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Wang L, Hu Z, Wang Z, Zhu P, Wei G, Fan X, Huang J, Wang R, Wang H, Xie Y. Complete Mitogenome sequencing of the fish louse Argulus japonicus (Crustacea: Branchiura): Comparative analyses and phylogenetic implications. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1376898. [PMID: 38590542 PMCID: PMC10999652 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1376898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The fish louse Argulus japonicus, a branchiuran crustacean of the Argulidae family, is attracting increasing attention because of its parasitic tendencies and significant health threats to global fish farming. The mitogenomes can yield a foundation for studying epidemiology, genetic diversity, and molecular ecology and therefore may be used to assist in the surveillance and control of A. japonicus. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete mitogenome of A. japonicus to shed light on its genetic and evolutionary blueprint. Our investigation indicated that the 15,045-bp circular genome of A. japonicus encodes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) with significant AT and GC skews. Comparative genomics provided an evolutionary scenario for the genetic diversity of 13 PCGs: all were under purifying selection, with cox1 and nad6 having the lowest and highest evolutionary rates, respectively. Genome-wide phylogenetic trees established a close relationship between species of the families Argulidae (Arguloida) and Armilliferidae (Porocephalida) within Crustacea, and further, A. japonicus and Argulus americanus were determined to be more closely related to each other than to others within the family Argulidae. Single PCG-based phylogenies supported nad1 and nad6 as the best genetic markers for evolutionary and phylogenetic studies for branchiuran crustaceans due to their similar phylogenetic topologies with those of genome-based phylogenetic analyses. To sum up, these comprehensive mitogenomic data of A. japonicus and related species refine valuable marker resources and should contribute to molecular diagnostic methods, epidemiological investigations, and ecological studies of the fish ectoparasites in Crustacea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zun Hu
- Department of Food Technology and Science, College of Food Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Pengchen Zhu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guoshan Wei
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinyi Fan
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiali Huang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruixi Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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Motyka M, Kusy D, Biffi G, Geiser M, Kazantsev SV, Bilkova R, Jahodarova E, Vogler AP, Bocak L. Untangling the evolution of soldier beetles (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) and the evaluation of the morphological phylogenetic signal in a soft-bodied elateroid lineage. Cladistics 2023; 39:548-570. [PMID: 37647219 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This study addresses the long-standing uncertainty about the internal classification of soldier beetles (Elateroidea: Cantharidae). Four datasets were compiled and analysed: 66 genes for 14 terminals, 15 mtDNA genes for 79 terminals, one mtDNA and two rRNA genes for 217 terminals, and barcodes for 576 terminals. Based on congruent topologies, Chauliognathinae is proposed as a sister to the remaining Cantharidae, followed by the redefined Malthininae (including Tytthonyxini), the paraphyletic "dysmorphocerine" lineages (Dysmorphocerinae sensu stricto and Heteromastiginae subfam. nov.), and Silinae + Cantharinae as a terminal clade. The present phylogeny supersedes earlier morphology and short-fragment molecular hypotheses that have not converged on a consensus. Few morphological characters corroborate the DNA-based relationships (see the adults and larval keys). However, morphology-based hypotheses have relied on a few informative characters, and no evidence strongly rejects the preferred molecular topology. The interpretation of morphological characters and uncertain polarity resulting from the high phenotypic disparity of Elateroidea are discussed in detail. The dated phylogeny hypothesizes the earliest split within the Cantharidae in the Berriasian stage (Early Cretaceous, ~141 Myr) and the diversification of most extant subfamilies and tribes already in the Late Cretaceous. The most diverse subfamily, Cantharinae, represents a delayed radiation that started during the Eocene climatic optimum, 55.5 Myr. The late origin of Cantharinae questions the classification of Cretaceous Cantharidae as members of Cantharinae. Instead, the results suggest their deeper rooting after separating from dysmorphocerine lineages and before the node between Cantharinae and Silinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Motyka
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution, Czech Advanced Technology Research Institute, 779 00, Olomouc, Slechtitelu 27, Czech Republic
| | - Dominik Kusy
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution, Czech Advanced Technology Research Institute, 779 00, Olomouc, Slechtitelu 27, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Biffi
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, 04263-000, SP, São Paulo, Av. Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga, Brazil
| | - Michael Geiser
- Natural History Museum, SW6 7BD, London, Cromwell Road, UK
| | - Sergey V Kazantsev
- Insect Centre, 109651, Moscow, Donetskaya 13-326, Russia
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, 119071, Moscow, 33 Leninsky Pr., Russia
| | - Renata Bilkova
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution, Czech Advanced Technology Research Institute, 779 00, Olomouc, Slechtitelu 27, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Jahodarova
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Palacky University, 771 00, Olomouc, Purkrabska 2, Czech Republic
| | - Alfried P Vogler
- Natural History Museum, SW6 7BD, London, Cromwell Road, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Ladislav Bocak
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution, Czech Advanced Technology Research Institute, 779 00, Olomouc, Slechtitelu 27, Czech Republic
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Zhou X, Wang Z, Zhu P, Gu X, He R, Xu J, Jing B, Wang L, Chen S, Xie Y. Eimeria zuernii (Eimeriidae: Coccidia): mitochondrial genome and genetic diversity in the Chinese yak. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:312. [PMID: 37661262 PMCID: PMC10475197 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05925-8] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coccidiosis caused by Eimeria zuernii (Eimeriidae: Coccidia) represents a significant economic threat to the bovine industry. Understanding the evolutionary and genetic biology of E. zuernii can assist in new interaction developments for the prevention and control of this protozoosis. METHODS We defined the evolutionary and genetic characteristics of E. zuernii by sequencing the complete mitogenome and analyzing the genetic diversity and population structure of 51 isolates collected from eight yak breeding parks in China. RESULTS The 6176-bp mitogenome of E. zuernii was linear and encoded typical mitochondrial contents of apicomplexan parasites, including three protein-coding genes [PCGs; cytochrome c oxidase subunits I and III (cox1 and cox3), and cytochrome b (cytb)], seven fragmented small subunit (SSU) and 12 fragmented large subunit (LSU) rRNAs. Genome-wide comparative and evolutionary analyses showed cytb and cox3 to be the most and least conserved Eimeria PCGs, respectively, and placed E. zuernii more closely related to Eimeria mephitidis than other Eimeria species. Furthermore, cox1-based genetic structure defined 24 haplotypes of E. zuernii with high haplotype diversities and low nucleotide diversities across eight geographic populations, supporting a low genetic structure and rapid evolutionary rate as well as a previous expansion event among E. zuernii populations. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study presenting the phylogeny, genetic diversity, and population structure of the yak E. zuernii, and such information, together with its mitogenomic data, should contribute to a better understanding of the genetic and evolutionary biological studies of apicomplexan parasites in bovines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhou
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Pengchen Zhu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Xiaobin Gu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Ran He
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Bo Jing
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Lidan Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Shun Chen
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130 China
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Zhou X, Wang L, Zhu P, Yang Z, Wang Z, Chen Y, Gu X, He R, Xu J, Jing B, Yang G, Chen S, Wu S, Xie Y. Comprehensive molecular characterization of complete mitogenome assemblies of 33 Eimeria isolates infecting domestic chickens. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:109. [PMID: 36935516 PMCID: PMC10026407 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05712-5] [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: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coccidiosis caused by Eimeria is one of the most severe chicken diseases and poses a great economic threat to the poultry industry. Understanding the evolutionary biology of chicken Eimeria parasites underpins development of new interactions toward the improved prevention and control of this poultry disease. METHODS We presented an evolutionary blueprint of chicken coccidia by genetically characterizing complete mitogenome assemblies of 33 isolates representing all seven known Eimeria species infecting chickens in China. Further genome- and gene-level phylogenies were also achieved to better understand the evolutionary relationships of these chicken Eimeria at the species level. RESULTS 33 mitogenomes of chicken eimerian parasites ranged from 6148 bp to 6480 bp in size and encoded typical mitochondrial compositions of apicomplexan parasites including three protein-coding genes (PCGs), seven fragmented small subunit (SSU) and 12/13 fragmented large subunit (LSU) rRNAs. Comparative genomics provided an evolutionary scenario for the genetic diversity of PCGs-cytochrome c oxidase subunits 1 and 3 (cox1 and cox3) and cytochrome b (cytb); all were under purifying selection with cox1 and cox3 being the lowest and highest evolutionary rates, respectively. Genome-wide phylogenies classified the 33 Eimeria isolates into seven subgroups, and furthermore Eimeria tenella and Eimeria necatrix were determined to be more closely related to each other than to the other eight congenic species. Single/concatenated mitochondrial protein gene-based phylogenies supported cox1 as the genetic marker for evolutionary and phylogenetic studies for avain coccidia. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, these are the first population-level mitogenomic data on the genus Eimeria, and its comprehensive molecular characterization provides valuable resources for systematic, population genetic and evolutionary biological studies of apicomplexan parasites in poultry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhou
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Lidan Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Pengchen Zhu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Zijiang Yang
- Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 1088477, Japan
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Yijun Chen
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Xiaobin Gu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Ran He
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Bo Jing
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Guangyou Yang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Shun Chen
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China.
| | - Shuangyang Wu
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 611130, China.
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Dong S, Yu J, Zhang L, Goffinet B, Liu Y. Phylotranscriptomics of liverworts: revisiting the backbone phylogeny and ancestral gene duplications. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:951-964. [PMID: 36075207 PMCID: PMC9851303 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS With some 7300 extant species, liverworts (Marchantiophyta) represent one of the major land plant lineages. The backbone relationships, such as the phylogenetic position of Ptilidiales, and the occurrence and timing of whole-genome duplications, are still contentious. METHODS Based on analyses of the newly generated transcriptome data for 38 liverworts and complemented with those publicly available, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of liverworts and inferred gene duplication events along the 55 taxon liverwort species tree. KEY RESULTS Our phylogenomic study provided an ordinal-level liverwort nuclear phylogeny and identified extensive gene tree conflicts and cyto-nuclear incongruences. Gene duplication analyses based on integrated phylogenomics and Ks distributions indicated no evidence of whole-genome duplication events along the backbone phylogeny of liverworts. CONCLUSIONS With a broadened sampling of liverwort transcriptomes, we re-evaluated the backbone phylogeny of liverworts, and provided evidence for ancient hybridizations followed by incomplete lineage sorting that shaped the deep evolutionary history of liverworts. The lack of whole-genome duplication during the deep evolution of liverworts indicates that liverworts might represent one of the few major embryophyte lineages whose evolution was not driven by whole-genome duplications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Dong
- Laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518004, Guangdong, China
| | - Jin Yu
- Laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518004, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518004, Guangdong, China
| | - Bernard Goffinet
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518004, Guangdong, China
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The Complete Mitogenome of Toxocara vitulorum: Novel In-Sights into the Phylogenetics in Toxocaridae. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12243546. [PMID: 36552470 PMCID: PMC9774135 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxocara vitulorum (Ascaridida: Nematoda) is one of the most common intestinal nematodes of cattle and buffalos and, therefore, represents a serious threat to their populations worldwide. Despite its significance in veterinary health the epidemiology, population genetics, and molecular ecology of this nematode remain poorly understood. The mitogenome can yield a foundation for studying these areas and assist in the surveillance and control of T. vitulorum. Herein, the first whole mitogenome of T. vitulorum was sequenced utilizing Illumina technology and characterized with bioinformatic pipeline analyses. The entire genome of T. vitulorum was 15,045 bp in length and contained 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). The gene arrangement (GA) of T. vitulorum was similar to those of other Toxocara species under GA3. The whole genome showed significant levels of AT and GC skew. Comparative mitogenomics including sequence identities, Ka/Ks, and sliding window analysis, indicated a purifying selection of 12 PCGs with cox1 and nad6 having the lowest and highest evolutionary rate, respectively. Whole amino acid sequence-based phylogenetic analysis supported a novel sister-species relationship of T. vitulorum with the congeneric species Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, and Toxocara malaysiensis in the family Toxocaridae. Further, 12 (PCGs) single gene-based phylogenies suggested that nad4 and nad6 genes shared same topological trees with that of the whole genome, suggesting that these genes were suitable as novel genetic markers for phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of Ascaridida species. This complete mitogenome of T. vitulorum refined phylogenetic relationships in Toxocaridae and provided the resource of markers for population genetics, systematics, and epidemiology of this bovine nematode.
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Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of the Mitochondrial Genome of the Takin Lungworm Varestrongylus eleguneniensis (Strongylida: Protostrongylidae). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113597. [PMID: 36362384 PMCID: PMC9658269 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The takin lungworm Varestrongylus eleguneniensis (Strongylida: Protostrongylidae) causes lethal bronchopneumonia and represents severe threats to captive and wild populations. However, until now there has been very limited information available concerning the molecular epidemiology and evolutionary biology of V. eleguneniensis. Mitochondrial genomes (mtDNAs) can provide resources for investigations in these areas and, therefore, can assist with the surveillance and control of this lungworm. Herein, the complete mtDNA of V. eleguneniensis was sequenced and characterized with Illumina pipeline analyses. This circular genome (13,625 bp) encoded twelve protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNAs, and twenty-two tRNAs, with notable levels of AT and GC skews. Comparative genomics revealed a purifying selection among PCGs, with cox1 and nad6 having the lowest and the highest evolutionary rate, respectively. Genome-wide phylogenies showed a close relationship between V. eleguneniensis and Protostrongylus rufescens in Strongylida. Single gene (PCGs or rRNAs)-based phylogenies indicated that cox1 and nad5 genes shared the same family-level topology with that inferred from genomic datasets, suggesting that both genes could be suitable genetic markers for evolutionary and phylogenetic studies of Strongylida species. This was the first mtDNA of any member of the genus Varestrongylus, and its comprehensive molecular characterization represents a new resource for systematic, population genetic and evolutionary biological studies of Varestrongylus lungworms in wildlife.
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Jacob Machado D, Portella de Luna Marques F, Jiménez-Ferbans L, Grant T. An empirical test of the relationship between the bootstrap and likelihood ratio support in maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis. Cladistics 2021; 38:392-401. [PMID: 34932221 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In maximum likelihood (ML), the support for a clade can be calculated directly as the likelihood ratio (LR) or log-likelihood difference (S, LLD) of the best trees with and without the clade of interest. However, bootstrap (BS) clade frequencies are more pervasive in ML phylogenetics and are almost universally interpreted as measuring support. In addition to theoretical arguments against that interpretation, BS has several undesirable attributes for a support measure. For example, it does not vary in proportion to optimality or identify clades that are rejected by the evidence and can be overestimated due to missing data. Nevertheless, if BS is a reliable predictor of S, then it might be an efficient indirect method of measuring support-an attractive possibility, given the speed of many BS implementations. To assess the relationship between S and BS, we analyzed 106 empirical datasets retrieved from TreeBASE. Also, to evaluate the degree to which S and BS are affected by the number of replicates during suboptimal tree searches for S and pseudoreplicates during BS estimation, we randomly selected 5 of the 106 datasets and analyzed them using variable numbers of replicates and pseudoreplicates, respectively. The correlation between S and BS was extremely weak in the datasets we analyzed. Increasing the number of replicates during tree search decreased the estimated values of S for most clades, but the magnitude of change was small. In contrast, although increasing pseudoreplicates affected BS values for only approximately 40% of clades, values both increased and decreased, and they did so at much greater magnitudes. Increasing replicates/pseudoreplicates affected the rank order of clades in each tree for both S and BS. Our findings show decisively that BS is not an efficient indirect method of measuring support and suggest that even quite superficial searches to calculate S provide better estimates of support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Jacob Machado
- Programa Inter-unidades de Pós-graduação em Bioinformática, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1010 São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil.,Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, College of Computing and Informatics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9331 Robert D. Snyder Rd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Fernando Portella de Luna Marques
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Tv. 14, 101 - Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Larry Jiménez-Ferbans
- Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Magdalena, Carrera 32 No 22-08, Santa Marta D.T.C.H., Magdalena 470004, Colombia
| | - Taran Grant
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Tv. 14, 101 - Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
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Gee BM. Returning to the roots: resolution, reproducibility, and robusticity in the phylogenetic inference of Dissorophidae (Amphibia: Temnospondyli). PeerJ 2021; 9:e12423. [PMID: 34820181 PMCID: PMC8582317 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogenetic relationships of most Paleozoic tetrapod clades remain poorly resolved, which is variably attributed to a lack of study, the limitations of inference from phenotypic data, and constant revision of best practices. While refinement of phylogenetic methods continues to be important, any phylogenetic analysis is inherently constrained by the underlying dataset that it analyzes. Therefore, it becomes equally important to assess the accuracy of these datasets, especially when a select few are repeatedly propagated. While repeat analyses of these datasets may appear to constitute a working consensus, they are not in fact independent, and it becomes especially important to evaluate the accuracy of these datasets in order to assess whether a seeming consensus is robust. Here I address the phylogeny of the Dissorophidae, a speciose clade of Paleozoic temnospondyls. This group is an ideal case study among temnospondyls for exploring phylogenetic methods and datasets because it has been extensively studied (eight phylogenetic studies to date) but with most (six studies) using a single matrix that has been propagated with very little modification. In spite of the conserved nature of the matrix, dissorophid studies have produced anything but a conserved topology. Therefore, I analyzed an independently designed matrix, which recovered less resolution and some disparate nodes compared to previous studies. In order to reconcile these differences, I carefully examined previous matrices and analyses. While some differences are a matter of personal preference (e.g., analytical software), others relate to discrepancies with respect to what are currently considered as best practices. The most concerning discovery was the identification of pervasive dubious scorings that extend back to the origins of the widely propagated matrix. These include scores for skeletal features that are entirely unknown in a given taxon (e.g., postcrania in Cacops woehri) and characters for which there appear to be unstated working assumptions to scoring that are incompatible with the character definitions (e.g., scoring of taxa with incomplete skulls for characters based on skull length). Correction of these scores and other pervasive errors recovered a distinctly less resolved topology than previous studies, more in agreement with my own matrix. This suggests that previous analyses may have been compromised, and that the only real consensus of dissorophid phylogeny is the lack of one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan M. Gee
- Burke Museum and Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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Torres A, Goloboff PA, Catalano SA. Parsimony analysis of phylogenomic datasets (I): scripts and guidelines for using TNT (Tree Analysis using New Technology). Cladistics 2021; 38:103-125. [DOI: 10.1111/cla.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ambrosio Torres
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas ‐ Fundación Miguel Lillo Miguel Lillo 251 S. M. de Tucumán Tucumán 4000 Argentina
| | - Pablo A. Goloboff
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas ‐ Fundación Miguel Lillo Miguel Lillo 251 S. M. de Tucumán Tucumán 4000 Argentina
- American Museum of Natural History 200 Central Park West New York NY 10024 USA
| | - Santiago A. Catalano
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas ‐ Fundación Miguel Lillo Miguel Lillo 251 S. M. de Tucumán Tucumán 4000 Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo Universidad Nacional de Tucumán Miguel Lillo 205 S. M. de Tucumán Tucumán 4000 Argentina
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