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Boscaini A, Casali DM, Toledo N, Cantalapiedra JL, Bargo MS, De Iuliis G, Gaudin TJ, Langer MC, Narducci R, Pujos F, Soto EM, Vizcaíno SF, Soto IM. The emergence and demise of giant sloths. Science 2025; 388:864-868. [PMID: 40403047 DOI: 10.1126/science.adu0704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2025] [Indexed: 05/24/2025]
Abstract
The emergence of multi-tonne herbivores is a recurrent aspect of the Cenozoic mammalian radiation. Several of these giants have vanished within the past 130,000 years, but the timing and macroevolutionary drivers behind this pattern of rise and collapse remain unclear for some megaherbivore lineages. Using trait modeling that combines total-evidence evolutionary trees and a comprehensive size dataset, we show that sloth body mass evolved with major lifestyle shifts and that most terrestrial lineages reached their largest sizes through slower evolutionary rates compared with extant arboreal forms. Size disparity increased during the late Cenozoic climatic cooling, but paleoclimatic changes do not explain the rapid extinction of ground sloths that started approximately 15,000 years ago. Their abrupt demise suggests human-driven factors in the decline and extinction of ground sloths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Boscaini
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos, Argentina
| | - Daniel M Casali
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Néstor Toledo
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Juan L Cantalapiedra
- Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group (GloCEE), Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Susana Bargo
- División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
- Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), Argentina
| | - Gerardo De Iuliis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Palaeobiology, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
| | - Timothy J Gaudin
- Department of Biology, Geology & Environmental Science (Department 2653), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, USA
| | - Max C Langer
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rachel Narducci
- Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - François Pujos
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CONICET-UNCUYO-Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Eduardo M Soto
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos, Argentina
| | - Sergio F Vizcaíno
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ignacio M Soto
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos, Argentina
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2
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Nabavizadeh A. Of tusks and trunks: A review of craniofacial evolutionary anatomy in elephants and extinct Proboscidea. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 39380178 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25578] [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: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
While being the largest living terrestrial mammals, elephants are best known for their highly modified and uniquely elaborate craniofacial anatomy-most notably with respect to their often-massive tusks and intricately muscular, multifunctional proboscis (i.e., trunk). For over a century, studies of extinct proboscidean relatives of today's elephants have presented hypotheses regarding the evolutionary history of the crania and tusks of these animals and their bearing on the evolution of the proboscis. Herein, I explore major functional characteristics of the proboscidean head. I give a brief review of the anatomy of tusks and dentition, the feeding apparatus, and proboscis in extant elephants and explore their overall bearing in elephant feeding behavior as well as other aspects of their ecology. I also review the evolution of the proboscidean head, with a synthetic analysis of studies and further speculation exploring the interconnected evolutionary roles of tusk morphology and use, feeding anatomy and functional implications thereof, and proboscis anatomy and use in the ancestry of elephants. Notable emphasis is given to the evolutionary role of initial elongation of the mandibular symphysis in the development of the proboscis in many proboscideans. Subsequent secondary shortening of the symphysis and elevation of the temporal region and occiput allowed for a pendulous trunk and proal feeding in living elephants and other proboscidean groups with highly lophodont dentition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Nabavizadeh
- Oregon Health & Science University, Anatomical Sciences Education Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
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3
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Hauffe T, Cantalapiedra JL, Silvestro D. Trait-mediated speciation and human-driven extinctions in proboscideans revealed by unsupervised Bayesian neural networks. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl2643. [PMID: 39047110 PMCID: PMC11268411 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl2643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Species life-history traits, paleoenvironment, and biotic interactions likely influence speciation and extinction rates, affecting species richness over time. Birth-death models inferring the impact of these factors typically assume monotonic relationships between single predictors and rates, limiting our ability to assess more complex effects and their relative importance and interaction. We introduce a Bayesian birth-death model using unsupervised neural networks to explore multifactorial and nonlinear effects on speciation and extinction rates using fossil data. It infers lineage- and time-specific rates and disentangles predictor effects and importance through explainable artificial intelligence techniques. Analysis of the proboscidean fossil record revealed speciation rates shaped by dietary flexibility and biogeographic events. The emergence of modern humans escalated extinction rates, causing recent diversity decline, while regional climate had a lesser impact. Our model paves the way for an improved understanding of the intricate dynamics shaping clade diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Hauffe
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Juan L. Cantalapiedra
- Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- GloCEE Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniele Silvestro
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
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4
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Li C, Deng T, Wang Y, Sun F, Wolff B, Jiangzuo Q, Ma J, Xing L, Fu J, Zhang J, Wang S. The trunk replaces the longer mandible as the main feeding organ in elephant evolution. eLife 2024; 12:RP90908. [PMID: 38900028 PMCID: PMC11189625 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90908] [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] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The long-trunked elephantids underwent a significant evolutionary stage characterized by an exceptionally elongated mandible. The initial elongation and subsequent regression of the long mandible, along with its co-evolution with the trunk, present an intriguing issue that remains incompletely understood. Through comparative functional and eco-morphological investigations, as well as feeding preference analysis, we reconstructed the feeding behavior of major groups of longirostrine elephantiforms. In the Platybelodon clade, the rapid evolutionary changes observed in the narial region, strongly correlated with mandible and tusk characteristics, suggest a crucial evolutionary transition where feeding function shifted from the mandible to the trunk, allowing proboscideans to expand their niches to more open regions. This functional shift further resulted in elephantids relying solely on their trunks for feeding. Our research provides insights into how unique environmental pressures shape the extreme evolution of organs, particularly in large mammals that developed various peculiar adaptations during the late Cenozoic global cooling trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiao Li
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Tao Deng
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State UniversityTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Fajun Sun
- Environmental Science & Technology, University of MarylandCollege ParkUnited States
| | - Burt Wolff
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State UniversityTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Qigao Jiangzuo
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jiao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Luda Xing
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jiao Fu
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ji Zhang
- School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Digital ConstructionWuhanChina
| | - Shiqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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5
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Quintero I, Lartillot N, Morlon H. Imbalanced speciation pulses sustain the radiation of mammals. Science 2024; 384:1007-1012. [PMID: 38815022 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj2793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The evolutionary histories of major clades, including mammals, often comprise changes in their diversification dynamics, but how these changes occur remains debated. We combined comprehensive phylogenetic and fossil information in a new "birth-death diffusion" model that provides a detailed characterization of variation in diversification rates in mammals. We found an early rising and sustained diversification scenario, wherein speciation rates increased before and during the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. The K-Pg mass extinction event filtered out more slowly speciating lineages and was followed by a subsequent slowing in speciation rates rather than rebounds. These dynamics arose from an imbalanced speciation process, with separate lineages giving rise to many, less speciation-prone descendants. Diversity seems to have been brought about by these isolated, fast-speciating lineages, rather than by a few punctuated innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Quintero
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Lartillot
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgroSup, LBBE, UMR 5558, F-69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hélène Morlon
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
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6
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Cooper RB, Flannery-Sutherland JT, Silvestro D. DeepDive: estimating global biodiversity patterns through time using deep learning. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4199. [PMID: 38760390 PMCID: PMC11101433 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48434-7] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how biodiversity has changed through time is a central goal of evolutionary biology. However, estimates of past biodiversity are challenged by the inherent incompleteness of the fossil record, even when state-of-the-art statistical methods are applied to adjust estimates while correcting for sampling biases. Here we develop an approach based on stochastic simulations of biodiversity and a deep learning model to infer richness at global or regional scales through time while incorporating spatial, temporal and taxonomic sampling variation. Our method outperforms alternative approaches across simulated datasets, especially at large spatial scales, providing robust palaeodiversity estimates under a wide range of preservation scenarios. We apply our method on two empirical datasets of different taxonomic and temporal scope: the Permian-Triassic record of marine animals and the Cenozoic evolution of proboscideans. Our estimates provide a revised quantitative assessment of two mass extinctions in the marine record and reveal rapid diversification of proboscideans following their expansion out of Africa and a >70% diversity drop in the Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca B Cooper
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | | | - Daniele Silvestro
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Global Gothenburg Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 413 19, Sweden.
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7
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Saarinen J, Lister AM. Fluctuating climate and dietary innovation drove ratcheted evolution of proboscidean dental traits. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1490-1502. [PMID: 37580434 PMCID: PMC10482678 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02151-4] [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: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Identification of the selective forces that shaped adaptive phenotypes generally relies on current habitat and function, but these may differ from the context in which adaptations arose. Moreover, the fixation of adaptive change in a fluctuating environment and the mechanisms of long-term trends are still poorly understood, as is the role of behaviour in triggering these processes. Time series of fossils can provide evidence on these questions, but examples of individual lineages with adequate fossil and proxy data over extended periods are rare. Here, we present new data on proboscidean dental evolution in East Africa over the past 26 million years, tracking temporal patterns of morphological change in relation to proxy evidence of diet, vegetation and climate (aridity). We show that behavioural experimentation in diet is correlated with environmental context, and that major adaptive change in dental traits followed the changes in diet and environment but only after acquisition of functional innovations in the masticatory system. We partition traits by selective agent, showing that the acquisition of high, multiridged molars was primarily a response to an increase in open, arid environments with high dust accumulation, whereas enamel folding was more associated with the amount of grass in the diet. We further show that long-term trends in these features proceeded in a ratchet-like mode, alternating between directional change at times of high selective pressure and stasis when the selective regime reversed. This provides an explanation for morphology adapted to more extreme conditions than current usage (Liem's Paradox). Our study illustrates how, in fossil series with adequate stratigraphic control and proxy data, environmental and behavioural factors can be mapped on to time series of morphological change, illuminating the mode of acquisition of an adaptive complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha Saarinen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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8
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Bibi F, Cantalapiedra JL. Plio-Pleistocene African megaherbivore losses associated with community biomass restructuring. Science 2023; 380:1076-1080. [PMID: 37289876 DOI: 10.1126/science.add8366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fossil abundance data can reveal ecological dynamics underpinning taxonomic declines. Using fossil dental metrics, we reconstructed body mass and mass-abundance distributions in Late Miocene to recent African large mammal communities. Despite collection biases, fossil and extant mass-abundance distributions are highly similar, with unimodal distributions likely reflecting savanna environments. Above 45 kilograms, abundance decreases exponentially with mass, with slopes close to -0.75, as predicted by metabolic scaling. Furthermore, communities before ~4 million years ago had considerably more large-sized individuals, with a greater proportion of total biomass allocated in larger size categories, than did later communities. Over time, individuals and biomass were redistributed into smaller size categories, reflecting a gradual loss of large-sized individuals from the fossil record paralleling the long-term decline of Plio-Pleistocene large mammal diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faysal Bibi
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Juan L Cantalapiedra
- GloCEE-Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
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9
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Hochart C, Paoli L, Ruscheweyh HJ, Salazar G, Boissin E, Romac S, Poulain J, Bourdin G, Iwankow G, Moulin C, Ziegler M, Porro B, Armstrong EJ, Hume BCC, Aury JM, Pogoreutz C, Paz-García DA, Nugues MM, Agostini S, Banaigs B, Boss E, Bowler C, de Vargas C, Douville E, Flores M, Forcioli D, Furla P, Gilson E, Lombard F, Pesant S, Reynaud S, Thomas OP, Troublé R, Wincker P, Zoccola D, Allemand D, Planes S, Thurber RV, Voolstra CR, Sunagawa S, Galand PE. Ecology of Endozoicomonadaceae in three coral genera across the Pacific Ocean. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3037. [PMID: 37264015 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38502-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Health and resilience of the coral holobiont depend on diverse bacterial communities often dominated by key marine symbionts of the Endozoicomonadaceae family. The factors controlling their distribution and their functional diversity remain, however, poorly known. Here, we study the ecology of Endozoicomonadaceae at an ocean basin-scale by sampling specimens from three coral genera (Pocillopora, Porites, Millepora) on 99 reefs from 32 islands across the Pacific Ocean. The analysis of 2447 metabarcoding and 270 metagenomic samples reveals that each coral genus harbored a distinct new species of Endozoicomonadaceae. These species are composed of nine lineages that have distinct biogeographic patterns. The most common one, found in Pocillopora, appears to be a globally distributed symbiont with distinct metabolic capabilities, including the synthesis of amino acids and vitamins not produced by the host. The other lineages are structured partly by the host genetic lineage in Pocillopora and mainly by the geographic location in Porites. Millepora is more rarely associated to Endozoicomonadaceae. Our results show that different coral genera exhibit distinct strategies of host-Endozoicomonadaceae associations that are defined at the bacteria lineage level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Hochart
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, 66650, Banyuls sur Mer, France
| | - Lucas Paoli
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Joachim Ruscheweyh
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Guillem Salazar
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Emilie Boissin
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Sarah Romac
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Station Biologique de Roscoff, AD2M, UMR 7144, ECOMAP, Roscoff, France
| | - Julie Poulain
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France
| | | | - Guillaume Iwankow
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | | | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32 (IFZ), 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Barbara Porro
- CNRS, INSERM, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco (LIA ROPSE), Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Eric J Armstrong
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Benjamin C C Hume
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jean-Marc Aury
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - David A Paz-García
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), La Paz, Baja California Sur, 23096, México
| | - Maggy M Nugues
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Sylvain Agostini
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1, Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Bernard Banaigs
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Emmanuel Boss
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA
| | - Chris Bowler
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Colomban de Vargas
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Station Biologique de Roscoff, AD2M, UMR 7144, ECOMAP, Roscoff, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France
| | - Eric Douville
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Michel Flores
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 76100, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Didier Forcioli
- CNRS, INSERM, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco (LIA ROPSE), Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Paola Furla
- CNRS, INSERM, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco (LIA ROPSE), Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Eric Gilson
- CNRS, INSERM, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco (LIA ROPSE), Monaco, Principality of Monaco
- Department of Medical Genetics, CHU Nice, Nice, France
| | - Fabien Lombard
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche sur mer, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75231, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Pesant
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Stéphanie Reynaud
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco (LIA ROPSE), Monaco, Principality of Monaco
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Olivier P Thomas
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Romain Troublé
- Fondation Tara Océan, 8 rue de Prague, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France
| | - Didier Zoccola
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco (LIA ROPSE), Monaco, Principality of Monaco
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Denis Allemand
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco (LIA ROPSE), Monaco, Principality of Monaco
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Serge Planes
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Shinichi Sunagawa
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pierre E Galand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, 66650, Banyuls sur Mer, France.
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 75000, Paris, France.
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10
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Clauss M, Codron D, Hummel J. Equid nutritional physiology and behavior: an evolutionary perspective. J Equine Vet Sci 2023; 124:104265. [PMID: 36893821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Like other members of the even-toed ungulates (the perissodactyls), equids once had a higher species diversity in the fossil record than they have today. This is generally explained in comparison to the enormous diversity of bovid ruminants. Theories on putative competitive disadvantages of equids include the use of a single toe as opposed to two toes per leg, the lack of a specific brain cooling (and hence water-saving) mechanism, longer gestation periods that delay reproductive output, and in particular digestive physiology. To date, there is no empirical support for the theory that equids fare better on low-quality forage than ruminants. In contrast to the traditional juxtaposition of hindgut and foregut fermenters, we suggest that it is more insightful to sketch the evolution of equid and ruminant digestive physiology as a case of convergence: both evolved a particularly high chewing efficacy in their respective groups, which facilitates comparatively high feed and hence energy intakes. But because the ruminant system, less based on tooth anatomy but more on a forestomach sorting mechanism, is more effective, equids depend more on high feed intakes than ruminants and may well be more susceptible to feed shortages. Arguably, the most under-emphasized characteristic of equids may be that in contrast to many other herbivores including ruminants and coprophageous hindgut fermenters, equids do not use the microbial biomass growing in their gastrointestinal tract. Equids display behavioral and morphophysiological adaptations to high feed intakes, and their cranial anatomy that facilitates the cropping of forage while performing grinding chewing at the same time might be unique. Rather than looking for explanations how equids are better adapted to their present niches than other organisms, considering them remnants of a different morphophysiological solution may be more appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich; 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State; Bloemfontein, South Africa.
| | - Jürgen Hummel
- Ruminant Nutrition, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen; 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
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11
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Henderson S, Dunne EM, Fasey SA, Giles S. The early diversification of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii): hypotheses, challenges and future prospects. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:284-315. [PMID: 36192821 PMCID: PMC10091770 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Actinopterygii makes up half of living vertebrate diversity, and study of fossil members during their Palaeozoic rise to dominance has a long history of descriptive work. Although research interest into Palaeozoic actinopterygians has increased in recent years, broader patterns of diversity and diversity dynamics remain critically understudied. Past studies have investigated macroevolutionary trends in Palaeozoic actinopterygians in a piecemeal fashion, variably using existing compendia of vertebrates or literature-based searches. Here, we present a comprehensive occurrence-based dataset of actinopterygians spanning the whole of the Palaeozoic. We use this to produce the first through-Palaeozoic trends in genus and species counts for Actinopterygii. Diversity through time generally tracks metrics for sampling, while major taxonomic problems pervading the Palaeozoic actinopterygian record obscure diversity trends. Many described species are concentrated in several particularly problematic 'waste-basket' genera, hiding considerable morphological and taxonomic diversity. This taxonomic confusion also feeds into a limited understanding of phylogenetic relationships. A heavy sampling bias towards Europe and North America exists in both occurrence databases and available phylogenetic matrices, with other regions underrepresented despite yielding important data. Scrutiny of the extent to which spatial biases influence the actinopterygian record is lacking, as is research on other forms of bias. Low richness in some time periods may be linked to geological biases, while the effects of taphonomic biases on Palaeozoic actinopterygians have not yet been investigated. Efforts are already underway both to redescribe poorly defined taxa and to describe taxa from underrepresented regions, helping to address taxonomic issues and accuracy of occurrence data. New methods of sampling standardisation utilising up-to-date occurrence databases will be critical in teasing apart biological changes in diversity and those resulting from bias. Lastly, continued phylogenetic work will enable the use of phylogenetic comparative methods to elucidate the origins of actinopterygian biogeography and subsequent patterns of radiation throughout their rise to dominate aquatic faunas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Struan Henderson
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Emma M Dunne
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.,GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Loewenichstraße 28, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Sophie A Fasey
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Sam Giles
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.,Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
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12
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Sanisidro O, Arganda Carreras I, Cantalapiedra JL. Folded
: A toolkit to describe mammalian herbivore dentition from
2D
images. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Sanisidro
- Universidad de Alcalá, GloCEE ‐ Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group Departamento Ciencias de la Vida Madrid Spain
| | - Ignacio Arganda Carreras
- Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) San Sebastian Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science Bilbao Spain
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) San Sebastian Spain
| | - Juan L. Cantalapiedra
- Universidad de Alcalá, GloCEE ‐ Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group Departamento Ciencias de la Vida Madrid Spain
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13
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Pimiento C, Antonelli A. Integrating deep-time palaeontology in conservation prioritisation. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.959364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Halting biodiversity loss under growing anthropogenic pressure is arguably the greatest environmental challenge we face. Given that not all species are equally threatened and that resources are always limited, establishing robust prioritisation schemes is critical for implementing effective conservation actions. To this end, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has become a widely used source of information on species’ extinction risk. Various metrics have been proposed that combine IUCN status with different aspects of biodiversity to identify conservation priorities. However, current strategies do not take full advantage of palaeontological data, with conservation palaeobiology often focussing on the near-time fossil record (the last 2 million years). Here, we make a case for the value of the deep-time (over 2 million years ago), as it can offer tangible parallels with today’s biodiversity crisis and inform on the intrinsic traits that make species prone to extinction. As such, palaeontological data holds great predictive power, which could be harnessed to flag species likely to be threatened but that are currently too poorly known to be identified as such. Finally, we identify key IUCN-based prioritisation metrics and outline opportunities for integrating palaeontological data to validate their implementation. Although the human signal of the current extinction crisis makes direct comparisons with the geological past challenging, the deep-time fossil record has more to offer to conservation than is currently recognised.
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14
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Short-term paleogeographic reorganizations and climate events shaped diversification of North American freshwater gastropods over deep time. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15572. [PMID: 36114216 PMCID: PMC9481594 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19759-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
What controls species diversity and diversification is one of the major questions in evolutionary biology and paleontology. Previous studies have addressed this issue based on various plant and animal groups, geographic regions, and time intervals. However, as most previous research focused on terrestrial or marine ecosystems, our understanding of the controls on diversification of biota (and particularly invertebrates) in freshwater environments in deep time is still limited. Here, we infer diversification rates of North American freshwater gastropods from the Late Triassic to the Pleistocene and explore potential links between shifts in speciation and extinction and major changes in paleogeography, climate, and biotic interactions. We found that variation in the speciation rate is best explained by changes in continental fragmentation, with rate shifts coinciding with major paleogeographic reorganizations in the Mesozoic, in particular the retreat of the Sundance Sea and subsequent development of the Bighorn wetland and the advance of the Western Interior Seaway. Climatic events in the Cenozoic (Middle Eocene Climate Optimum, Miocene Climate Optimum) variably coincide with shifts in speciation and extinction as well, but no significant long-term association could be detected. Similarly, no influence of diversity dependence was found across the entire time frame of ~ 214 Myr. Our results indicate that short-term climatic events and paleogeographic changes are relevant to the diversification of continental freshwater biota, while long-term trends have limited effect.
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15
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Wandering mastodons reveal the complexity of Ice Age extinctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2208044119. [PMID: 35867769 PMCID: PMC9282418 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208044119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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16
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Neubauer TA, Harzhauser M. Onset of Late Cretaceous diversification in Europe's freshwater gastropod fauna links to global climatic and biotic events. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2684. [PMID: 35177660 PMCID: PMC8854554 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06557-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mesozoic rise of the European freshwater gastropod fauna is still poorly understood. Compared to the well documented Cenozoic history, little is known about the patterns and processes underlying the early diversification preceding their extinction crisis at the K–Pg boundary. We assess what is probably a first pulse of diversification of the Cenozoic-type fauna in the Late Cretaceous along with the potential abiotic and biotic controls for shifts in species diversification. We find strong support that the increase in the speciation rate in the Santonian (~ 85 Myr ago) is linked to a global sea level rise, which caused extensive flooding of continental areas and the formation of vast brackish-water ecosystems. The following decline of the speciation rate coincides with a rise in diversity and reflects increasing interspecific competition. The peak in the speciation rate postdates the Cenomanian–Turonian Thermal Maximum, which probably limited the potential for diversification among freshwater gastropods due to ecological constraints. The peak coincides moreover with the end phase of the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, which sparked the radiation of angiosperms. The expansion and diversification of flowering plants, being an important food source for freshwater gastropods today, could have formed a necessary basis for gastropod diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Neubauer
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (iFZ), 35392, Giessen, Germany. .,Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Mathias Harzhauser
- Geological-Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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