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Loewen EJT, Balkwill MA, Mattioli J, Cockx P, Caicedo MV, Muehlenbachs K, Tappert R, Borkent A, Libke C, Engel MS, Somers C, McKellar RC. New Canadian amber deposit fills gap in fossil record near end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1762-1771.e3. [PMID: 38521062 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Amber preserves an exceptional record of tiny, soft-bodied organisms and chemical environmental signatures, elucidating the evolution of arthropod lineages and the diversity, ecology, and biogeochemistry of ancient ecosystems. However, globally, fossiliferous amber deposits are rare in the latest Cretaceous and surrounding the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction.1,2,3,4,5 This faunal gap limits our understanding of arthropod diversity and survival across the extinction boundary.2,6 Contrasting hypotheses propose that arthropods were either relatively unaffected by the K-Pg extinction or experienced a steady decline in diversity before the extinction event followed by rapid diversification in the Cenozoic.2,6 These hypotheses are primarily based on arthropod feeding traces on fossil leaves and time-calibrated molecular phylogenies, not direct observation of the fossil record.2,7 Here, we report a diverse amber assemblage from the Late Cretaceous (67.04 ± 0.16 Ma) of the Big Muddy Badlands, Canada. The new deposit fills a critical 16-million-year gap in the arthropod fossil record spanning the K-Pg mass extinction. Seven arthropod orders and at least 11 insect families have been recovered, making the Big Muddy amber deposit the most diverse arthropod assemblage near the K-Pg extinction. Amber chemistry and stable isotopes suggest the amber was produced by coniferous (Cupressaceae) trees in a subtropical swamp near remnants of the Western Interior Seaway. The unexpected abundance of ants from extant families and the virtual absence of arthropods from common, exclusively Cretaceous families suggests that Big Muddy amber may represent a yet unsampled Late Cretaceous environment and provides evidence of a faunal transition before the end of the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyssa J T Loewen
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada.
| | - Micheala A Balkwill
- Geology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Júlia Mattioli
- Geotop & Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Pierre Cockx
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada
| | - Maria Velez Caicedo
- Geology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Karlis Muehlenbachs
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, 116 St and 85 Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Ralf Tappert
- Geology Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Art Borkent
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Caelan Libke
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Óscar R. Benavides 5737, Callao 07006, Lima, Peru; Departamento de Entomología, Museo de Historia Natural, Av. Gral. Antonio Álvarez de Arenales 1256, Jesús María 15072, Lima, Peru
| | - Christopher Somers
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Ryan C McKellar
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1450 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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2
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Sosiak C, Cockx P, Suarez PA, McKellar R, Barden P. Prolonged faunal turnover in earliest ants revealed by North American Cretaceous amber. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1755-1761.e6. [PMID: 38521061 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
All ∼14,000 extant ant species descended from the same common ancestor, which lived ∼140-120 million years ago (Ma).1,2 While modern ants began to diversify in the Cretaceous, recent fossil evidence has demonstrated that older lineages concomitantly occupied the same ancient ecosystems.3 These early-diverging ant lineages, or stem ants, left no modern descendants; however, they dominated the fossil record throughout the Cretaceous until their ultimate extinction sometime around the K-Pg boundary. Even as stem ant lineages appear to be diverse and abundant throughout the Cretaceous, the extent of their longevity in the fossil record and circumstances contributing to their extinction remain unknown.3 Here we report the youngest stem ants, preserved in ∼77 Ma Cretaceous amber from North Carolina, which illustrate unexpected morphological stability and lineage persistence in this enigmatic group, rivaling the longevity of contemporary ants. Through phylogenetic reconstruction and morphometric analyses, we find evidence that total taxic turnover in ants was not accompanied by a fundamental morphological shift, in contrast to other analogous stem extinctions such as theropod dinosaurs. While stem taxa showed broad morphological variation, high-density ant morphospace remained relatively constant through the last 100 million years, detailing a parallel, but temporally staggered, evolutionary history of modern and stem ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Sosiak
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
| | - Pierre Cockx
- Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | | | - Ryan McKellar
- Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, SK S4P 4W7, Canada.
| | - Phillip Barden
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA.
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3
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Wong MKL, McRae JM. Leptanillavoldemort sp. nov., a gracile new species of the hypogaeic ant genus Leptanilla (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Pilbara, with a key to Australian Leptanilla. Zookeys 2024; 1197:171-182. [PMID: 38651116 PMCID: PMC11033553 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.114072] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The genus Leptanilla Emery, 1870 of the family Formicidae, subfamily Leptanillinae, comprises miniscule, pale, blind ants that are rarely collected and poorly understood due to their hypogaeic (i.e. underground) lifestyles. Here we describe a new Leptanilla species from two workers collected via subterranean scraping in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia. Leptanillavoldemortsp. nov. is the second leptanilline species documented in Australia after the elusive Leptanillaswani Wheeler, 1932. Workers of L.voldemortsp. nov. display a remarkably gracile morphology characterised by elongated legs, antennae, and mandibles, and they are easily differentiated from other Leptanilla species. We also provide new measurements for L.swani from two workers found proximally to the type locality of L.voldemortsp. nov. A key to the worker caste of Leptanilla species of the Australian continent is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark K. L. Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyAustralia
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Floreat, WA 6014, AustraliaCentre for Environment and Life Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganizationFloreatAustralia
| | - Jane M. McRae
- Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, 5 Bishop Street, Jolimont, WA 6014, AustraliaBennelongia Environmental ConsultantsJolimontAustralia
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Jouault C, Condamine FL, Legendre F, Perrichot V. The Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution buffered ants against extinction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317795121. [PMID: 38466878 PMCID: PMC10990090 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317795121] [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: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
With ~14,000 extant species, ants are ubiquitous and of tremendous ecological importance. They have undergone remarkable diversification throughout their evolutionary history. However, the drivers of their diversity dynamics are not well quantified or understood. Previous phylogenetic analyses have suggested patterns of diversity dynamics associated with the Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution (ATR), but these studies have overlooked valuable information from the fossil record. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using a large dataset that includes both the ant fossil record (~24,000 individual occurrences) and neontological data (~14,000 occurrences), and tested four hypotheses proposed for ant diversification: co-diversification, competitive extinction, hyper-specialization, and buffered extinction. Taking into account biases in the fossil record, we found three distinct diversification periods (the latest Cretaceous, Eocene, and Oligo-Miocene) and one extinction period (Late Cretaceous). The competitive extinction hypothesis between stem and crown ants is not supported. Instead, we found support for the co-diversification, buffered extinction, and hyper-specialization hypotheses. The environmental changes of the ATR, mediated by the angiosperm radiation, likely played a critical role in buffering ants against extinction and favoring their diversification by providing new ecological niches, such as forest litter and arboreal nesting sites, and additional resources. We also hypothesize that the decline and extinction of stem ants during the Late Cretaceous was due to their hyper-specialized morphology, which limited their ability to expand their dietary niche in changing environments. This study highlights the importance of a holistic approach when studying the interplay between past environments and the evolutionary trajectories of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Jouault
- Institut de Systématique Évolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, Paris75005, France
- Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier34095, France
- Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Rennes35000, France
| | - Fabien L. Condamine
- Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier34095, France
| | - Frédéric Legendre
- Institut de Systématique Évolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, Paris75005, France
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Rennes35000, France
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5
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Cruaud A, Rasplus JY, Zhang J, Burks R, Delvare G, Fusu L, Gumovsky A, Huber JT, Janšta P, Mitroiu MD, Noyes JS, van Noort S, Baker A, Böhmová J, Baur H, Blaimer BB, Brady SG, Bubeníková K, Chartois M, Copeland RS, Dale-Skey Papilloud N, Dal Molin A, Dominguez C, Gebiola M, Guerrieri E, Kresslein RL, Krogmann L, Lemmon E, Murray EA, Nidelet S, Nieves-Aldrey JL, Perry RK, Peters RS, Polaszek A, Sauné L, Torréns J, Triapitsyn S, Tselikh EV, Yoder M, Lemmon AR, Woolley JB, Heraty JM. The Chalcidoidea bush of life: evolutionary history of a massive radiation of minute wasps. Cladistics 2024; 40:34-63. [PMID: 37919831 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chalcidoidea are mostly parasitoid wasps that include as many as 500 000 estimated species. Capturing phylogenetic signal from such a massive radiation can be daunting. Chalcidoidea is an excellent example of a hyperdiverse group that has remained recalcitrant to phylogenetic resolution. We combined 1007 exons obtained with Anchored Hybrid Enrichment with 1048 ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) for 433 taxa including all extant families, >95% of all subfamilies, and 356 genera chosen to represent the vast diversity of the superfamily. Going back and forth between the molecular results and our collective knowledge of morphology and biology, we detected bias in the analyses that was driven by the saturation of nucleotide data. Our final results are based on a concatenated analysis of the least saturated exons and UCE datasets (2054 loci, 284 106 sites). Our analyses support an expected sister relationship with Mymarommatoidea. Seven previously recognized families were not monophyletic, so support for a new classification is discussed. Natural history in some cases would appear to be more informative than morphology, as illustrated by the elucidation of a clade of plant gall associates and a clade of taxa with planidial first-instar larvae. The phylogeny suggests a transition from smaller soft-bodied wasps to larger and more heavily sclerotized wasps, with egg parasitism as potentially ancestral for the entire superfamily. Deep divergences in Chalcidoidea coincide with an increase in insect families in the fossil record, and an early shift to phytophagy corresponds with the beginning of the "Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution". Our dating analyses suggest a middle Jurassic origin of 174 Ma (167.3-180.5 Ma) and a crown age of 162.2 Ma (153.9-169.8 Ma) for Chalcidoidea. During the Cretaceous, Chalcidoidea may have undergone a rapid radiation in southern Gondwana with subsequent dispersals to the Northern Hemisphere. This scenario is discussed with regard to knowledge about the host taxa of chalcid wasps, their fossil record and Earth's palaeogeographic history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Cruaud
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Yves Rasplus
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Junxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Roger Burks
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Gérard Delvare
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Lucian Fusu
- Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania
| | - Alex Gumovsky
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - John T Huber
- Natural Resources Canada, c/o Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Petr Janšta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Entomology, State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - John S Noyes
- Insects Division, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Simon van Noort
- Research and Exhibitions Department, South African Museum, Iziko Museums of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Austin Baker
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Julie Böhmová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hannes Baur
- Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bonnie B Blaimer
- Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Seán G Brady
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kristýna Bubeníková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marguerite Chartois
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Robert S Copeland
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Ana Dal Molin
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Chrysalyn Dominguez
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Marco Gebiola
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Emilio Guerrieri
- Insects Division, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- CNR-Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (CNR-IPSP), National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Robert L Kresslein
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Lars Krogmann
- Department of Entomology, State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Emily Lemmon
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Murray
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Sabine Nidelet
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Ryan K Perry
- Department of Plant Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Ralph S Peters
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Laure Sauné
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Javier Torréns
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja (CRILAR-CONICET), Anillaco, Argentina
| | - Serguei Triapitsyn
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | | | - Matthew Yoder
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Alan R Lemmon
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - James B Woolley
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - John M Heraty
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
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6
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Cai C. Ant backbone phylogeny resolved by modelling compositional heterogeneity among sites in genomic data. Commun Biol 2024; 7:106. [PMID: 38233456 PMCID: PMC10794244 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05793-7] [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: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Ants are the most ubiquitous and ecologically dominant arthropods on Earth, and understanding their phylogeny is crucial for deciphering their character evolution, species diversification, and biogeography. Although recent genomic data have shown promise in clarifying intrafamilial relationships across the tree of ants, inconsistencies between molecular datasets have also emerged. Here I re-examine the most comprehensive published Sanger-sequencing and genome-scale datasets of ants using model comparison methods that model among-site compositional heterogeneity to understand the sources of conflict in phylogenetic studies. My results under the best-fitting model, selected on the basis of Bayesian cross-validation and posterior predictive model checking, identify contentious nodes in ant phylogeny whose resolution is modelling-dependent. I show that the Bayesian infinite mixture CAT model outperforms empirical finite mixture models (C20, C40 and C60) and that, under the best-fitting CAT-GTR + G4 model, the enigmatic Martialis heureka is sister to all ants except Leptanillinae, rejecting the more popular hypothesis supported under worse-fitting models, that place it as sister to Leptanillinae. These analyses resolve a lasting controversy in ant phylogeny and highlight the significance of model comparison and adequate modelling of among-site compositional heterogeneity in reconstructing the deep phylogeny of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
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7
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Griebenow Z. Systematic revision of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zookeys 2024; 1189:83-184. [PMID: 38314112 PMCID: PMC10838183 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1189.107506] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The genus-level taxonomy of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is here revised, with the aim of delimiting genus-level taxa that are reciprocally monophyletic and readily diagnosable based upon all adult forms. This new classification reflects molecular phylogenetics and is informed by joint consideration of both male and worker morphology. Three valid genera are recognized in the Leptanillinae: Opamyrma, Leptanilla (= Scyphodonsyn. nov., Phaulomyrma, Leptomesites, Noonillasyn. nov., Yavnellasyn. nov.), and Protanilla (= Anomalomyrmasyn. nov., Furcotanilla). Leptanilla and Protanilla are further divided into informal, monophyletic species groups. Synoptic diagnoses are provided for all genera and informal supraspecific groupings. In addition, worker-based keys to all described species within the Leptanillinae for which the worker caste is known are provided; and male-based keys to all species for which males are known, plus undescribed male morphospecies for which molecular data are published. The following species are described as new: Protanillawallaceisp. nov., Leptanillaacherontiasp. nov., Leptanillabelantansp. nov., Leptanillabethyloidessp. nov., and Leptanillanajaphallasp. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Griebenow
- Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA USAUniversity of CaliforniaDavisUnited States of America
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USAColorado State UniversityFort CollinsUnited States of America
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8
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Sosiak C, Janovitz T, Perrichot V, Timonera JP, Barden P. Trait-Based Paleontological Niche Prediction Recovers Extinct Ecological Breadth of the Earliest Specialized Ant Predators. Am Nat 2023; 202:E147-E162. [PMID: 38033183 DOI: 10.1086/726739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractPaleoecological estimation is fundamental to the reconstruction of evolutionary and environmental histories. The ant fossil record preserves a range of species in three-dimensional fidelity and chronicles faunal turnover across the Cretaceous and Cenozoic; taxonomically rich and ecologically diverse, ants are an exemplar system to test new methods of paleoecological estimation in evaluating hypotheses. We apply a broad extant ecomorphological dataset to evaluate random forest machine learning classification in predicting the total ecological breadth of extinct and enigmatic hell ants. In contrast to previous hypotheses of extinction-prone arboreality, we find that hell ants were primarily leaf litter or ground-nesting and foraging predators, and by comparing ecospace occupations of hell ants and their extant analogs, we recover a signature of ecomorphological turnover across temporally and phylogenetically distinct lineages on opposing sides of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. This paleoecological predictive framework is applicable across lineages and may provide new avenues for testing hypotheses over deep time.
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9
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Chen J, Ma Y, Guan Z, Liu Q, Shi Q, Qi G, Chen T, Lyu L. Labor division of worker ants can be controlled by insulin synthesis targeted through miR-279c-5p in Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:5029-5043. [PMID: 37552557 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In social insects, the labor division of workers is ubiquitous and controlled by genetic and environmental factors. However, how they modulate this coordinately remains poorly understood. RESULTS We report miR-279c-5p participation in insulin synthesis and behavioral transition by negatively regulating Rab8A in Solenopsis invicta. Eusocial specific miR-279c-5p is age-associated and highly expressed in nurse workers, and localized in the cytoplasm of neurons, where it is partly co-localized with its target, Rab8A. We determined that miR-279c-5p agomir suppressed Rab8A expression in forager workers, consequently decreasing insulin content, resulting in the behavioral shift to 'nurse-like' behaviors, while the decrease in miR-279c-5p increased Rab8A expression and increased insulin content in nurse workers, leading to the behavioral shift to 'foraging-like' behaviors. Moreover, insulin could rescue the 'foraging behavior' induced by feeding miR-279c-5p to nurse workers. The overexpression and suppression of miR-279c-5p in vivo caused an obvious behavioral transition between foragers and nurses, and insulin synthesis was affected by miR-279c-5p by regulating the direct target Rab8A. CONCLUSION We first report that miR-279c-5p is a novel regulator that promotes labor division by negatively regulating the target gene Rab8A by controlling insulin production in ants. This miRNA-mediated mechanism is significant for understanding the behavioral plasticity of social insects between complex factors and potentially provides new targets for controlling red imported fire ants. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunjie Ma
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziying Guan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qin Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingxing Shi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guojun Qi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lihua Lyu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
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10
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Xiong Z, He D, Guang X, Li Q. Novel tRNA Gene Rearrangements in the Mitochondrial Genomes of Poneroid Ants and Phylogenetic Implication of Paraponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2068. [PMID: 37895449 PMCID: PMC10608118 DOI: 10.3390/life13102068] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants (Formicidae) are the most diverse eusocial insects in Hymenoptera, distributed across 17 extant subfamilies grouped into 3 major clades, the Formicoid, Leptanilloid, and Poneroid. While the mitogenomes of Formicoid ants have been well studied, there is a lack of published data on the mitogenomes of Poneroid ants, which requires further characterization. In this study, we first present three complete mitogenomes of Poneroid ants: Paraponera clavata, the only extant species from the subfamily Paraponerinae, and two species (Harpegnathos venator and Buniapone amblyops) from the Ponerinae subfamily. Notable novel gene rearrangements were observed in the new mitogenomes, located in the gene blocks CR-trnM-trnI-trnQ-ND2, COX1-trnK-trnD-ATP8, and ND3-trnA-trnR-trnN-trnS1-trnE-trnF-ND5. We reported the duplication of tRNA genes for the first time in Formicidae. An extra trnQ gene was identified in H. venator. These gene rearrangements could be explained by the tandem duplication/random loss (TDRL) model and the slipped-strand mispairing model. Additionally, one large duplicated region containing tandem repeats was identified in the control region of P. clavata. Phylogenetic analyses based on protein-coding genes and rRNA genes via maximum likelihood and Bayes methods supported the monophyly of the Poneroid clade and the sister group relationship between the subfamilies Paraponerinae and Amblyoponinae. However, caution is advised in interpreting the positions of Paraponerinae due to the potential artifact of long-branch attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijun Xiong
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
- BGI Research, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Ding He
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | | | - Qiye Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
- BGI Research, Wuhan 430074, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China;
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11
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Lin X, Song N. The First Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Genus Pachycondyla (Formicidae, Ponerinae) and Insights into the Phylogeny of Ants. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1528. [PMID: 37628580 PMCID: PMC10454067 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants are the standout group among eusocial insects in terms of their exceptional species richness and ecological dominance. The phylogenetic relationships among the group remain elusive. Mitochondrial genome sequences, as a kind of molecular marker, have been widely utilized in the phylogenetic analysis of insects. However, the number of ant mitogenomes published is still very limited. In this study, we utilized next-generation sequencing to determine the complete mitogenome of Pachycondyla annamita (Formicidae, Ponerinae). This is the first mitogenome from the genus Pachycondyla. Two gene rearrangements were identified in the mitogenome, the transposition of trnQ and trnM and the transposition of trnV and rrnS. The secondary structures of tRNAs were predicted. The tRNA genes trnR and trnS1 lacked the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm, and the trnE lacked the TΨC (T) arm. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial protein-coding genes under maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) criteria resulted in conflicting hypotheses. BI analysis using amino acid data with the site-heterogeneous mixture model produced a tree topology congruent with previous studies. The Formicidae was subdivided into two main clades, namely the "poneroid" clade and the "formicoid" clade. A sister group relationship between Myrmicinae and Formicinae was recovered within the "formicoid" clade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nan Song
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, Henan Engineering Laboratory of Pest Biological Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China;
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12
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Mera-Rodríguez D, Jourdan H, Ward PS, Shattuck S, Cover SP, Wilson EO, Rabeling C. Biogeography and evolution of social parasitism in Australian Myrmecia bulldog ants revealed by phylogenomics. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023:107825. [PMID: 37244505 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions from eusocial colony life to social parasitism contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms generating biodiversity in eusocial insects. The ants in the genus Myrmecia are a well-suited system for testing evolutionary hypotheses about how their species diversity was assembled through time because the genus is endemic to Australia with the single exception of the species M. apicalis inhabiting the Pacific Island of New Caledonia, and because at least one social parasite species exists in the genus. However, the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis and the life history transition(s) to social parasitism remain unexplored. To study the biogeographic origin of the isolated, oceanic species M. apicalis and to reveal the origin and evolution of social parasitism in the genus, we reconstructed a comprehensive phylogeny of the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae. We utilized Ultra Conserved Elements (UCEs) as molecular markers to generate a comprehensive molecular genetic dataset consisting of 2,287 loci per taxon on average for 66 out of the 93 known Myrmecia species as well as for the sister lineage Nothomyrmecia macrops and selected outgroups. Our time-calibrated phylogeny inferred that: (i) stem Myrmeciinae originated during the Paleocene ∼58 Ma ago; (ii) the current disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis was driven by long-distance dispersal from Australia to New Caledonia during the Miocene ∼14 Ma ago; (iii) the single social parasite species, M. inquilina, evolved directly from one of the two known host species, M. nigriceps, in sympatry via the intraspecific route of social parasite evolution; and (iv) 5 of the 9 previously established taxonomic species groups are non-monophyletic. We suggest minor changes to reconcile the molecular phylogenetic results with the taxonomic classification. Our study enhances our understanding of the evolution and biogeography of Australian bulldog ants, contributes to our knowledge about the evolution of social parasitism in ants, and provides a solid phylogenetic foundation for future inquiries into the biology, taxonomy, and classification of Myrmeciinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Mera-Rodríguez
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim. Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany; KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Hervé Jourdan
- Institute of Research for Development. Promenade Roger Laroque, Nouméa 98848, New Caledonia
| | - Philip S Ward
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Steven Shattuck
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Stefan P Cover
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Edward O Wilson
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Christian Rabeling
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. 550 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim. Garbenstraße 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany; KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim and State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany; Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America.
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13
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DeSalle R, Narechania A, Tessler M. Multiple Outgroups Can Cause Random Rooting in Phylogenomics. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 184:107806. [PMID: 37172862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Outgroup selection has been a major challenge since the rise of phylogenetics, and it has remained so in the phylogenomic era. Our goal here is to use large phylogenomic animal datasets to examine the impact of outgroup selection on the final topology. The results of our analyses further solidify the fact that distant outgroups can cause random rooting, and that this holds for concatenated and coalescent-based methods. The results also indicate that the standard practice of using multiple outgroups often causes random rooting. Most researchers go out of their way to get multiple outgroups, as this has been standard practice for decades. Based on our findings, this practice should stop. Instead, our results suggest that a single (most closely) related relative should be selected as the outgroup, unless all outgroups are roughly equally closely related to the ingroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob DeSalle
- Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Apurva Narechania
- Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Michael Tessler
- Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; St. Francis College, Department of Biology, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
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14
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Tsz Long Wong D, Norman H, Creedy TJ, Jordaens K, Moran KM, Young A, Mengual X, Skevington JH, Vogler AP. The phylogeny and evolutionary ecology of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) inferred from mitochondrial genomes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 184:107759. [PMID: 36921697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are a diverse group of pollinators and a major research focus in ecology, but their phylogenetic relationships remain incompletely known. Using a genome skimming approach we generated mitochondrial genomes for 91 species, capturing a wide taxonomic diversity of the family. To reduce the required amount of input DNA and overall cost of the library construction, sequencing and assembly was conducted on mixtures of specimens, which raises the problem of chimera formation of mitogenomes. We present a novel chimera detection test based on gene tree incongruence, but identified only a single mitogenome of chimeric origin. Together with existing data for a final set of 127 taxa, phylogenetic analysis on nucleotide and amino acid sequences using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference revealed a basal split of Microdontinae from all other syrphids. The remainder consists of several deep clades assigned to the subfamily Eristalinae in the current classification, including a clade comprising the subfamily Syrphinae (plus Pipizinae). These findings call for a re-definition of subfamilies, but basal nodes had insufficient support to allow such action. Molecular-clock dating placed the origin of the Syrphidae crown group in the mid-Cretaceous while the Eristalinae-Syrphinae clade likely originated near the K/Pg boundary. Transformation of larval life history characters on the tree suggests that Syrphidae initially had sap feeding larvae, which diversified greatly in diet and habitat association during the Eocene and Oligocene, coinciding with the diversification of angiosperms and the evolution of various insect groups used as larval host, prey, or mimicry models. Mitogenomes proved to be a powerful phylogenetic marker for studies of Syrphidae at subfamily and tribe levels, allowing dense taxon sampling that provided insight into the great ecological diversity and rapid evolution of larval life history traits of the hoverflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Tsz Long Wong
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2BX, U.K; Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, U.K.
| | - Hannah Norman
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2BX, U.K; Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, U.K.
| | - Thomas J Creedy
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2BX, U.K; Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, U.K.
| | - Kurt Jordaens
- Department of Biology-Invertebrates Unit, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Joint Experimental Molecular Unit Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium.
| | - Kevin M Moran
- Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Building, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, ON K1A 0C6, Canada; Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Andrew Young
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Ximo Mengual
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Jeffrey H Skevington
- Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Building, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, ON K1A 0C6, Canada; Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Alfried P Vogler
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2BX, U.K; Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, U.K.
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15
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When Cockroaches Replace Ants in Trophobiosis: A New Major Life-Trait Pattern of Hemiptera Planthoppers Behaviour Disclosed When Synthesizing Photographic Data. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The mutualistic interspecific relationships of trophobiosis between trophobiont planthoppers (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha) providing food to the host called xenobiont, are reviewed. The degree of interspecific relationships between these symbionts varies from occasional or short time duration (a few hours to a few days) to longer ones, with trophobionts left free to escape (optobiotic type) by the xenobiont, or maintained enclosed in nests or ant shelters (cryptobiotic type). Of 267 collected cases, 126 are new illustrated observations. Occasional trophobiosis is documented in 13 families of planthoppers and appears to be quite general in Fulgoromorpha, although it is reported for the first time for Dictyopharidae, Eurybrachidae, and Nogodinidae. Xenobionts associated with planthoppers are reported from ants and other Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, and Blattodea, but also from Mollusca and even small gekkonid vertebrates. Tettigometridae appear to be exclusively tended by ants, while Fulgoridae significantly more often by cockroaches (40%) than by ants (27%). Long-time trophobiosis occurs always with ants, cryptobiotic ones reported in Cixiidae, Delphacidae, Tettigometridae, Meenoplidae, Flatidae and Hypochthonellidae, while optobiotic ones remain restricted to tettigometrids. A particular focus on Tettigometridae attended by ants is provided with new etho-ecological observations. of 92 currently described tettigometrids species, 32 different species (35%) are now known to be able to be ant-attended. In Bulgaria, where fourteen species occur, trophobiosis occurs with at least five species of them (36%). In tettigometrids, subsociality, sessility, and underground life appear to be key factors allowing more complex relationships with ants. However, the planthopper size and thus the amount of food (drops of honeydew) is probably also an important factor. This might explain many new observations in large-sized and often isolated fulgorids with cockroaches. Tapping of trophobiont forewings by cockroaches, moths, or of the bark subtrate by geckos has been observed, but antennal palpation behaviours by ants are the most commonly observed with tettigometrids, although not with larger planthoppers. In tettigometrids, specific tegumentary glands secretions (allomones) of the abdomen pleurites might also mediate their long-term mutualistic associations, even possibly completing honeydew kairomones actions mediating planthopper trophobiosis in general.
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16
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Zhang XM, Li T, Liu X, Xu ZH. Characterization and Phylogenetic Implication of Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Medicinal Ant Formica sinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Genomic Comparisons in Formicidae. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1971-1979. [PMID: 36209399 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are among the largest and most widespread families of terrestrial insects and are valuable to medical and ecological investigations. The mitochondrial genome has been widely used as a reliable genetic marker for species identification and phylogenetic analyses. To further understand the mitogenome-level characteristics of the congeneric Formicidae species, the complete mitogenome of Formica sinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was sequenced, annotated, and compared with other 48 Formicidae species. The results showed that gene composition, content, and codon usage were conserved. The complete mitochondrial genome of F. sinae was 17,432 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and one control region located between rrnS and trnM, which was 1,256 bp long, the longest of all sequenced species. Gene rearrangement was not detected in Formica species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). All PCGs of F. sinae were initiated with ATN codons and terminated with the TAA codon. The overall nucleotide composition of F. sinae was AT-biased (83.51%), being 80.58% in PCGs, 86.68% in tRNAs, 87.10% in rRNAs, and 88.70% in the control region. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that each subfamily formed a strongly monophyletic group. Furthermore, F. sinae clustered with Formica fusca (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Formica selysi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). This work enhances the genetic data of Formicidae and contributes to our understanding of their phylogenic relationship, evolution, and utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Zheng-Hui Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
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17
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Boudinot BE, Richter AK, Hammel JU, Szwedo J, Bojarski B, Perrichot V. Genomic-Phenomic Reciprocal Illumination: Desyopone hereon gen. et sp. nov., an Exceptional Aneuretine-like Fossil Ant from Ethiopian Amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). INSECTS 2022; 13:796. [PMID: 36135497 PMCID: PMC9502205 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fossils are critical for understanding the evolutionary diversification, turnover, and morphological disparification of extant lineages. While fossils cannot be sequenced, phenome-scale data may be generated using micro-computed tomography (µ-CT), thus revealing hidden structures and internal anatomy, when preserved. Here, we adduce the male caste of a new fossil ant species from Miocene Ethiopian amber that resembles members of the Aneuretinae, matching the operational definition of the subfamily. Through the use of synchrotron radiation for µ-CT, we critically test the aneuretine-identity hypothesis. Our results indicate that the new fossils do not belong to the Aneuretinae, but rather the Ponerini (Ponerinae). Informed by recent phylogenomic studies, we were able to place the fossils close to the extant genus Cryptopone based on logical character analysis, with the two uniquely sharing absence of the subpetiolar process among all ponerine genera. Consequently, we: (1) revise the male-based key to the global ant subfamilies; (2) revise the definitions of Aneuretinae, Ponerinae, Platythyreini, and Ponerini; (3) discuss the evolution of ant mandibles; and (4) describe the fossils as †Desyopone hereon gen. et sp. nov. Our study highlights the value of males for ant systematics and the tremendous potential of phenomic imaging technologies for the study of ant evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon E. Boudinot
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Vor dem Neutor 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Adrian K. Richter
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Vor dem Neutor 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Jörg U. Hammel
- Institute of Materials Physics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Jacek Szwedo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber Inclusions, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza Street, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Błażej Bojarski
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber Inclusions, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza Street, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, University Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France
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18
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Dahan RA, Rabeling C. Multi-queen breeding is associated with the origin of inquiline social parasitism in ants. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14680. [PMID: 36038583 PMCID: PMC9424252 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17595-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Social parasites exploit the brood care behavior of their hosts to raise their own offspring. Social parasites are common among eusocial Hymenoptera and exhibit a wide range of distinct life history traits in ants, bees, and wasps. In ants, obligate inquiline social parasites are workerless (or nearly-so) species that engage in lifelong interactions with their hosts, taking advantage of the existing host worker forces to reproduce and exploit host colonies’ resources. Inquiline social parasites are phylogenetically diverse with approximately 100 known species that evolved at least 40 times independently in ants. Importantly, ant inquilines tend to be closely related to their hosts, an observation referred to as ‘Emery’s Rule’. Polygyny, the presence of multiple egg-laying queens, was repeatedly suggested to be associated with the origin of inquiline social parasitism, either by providing the opportunity for reproductive cheating, thereby facilitating the origin of social parasite species, and/or by making polygynous species more vulnerable to social parasitism via the acceptance of additional egg-laying queens in their colonies. Although the association between host polygyny and the evolution of social parasitism has been repeatedly discussed in the literature, it has not been statistically tested in a phylogenetic framework across the ants. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of ant social structure and social parasitism, testing for an association between polygyny and inquiline social parasitism with a phylogenetic correction for independent evolutionary events. We find an imperfect but significant over-representation of polygynous species among hosts of inquiline social parasites, suggesting that while polygyny is not required for the maintenance of inquiline social parasitism, it (or factors associated with it) may favor the origin of socially parasitic behavior. Our results are consistent with an intra-specific origin model for the evolution of inquiline social parasites by sympatric speciation but cannot exclude the alternative, inter-specific allopatric speciation model. The diversity of social parasite behaviors and host colony structures further supports the notion that inquiline social parasites evolved in parallel across unrelated ant genera in the formicoid clade via independent evolutionary pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain A Dahan
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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19
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Ant phylogenomics reveals a natural selection hotspot preceding the origin of complex eusociality. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2942-2947.e4. [PMID: 35623348 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of eusociality has allowed ants to become one of the most conspicuous and ecologically dominant groups of organisms in the world. A large majority of the current ∼14,000 ant species belong to the formicoids,1 a clade of nine subfamilies that exhibit the most extreme forms of reproductive division of labor, large colony size,2 worker polymorphism,3 and extended queen longevity.4 The eight remaining non-formicoid subfamilies are less well studied, with few genomes having been sequenced so far and unclear phylogenetic relationships.5 By sequencing 65 genomes, we provide a robust phylogeny of the 17 ant subfamilies, retrieving high support to the controversial leptanillomorph clade (Leptanillinae and Martialinae) as the sister group to all other extant ants. Moreover, our genomic analyses revealed that the emergence of the formicoids was accompanied by an elevated number of positive selection events. Importantly, the top three gene functions under selection are linked to key features of complex eusociality, with histone acetylation being implicated in caste differentiation, gene silencing by RNA in worker sterility, and autophagy in longevity. These results show that the key pathways associated with eusociality have been under strong selection during the Cretaceous, suggesting that the molecular foundations of complex eusociality may have evolved rapidly in less than 20 Ma.
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20
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Chou MH, Tseng WZ, Sang YD, Morgan B, De Vivo M, Kuan YH, Wang LJ, Chen WY, Huang JP. Incipient speciation and its impact on taxonomic decision: a case study using a sky island sister-species pair of stag beetles (Lucanidae: Lucanus). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Species delimitation can be difficult when the divergence between focal taxa is in the incipient stage of speciation, because conflicting results are expected among different data sets, and the species limits can differ depending on the species concept applied. We studied speciation history and investigated the impact on taxonomic decision-making when using different types of data in a Taiwanese endemic sister-species pair of stag beetles, Lucanus miwai and Lucanus yulaoensis, from sky island habitats. We showed that the two geographical taxa can be diagnosed by male mandibular shape. We found two mitochondrial co1 lineages with pairwise sequence divergence > 3%; however, L. miwai might not be monophyletic. The result of our multispecies coalescent-based species delimitation using five nuclear loci supported the evolutionary independence of the two sister species, but the calculated values of the genealogical divergence index (gdi) corresponded to the ambiguous zone of species delimitation. We also showed that post-divergence gene flow is unlikely. Our study demonstrates challenges in the delineation of incipient species, but shows the importance of understanding the speciation history and adopting integrative approaches to reconcile seemingly conflicting results before making evolutionarily relevant taxonomic decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hsun Chou
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Zhe Tseng
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yao-De Sang
- Department of Horticulture and Biotechnology, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Brett Morgan
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mattia De Vivo
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsiu Kuan
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Jong Wang
- Division of Forest Protection, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Yun Chen
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Pan Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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21
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Aswaj P, Sahanashree R, Udayakantha WS, Aniruddha M, Priyadarsanan DR. Two new species of doryline ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with 11-segmented antennae from India. Zookeys 2021; 1056:59-72. [PMID: 34512091 PMCID: PMC8387304 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1056.68722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two new species of the subfamily Dorylinae Leach, 1815 namely Parasysciaganeshaiahi sp. nov. and Sysciaindica sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on the worker caste. These species were collected in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Keys to Parasyscia of India and Syscia of Asia are provided based on the worker caste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Punnath Aswaj
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bengaluru - 560064, Karnataka, India Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bengaluru India
| | - Ramakrishnaiah Sahanashree
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bengaluru - 560064, Karnataka, India Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bengaluru India
| | | | - Marathe Aniruddha
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru - 560012, Karnataka, India Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru India
| | - Dharma Rajan Priyadarsanan
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bengaluru - 560064, Karnataka, India Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bengaluru India
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22
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Boudinot BE, Moosdorf OTD, Beutel RG, Richter A. Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex- and caste-limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant. J Morphol 2021; 282:1616-1658. [PMID: 34427942 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ants are highly polyphenic Hymenoptera, with at least three distinct adult forms in the vast majority of species. Their sexual dimorphism, however, is overlooked to the point of being a nearly forgotten phenomenon. Using a multimodal approach, we interrogate the near total head microanatomy of the male of Dorylus helvolus, the "sausagefly," and compare it with the conspecific or near-conspecific female castes, the "driver ants." We found that no specific features were shared uniquely between the workers and males to the exclusion of the queens, indicating independence of male and worker development; males and queens, however, uniquely shared several features. Certain previous generalizations about ant sexual dimorphism are confirmed, while we also discover discrete muscular presences and absences, for which reason we provide a coarse characterization of functional morphology. Based on the unexpected retention of a medial carinate line on the structurally simplified mandible of the male, we postulate a series of developmental processes to explain the patterning of ant mandibles. We invoke functional and anatomical principles to classify sensilla. Critically, we observe an inversion of the expected pattern of male-queen mandible development: male Dorylus mandibles are extremely large while queen mandibles are poorly developed. To explain this, we posit that the reproductive-limited mandible phenotype is canalized in Dorylus, thus partially decoupling the queen and worker castes. We discuss alternative hypotheses and provide further comparisons to understand mandibular evolution in army ants. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the expression of the falcate phenotype in the queen is coincidental, that is, a "spandrel," and that the form of male mandibles is also generally coincidental across the ants. We conclude that the theory of ant development and evolution is incomplete without consideration of the male system, and we call for focused study of male anatomy and morphogenesis, and of trait limitation across all castes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon Elias Boudinot
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Olivia Tikuma Diana Moosdorf
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Rolf Georg Beutel
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Adrian Richter
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
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23
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Li X, Hou Z, Xu C, Shi X, Yang L, Lewis LA, Zhong B. Large Phylogenomic Data sets Reveal Deep Relationships and Trait Evolution in Chlorophyte Green Algae. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6265471. [PMID: 33950183 PMCID: PMC8271138 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The chlorophyte green algae (Chlorophyta) are species-rich ancient groups ubiquitous in various habitats with high cytological diversity, ranging from microscopic to macroscopic organisms. However, the deep phylogeny within core Chlorophyta remains unresolved, in part due to the relatively sparse taxon and gene sampling in previous studies. Here we contribute new transcriptomic data and reconstruct phylogenetic relationships of core Chlorophyta based on four large data sets up to 2,698 genes of 70 species, representing 80% of extant orders. The impacts of outgroup choice, missing data, bootstrap-support cutoffs, and model misspecification in phylogenetic inference of core Chlorophyta are examined. The species tree topologies of core Chlorophyta from different analyses are highly congruent, with strong supports at many relationships (e.g., the Bryopsidales and the Scotinosphaerales-Dasycladales clade). The monophyly of Chlorophyceae and of Trebouxiophyceae as well as the uncertain placement of Chlorodendrophyceae and Pedinophyceae corroborate results from previous studies. The reconstruction of ancestral scenarios illustrates the evolution of the freshwater-sea and microscopic–macroscopic transition in the Ulvophyceae, and the transformation of unicellular→colonial→multicellular in the chlorophyte green algae. In addition, we provided new evidence that serine is encoded by both canonical codons and noncanonical TAG code in Scotinosphaerales, and stop-to-sense codon reassignment in the Ulvophyceae has originated independently at least three times. Our robust phylogenetic framework of core Chlorophyta unveils the evolutionary history of phycoplast, cyto-morphology, and noncanonical genetic codes in chlorophyte green algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Li
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, China
| | - Zheng Hou
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, China
| | - Chenjie Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, China
| | - Xuan Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, China
| | - Lingxiao Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, China
| | - Louise A Lewis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Bojian Zhong
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, China
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24
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Richter A, Schoeters E, Billen J. Morphology and closing mechanism of the mandibular gland orifice in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Morphol 2021; 282:1127-1140. [PMID: 33835596 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The mandibular gland of ants releases chemical compounds with functions ranging from nestmate alarm and recognition to antimicrobial defense. While the morphology of this ethologically important gland is well investigated in several species, the mechanism of secretion release in ants was not explicitly addressed so far. To clarify this question, we examined the anatomy of the gland orifice in ant species from 14 different subfamilies employing different techniques. The orifice close to the mandibular base is located on an area called mandalus. Our investigations revealed variation in mandalar shape, with clear trends in different subfamilies. By contrast, the internal organization is remarkably congruent across all investigated species. The thin external mandalar cuticle is always connected to the mandibular gland duct by a cuticular lamella, visible as a characteristic anchor-shaped structure in cross section. The slit-like gland orifice at the distal end of the mandalus is usually crescent-shaped. In some ant species with specialized mandibles such as trap-jaws, the organization of the orifice area is adapted to the mandibular shape, but always retains the general internal organization. No muscles were found in association with the orifice, nor with any other part of the mandibular gland. However, the base of the mandalus is connected to the prepharyngeal sucking pump by a cuticular ligament. Additionally, it is continuous with the conjunctiva connecting the mandible to the head capsule. We propose that retraction of the sucking pump by the muscle M. tentoriobuccalis, potentially in concert with opening of the mandible, stretches out the ligament and thus pulls on the mandalus and mandalar lamella to open the gland orifice and allow for secretion release. This hypothesis is congruent with findings on other aculeate Hymenoptera and expands our knowledge on the function of an important gland of ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Richter
- Institute for Zoology und Evolutionary Research, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Eric Schoeters
- Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Billen
- Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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25
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Billen J, Khalife A, Ito F, Anh ND, Esteves FA. The basitarsal sulcus gland, a novel exocrine structure in ants. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2021; 61:101041. [PMID: 33667897 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2021.101041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The basitarsus of the mid- and/or hindlegs of several Amblyoponinae ants shows a deep longitudinal groove or sulcus on its anterior face in workers and queens. Histological examination reveals this sulcus is associated with a conspicuous novel epithelial gland, which brings the number of exocrine glands in the legs of ants to 25. The ultrastructural characteristics of the gland show the presence of a well-developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum. This is indicative for the elaboration of a non-proteinaceous and thus possibly pheromonal secretion. Behavioural observations show that this secretion is collected by the tarsomeres and spread onto the brood and nest, suggesting a role in nestmate recognition. A similar basitarsal sulcus gland was also found in Nothomyrmecia, Paraponera and Tetraponera, which represents both a wide phylogenetic and ecological distribution, as it includes arboreal, ground-dwelling as well as subterranean taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Billen
- Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2466, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Adam Khalife
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fuminori Ito
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Ikenobe, Miki 761-0795, Japan
| | - Nguyen Duc Anh
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Flavia A Esteves
- California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., San Francisco, CA 94941, USA
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26
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Foraging and feeding are independently regulated by social and personal hunger in the clonal raider ant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02985-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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27
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Griebenow ZH. Synonymisation of the male-based ant genus Phaulomyrma (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) with Leptanilla based upon Bayesian total-evidence phylogenetic inference. INVERTEBR SYST 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/is20059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Although molecular data have proven indispensable in confidently resolving the phylogeny of many clades across the tree of life, these data may be inaccessible for certain taxa. The resolution of taxonomy in the ant subfamily Leptanillinae is made problematic by the absence of DNA sequence data for leptanilline taxa that are known only from male specimens, including the monotypic genus Phaulomyrma Wheeler & Wheeler. Focusing upon the considerable diversity of undescribed male leptanilline morphospecies, the phylogeny of 35 putative morphospecies sampled from across the Leptanillinae, plus an outgroup, is inferred from 11 nuclear loci and 41 discrete male morphological characters using a Bayesian total-evidence framework, with Phaulomyrma represented by morphological data only. Based upon the results of this analysis Phaulomyrma is synonymised with Leptanilla Emery, and male-based diagnoses for Leptanilla that are grounded in phylogeny are provided, under both broad and narrow circumscriptions of that genus. This demonstrates the potential utility of a total-evidence approach in inferring the phylogeny of rare extant taxa for which molecular data are unavailable and begins a long-overdue systematic revision of the Leptanillinae that is focused on male material.
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28
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Boudinot BE, Perrichot V, Chaul JCM. † Camelosphecia gen. nov., lost ant-wasp intermediates from the mid-Cretaceous (Hymenoptera, Formicoidea). Zookeys 2020; 1005:21-55. [PMID: 33390754 PMCID: PMC7762752 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1005.57629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossils provide primary material evidence for the pattern and timing of evolution. The newly discovered "beast ants" from mid-Cretaceous Burmite, †Camelosphecia gen. nov., display an exceptional combination of plesiomorphies, including absence of the metapleural gland, and a series of unique apomorphies. Females and males, represented by †C. fossor sp. nov. and †C. venator sp. nov., differ in a number of features which suggest distinct sexual biologies. Combined-evidence phylogenetic analysis recovers †Camelosphecia and †Camelomecia as a clade which forms the extinct sister group of the Formicidae. Notably, these genera are only known from alate males and females; workers, if present, have yet to be recovered. Based on ongoing study of the total Aculeata informed by the beast ant genera, we provide a brief diagnosis of the Formicoidea. We also provide the first comprehensive key to the major groupings of Mesozoic Formicoidea, alongside a synoptic classification in which †Zigrasimeciinaestat. nov. and †Myanmyrma maraudera comb. nov. are recognized. Finally, a brief diagnosis of the Formicoidea is outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon E. Boudinot
- Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USAUniversity of CaliforniaDavisUnited States of America
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, 1 Erberstraße, 07743 Jena, Thüringen, GermanyFriedrich-Schiller-UniversitätJenaGermany
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences – UMR 6118, F-35000, Rennes, FranceUniv. Rennes, CNRSRennesFrance
| | - Júlio C. M. Chaul
- Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal do ViçosaViçosaBrazil
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29
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Tihelka E, Cai C, Giacomelli M, Pisani D, Donoghue PCJ. Integrated phylogenomic and fossil evidence of stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) reveal a Permian-Triassic co-origination with insectivores. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:201689. [PMID: 33391817 PMCID: PMC7735357 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) are a distinctive insect order whose members are characterized by mimicking various plant tissues such as twigs, foliage and bark. Unfortunately, the phylogenetic relationships among phasmatodean subfamilies and the timescale of their evolution remain uncertain. Recent molecular clock analyses have suggested a Cretaceous-Palaeogene origin of crown Phasmatodea and a subsequent Cenozoic radiation, contrasting with fossil evidence. Here, we analysed transcriptomic data from a broad diversity of phasmatodeans and, combined with the assembly of a new suite of fossil calibrations, we elucidate the evolutionary history of stick and leaf insects. Our results differ from recent studies in the position of the leaf insects (Phylliinae), which are recovered as sister to a clade comprising Clitumninae, Lancerocercata, Lonchodinae, Necrosciinae and Xenophasmina. We recover a Permian to Triassic origin of crown Phasmatodea coinciding with the radiation of early insectivorous parareptiles, amphibians and synapsids. Aschiphasmatinae and Neophasmatodea diverged in the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. A second spur in origination occurred in the Late Cretaceous, coinciding with the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, and was probably driven by visual predators such as stem birds (Enantiornithes) and the radiation of angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Tihelka
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Chenyang Cai
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Mattia Giacomelli
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Davide Pisani
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Philip C. J. Donoghue
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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30
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Sosiak CE, Barden P. Multidimensional trait morphology predicts ecology across ant lineages. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine E. Sosiak
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark NJ USA
| | - Phillip Barden
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark NJ USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
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31
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Peeters C, Keller RA, Khalife A, Fischer G, Katzke J, Blanke A, Economo EP. The loss of flight in ant workers enabled an evolutionary redesign of the thorax for ground labour. Front Zool 2020; 17:33. [PMID: 33088333 PMCID: PMC7574298 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-020-00375-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Explanations for the ecological dominance of ants generally focus on the benefits of division of labour and cooperation during foraging. However, the principal innovation of ants relative to their wasp ancestors was the evolution of a new phenotype: a wingless worker caste optimized for ground labour. Ant workers are famous for their ability to lift and carry heavy loads, but we know surprisingly little about the morphological basis of their strength. Here we examine the consequences of the universal loss of flight in ant workers on skeletomuscular adaptations in the thorax for enhanced foraging on six legs. Results Using X-ray microcomputed tomography and 3D segmentation, we compared winged queens and wingless workers in Euponera sikorae (subfamily Ponerinae) and Cataglyphis savignyi (subfamily Formicinae). Workers are characterized by five major changes to their thorax: i) fusion of the articulated flight thorax (queens) into a rigid box optimized to support the muscles that operate the head, legs and abdomen, ii) redesign of internal cuticular structures for better bracing and muscle attachment, iii) substantial enlargement of the neck muscles for suspending and moving the head, iv) lengthening of the external trochanter muscles, predominant for the leg actions that lift the body off the ground, v) modified angle of the petiole muscles that are key for flexion of the abdomen. We measured volumes and pennation angles for a few key muscles to assess their increased efficacy. Our comparisons of additional workers across five genera in subfamilies Dorylinae and Myrmicinae show these modifications in the wingless thorax to be consistent. In contrast, a mutillid wasp showed a different pattern of muscle adaptations resulting from the lack of wing muscles. Conclusions Rather than simply a subtraction of costly flight muscles, we propose the ant worker thorax evolved into a power core underlying stronger mandibles, legs, and sting. This contrasts with solitary flightless insects where the lack of central place foraging generated distinct selective pressures for rearranging the thorax. Stronger emphasis is needed on morphological innovations of social insects to further our understanding of the evolution of social behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Peeters
- Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Roberto A Keller
- Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência & cE3c-FCUL, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
| | - Adam Khalife
- Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France.,Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
| | - Georg Fischer
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
| | - Julian Katzke
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
| | - Alexander Blanke
- Institute for Zoology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
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32
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Spasojevic T, Broad GR, Sääksjärvi IE, Schwarz M, Ito M, Korenko S, Klopfstein S. Mind the Outgroup and Bare Branches in Total-Evidence Dating: a Case Study of Pimpliform Darwin Wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Syst Biol 2020; 70:322-339. [PMID: 33057674 PMCID: PMC7875445 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Taxon sampling is a central aspect of phylogenetic study design, but it has received limited attention in the context of total-evidence dating, a widely used dating approach that directly integrates molecular and morphological information from extant and fossil taxa. We here assess the impact of commonly employed outgroup sampling schemes and missing morphological data in extant taxa on age estimates in a total-evidence dating analysis under the uniform tree prior. Our study group is Pimpliformes, a highly diverse, rapidly radiating group of parasitoid wasps of the family Ichneumonidae. We analyze a data set comprising 201 extant and 79 fossil taxa, including the oldest fossils of the family from the Early Cretaceous and the first unequivocal representatives of extant subfamilies from the mid-Paleogene. Based on newly compiled molecular data from ten nuclear genes and a morphological matrix that includes 222 characters, we show that age estimates become both older and less precise with the inclusion of more distant and more poorly sampled outgroups. These outgroups not only lack morphological and temporal information but also sit on long terminal branches and considerably increase the evolutionary rate heterogeneity. In addition, we discover an artifact that might be detrimental for total-evidence dating: “bare-branch attraction,” namely high attachment probabilities of certain fossils to terminal branches for which morphological data are missing. Using computer simulations, we confirm the generality of this phenomenon and show that a large phylogenetic distance to any of the extant taxa, rather than just older age, increases the risk of a fossil being misplaced due to bare-branch attraction. After restricting outgroup sampling and adding morphological data for the previously attracting, bare branches, we recover a Jurassic origin for Pimpliformes and Ichneumonidae. This first age estimate for the group not only suggests an older origin than previously thought but also that diversification of the crown group happened well before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Our case study demonstrates that in order to obtain robust age estimates, total-evidence dating studies need to be based on a thorough and balanced sampling of both extant and fossil taxa, with the aim of minimizing evolutionary rate heterogeneity and missing morphological information. [Bare-branch attraction; ichneumonids; fossils; morphological matrix; phylogeny; RoguePlots.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Spasojevic
- Abteilung Wirbellose Tiere Invertebrates, Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Bernastrasse 15, 3005 Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Gavin R Broad
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | | | | | - Masato Ito
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Department of Agrobioscience, Kobe University, 657-8501 Japan
| | - Stanislav Korenko
- Department of Agroecology and Crop Production, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21 Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Seraina Klopfstein
- Abteilung Wirbellose Tiere Invertebrates, Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Bernastrasse 15, 3005 Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Abteilung für Biowissenschaften, Naturhistorisches Museum Basel, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
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33
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Abstract
Ants exploit differences in body surface chemistry to distinguish nestmates from colony intruders. Socially parasitic ants in Madagascar have convergently evolved morphological similarities to host worker anatomy, implying that body shape may also be surveilled. Studies of tactile behaviors in ant societies are now needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Parker
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Christian Rabeling
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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34
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Origin and elaboration of a major evolutionary transition in individuality. Nature 2020; 585:239-244. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2653-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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35
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Barden P, Perrichot V, Wang B. Specialized Predation Drives Aberrant Morphological Integration and Diversity in the Earliest Ants. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3818-3824.e4. [PMID: 32763171 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Extinct haidomyrmecine "hell ants" are among the earliest ants known [1, 2]. These eusocial Cretaceous taxa diverged from extant lineages prior to the most recent common ancestor of all living ants [3] and possessed bizarre scythe-like mouthparts along with a striking array of horn-like cephalic projections [4-6]. Despite the morphological breadth of the fifteen thousand known extant ant species, phenotypic syndromes found in the Cretaceous are without parallel and the evolutionary drivers of extinct diversity are unknown. Here, we provide a mechanistic explanation for aberrant hell ant morphology through phylogenetic reconstruction and comparative methods, as well as a newly reported specimen. We report a remarkable instance of fossilized predation that provides direct evidence for the function of dorsoventrally expanded mandibles and elaborate horns. Our findings confirm the hypothesis that hell ants captured other arthropods between mandible and horn in a manner that could only be achieved by articulating their mouthparts in an axial plane perpendicular to that of modern ants. We demonstrate that the head capsule and mandibles of haidomyrmecines are uniquely integrated as a consequence of this predatory mode and covary across species while finding no evidence of such modular integration in extant ant groups. We suggest that hell ant cephalic integration-analogous to the vertebrate skull-triggered a pathway for an ancient adaptive radiation and expansion into morphospace unoccupied by any living taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Barden
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China.
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36
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Cai C, Tihelka E, Pisani D, Donoghue PCJ. Data curation and modeling of compositional heterogeneity in insect phylogenomics: A case study of the phylogeny of Dytiscoidea (Coleoptera: Adephaga). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 147:106782. [PMID: 32147574 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Diving beetles and their allies are an almost ubiquitous group of freshwater predators. Knowledge of the phylogeny of the adephagan superfamily Dytiscoidea has significantly improved since the advent of molecular phylogenetics. However, despite recent comprehensive phylogenomic studies, some phylogenetic relationships among the constituent families remain elusive. In particular, the position of the family Hygrobiidae remains uncertain. We address these issues by re-analyzing recently published phylogenomic datasets for Dytiscoidea, using approaches to reduce compositional heterogeneity and adopting a site-heterogeneous mixture model. We obtained a consistent, well-resolved, and strongly supported tree. Consistent with previous studies, our analyses support Aspidytidae as the monophyletic sister group of Amphizoidae, and more importantly, Hygrobiidae as the sister of the diverse Dytiscidae, in agreement with morphology-based phylogenies. Our analyses provide a backbone phylogeny of Dytiscoidea, which lays the foundation for better understanding the evolution of morphological characters, life habits, and feeding behaviors of dytiscoid beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Erik Tihelka
- Department of Animal Science, Hartpury College, Hartpury GL19 3BE, UK
| | - Davide Pisani
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Philip C J Donoghue
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
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37
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Allio R, Schomaker-Bastos A, Romiguier J, Prosdocimi F, Nabholz B, Delsuc F. MitoFinder: Efficient automated large-scale extraction of mitogenomic data in target enrichment phylogenomics. Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 20:892-905. [PMID: 32243090 PMCID: PMC7497042 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 462] [Impact Index Per Article: 115.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Thanks to the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies, target enrichment sequencing of nuclear ultraconserved DNA elements (UCEs) now allows routine inference of phylogenetic relationships from thousands of genomic markers. Recently, it has been shown that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is frequently sequenced alongside the targeted loci in such capture experiments. Despite its broad evolutionary interest, mtDNA is rarely assembled and used in conjunction with nuclear markers in capture-based studies. Here, we developed MitoFinder, a user-friendly bioinformatic pipeline, to efficiently assemble and annotate mitogenomic data from hundreds of UCE libraries. As a case study, we used ants (Formicidae) for which 501 UCE libraries have been sequenced whereas only 29 mitogenomes are available. We compared the efficiency of four different assemblers (IDBA-UD, MEGAHIT, MetaSPAdes, and Trinity) for assembling both UCE and mtDNA loci. Using MitoFinder, we show that metagenomic assemblers, in particular MetaSPAdes, are well suited to assemble both UCEs and mtDNA. Mitogenomic signal was successfully extracted from all 501 UCE libraries, allowing us to confirm species identification using CO1 barcoding. Moreover, our automated procedure retrieved 296 cases in which the mitochondrial genome was assembled in a single contig, thus increasing the number of available ant mitogenomes by an order of magnitude. By utilizing the power of metagenomic assemblers, MitoFinder provides an efficient tool to extract complementary mitogenomic data from UCE libraries, allowing testing for potential mitonuclear discordance. Our approach is potentially applicable to other sequence capture methods, transcriptomic data and whole genome shotgun sequencing in diverse taxa. The MitoFinder software is available from GitHub (https://github.com/RemiAllio/MitoFinder).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Allio
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Alex Schomaker-Bastos
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar para Análise de Dados (LAMPADA), Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jonathan Romiguier
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Francisco Prosdocimi
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar para Análise de Dados (LAMPADA), Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Benoit Nabholz
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Delsuc
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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38
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The Peptide Venom Composition of the Fierce Stinging Ant Tetraponera aethiops (Formicidae: Pseudomyrmecinae). Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11120732. [PMID: 31847368 PMCID: PMC6950161 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11120732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mutualisms involving certain pseudomyrmicine ants and different myrmecophytes (i.e., plants sheltering colonies of specialized “plant-ant” species in hollow structures), the ant venom contributes to the host plant biotic defenses by inducing the rapid paralysis of defoliating insects and causing intense pain to browsing mammals. Using integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approaches, we identified the venom peptidome of the plant-ant Tetraponera aethiops (Pseudomyrmecinae). The transcriptomic analysis of its venom glands revealed that 40% of the expressed contigs encoded only seven peptide precursors related to the ant venom peptides from the A-superfamily. Among the 12 peptide masses detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS), nine mature peptide sequences were characterized and confirmed through proteomic analysis. These venom peptides, called pseudomyrmecitoxins (PSDTX), share amino acid sequence identities with myrmeciitoxins known for their dual offensive and defensive functions on both insects and mammals. Furthermore, we demonstrated through reduction/alkylation of the crude venom that four PSDTXs were homo- and heterodimeric. Thus, we provide the first insights into the defensive venom composition of the ant genus Tetraponera indicative of a streamlined peptidome.
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39
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Vasilikopoulos A, Balke M, Beutel RG, Donath A, Podsiadlowski L, Pflug JM, Waterhouse RM, Meusemann K, Peters RS, Escalona HE, Mayer C, Liu S, Hendrich L, Alarie Y, Bilton DT, Jia F, Zhou X, Maddison DR, Niehuis O, Misof B. Phylogenomics of the superfamily Dytiscoidea (Coleoptera: Adephaga) with an evaluation of phylogenetic conflict and systematic error. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 135:270-285. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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40
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Morphology of the tentorium in the ant genus Lasius Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sci Rep 2019; 9:6722. [PMID: 31040337 PMCID: PMC6491587 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43175-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The tentorium is the internal skeleton of the head capsule of insects. Several studies have shown that the structure of the tentorium is an important factor not only for the morphology and systematics but also for the phylogeny and evolution. In ants, however, only three studies have reported tentorial morphology so far. We reveal the fundamental structure of the tentorium of the genus Lasius (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and its minor variation among six species of the genus. Based on the results, we give new terminologies of the organ, presenting a schematic diagram of the tentorium. We clarify muscle attachment to the tentorium by constructing a three-dimension image of the tentorium and muscles. We then verify the attachment areas of the antennal muscles and maxillary adductor muscles on the tentorium. The results show that the muscular attachment areas are broader than previously thought. Our study indicates that the key to understanding the evolution of the tentorium is its functional morphology, in relation to the attachments of the muscles originating from the tentorium within the head capsule. This is the first report of the three-dimensional images of the ant tentorium and its attached muscles. The intra- and inter-specific variations of the tentorium is also reported for the first time.
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41
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Zhou YL, Ślipiński A, Ren D, Parker J. A Mesozoic clown beetle myrmecophile (Coleoptera: Histeridae). eLife 2019; 8:e44985. [PMID: 30990167 PMCID: PMC6467565 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex interspecies relationships are widespread among metazoans, but the evolutionary history of these lifestyles is poorly understood. We describe a fossil beetle in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber that we infer to have been a social impostor of the earliest-known ant colonies. Promyrmister kistneri gen. et sp. nov. belongs to the haeteriine clown beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae), a major clade of 'myrmecophiles'-specialized nest intruders with dramatic anatomical, chemical and behavioral adaptations for colony infiltration. Promyrmister reveals that myrmecophiles evolved close to the emergence of ant eusociality, in colonies of stem-group ants that predominate Burmese amber, or with cryptic crown-group ants that remain largely unknown at this time. The clown beetle-ant relationship has been maintained ever since by the beetles host-switching to numerous modern ant genera, ultimately diversifying into one of the largest radiations of symbiotic animals. We infer that obligate behavioral symbioses can evolve relatively rapidly, and be sustained over deep time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lingzi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Australian National Insect CollectionCSIROCanberraAustralia
| | - Adam Ślipiński
- Australian National Insect CollectionCSIROCanberraAustralia
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life SciencesCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Joseph Parker
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
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