1
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Wilson LAB, López-Aguirre C, Archer M, Hand SJ, Flores D, Abdala F, Giannini NP. Patterns of ontogenetic evolution across extant marsupials reflect different allometric pathways to ecomorphological diversity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2689. [PMID: 37164950 PMCID: PMC10172307 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38365-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The relatively high level of morphological diversity in Australasian marsupials compared to that observed among American marsupials remains poorly understood. We undertake a comprehensive macroevolutionary analysis of ontogenetic allometry of American and Australasian marsupials to examine whether the contrasting levels of morphological diversity in these groups are reflected in their patterns of allometric evolution. We collate ontogenetic series for 62 species and 18 families of marsupials (n = 2091 specimens), spanning across extant marsupial diversity. Our results demonstrate significant lability of ontogenetic allometric trajectories among American and Australasian marsupials, yet a phylogenetically structured pattern of allometric evolution is preserved. Here we show that species diverging more than 65 million years ago converge in their patterns of ontogenetic allometry under animalivorous and herbivorous diets, and that Australasian marsupials do not show significantly greater variation in patterns of ontogenetic allometry than their American counterparts, despite displaying greater magnitudes of extant ecomorphological diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A B Wilson
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
- Earth & Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Camilo López-Aguirre
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Archer
- Earth & Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Suzanne J Hand
- Earth & Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - David Flores
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación Miguel Lillo). Instituto de Vertebrados, Fundación Miguel Lillo. Miguel Lillo 251, CP 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Fernando Abdala
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación Miguel Lillo), Miguel Lillo 251, CP4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Norberto P Giannini
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación Miguel Lillo), Miguel Lillo 251, CP4000, Tucumán, Argentina
- Cátedra de Biogeografía, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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2
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White HE, Tucker AS, Fernandez V, Portela Miguez R, Hautier L, Herrel A, Urban DJ, Sears KE, Goswami A. Pedomorphosis in the ancestry of marsupial mammals. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00457-8. [PMID: 37119816 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.009] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Within mammals, different reproductive strategies (e.g., egg laying, live birth of extremely underdeveloped young, and live birth of well-developed young) have been linked to divergent evolutionary histories. How and when developmental variation across mammals arose is unclear. While egg laying is unquestionably considered the ancestral state for all mammals, many long-standing biases treat the extreme underdeveloped state of marsupial young as the ancestral state for therian mammals (clade including both marsupials and placentals), with the well-developed young of placentals often considered the derived mode of development. Here, we quantify mammalian cranial morphological development and estimate ancestral patterns of cranial shape development using geometric morphometric analysis of the largest comparative ontogenetic dataset of mammals to date (165 specimens, 22 species). We identify a conserved region of cranial morphospace for fetal specimens, after which cranial morphology diversified through ontogeny in a cone-shaped pattern. This cone-shaped pattern of development distinctively reflected the upper half of the developmental hourglass model. Moreover, cranial morphological variation was found to be significantly associated with the level of development (position on the altricial-precocial spectrum) exhibited at birth. Estimation of ancestral state allometry (size-related shape change) reconstructs marsupials as pedomorphic relative to the ancestral therian mammal. In contrast, the estimated allometries for the ancestral placental and ancestral therian were indistinguishable. Thus, from our results, we hypothesize that placental mammal cranial development most closely reflects that of the ancestral therian mammal, while marsupial cranial development represents a more derived mode of mammalian development, in stark contrast to many interpretations of mammalian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E White
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK; Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6DE, UK.
| | - Abigail S Tucker
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Vincent Fernandez
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 rue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Lionel Hautier
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier 34095, France
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR 7179, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Adaptations du Vivant, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Daniel J Urban
- Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6DE, UK
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3
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Funston GF, dePolo PE, Sliwinski JT, Dumont M, Shelley SL, Pichevin LE, Cayzer NJ, Wible JR, Williamson TE, Rae JWB, Brusatte SL. The origin of placental mammal life histories. Nature 2022; 610:107-111. [PMID: 36045293 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05150-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
After the end-Cretaceous extinction, placental mammals quickly diversified1, occupied key ecological niches2,3 and increased in size4,5, but this last was not true of other therians6. The uniquely extended gestation of placental young7 may have factored into their success and size increase8, but reproduction style in early placentals remains unknown. Here we present the earliest record of a placental life history using palaeohistology and geochemistry, in a 62 million-year-old pantodont, the clade including the first mammals to achieve truly large body sizes. We extend the application of dental trace element mapping9,10 by 60 million years, identifying chemical markers of birth and weaning, and calibrate these to a daily record of growth in the dentition. A long gestation (approximately 7 months), rapid dental development and short suckling interval (approximately 30-75 days) show that Pantolambda bathmodon was highly precocial, unlike non-placental mammals and known Mesozoic precursors. These results demonstrate that P. bathmodon reproduced like a placental and lived at a fast pace for its body size. Assuming that P. bathmodon reflects close placental relatives, our findings suggest that the ability to produce well-developed, precocial young was established early in placental evolution, and that larger neonate sizes were a possible mechanism for rapid size increase in early placentals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory F Funston
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. .,Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Paige E dePolo
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jakub T Sliwinski
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Matthew Dumont
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Sarah L Shelley
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Nicola J Cayzer
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John R Wible
- Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - James W B Rae
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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4
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Pevsner SK, Grossnickle DM, Luo ZX. The functional diversity of marsupial limbs is influenced by both ecology and developmental constraint. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Extant marsupials are less ecologically diverse than placentals, and this is reflected by placentals exhibiting a greater diversity of locomotor modes, including powered flight and fully aquatic swimming. One proposed explanation for this discrepancy is that the development of more disparate marsupial forelimbs is prevented by the neonate’s crawl to the pouch, which requires precocious forelimb development for climbing adaptations. To test predictions of this Developmental Constraint Hypothesis (DCH), we pursue a comparative morphometric study on osteological traits of mammalian limbs, with an emphasis on functional differentiation of marsupial limbs among locomotor modes. We apply multivariate analyses to a large dataset of limb metrics and a diverse sample of mammals, with the placental sample limited to taxa whose locomotor modes are exhibited in marsupials. Overall, we do not find consistent evidence in support of the DCH. Diprotodontia serves as an exception, with comparisons of their forelimbs to hind limbs supporting the DCH. Our results suggest that developmental constraints on marsupial forelimbs may have limited marsupial diversity to some degree. Despite this, the marsupial locomotor groups show unexpectedly high levels of morphological differentiation relative to placentals of the same locomotor modes, indicating that ecological functions may overcome developmental constraints on a macroevolutionary scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer K Pevsner
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Zhe-Xi Luo
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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5
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Fabre AC, Dowling C, Portela Miguez R, Fernandez V, Noirault E, Goswami A. Functional constraints during development limit jaw shape evolution in marsupials. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210319. [PMID: 33906406 PMCID: PMC8079998 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Differences in jaw function experienced through ontogeny can have striking consequences for evolutionary outcomes, as has been suggested for the major clades of mammals. By contrast to placentals, marsupial newborns have an accelerated development of the head and forelimbs, allowing them to crawl to the mother's teats to suckle within just a few weeks of conception. The different functional requirements that marsupial newborns experience in early postnatal development have been hypothesized to have constrained their morphological diversification relative to placentals. Here, we test whether marsupials have a lower ecomorphological diversity and rate of evolution in comparison with placentals, focusing specifically on their jaws. To do so, a geometric morphometric approach was used to characterize jaw shape for 151 living and extinct species of mammals spanning a wide phylogenetic, developmental and functional diversity. Our results demonstrate that jaw shape is significantly influenced by both reproductive mode and diet, with substantial ecomorphological convergence between metatherians and eutherians. However, metatherians have markedly lower disparity and rate of mandible shape evolution than observed for eutherians. Thus, despite their ecomorphological diversity and numerous convergences with eutherians, the evolution of the jaw in metatherians appears to be strongly constrained by their specialized reproductive biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Fabre
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5DB, UK
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carys Dowling
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5DB, UK
| | | | - Vincent Fernandez
- Imaging and Analysis Centre, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5DB, UK
| | - Eve Noirault
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5DB, UK
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5DB, UK
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6
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Stewart TJ, Louys J, Miszkiewicz JJ. Intra-skeletal vascular density in a bipedal hopping macropod with implications for analyses of rib histology. Anat Sci Int 2021; 96:386-399. [PMID: 33481185 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-020-00601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Human ribs are thought to be less affected by mechanical strain at the microscopic level than limb bones, implying that rib remodelling better reflects bone physiological homeostasis. Here, we test the hypothesis that rib tissue will be well vascularized and thus enhance susceptibility to metabolic influence. An intra-skeletal comparison of bone vascular canal density was conducted using a macropod animal model adapted to bipedal habitual hopping. The right humerus, ulna, radius, femur, tibia, fibula, a mid-thoracic and upper-thoracic rib of an eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) were sectioned at the midshaft, from which histological sections were prepared. Bone vascularity from a maximum of 12 mm2 of sub-periosteal parallel-fibred and lamellar bone was recorded, resulting in a total of 2047 counted vessels. Vascular canal density data were corrected by cortical width, maximum length, and midshaft circumference robusticity indices computed for each bone. The fibula consistently had the highest vascular canal density, even when corrected for maximum length, cortical width and midshaft circumference robusticities. This was followed by the mid- and upper-thoracic ribs. Vascularity differences between bones were relatively consistent whether vascular canal density was controlled for by cortical width or midshaft circumference robusticities. Vascular canal density and robusticity indices were also positively and negatively correlated (p < 0.05). Results confirm that the ribs are well vascularized, which facilitates bone metabolic processes such as remodelling, but the fibula also appears to be a well vascularized bone. Future research investigating human bone metabolism will benefit from examining thoracic rib or fibula samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahlia J Stewart
- Skeletal Biology and Forensic Anthropology Research Group, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
| | - Julien Louys
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Justyna J Miszkiewicz
- Skeletal Biology and Forensic Anthropology Research Group, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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7
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Amador LI, Giannini NP. Evolution of diet in extant marsupials: emergent patterns from a broad phylogenetic perspective. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucila I. Amador
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (UEL: FML‐CONICET) Miguel Lillo 251 TucumánC.P. 4000Argentina
| | - Norberto P. Giannini
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (UEL: FML‐CONICET) Miguel Lillo 251 TucumánC.P. 4000Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT) Miguel Lillo 205 TucumánC.P. 4000Argentina
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology Department of Mammalogy American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Central Park West at 79th Street New York NY10024USA
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8
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Stepanova N, Womack MC. Anuran limbs reflect microhabitat and distal, later‐developing bones are more evolutionarily labile*. Evolution 2020; 74:2005-2019. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Stepanova
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California at Berkeley 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building Berkeley California 94720
- Present Address: Department of Biology Villanova University 800 Lancaster Avenue Villanova Pennsylvania 19085
| | - Molly C. Womack
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution 1000 Constitution Avenue NW Washington DC 20560
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9
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Feigin CY, Newton AH, Pask AJ. Widespread cis-regulatory convergence between the extinct Tasmanian tiger and gray wolf. Genome Res 2019; 29:1648-1658. [PMID: 31533979 PMCID: PMC6771401 DOI: 10.1101/gr.244251.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The extinct marsupial Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, and the eutherian gray wolf are among the most widely recognized examples of convergent evolution in mammals. Despite being distantly related, these large predators independently evolved extremely similar craniofacial morphologies, and evidence suggests that they filled similar ecological niches. Previous analyses revealed little evidence of adaptive convergence between their protein-coding genes. Thus, the genetic basis of their convergence is still unclear. Here, we identified candidate craniofacial cis-regulatory elements across vertebrates and compared their evolutionary rates in the thylacine and wolf, revealing abundant signatures of convergent positive selection. Craniofacial thylacine-wolf accelerated regions were enriched near genes involved in TGF beta (TGFB) and BMP signaling, both of which are key morphological signaling pathways with critical roles in establishing the identities and boundaries between craniofacial tissues. Similarly, enhancers of genes involved in craniofacial nerve development showed convergent selection and involvement in these pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that adaptation in cis-regulators of TGF beta and BMP signaling may provide a mechanism to explain the coevolution of developmentally and functionally integrated craniofacial structures in these species. We also found that despite major structural differences in marsupial and eutherian brains, accelerated regions in both species were common near genes with roles in brain development. Our findings support the hypothesis that, relative to protein-coding genes, positive selection on cis-regulatory elements is likely to be an essential driver of adaptive convergent evolution and may underpin thylacine-wolf phenotypic similarities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Y Feigin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Axel H Newton
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Andrew J Pask
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia
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10
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Kelly EM, Marcot JD, Selwood L, Sears KE. The Development of Integration in Marsupial and Placental Limbs. Integr Org Biol 2019; 1:oby013. [PMID: 33791518 PMCID: PMC7671123 DOI: 10.1093/iob/oby013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The morphological interdependence of traits, or their integration, is commonly thought to influence their evolution. As such, study of morphological integration and the factors responsible for its generation form an important branch of the field of morphological evolution. However, most research to date on post-cranial morphological integration has focused on adult patterns of integration. This study investigates patterns of correlation (i.e., morphological integration) among skeletal elements of the fore- and hind limbs of developing marsupial and placental mammals. The goals of this study are to establish how patterns of limb integration vary over development in marsupials and placentals, and identify factors that are likely responsible for their generation. Our results indicate that although the overall pattern of correlation among limb elements is consistent with adult integration throughout mammalian development, correlations vary at the level of the individual element and stage. As a result, the relative integration among fore- and hind limb elements varies dynamically between stages during development in both marsupial and placental mammals. Therefore, adult integration studies of the limbs may not be indicative of developmental integration. Results are also consistent with integration during early limb development being more heavily influenced by genetic and developmental factors, and later by function. Additionally, results are generally consistent with a constraint on marsupial forelimb evolution caused by the functional requirements of the crawl to the teat that operates by limiting morphological variation before and at the time of birth, and not after.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Kelly
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL61801, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - J D Marcot
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA
| | - L Selwood
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - K E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA
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11
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Santos BF, Perrard A, Brady SG. Running in circles in phylomorphospace: host environment constrains morphological diversification in parasitic wasps. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182352. [PMID: 30963952 PMCID: PMC6364584 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding phenotypic diversification and the conditions that spur morphological novelty or constraint is a major theme in evolutionary biology. Unequal morphological diversity between sister clades can result from either differences in the rate of morphological change or in the ability of clades to explore novel phenotype ranges. We combine an existing phylogenetic framework with new phylogenomic data and geometric morphometrics to explore the relative roles of rate versus mode of morphological evolution for a hyperdiverse group: cryptine ichneumonid wasps. Data from genomic ultraconserved elements confirm that cryptines are divided into two large clades: one specialized in the use of hosts that are deeply concealed under hard substrates, and another with a much more diversified host range. Using a phylomorphospace approach, we show that both clades have experienced similar rates of morphological evolution. Nonetheless, the more specialized group is much more restricted in morphospace occupation, indicating that it repeatedly evolved morphological change through the same morphospace regions. This is in agreement with our prediction that host use imposes constraints in the morphospace available to lineages, and reinforces an important distinction between evolutionary stasis as opposed to a scenario of continual morphological change restricted to a certain range of morphotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo F. Santos
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, 10th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560-0165, USA
| | - Adrien Perrard
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (UMR7618), 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Seán G. Brady
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, 10th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560-0165, USA
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12
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McHorse BK, Biewener AA, Pierce SE. Mechanics of evolutionary digit reduction in fossil horses (Equidae). Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1174. [PMID: 28835559 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Digit reduction is a major trend that characterizes horse evolution, but its causes and consequences have rarely been quantitatively tested. Using beam analysis on fossilized centre metapodials, we tested how locomotor bone stresses changed with digit reduction and increasing body size across the horse lineage. Internal bone geometry was captured from 13 fossil horse genera that covered the breadth of the equid phylogeny and the spectrum of digit reduction and body sizes, from Hyracotherium to Equus To account for the load-bearing role of side digits, a novel, continuous measure of digit reduction was also established-toe reduction index (TRI). Our results show that without accounting for side digits, three-toed horses as late as Parahippus would have experienced physiologically untenable bone stresses. Conversely, when side digits are modelled as load-bearing, species at the base of the horse radiation through Equus probably maintained a similar safety factor to fracture stress. We conclude that the centre metapodial compensated for evolutionary digit reduction and body mass increases by becoming more resistant to bending through substantial positive allometry in internal geometry. These results lend support to two historical hypotheses: that increasing body mass selected for a single, robust metapodial rather than several smaller ones; and that, as horse limbs became elongated, the cost of inertia from the side toes outweighed their utility for stabilization or load-bearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna K McHorse
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA .,Concord Field Station, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Bedford, MA 01730, USA
| | - Andrew A Biewener
- Concord Field Station, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Bedford, MA 01730, USA
| | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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13
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Newton AH, Spoutil F, Prochazka J, Black JR, Medlock K, Paddle RN, Knitlova M, Hipsley CA, Pask AJ. Letting the 'cat' out of the bag: pouch young development of the extinct Tasmanian tiger revealed by X-ray computed tomography. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171914. [PMID: 29515893 PMCID: PMC5830782 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The Tasmanian tiger or thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was an iconic Australian marsupial predator that was hunted to extinction in the early 1900s. Despite sharing striking similarities with canids, they failed to evolve many of the specialized anatomical features that characterize carnivorous placental mammals. These evolutionary limitations are thought to arise from functional constraints associated with the marsupial mode of reproduction, in which otherwise highly altricial young use their well-developed forelimbs to climb to the pouch and mouth to suckle. Here we present the first three-dimensional digital developmental series of the thylacine throughout its pouch life using X-ray computed tomography on all known ethanol-preserved specimens. Based on detailed skeletal measurements, we refine the species growth curve to improve age estimates for the individuals. Comparison of allometric growth trends in the appendicular skeleton (fore- and hindlimbs) with that of other placental and marsupial mammals revealed that despite their unique adult morphologies, thylacines retained a generalized early marsupial ontogeny. Our approach also revealed mislabelled specimens that possessed large epipubic bones (vestigial in thylacine) and differing vertebral numbers. All of our generated CT models are publicly available, preserving their developmental morphology and providing a novel digital resource for future studies of this unique marsupial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel H. Newton
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Museum, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frantisek Spoutil
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Prague, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Prochazka
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Prague, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jay R. Black
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Robert N. Paddle
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Christy A. Hipsley
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Museum, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Pask
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Museum, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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14
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Sears K, Maier JA, Sadier A, Sorensen D, Urban DJ. Timing the developmental origins of mammalian limb diversity. Genesis 2017; 56. [PMID: 29095555 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Mammals have highly diverse limbs that have contributed to their occupation of almost every niche. Researchers have long been investigating the development of these diverse limbs, with the goals of identifying developmental processes and potential biases that shape mammalian limb diversity. To date, researchers have used techniques ranging from the genomic to the anatomic to investigate the developmental processes shaping the limb morphology of mammals from five orders (Marsupialia, Chiroptera, Rodentia, Cetartiodactyla, and Perissodactyla). Results of these studies suggest that the differential expression of genes controlling diverse cellular processes underlies mammalian limb diversity. Results also suggest that the earliest development of the limb tends to be conserved among mammalian species, while later limb development tends to be more variable. This research has established the mammalian limb as a model system for evolutionary developmental biology, and set the stage for more in-depth, cross-disciplinary research into the genetic controls, tissue-level cellular behaviors, and selective pressures that have driven the developmental evolution of mammalian limbs. Ideally, these studies will be performed in a diverse suite of mammalian species within a comparative, phylogenetic framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Jennifer A Maier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Alexa Sadier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Daniel Sorensen
- Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
| | - Daniel J Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095.,Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801.,Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024
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15
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Powell GL, Osgood GJ, Russell AP. Ontogenetic allometry of the digital rays of the leopard gecko (Gekkota: Eublepharidae;Eublepharis macularius). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Geoffrey J. Osgood
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Victoria; Victoria BC Canada
| | - Anthony P. Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Calgary; Calgary AB Canada
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16
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Schneider NY, Gurovich Y. Morphology and evolution of the oral shield in marsupial neonates including the newborn monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides, Marsupialia Microbiotheria) pouch young. J Anat 2017; 231:59-83. [PMID: 28620997 PMCID: PMC5472534 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Newborn marsupials can be arranged into three grades of developmental complexity based on their external form, as well as based on their organ systems and their cytology. The dasyurids are considered the least developed marsupials at birth, while didelphids and peramelids are intermediate, and macropods are the most developed. Currently there is still little information on caenolestid and microbiotherid development at birth. Developmental stages can be graded as G1, G2 and G3, with G1 being the least developed at birth, and G3 the most developed. Marsupials are also characterized by having an extremely developed craniofacial region at birth compared with placentals. However, the facial region is also observed to vary in development between different marsupial groups at birth. The oral shield is a morphological structure observed in the oral region of the head during late embryological development, which will diminish shortly after birth. Morphological variation of the oral shield is observed and can be arranged by developmental complexity from greatly developed, reduced to vestigial. In its most developed state, the lips are fused, forming together with the rhinarium, a flattened ring around the buccal opening. In this study, we examine the external oral shield morphology in different species of newborn marsupials (dasyurids, peramelids, macropods and didelphids), including the newborn monito del monte young (Dromiciops gliroides - the sole survivor of the order Microbiotheria). The adaptive value of the oral shield structure is reviewed, and we discuss if this structure may be influenced by developmental stage of newborn, pouch cover, species relatedness, or other reproductive features. We observe that the oral shield structure is present in most species of Marsupialia and appears to be exclusively present in this infraclass. It has never been described in Monotremata or Eutherians. It is present in unrelated taxa (e.g. didelphids, dasyurids and microbiotherids). We observe that a well-developed oral shield may be related to ultra altricial development at birth, large litter size (more than two), and is present in most species that lack a pouch in reproductive adult females or have a less prominent or less developed pouch with some exceptions. We try to explore the evolution of the oral shield structure using existing databases and our own observations to reconstruct likely ancestral character states that can then be used to estimate the evolutionary origin of this structure and if it was present in early mammals. We find that a simple to develop oral shield structure (type 2-3) may have been present in marsupial ancestors as well as in early therians, even though this structure is not present in the extant monotremes. This in turn may suggest that early marsupials may have had a very simple pouch or lacked a pouch as seen in some living marsupials, such as some dasyurids, didelphids and caenolestids. The study's results also suggest that different morphological stages of the oral shield and hindlimb development may be influenced by species size and reproductive strategy, and possibly by yet unknown species-specific adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanette Y. Schneider
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation (CSGA)UMR 6265 CNRS1324 INRAUniversité de Bourgogne‐Franche‐ComtéDijonFrance
| | - Yamila Gurovich
- CONICET y Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagonica (CIEMEP) Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Evolución y Biodiversidad (LIEB)Universidad Nacional de La Patagonia SJB (UNP)EsquelChubutArgentina
- Department of AnatomySchool of Medical SciencesThe University of New South Wales2052 New South WalesAustralia
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17
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Newton AH, Feigin CY, Pask AJ. RUNX2 repeat variation does not drive craniofacial diversity in marsupials. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:110. [PMID: 28472940 PMCID: PMC5418715 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0955-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is a transcription factor essential for skeletal development. Variation within the RUNX2 polyglutamine / polyalanine (QA) repeat is correlated with facial length within orders of placental mammals and is suggested to be a major driver of craniofacial diversity. However, it is not known if this correlation exists outside of the placental mammals. RESULTS Here we examined the correlation between the RUNX2 QA repeat ratio and facial length in the naturally evolving sister group to the placental mammals, the marsupials. Marsupials have a diverse range of facial lengths similar to that seen in placental mammals. Despite their diversity there was almost no variation seen in the RUNX2 QA repeat across individuals spanning the entire marsupial infraclass. The extreme conservation of the marsupial RUNX2 QA repeat indicates it is under strong purifying selection. Despite this, we observed an unexpectedly high level of repeat purity. CONCLUSIONS Unlike within orders of placental mammals, RUNX2 repeat variation cannot drive craniofacial diversity in marsupials. We propose conservation of the marsupial RUNX2 QA repeat is driven by the constraint of accelerated ossification of the anterior skeleton to facilitate life in the pouch. Thus, marsupials must utilize alternate pathways to placental mammals to drive craniofacial evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel H. Newton
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia
| | - Charles Y. Feigin
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia
| | - Andrew J. Pask
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia
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18
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Garland K, Marcy A, Sherratt E, Weisbecker V. Out on a limb: bandicoot limb co-variation suggests complex impacts of development and adaptation on marsupial forelimb evolution. Evol Dev 2017; 19:69-84. [PMID: 28224708 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Marsupials display far less forelimb diversity than placentals, possibly because of the laborious forelimb-powered climb to the pouch performed by most marsupial neonates. This is thought to result in stronger morphological integration (i.e., higher co-variance) within the marsupial forelimb skeleton, and lower integration between marsupial fore- and hind limbs, compared to other mammals. Possible mechanisms for this constraint are a fundamental developmental change in marsupial limb patterning, or alternatively more immediate perinatal biomechanical and metabolic requirements. In the latter case, peramelid marsupials (bandicoots), which have neonates that climb very little, should show lower within-limb and higher between-limb integration, compared to other marsupials. We tested this in four peramelid species and the related bilby, using partial correlation analyses of between-landmark linear measurements of limb bones, and Procrustes-based two-block partial least-squares analysis (2B-PLS) of limb bone shapes using the same landmarks. We find extensive between-limb integration in partial correlation analyses of only bone lengths, consistent with a reduction of a short-term biomechanical/allocation constraint in peramelid forelimbs. However, partial correlations of bone proportions and 2B-PLS reveal extensive shape divergence between correlated bone pairs. This result contradicts expectations of developmental constraints or serial homology, instead suggesting a function-driven integration pattern. Comparing visualizations from cross-species principal components analysis and 2B-PLS, we tentatively identify selection for digging and half-bounding as the main driver of bandicoot limb integration patterning. This calls for further assessments of functional versus developmental limb integration in marsupials with a more strenuous neonatal climb to the pouch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Garland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, , 4072, Australia
| | - Ariel Marcy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, , 4072, Australia
| | - Emma Sherratt
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Vera Weisbecker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, , 4072, Australia
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19
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Goswami A, Randau M, Polly PD, Weisbecker V, Bennett CV, Hautier L, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Do Developmental Constraints and High Integration Limit the Evolution of the Marsupial Oral Apparatus? Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:404-15. [PMID: 27260858 PMCID: PMC4990707 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental constraints can have significant influence on the magnitude and direction of evolutionary change, and many studies have demonstrated that these effects are manifested on macroevolutionary scales. Phenotypic integration, or the strong interactions among traits, has been similarly invoked as a major influence on morphological variation, and many studies have demonstrated that trait integration changes through ontogeny, in many cases decreasing with age. Here, we unify these perspectives in a case study of the ontogeny of the mammalian cranium, focusing on a comparison between marsupials and placentals. Marsupials are born at an extremely altricial state, requiring, in most cases, the use of the forelimbs to climb to the pouch, and, in all cases, an extended period of continuous suckling, during which most of their development occurs. Previous work has shown that marsupials are less disparate in adult cranial form than are placentals, particularly in the oral apparatus, and in forelimb ontogeny and adult morphology, presumably due to functional selection pressures on these two systems during early postnatal development. Using phenotypic trajectory analysis to quantify prenatal and early postnatal cranial ontogeny in 10 species of therian mammals, we demonstrate that this pattern of limited variation is also apparent in the development of the oral apparatus of marsupials, relative to placentals, but not in the skull more generally. Combined with the observation that marsupials show extremely high integration of the oral apparatus in early postnatal ontogeny, while other cranial regions show similar levels of integration to that observed in placentals, we suggest that high integration may compound the effects of the functional constraints for continuous suckling to ultimately limit the ontogenetic and adult disparity of the marsupial oral apparatus throughout their evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Goswami
- *Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marcela Randau
- *Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - P David Polly
- Department of Geological Sciences, 1001 E. 10th Street, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Vera Weisbecker
- School of Biological Sciences, Goddard Building 8, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - C Verity Bennett
- *Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Lionel Hautier
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l'Èvolution de Montpellier (CNRS, UM, IRD, EPHE), c.c. 064, Université Montpellier 2, Place Eugène Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier, Cedex 5 , France
| | - Marcelo R Sánchez-Villagra
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006, Zürich, Switzerland
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20
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Porto A, Sebastião H, Pavan SE, VandeBerg JL, Marroig G, Cheverud JM. Rate of evolutionary change in cranial morphology of the marsupial genus Monodelphis is constrained by the availability of additive genetic variation. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:973-85. [PMID: 25818173 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that the rate of marsupial cranial evolution is dependent on the distribution of genetic variation in multivariate space. To do so, we carried out a genetic analysis of cranial morphological variation in laboratory strains of Monodelphis domestica and used estimates of genetic covariation to analyse the morphological diversification of the Monodelphis brevicaudata species group. We found that within-species genetic variation is concentrated in only a few axes of the morphospace and that this strong genetic covariation influenced the rate of morphological diversification of the brevicaudata group, with between-species divergence occurring fastest when occurring along the genetic line of least resistance. Accounting for the geometric distribution of genetic variation also increased our ability to detect the selective regimen underlying species diversification, with several instances of selection only being detected when genetic covariances were taken into account. Therefore, this work directly links patterns of genetic covariation among traits to macroevolutionary patterns of morphological divergence. Our findings also suggest that the limited distribution of Monodelphis species in morphospace is the result of a complex interplay between the limited dimensionality of available genetic variation and strong stabilizing selection along two major axes of genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Porto
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
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21
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Sears KE. Quantifying the impact of development on phenotypic variation and evolution. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2014; 322:643-53. [PMID: 25393554 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A primary goal of evolutionary biology is to identify the factors that shape phenotypic evolution. According to the theory of natural selection, phenotypic evolution occurs through the differential survival and reproduction of individuals whose traits are selectively advantageous relative to other individuals in the population. This implies that evolution by natural selection is contingent upon the distribution and magnitude of phenotypic variation among individuals, which are in turn the products of developmental processes. Development therefore has the potential to affect the trajectory and rate of phenotypic evolution. Recent research in diverse systems (e.g., mammalian teeth, cichlid skulls, butterfly wings, and marsupial limbs) supports the hypothesis that development biases phenotypic variation and evolution, but suggests that these biases might be system-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Sears
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
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22
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Haywood S. Mechanisms of heterochronic change and stasis for clutch size in swifts (Apodiformes). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sacha Haywood
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
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23
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Zhang G, Weirauch C. Molecular phylogeny of Harpactorini (Insecta: Reduviidae): correlation of novel predation strategy with accelerated evolution of predatory leg morphology. Cladistics 2014; 30:339-351. [PMID: 34788974 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Much research and discussion have focused on the effects of key innovations on lineage diversification, whereas little has been done to investigate their role in morphological evolution using phylogenetic approaches. Here we present the first comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the Harpactorini (Insecta: Reduviidae), the largest assassin bug tribe, sampling 229 terminal taxa and using five gene segments (28S D2, D3-D5, 16S, COI, and Deformed). Employing comparative phylogenetic methods, we demonstrate the correlation of a putative key innovation, the sticky trap predation strategy, with accelerated rates of morphological evolution of the predatory fore leg in assassin bugs. We show that bugs exhibiting sticky trap predation have evolved more slender and longer fore femora than non-sticky bugs. Using phylogenetically independent contrast analyses, we document correlated evolution between femoral thickness and length. We argue that the novel sticky trap predation strategy may allow sticky bugs to alleviate functional constraints on the fore femur and thus to attain a higher rate of evolution than other Harpactorini or Reduviidae. We discuss the possibility that sticky bugs represent a case of adaptive radiation. We also test historical supra-generic groups within the Harpactorini, and show that most of them are not monophyletic. We confirm the paraphyly of Harpactorini with respect to Rhaphidosomini.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyang Zhang
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Christiane Weirauch
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
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24
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Holland LZ. Genomics, evolution and development of amphioxus and tunicates: The Goldilocks principle. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2014; 324:342-52. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Z. Holland
- Marine Biology Research Division; Scripps Institution of Oceanography; University of California San Diego; La Jolla California 92093-0202 USA
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25
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Beiriger A, Sears KE. Cellular basis of differential limb growth in postnatal gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2014; 322:221-9. [PMID: 24500902 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
While growth has been studied extensively in invertebrates, the mechanisms by which it is controlled in vertebrates, particularly in mammals, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the cellular basis of differential limb growth in postnatal Monodelphis domestica, the gray short-tailed opossum, to gain insights into the mechanisms regulating mammalian growth. Opossums are an ideal model for the study of growth because they are born with relatively large, well-developed forelimbs and small hind limbs that must "catch up" to the forelimb before the animal reaches adulthood. Postnatal Days 1-17 were identified as a key period of growth for the hind limbs, during which they undergo accelerated development and nearly quadruple in length. Histology performed on fore- and hind limbs from this period indicates a higher rate of cellular differentiation in the long bones of the hind limbs. Immunohistochemical assays indicate that cellular proliferation is also occurring at a significantly greater rate in the long bones of the hind limb at 6 days after birth. Taken together, these results suggest that a faster rate of cellular proliferation and differentiation in the long bones of the hind limb relative to those of the forelimb generates a period of accelerated growth through which the adult limb phenotype of M. domestica is achieved. Assays for gene expression suggest that the molecular basis of this differential growth differs from that previously identified for differential pre-natal growth in opossum fore- and hind limbs.
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26
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Unifying and generalizing the two strands of evo-devo. Trends Ecol Evol 2013; 28:584-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2013.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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27
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Edwards MJ, Deakin JE. The marsupial pouch: implications for reproductive success and mammalian evolution. AUST J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/zo12088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Extant mammals are divided into sub- and infraclasses that are distinguished by their mode of reproduction. The monotremes lay eggs, the marsupials give birth to altricial young that typically develop in a pouch, and the eutherians have prolonged in utero development, resulting in well developed young at birth. The three groups exhibit what appears to be a nice progression of evolution towards the well developed newborn young of eutherian mammals. However, marsupials do not represent a step in the progression of producing well developed young, but maintain a reproductive strategy that has evolved to prosper in their specific niche. The production of undeveloped young with increased development in the pouch (or counterpart) provides specific advantages to those species living in diverse environments. The evolution of this reproductive strategy provides a clever solution to the uncertain and often adverse conditions encountered by many species, and the survival of the developing young in a pouch containing potentially harmful microorganisms is truly remarkable. In this review, we explore the unique features of the pouch, highlight the research questions that remain unanswered regarding this unique marsupial attribute and discuss the advantages of the marsupial reproductive strategy and the potential role of the pouch in mammalian diversification.
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28
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Sánchez-Villagra MR. Why are There Fewer Marsupials than Placentals? On the Relevance of Geography and Physiology to Evolutionary Patterns of Mammalian Diversity and Disparity. J MAMM EVOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-012-9220-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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29
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PREVOSTI FRANCISCOJ, TURAZZINI GUILLERMOF, ERCOLI MARCOSD, HINGST-ZAHER ERIKA. Mandible shape in marsupial and placental carnivorous mammals: a morphological comparative study using geometric morphometrics. Zool J Linn Soc 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00785.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Kelly EM, Sears KE. Limb specialization in living marsupial and eutherian mammals: constraints on mammalian limb evolution. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-a-425.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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31
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Weisbecker V. MONOTREME OSSIFICATION SEQUENCES AND THE RIDDLE OF MAMMALIAN SKELETAL DEVELOPMENT. Evolution 2011; 65:1323-35. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01234.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Weisbecker
- Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St. CB2 3EQ, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, Friedrich‐Schiller Universität Jena, Erbertstr.1, 07743 Jena, Germany
- E‐mail:
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32
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KELLY EM, SEARS KARENE. Reduced phenotypic covariation in marsupial limbs and the implications for mammalian evolution. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01561.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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