 114:40-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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38
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Matthews DG, Albertson RC. Effect of craniofacial genotype on the relationship between morphology and feeding performance in cichlid fishes. Evolution 2017; 71:2050-2061. [PMID: 28598501 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between morphology and performance is complex, but important for understanding the adaptive nature of morphological variation. Recent studies have sought to better understand this system by illuminating the interconnectedness of different functional systems; however, the role of genetics is often overlooked. In this study, we attempt to gain insights into this relationship by examining the effect of genotypic variation at putative craniofacial loci on the relationship between morphology and feeding performance in cichlids. We studied two morphologically disparate species, as well as a morphologically intermediate hybrid population. We assessed feeding performance, jaw protrusion, and general facial morphology for each fish. We also genotyped hybrid animals at six previously identified craniofacial loci. Cichlid species were found to differ in facial geometry, kinematic morphology, and performance. Significant correlations were also noted between these variables; however, the explanatory power of facial geometry in predicting performance was relatively poor. Notably, when hybrids were grouped by genotype, the relationship between shape and performance improved. This relationship was especially robust in animals with the specialist allele at sox9b, a well-characterized regulator of craniofacial development. These data suggest a novel role for genotype in influencing complex relationships between form and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Matthews
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003
| | - R Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003
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39
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Husemann M, Tobler M, McCauley C, Ding B, Danley PD. Body shape differences in a pair of closely related Malawi cichlids and their hybrids: Effects of genetic variation, phenotypic plasticity, and transgressive segregation. Ecol Evol 2017. [PMID: 28649345 PMCID: PMC5478046 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic differences may have genetic and plastic components. Here, we investigated the contributions of both for differences in body shape in two species of Lake Malawi cichlids using wild-caught specimens and a common garden experiment. We further hybridized the two species to investigate the mode of gene action influencing body shape differences and to examine the potential for transgressive segregation. We found that body shape differences between the two species observed in the field are maintained after more than 10 generations in a standardized environment. Nonetheless, both species experienced similar changes in the laboratory environment. Our hybrid cross experiment confirmed that substantial variation in body shape appears to be genetically determined. The data further suggest that the underlying mode of gene action is complex and cannot be explained by simple additive or additive-dominance models. Transgressive phenotypes were found in the hybrid generations, as hybrids occupied significantly more morphospace than both parentals combined. Further, the body shapes of transgressive individuals resemble the body shapes observed in other Lake Malawi rock-dwelling genera. Our findings indicate that body shape can respond to selection immediately, through plasticity, and over longer timescales through adaptation. In addition, our results suggest that hybridization may have played an important role in the diversification of Lake Malawi cichlids through creating new phenotypic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Husemann
- Centrum für Naturkunde University of Hamburg Hamburg Germany.,Biology Department Baylor University Waco TX USA
| | - Michael Tobler
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA
| | - Cagney McCauley
- Biology Department Baylor University Waco TX USA.,Department of Biological Sciences Institute of Applied Sciences University of North Texas 282 Cr 332 Rosebud Denton TX USA
| | - Baoqing Ding
- Biology Department Baylor University Waco TX USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
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40
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Burress ED, Holcomb JM, Tan M, Armbruster JW. Ecological diversification associated with the benthic‐to‐pelagic transition by North American minnows. J Evol Biol 2016; 30:549-560. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. D. Burress
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - J. M. Holcomb
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Gainesville FL USA
| | - M. Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - J. W. Armbruster
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History Auburn University Auburn AL USA
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41
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Navon D, Olearczyk N, Albertson RC. Genetic and developmental basis for fin shape variation in African cichlid fishes. Mol Ecol 2016; 26:291-303. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dina Navon
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology University of Massachusetts Amherst MA 01003 USA
| | - Nathan Olearczyk
- Department of Biology University of Massachusetts 611 North Pleasant Street Room 221 Morrill Science Center Amherst MA 01003 USA
| | - R. Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology University of Massachusetts 611 North Pleasant Street Room 221 Morrill Science Center Amherst MA 01003 USA
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42
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Kautt AF, Machado-Schiaffino G, Torres-Dowdall J, Meyer A. Incipient sympatric speciation in Midas cichlid fish from the youngest and one of the smallest crater lakes in Nicaragua due to differential use of the benthic and limnetic habitats? Ecol Evol 2016; 6:5342-57. [PMID: 27551387 PMCID: PMC4984508 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how speciation can occur without geographic isolation remains a central objective in evolutionary biology. Generally, some form of disruptive selection and assortative mating are necessary for sympatric speciation to occur. Disruptive selection can arise from intraspecific competition for resources. If this competition leads to the differential use of habitats and variation in relevant traits is genetically determined, then assortative mating can be an automatic consequence (i.e., habitat isolation). In this study, we caught Midas cichlid fish from the limnetic (middle of the lake) and benthic (shore) habitats of Crater Lake Asososca Managua to test whether some of the necessary conditions for sympatric speciation due to intraspecific competition and habitat isolation are given. Lake As. Managua is very small (<900 m in diameter), extremely young (maximally 1245 years of age), and completely isolated. It is inhabited by, probably, only a single endemic species of Midas cichlids, Amphilophus tolteca. We found that fish from the limnetic habitat were more elongated than fish collected from the benthic habitat, as would be predicted from ecomorphological considerations. Stable isotope analyses confirmed that the former also exhibit a more limnetic lifestyle than the latter. Furthermore, split‐brood design experiments in the laboratory suggest that phenotypic plasticity is unlikely to explain much of the observed differences in body elongation that we observed in the field. Yet, neutral markers (microsatellites) did not reveal any genetic clustering in the population. Interestingly, demographic inferences based on RAD‐seq data suggest that the apparent lack of genetic differentiation at neutral markers could simply be due to a lack of time, as intraspecific competition may only have begun a few hundred generations ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas F Kautt
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätsstrasse 10 78457 Konstanz Germany
| | | | - Julian Torres-Dowdall
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätsstrasse 10 78457 Konstanz Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätsstrasse 10 78457 Konstanz Germany
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43
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Belk MC, Schaalje GB. Multivariate heritability of shape in June sucker (Chasmistes liorus) and Utah sucker (Catostomus ardens): shape as a functional trait for discriminating closely related species. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 226:197-207. [PMID: 27138282 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0547-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Molecular genetic data suggest that June sucker (Chasmistes liorus) is only shallowly diverged from the co-occurring but phenotypically distinct Utah sucker (Catostomus ardens) in Utah Lake. Phenotypes representing both extreme morphologies (June sucker and Utah sucker) are observed in the small wild population, but relatively large numbers of intermediate phenotypes are also present. This relatively continuous variation between the two putative species could result from extensive hybridization (including reticulate evolutionary patterns) of genetically based phenotypes or incomplete divergence among lineages and extensive phenotypic plasticity with little genetic basis. To help inform the evolutionary history of June sucker and to provide critical information for management and restoration of June sucker populations, we evaluated the distribution of shape phenotypes among purebreds of each species and their hybrids and determined the heritability of shape and ecological performance between June sucker (C. liorus) and its sister species Utah sucker (C. ardens). Mouth shape of purebred June sucker and Utah sucker are located at the extremes, and hybrids are located midway between the purebreds. Multivariate heritability was relatively high for mouth shape at 0.27. Heritability for growth rate was high at 0.32-0.42, but variation was not associated with cross type. Genetically based variation in mouth shape has evolved fairly rapidly or has been maintained in the face of ongoing hybridization between the two species. Currently, there seems to be little evidence for differential selection between species that would maintain shape variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Belk
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
| | - G Bruce Schaalje
- Department of Statistics, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
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Burress ED, Holcomb JM, Bonato KO, Armbruster JW. Body size is negatively correlated with trophic position among cyprinids. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:150652. [PMID: 27293777 PMCID: PMC4892439 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Body size has many ecological and evolutionary implications that extend across multiple levels of organization. Body size is often positively correlated with species traits such as metabolism, prey size and trophic position (TP) due to physiological and mechanical constraints. We used stable isotope analysis to quantify TP among minnows across multiple assemblages that differed in their species composition, diversity and food web structure. Body size significantly predicted TP across different lineages and assemblages, and indicated a significant negative relationship. The observed negative relationship between body size and TP is contrary to conventional knowledge, and is likely to have arisen owing to highly clade-specific patterns, such that clades consist of either large benthic species or small pelagic species. Cyprinids probably subvert the physiological and mechanical constraints that generally produce a positive relationship between body size and TP using anatomical modifications and by consuming small-bodied prey, respectively. The need for herbivorous cyprinids to digest cellulose-rich foods probably selected for larger bodies to accommodate longer intestinal tracts and thereby to facilitate digestion of nutrient-poor resources, such as algae. Therefore, body size and TP are likely to have coevolved in cyprinids in association with specialization along the benthic to pelagic resource axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward D. Burress
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, 101 Life Sciences Building, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jordan M. Holcomb
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 7386 Northwest 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
| | - Karine Orlandi Bonato
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jonathan W. Armbruster
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, 101 Life Sciences Building, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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Colombo M, Indermaur A, Meyer BS, Salzburger W. Habitat use and its implications to functional morphology: niche partitioning and the evolution of locomotory morphology in Lake Tanganyikan cichlids (Perciformes: Cichlidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Colombo
- Zoological Institute; University of Basel; Vesalgasse 1 CH 4051 Basel Switzerland
| | - Adrian Indermaur
- Zoological Institute; University of Basel; Vesalgasse 1 CH 4051 Basel Switzerland
| | - Britta S. Meyer
- Zoological Institute; University of Basel; Vesalgasse 1 CH 4051 Basel Switzerland
- Marine Ecology; Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes; GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel; Düsternbrooker Weg 20 D-24105 Kiel Germany
| | - Walter Salzburger
- Zoological Institute; University of Basel; Vesalgasse 1 CH 4051 Basel Switzerland
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Colborne SF, Garner SR, Longstaffe FJ, Neff BD. Assortative mating but no evidence of genetic divergence in a species characterized by a trophic polymorphism. J Evol Biol 2015; 29:633-44. [PMID: 26688005 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Disruptive selection is a process that can result in multiple subgroups within a population, which is referred to as diversification. Foraging-related diversification has been described in many taxa, but many questions remain about the contribution of such diversification to reproductive isolation and potentially sympatric speciation. Here, we use stable isotope analysis of diet and morphological analysis of body shape to examine phenotypic divergence between littoral and pelagic foraging ecomorphs in a population of pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). We then examine reproductive isolation between ecomorphs by comparing the isotopic compositions of nesting males to eggs from their nests (a proxy for maternal diet) and use nine microsatellite loci to examine genetic divergence between ecomorphs. Our data support the presence of distinct foraging ecomorphs in this population and indicate that there is significant positive assortative mating based on diet. We did not find evidence of genetic divergence between ecomorphs, however, indicating that isolation is either relatively recent or is not strong enough to result in genetic divergence at the microsatellite loci. Based on our findings, pumpkinseed sunfish represent a system in which to further explore the mechanisms by which natural and sexual selection contribute to diversification, prior to the occurrence of sympatric speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S F Colborne
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - S R Garner
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - F J Longstaffe
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - B D Neff
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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Astudillo-Clavijo V, Arbour JH, López-Fernández H. Selection towards different adaptive optima drove the early diversification of locomotor phenotypes in the radiation of Neotropical geophagine cichlids. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:77. [PMID: 25928151 PMCID: PMC4435830 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0348-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Simpson envisaged a conceptual model of adaptive radiation in which lineages diversify into “adaptive zones” within a macroevolutionary adaptive landscape. However, only a handful of studies have empirically investigated this adaptive landscape and its consequences for our interpretation of the underlying mechanisms of phenotypic evolution. In fish radiations the evolution of locomotor phenotypes may represent an important dimension of ecomorphological diversification given the implications of locomotion for feeding and habitat use. Neotropical geophagine cichlids represent a newly identified adaptive radiation and provide a useful system for studying patterns of locomotor diversification and the implications of selective constraints on phenotypic divergence in general. Results We use multivariate ordination, models of phenotypic evolution and posterior predictive approaches to investigate the macroevolutionary adaptive landscape and test for evidence of early divergence of locomotor phenotypes in Geophagini. The evolution of locomotor phenotypes was characterized by selection towards at least two distinct adaptive peaks and the early divergence of modern morphological disparity. One adaptive peak included the benthic and epibenthic invertivores and was characterized by fishes with deep, laterally compressed bodies that optimize precise, slow-swimming manoeuvres. The second adaptive peak resulted from a shift in adaptive optima in the species-rich ram-feeding/rheophilic Crenicichla-Teleocichla clade and was characterized by species with streamlined bodies that optimize fast starts and rapid manoeuvres. Evolutionary models and posterior predictive approaches favoured an early shift to a new adaptive peak over decreasing rates of evolution as the underlying process driving the early divergence of locomotor phenotypes. Conclusions The influence of multiple adaptive peaks on the divergence of locomotor phenotypes in Geophagini is compatible with the expectations of an ecologically driven adaptive radiation. This study confirms that the diversification of locomotor phenotypes represents an important dimension of phenotypic evolution in the geophagine adaptive radiation. It also suggests that the commonly observed early burst of phenotypic evolution during adaptive radiations may be better explained by the concentration of shifts to new adaptive peaks deep in the phylogeny rather than overall decreasing rates of evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0348-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Astudillo-Clavijo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Wilcocks St, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Jessica H Arbour
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Wilcocks St, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Hernán López-Fernández
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Wilcocks St, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada. .,Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
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Santos‐Santos JH, Audenaert L, Verheyen E, Adriaens D. Divergent ontogenies of trophic morphology in two closely related haplochromine cichlids. J Morphol 2015; 276:860-71. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier H. Santos‐Santos
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Department of BiologyGhent UniversityK.L. Ledeganckstraat 35B‐9000Gent Belgium
- Integrative Biogeography and Global Change DepartmentMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (MNCN‐CSIC)28006Madrid Spain
| | - Leen Audenaert
- Operational Direction, Taxonomy, and Phylogeny VertebratesRoyal Belgian Institute of Natural SciencesVautierstraat 29B‐1000Brussels Belgium
| | - Erik Verheyen
- Operational Direction, Taxonomy, and Phylogeny VertebratesRoyal Belgian Institute of Natural SciencesVautierstraat 29B‐1000Brussels Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology DepartmentUniversity of Antwerp Belgium
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Department of BiologyGhent UniversityK.L. Ledeganckstraat 35B‐9000Gent Belgium
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York RA, Patil C, Hulsey CD, Streelman JT, Fernald RD. Evolution of bower building in Lake Malawi cichlid fish: phylogeny, morphology, and behavior. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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Machado-Schiaffino G, Kautt AF, Kusche H, Meyer A. Parallel evolution in Ugandan crater lakes: repeated evolution of limnetic body shapes in haplochromine cichlid fish. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:9. [PMID: 25648727 PMCID: PMC4322459 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0287-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The enormous diversity found in East African cichlid fishes in terms of morphology, coloration, and behavior have made them a model for the study of speciation and adaptive evolution. In particular, haplochromine cichlids, by far the most species-rich lineage of cichlids, are a well-known textbook example for parallel evolution. Southwestern Uganda is an area of high tectonic activity, and is home to numerous crater lakes. Many Ugandan crater lakes were colonized, apparently independently, by a single lineage of haplochromine cichlids. Thereby, this system could be considered a natural experiment in which one can study the interaction between geographical isolation and natural selection promoting phenotypic diversification. Results We sampled 13 crater lakes and six potentially-ancestral older lakes and, using both mitochondrial and microsatellite markers, discovered strong genetic and morphological differentiation whereby (a) geographically close lakes tend to be genetically more similar and (b) three different geographic areas seem to have been colonized by three independent waves of colonization from the same source population. Using a geometric morphometric approach, we found that body shape elongation (i.e. a limnetic morphology) evolved repeatedly from the ancestral deeper-bodied benthic morphology in the clear and deep crater lake habitats. Conclusions A pattern of strong genetic and morphological differentiation was observed in the Ugandan crater lakes. Our data suggest that body shape changes have repeatedly evolved into a more limnetic-like form in several Ugandan crater lakes after independent waves of colonization from the same source population. The observed morphological changes in crater lake cichlids are likely to result from a common selective regime. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0287-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Machado-Schiaffino
- Department of Biology, Chair of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Andreas F Kautt
- Department of Biology, Chair of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany. .,International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Henrik Kusche
- Department of Biology, Chair of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany. .,International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, Chair of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany. .,International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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