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Zhou Y, Tian J, Jiang H, Han M, Wang Y, Lu J. Phylogeography and demographic history of macaques, fascicularis species group, in East Asia: Inferred from multiple genomic markers. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 194:108042. [PMID: 38401812 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Climate changes at larger scales have influenced dispersal and range shifts of many taxa in East Asia. The fascicularis species group of macaques is composed of four species and is widely distributed in Southeast and East Asia. However, its phylogeography and demographic histories are currently poorly understood. Herein, we assembled autosomal, mitogenome, and Y-chromosome data for 106 individuals, and combined them with 174 mtDNA dloop haplotypes of this species group, with particular focus on the demographic histories and dispersal routes of Macaca fuscata, M. cyclopis, and M. mulatta. The results showed: (1) three monophyletic clades for M. fuscata, M. cyclopis, and M. mulatta based on the multiple genomics analyses; (2) the disparate demographic trajectories of the three species after their split ∼1.0 Ma revealed that M. cyclopis and M. fuscata were derived from an ancestral M. mulatta population; (3) the speciation time of M. cyclopis was later than that of M. fuscata, and their divergence time occurred at the beginning of "Ryukyu Coral Sea Stage" (1.0-0.2 Ma) when the East China Sea land bridge was completely submerged by the sea level rose; and (4) the three parallel rivers (Nujiang, Lancangjiang, and Jinshajiang) of Southwestern China divided M. mulatta into Indian and Chinese genetic populations ∼200 kya. These results shed light on understanding not only the evolutionary history of the fascicularis species group but also the formation mechanism of faunal diversity in East Asia during the Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jundong Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Haijun Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Mengya Han
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jiqi Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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Finestone EM, Plummer TW, Vincent TH, Blumenthal SA, Ditchfield PW, Bishop LC, Oliver JS, Herries AIR, Palfery CV, Lane TP, McGuire E, Reeves JS, Rodés A, Whitfield E, Braun DR, Bartilol SK, Rotich NK, Parkinson JA, Lemorini C, Caricola I, Kinyanjui RN, Potts R. New Oldowan locality Sare-Abururu (ca. 1.7 Ma) provides evidence of diverse hominin behaviors on the Homa Peninsula, Kenya. J Hum Evol 2024; 190:103498. [PMID: 38581918 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
The Homa Peninsula, in southwestern Kenya, continues to yield insights into Oldowan hominin landscape behaviors. The Late Pliocene locality of Nyayanga (∼3-2.6 Ma) preserves some of the oldest Oldowan tools. At the Early Pleistocene locality of Kanjera South (∼2 Ma) toolmakers procured a diversity of raw materials from over 10 km away and strategically reduced them in a grassland-dominated ecosystem. Here, we report findings from Sare-Abururu, a younger (∼1.7 Ma) Oldowan locality approximately 12 km southeast of Kanjera South and 18 km east of Nyayanga. Sare-Abururu has yielded 1754 artifacts in relatively undisturbed low-energy silts and sands. Stable isotopic analysis of pedogenic carbonates suggests that hominin activities were carried out in a grassland-dominated setting with similar vegetation structure as documented at Kanjera South. The composition of a nearby paleo-conglomerate indicates that high-quality stone raw materials were locally abundant. Toolmakers at Sare-Abururu produced angular fragments from quartz pebbles, representing a considerable contrast to the strategies used to reduce high quality raw materials at Kanjera South. Although lithic reduction at Sare-Abururu was technologically simple, toolmakers proficiently produced cutting edges, made few mistakes and exhibited a mastery of platform management, demonstrating that expedient technical strategies do not necessarily indicate a lack of skill or suitable raw materials. Lithic procurement and reduction patterns on the Homa Peninsula appear to reflect variation in local resource contexts rather than large-scale evolutionary changes in mobility, energy budget, or toolmaker cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Finestone
- Department of Anthropology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr, Cleveland, OH, 44113, United States; Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | - Thomas W Plummer
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College, 314 Powdermaker Hall 65-30 Kissena Boulevard Flushing, Flushing, NY, 11367, United States; The CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, United States; Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20560, United States
| | - Thomas H Vincent
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, United Kingdom
| | - Scott A Blumenthal
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20560, United States; Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 1585 East 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR, 97403, United States; Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020 - 2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Peter W Ditchfield
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 S Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TG, United Kingdom
| | - Laura C Bishop
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, United Kingdom
| | - James S Oliver
- Anthropology Section, Illinois State Museum, 502 S Spring St, Springfield, IL, 62706, United States
| | - Andy I R Herries
- The Australian Archaeomagnetism Laboratory, Department Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Melbourne Victoria, 3086, Australia; Paleo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, 42 Bunting Rd, Cottesloe, Johannesburg, 2092, South Africa
| | - Christopher Vere Palfery
- The Australian Archaeomagnetism Laboratory, Department Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Melbourne Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Timothy P Lane
- Geography and Environmental Science Research Group, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth McGuire
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 1585 East 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR, 97403, United States
| | - Jonathan S Reeves
- Technological Origins Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany; Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC, 20052, United States
| | - Angel Rodés
- Departamento de Xeografía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza da Universidade,1, 15703 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Rankine Ave, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Whitfield
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, United Kingdom
| | - David R Braun
- Technological Origins Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany; Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC, 20052, United States
| | - Simion K Bartilol
- Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nelson Kiprono Rotich
- Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya; Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jennifer A Parkinson
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20560, United States; Department of Anthropology, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park Way, San Diego, CA, 92110, United States
| | - Cristina Lemorini
- LTFAPA Laboratory, Department of Science of Antiquities, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Caricola
- LTFAPA Laboratory, Department of Science of Antiquities, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy; Zinman Institute of Archaeology, Haifa University, 199 Aba Hushi Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Rahab N Kinyanjui
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany; Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20560, United States; Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Kipande Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Richard Potts
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20560, United States; Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Kipande Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
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Moretti JA, Flores D, Bell CJ, Godwin W, Hartstone-Rose A, Lewis PJ. The scimitar-cat Homotherium from the submerged continental shelf of the Gulf Coast of Texas. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38654480 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The machairodontine felid Homotherium achieved a global geographic distribution throughout much of the Pleistocene. Accordingly, that large carnivore is important for understanding patterns of community composition. We report on a new record of Homotherium based on a fragmentary premaxilla-maxilla discovered on McFaddin Beach, Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico. Skeletal remains of extinct, Pleistocene vertebrates accumulate on McFaddin Beach. Those fossils appear to originate from submerged deposits on the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, an area that was subaerially exposed in the Late Pleistocene during glacial intervals. Marine erosion and transport altered the externally visible morphology of the current specimen, obscuring and/or damaging taxonomically informative details of the preserved dentition. However, high-resolution X-ray computed tomography revealed diagnostic portions of the unerupted crown of an upper canine within its alveolus. The serrated edges of the canine combined with the position of the incisors demonstrate that the specimen from McFaddin Beach represents a species of Homotherium. That specimen is the latest in a larger sample of Homotherium in Texas that spans most of the Pliocene-Pleistocene. This is the first occurrence of Homotherium from the continental shelf of the Gulf Coast. That landscape may have formed a broad subtropical Gulf Coast corridor that facilitated the dispersal of Neotropical taxa along the coast between Texas and Florida. The associated fauna from McFaddin Beach contains Neotropical mammals common to southern Texas and Florida and indicates that Homotherium was a member of the fauna inhabiting the Gulf Coast corridor during the Late Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Moretti
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Deanna Flores
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Christopher J Bell
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Will Godwin
- Sam Houston State Natural History Collections, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Adam Hartstone-Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Patrick J Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
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Roycroft E, Ford F, Ramm T, Schembri R, Breed WG, Burns PA, Rowe KC, Moritz C. Speciation across biomes: Rapid diversification with reproductive isolation in the Australian delicate mice. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17301. [PMID: 38385302 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Phylogeographic studies of continental clades, especially when combined with palaeoclimate modelling, provide powerful insight into how environment drives speciation across climatic contexts. Australia, a continent characterized by disparate modern biomes and dynamic climate change, provides diverse opportunity to reconstruct the impact of past and present environments on diversification. Here, we use genomic-scale data (1310 exons and whole mitogenomes from 111 samples) to investigate Pleistocene diversification, cryptic diversity, and secondary contact in the Australian delicate mice (Hydromyini: Pseudomys), a recent radiation spanning almost all Australian environments. Across northern Australia, we find no evidence for introgression between cryptic lineages within Pseudomys delicatulus sensu lato, with palaeoclimate models supporting contraction and expansion of suitable habitat since the last glacial maximum. Despite multiple contact zones, we also find little evidence of introgression at a continental scale, with the exception of a potential hybrid zone in the mesic biome. In the arid zone, combined insights from genetic data and palaeomodels support a recent expansion in the arid specialist P. hermannsburgensis and contraction in the semi-arid P. bolami. In the face of repeated secondary contact, differences in sperm morphology and chromosomal rearrangements are potential mechanisms that maintain species boundaries in these recently diverged species. Additionally, we describe the western delicate mouse as a new species and recommend taxonomic reinstatement of the eastern delicate mouse. Overall, we show that speciation in an evolutionarily young and widespread clade has been driven by environmental change, and potentially maintained by divergence in reproductive morphology and chromosome rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Roycroft
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Fred Ford
- Biodiversity Conservation and Science, New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment, Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian National Wildlife Collection, National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Till Ramm
- Zoo Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rhiannon Schembri
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
| | - William G Breed
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Phoebe A Burns
- Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kevin C Rowe
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Craig Moritz
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Babcock LE. Nomenclatural history of Megalonyx Jefferson, 1799 (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Pilosa, Megalonychidae). Zookeys 2024; 1195:297-308. [PMID: 38532771 PMCID: PMC10964019 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1195.117999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Both authorship and spelling of the extinct giant sloth genus Megalonyx and its type species, M.jeffersonii (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Pilosa, Megalonychidae), have been inconsistent. The genus-group name has been cited with two different authorships and three dates, and it has been spelled with two different suffixes. The species-group name has been cited with four different authors and dates, and it has been spelled with two different endings. Megalonyx Jefferson, 1799 is the first valid use of the genus-group name; the correct original spelling has the -onyx suffix. The type species of Megalonyx is Megatheriumjeffersonii Desmarest, 1822; the correct original spelling has an -ii ending. A vernacular word, megalonyx, refers to species classified in the genus Megalonyx Jefferson, 1799.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren E. Babcock
- School of Earth Sciences, Orton Geological Museum, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USAThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States of America
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Hu J, Zhao J, Sui X, Zhu R, He D. Across the highest mountain on earth: discordant phylogeographic patterns and recent dispersal of Tibetan stone loaches (Triplophysa) in the Himalayas. J Fish Biol 2024; 104:374-386. [PMID: 36571395 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Phylogeographic congruence among co-distributed taxa is regarded as an inherent inference to vicariance events. Nonetheless, incongruent patterns of contemporary lineage divergence among taxa indicated that species differ in their response to common past events. To investigate the role of past events, ecological traits and lineage diversification time in shaping the contemporary phylogeographic patterns, comparative analyses were conducted for Tibetan stone loaches in the Himalayas using three gene markers and two ecological traits (depth of caudal peduncle in their length and presence/absence of posterior chamber of the air bladder). By a thorough sampling in two flanks of the Himalayas, the authors detected that phylogenetic breaks were spatially discordant and divergences of populations were also temporally asynchronous in co-distributed loaches. Estimated divergence time using fossil-calibrated node dating indicated that the Tibetan stone loaches colonised into the south flank of the Himalayas until the Pleistocene. The demographic expansions were also disconcerted between populations in north and south flanks, or east and west Himalayas. Ongoing gene flows between populations in north and south sides implied that the Himalayas do not strictly impede dispersal of cold-adapted species. The results highlight that the quaternary climatic oscillation, in conjunction with ecological traits and lineage diversification time, shaped contemporary phylogenetic patterns of stone loaches in the Himalayas and provide new insights into the biodiversity and composition of species in the Himalayas and surrounding region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Hu
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyun Sui
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Ren Zhu
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Dekui He
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Manrique HM, Friston KJ, Walker MJ. 'Snakes and ladders' in paleoanthropology: From cognitive surprise to skillfulness a million years ago. Phys Life Rev 2024; 49:40-70. [PMID: 38513522 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2024.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
A paradigmatic account may suffice to explain behavioral evolution in early Homo. We propose a parsimonious account that (1) could explain a particular, frequently-encountered, archeological outcome of behavior in early Homo - namely, the fashioning of a Paleolithic stone 'handaxe' - from a biological theoretic perspective informed by the free energy principle (FEP); and that (2) regards instances of the outcome as postdictive or retrodictive, circumstantial corroboration. Our proposal considers humankind evolving as a self-organizing biological ecosystem at a geological time-scale. We offer a narrative treatment of this self-organization in terms of the FEP. Specifically, we indicate how 'cognitive surprises' could underwrite an evolving propensity in early Homo to express sporadic unorthodox or anomalous behavior. This co-evolutionary propensity has left us a legacy of Paleolithic artifacts that is reminiscent of a 'snakes and ladders' board game of appearances, disappearances, and reappearances of particular archeological traces of Paleolithic behavior. When detected in the Early and Middle Pleistocene record, anthropologists and archeologists often imagine evidence of unusual or novel behavior in terms of early humankind ascending the rungs of a figurative phylogenetic 'ladder' - as if these corresponded to progressive evolution of cognitive abilities that enabled incremental achievements of increasingly innovative technical prowess, culminating in the cognitive ascendancy of Homo sapiens. The conjecture overlooks a plausible likelihood that behavior by an individual who was atypical among her conspecifics could have been disregarded in a community of Hominina (for definition see Appendix 1) that failed to recognize, imagine, or articulate potential advantages of adopting hitherto unorthodox behavior. Such failure, as well as diverse fortuitous demographic accidents, would cause exceptional personal behavior to be ignored and hence unremembered. It could disappear by a pitfall, down a 'snake', as it were, in the figurative evolutionary board game; thereby causing a discontinuity in the evolution of human behavior that presents like an evolutionary puzzle. The puzzle discomforts some paleoanthropologists trained in the natural and life sciences. They often dismiss it, explaining it away with such self-justifying conjectures as that, maybe, separate paleospecies of Homo differentially possessed different cognitive abilities, which, supposedly, could account for the presence or absence in the Pleistocene archeological record of traces of this or that behavioral outcome or skill. We argue that an alternative perspective - that inherits from the FEP and an individual's 'active inference' about its surroundings and of its own responses - affords a prosaic, deflationary, and parsimonious way to account for appearances, disappearances, and reappearances of particular behavioral outcomes and skills of early humankind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Marín Manrique
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Universidad de Zaragoza, Ciudad Escolar, s/n, Teruel 44003, Spain
| | - Karl John Friston
- Imaging Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, and The Wellcome Centre for Human Imaging, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Michael John Walker
- Physical Anthropology, Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo Edificio 20, Murcia 30100, Spain.
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Fattorini S, Vitozzi A, Di Biase L, Bergamaschi D. Macroecology of Dung Beetles in Italy. Insects 2024; 15:39. [PMID: 38249045 PMCID: PMC10816216 DOI: 10.3390/insects15010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The Italian fauna includes about 170 species/subspecies of dung beetles, being one of the richest in Europe. We used data on dung beetle distribution in the Italian regions to investigate some macroecological patterns. Specifically, we tested if species richness decreased southward (peninsula effect) or northward (latitudinal gradient). We also considered the effects of area (i.e., the species-area relationship), topographic complexity, and climate in explaining dung beetle richness. Finally, we used multivariate techniques to identify biotic relationships between regions. We found no support for the peninsula effect, whereas scarabaeines followed a latitudinal gradient, thus supporting a possible role of southern areas as Pleistocene refuges for this group of mainly thermophilic beetles. By contrast, aphodiines were more associated with cold and humid climates and do not show a distinct latitudinal pattern. In general, species richness was influenced by area, with the Sardinian fauna being however strongly impoverished because of its isolation. Faunal patterns for mainland regions reflect the influence of current ecological settings and historical factors (Pleistocene glaciations) in determining species distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fattorini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;
| | - Alessia Vitozzi
- Department of Statistical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Letizia Di Biase
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;
| | - Davide Bergamaschi
- Department of Entomology, Forbes 410, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Srigyan M, Schubert BW, Bushell M, Santos SHD, Vieira Figueiró H, Sacco S, Eizirik E, Shapiro B. Mitogenomic analysis of a late Pleistocene jaguar from North America. J Hered 2023:esad082. [PMID: 38150503 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest living cat species native to the Americas and one of few large American carnivorans to have survived into the Holocene. However, the extent to which jaguar diversity declined during the end-Pleistocene extinction event remains unclear. For example, Pleistocene jaguar fossils from North America are notably larger than the average extant jaguar, leading to hypotheses that jaguars from this continent represent a now-extinct subspecies (Panthera onca augusta) or species (Panthera augusta). Here, we used a hybridization capture approach to recover an ancient mitochondrial genome from a large, late Pleistocene jaguar from Kingston Saltpeter Cave, Georgia, USA, which we sequenced to 26-fold coverage. We then estimated the evolutionary relationship between the ancient jaguar mitogenome and those from other extinct and living large felids, including multiple jaguars sampled across the species' current range. The ancient mitogenome falls within the diversity of living jaguars. All sampled jaguar mitogenomes share a common mitochondrial ancestor ~400 thousand years ago, indicating that the lineage represented by the ancient specimen dispersed into North America from the south at least once during the late Pleistocene. While genomic data from additional and older specimens will continue to improve understanding of Pleistocene jaguar diversity in the Americas, our results suggest that this specimen falls within the variation of extant jaguars despite the relatively larger size and geographic location and does not represent a distinct taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Srigyan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
| | - Blaine W Schubert
- Center of Excellence in Paleontology and Department of Geosciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City ,TN
| | - Matthew Bushell
- Center of Excellence in Paleontology and Department of Geosciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City ,TN
| | - Sarah H D Santos
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Henrique Vieira Figueiró
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Environmental Genomics Group, Vale Institute of Technology, Belem, PA, Brazil
| | - Samuel Sacco
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
| | - Eduardo Eizirik
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
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10
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Panitsina VA, Bodrov SY, Boulygina ES, Slobodova NV, Kosintsev PA, Abramson NI. In Search of the Elusive North: Evolutionary History of the Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) in the Palearctic from the Late Pleistocene to the Recent Inferred from Mitogenomic Data. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:1517. [PMID: 38132343 PMCID: PMC10740874 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high level of interest, the population history of arctic foxes during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene remains poorly understood. Here we aimed to fill gaps in the demographic and colonization history of the arctic fox by analyzing new ancient DNA data from fossil specimens aged from 50 to 1 thousand years from the Northern and Polar Urals, historic DNA from museum specimens from the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago and the Taymyr Peninsula and supplementing these data by previously published sequences of recent and extinct arctic foxes from other regions. This dataset was used for reconstruction of a time-calibrated phylogeny and a temporal haplotype network covering four time intervals: Late Pleistocene (ranging from 30 to 13 thousand years bp), Holocene (ranging from 4 to 1 thousand years bp), historical (approximately 150 years), and modern. Our results revealed that Late Pleistocene specimens showed no genetic similarity to either modern or historical specimens, thus supporting the earlier hypothesis on local extinction rather than habitat tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina A. Panitsina
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia; (V.A.P.); (S.Y.B.)
| | - Semyon Yu. Bodrov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia; (V.A.P.); (S.Y.B.)
| | | | | | - Pavel A. Kosintsev
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 620144 Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Natalia I. Abramson
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia; (V.A.P.); (S.Y.B.)
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11
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Bocalini F, Bolívar-Leguizamón SD, Silveira LF, Bravo GA. Amazonian colonization from the Atlantic Forest: New perspectives on the connections of South American tropical forests. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6874-6895. [PMID: 37902123 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
An open and dry vegetation belt separates Amazonia (AM) and the Atlantic Forest (AF). Evidence from palaeoclimatic and phylogenetic studies suggests past connections between these forests during cycles of increased humidity through the formation of forest corridors. The distinctive northern AF avifauna is known to have affinities both with AM and the southern AF. Still, the extent of how these two regions contributed to the assemblage of this avifauna remains poorly understood. Using historical demographic analyses and comparative phylogeography based on sub-genomic genetic sampling, we assessed how past connections between AM and AF led to shared vicariance and colonization events in four avian AF endemic taxa. Our results supported the occurrence of humid forest corridors promoting the contact between AF and AM populations and suggested two vicariant events and two colonization events from AF to AM. Population divergences were mostly non-synchronous and occurred multiple times during the Pleistocene. Historical gene flow was prevalent across study groups, supporting migration flows after the initial separation between AM and AF - a pattern previously unknown in birds between these regions. Idiosyncratic histories and divergent demographic syndromes suggest that organisms' responses to climate-driven habitat shifts broadly depend on their ecological attributes. This study strengthened our knowledge of past connections between AM and AF and provided demographic scenarios amenable for testing in other groups of co-distributed organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio D Bolívar-Leguizamón
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' - ESALQ - Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Luís F Silveira
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo A Bravo
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Colecciones Ornitológicas, Centro de Colecciones y Gestión de Especies, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Boyacá, Colombia
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12
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Molnár ÁP, Demeter L, Biró M, Chytrý M, Bartha S, Gantuya B, Molnár Z. Is there a massive glacial-Holocene flora continuity in Central Europe? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:2307-2319. [PMID: 37646107 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The prevailing paradigm about the Quaternary ecological and evolutionary history of Central European ecosystems is that they were repeatedly impoverished by regional extinctions of most species during the glacial periods, followed by massive recolonizations from southern and eastern refugia during interglacial periods. Recent literature partially contradicts this view and provides evidence to re-evaluate this Postglacial Recolonization Hypothesis and develop an alternative one. We examined the long-term history of the flora of the Carpathian (Pannonian) Basin by synthesising recent advances in ecological, phylogeographical, palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological research, and analysing the cold tolerance of the native flora of a test area (Hungary, the central part of the Carpathian Basin). We found that (1) many species have likely occurred there continuously since before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM); (2) most of the present-day native flora (1404 species, about 80%) can occur in climates as cold as or colder than the LGM (mean annual temperature ≤+3.5°C); and (3) grasslands and forests can be species-rich under an LGM-like cold climate. These arguments support an alternative hypothesis, which we call the Flora Continuity Hypothesis. It states that long-term continuity of much of the flora in the Carpathian Basin is more plausible than regional extinctions during the LGM followed by massive postglacial recolonizations. The long-term continuity of the region's flora may have fundamental implications not only for understanding local biogeography and ecology (e.g. the temporal scale of processes), but also for conservation strategies focusing on protecting ancient species-rich ecosystems and local gene pools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ábel Péter Molnár
- Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Páter Károly u. 1., Gödöllő, 2100, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biological Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1., Gödöllő, 2100, Hungary
| | - László Demeter
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Alkotmány u. 2-4., Vácrátót, 2163, Hungary
| | - Marianna Biró
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Alkotmány u. 2-4., Vácrátót, 2163, Hungary
| | - Milan Chytrý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Sándor Bartha
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Alkotmány u. 2-4., Vácrátót, 2163, Hungary
| | - Batdelger Gantuya
- Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, 13th Street, Peace Avenue 54a, Bayanzurkh district, Ulaanbaatar, 13330, Mongolia
- Doctoral School of Biology, Eötvös Lorand University, Budapest, Pázmány P. stny. 1/C., Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Molnár
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Alkotmány u. 2-4., Vácrátót, 2163, Hungary
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13
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Sha N, Li Z, Sun Q, Han Y, Tian L, Wu Y, Li X, Shi Y, Zhang J, Peng J, Wang L, Dang Z, Liang C. Elucidation of the evolutionary history of Stipa in China using comparative transcriptomic analysis. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1275018. [PMID: 38148860 PMCID: PMC10751131 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1275018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Phylogenetic analysis provides crucial insights into the evolutionary relationships and diversification patterns within specific taxonomic groups. In this study, we aimed to identify the phylogenetic relationships and explore the evolutionary history of Stipa using transcriptomic data. Samples of 12 Stipa species were collected from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Mongolian Plateau, where they are widely distributed, and transcriptome sequencing was performed using their fresh spikelet tissues. Using bidirectional best BLAST analysis, we identified two sets of one-to-one orthologous genes shared between Brachypodium distachyon and the 12 Stipa species (9397 and 2300 sequences, respectively), as well as 62 single-copy orthologous genes. Concatenation methods were used to construct a robust phylogenetic tree for Stipa, and molecular dating was used to estimate divergence times. Our results indicated that Stipa originated during the Pliocene. In approximately 0.8 million years, it diverged into two major clades each consisting of native species from the Mongolian Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, respectively. The evolution of Stipa was closely associated with the development of northern grassland landscapes. Important external factors such as global cooling during the Pleistocene, changes in monsoonal circulation, and tectonic movements contributed to the diversification of Stipa. This study provided a highly supported phylogenetic framework for understanding the evolution of the Stipa genus in China and insights into its diversification patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Sha
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Zhiyong Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Qiang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Ying Han
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Li Tian
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Yantao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xing Li
- Institute of Landscape and Environment, Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Science, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Yabo Shi
- School of Resources and Environment, Baotou Teachers’ College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Jinghui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Jiangtao Peng
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Lixin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Zhenhua Dang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Cunzhu Liang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
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Collareta A, Casati S, Di Cencio A, Bianucci G. The Deep Past of the White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Mediterranean Sea: A Synthesis of Its Palaeobiology and Palaeoecology. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2085. [PMID: 37895466 PMCID: PMC10608139 DOI: 10.3390/life13102085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, is the main top predator of the present-day Mediterranean Sea. The deep past of C. carcharias in the Mediterranean is witnessed by a rather conspicuous, mostly Pliocene fossil record. Here, we provide a synthesis of the palaeobiology and palaeoecology of the Mediterranean white sharks. Phenetically modern white shark teeth first appeared around the Miocene-Pliocene transition in the Pacific, and soon after in the Mediterranean. Molecular phylogenetic analyses support an origin of the Mediterranean white shark population from the dispersal of Australian/Pacific palaeopopulations, which may have occurred through the Central American Seaway. Tooth dimensions suggest that the Mediterranean white sharks could have grown up to about 7 m total length during the Pliocene. A richer-than-today marine mammal fauna was likely pivotal in supporting the Mediterranean white sharks through the Pliocene and most of the Quaternary. White sharks have seemingly become more common as other macropredators declined and disappeared, notwithstanding the concurrent demise of many potential prey items in the context of the latest Pliocene and Quaternary climatic and environmental perturbations of the Mediterranean region. The overall generalist trophic habits of C. carcharias were likely crucial for securing ecological success in the highly variable Mediterranean scenario by allowing the transition to a mostly piscivorous diet as the regional marine mammal fauna shrank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Collareta
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via S. Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy;
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, PI, Italy
| | - Simone Casati
- Gruppo Avis Mineralogia e Paleontologia Scandicci, Piazza Vittorio Veneto 1, Badia a Settimo, 50018 Scandicci, FI, Italy; (S.C.); (A.D.C.)
| | - Andrea Di Cencio
- Gruppo Avis Mineralogia e Paleontologia Scandicci, Piazza Vittorio Veneto 1, Badia a Settimo, 50018 Scandicci, FI, Italy; (S.C.); (A.D.C.)
- Istituto Comprensivo “Vasco Pratolini”, Via G. Marconi 11, 50018 Scandicci, FI, Italy
- Studio Tecnico Geologia e Paleontologia, Via Fratelli Rosselli 4, 50026 San Casciano Val di Pesa, FI, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bianucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via S. Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy;
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, PI, Italy
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15
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Carrillo JD, Püschel HP. Pleistocene South American native ungulates (Notoungulata and Litopterna) of the historical Roth collections in Switzerland, from the Pampean Region of Argentina. Swiss J Palaeontol 2023; 142:28. [PMID: 37810207 PMCID: PMC10558389 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-023-00291-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The fossil collections made by early explorers in South America have been fundamental to reveal the past diversity of extinct mammals and unravel their evolutionary history. One important early explorer in South America was the Swiss-Argentine palaeontologist Kaspar Jacob Roth, known as Santiago Roth (1850, Herisau, Switzerland-1924, Buenos Aires, Argentina), who made significant collections of fossil mammals that are housed in museums in Europe and Argentina. The important collections of Roth in Switzerland include iconic Pleistocene megafauna from the Pampean Region (Argentina). The palaeontological significance of the Pampean Region relies on its abundant record of fossil vertebrates that documents diversity dynamics and paleoenvironmental change in southern South America, serving as the basis for the South American biostratigraphical scale of the late Neogene and Quaternary. The South American native ungulates (SANUs) were hoofed placental mammals that radiated in South America. The clades Notoungulata and Litopterna include, among others, the last representatives of SANUs megafauna in the continent. We revise and describe for the first time the SANUs specimens from the Pampean Region of the Roth collections in Switzerland. The collections include two species of notoungulates (Toxodon cf. T. platensis and Mesotherium cristatum) and one litoptern species (Macrauchenia patachonica). The occurrences are restricted to the early and middle Pleistocene (pre-Lujanian Stages/Ages). Although the SANUs diversity in the Roth collections is low in comparison with other groups (e.g., xenarthrans), some of the specimens are very complete, including skulls and postcranial remains. The completeness of the Ma. patachonica material allows an update and reinterpretation of some of the details of the dentition and the postcranial skeleton of this iconic species. In addition to its historical importance, the SANU specimens from the Roth collections provide important information to study the paleobiology and evolution of South American megafauna and evaluate hypotheses about their extinction in the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D. Carrillo
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Chemin du Musée 10, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Hans P. Püschel
- Red Paleontológica U-Chile, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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16
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Del Gaudio AV, Piller WE, Auer G, Kurz W. Foraminifera assemblages from Fantangisña serpentinite mud seamount in the NW Pacific Ocean during the Pleistocene (IODP Expedition 366). J Quat Sci 2023; 38:1103-1127. [PMID: 38505380 PMCID: PMC10947277 DOI: 10.1002/jqs.3532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The Mariana forearc system, in the northwestern Pacific, is known as the only convergent margin setting with currently active serpentine mud volcanism. The Fantangisña serpentinite mud volcano lies 62 km west of the Mariana trench, within the influence of the North Equatorial Current (NEC). Cores recovered by International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 366 contain pelagic sediments overlying layered serpentinite mud deposits. At the bottom of the sequence, nannofossil-rich forearc deposits were recovered from under the seamount edifice. In this study, we investigated 47 samples from Site U1498A on the southern flank of the seamount for benthic and planktonic foraminifera assemblages. Statistical analyses on planktonic assemblages differentiated two sample groups related to the ratio between thermocline/mixed layer taxa, which indicate fluctuations in the depth of the thermocline (DOT) during the Pleistocene. Variations in the DOT reflect changes in the intensity of the NEC associated with El Niño/La Niña conditions. Mudflows do not influence the ecology of planktonic foraminifera but possibly enhance their preservation against dissolution, which was instead detected in the pelagic deposit as suggested by common Globigerinoides conglobatus. Benthic foraminifers were rare in serpentinite mud deposits as they are severely affected by mudflows. Conversely, they showed high diversity pre-/post-mud-volcanism, and indicate oligotrophic bottom-water conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna V. Del Gaudio
- Institute for Earth Sciences, NAWI Graz GeocenterUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 26Graz8010Austria
| | - Werner E. Piller
- Institute for Earth Sciences, NAWI Graz GeocenterUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 26Graz8010Austria
| | - Gerald Auer
- Institute for Earth Sciences, NAWI Graz GeocenterUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 26Graz8010Austria
| | - Walter Kurz
- Institute for Earth Sciences, NAWI Graz GeocenterUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 26Graz8010Austria
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Yuan J, Sun G, Xiao B, Hu J, Wang L, Taogetongqimuge, Bao L, Hou Y, Song S, Jiang S, Wu Y, Pan D, Liu Y, Westbury MV, Lai X, Sheng G. Ancient mitogenomes reveal a high maternal genetic diversity of Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros in Northern China. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:56. [PMID: 37752413 PMCID: PMC10521388 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02168-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is a typical indicator of cold-stage climate that was widely distributed in Northern Hemisphere during the Middle-Late Pleistocene. Although a plethora of fossils have been excavated from Northern China, their phylogenetic status, intraspecific diversity and phylogeographical structure are still vague. RESULTS In the present study, we generated four mitogenomes from Late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros in Northern China and compared them with published data. Bayesian and network analyses indicate that the analyzed individuals contain at least four maternal haplogroups, and Chinese samples fall in three of them. One of our samples belongs to a previously unidentified early diverging clade (haplogroup D), which separated from other woolly rhinoceros around 0.57 Ma (95% CI: 0.76-0.41 Ma). The timing of this clade's origin coincides with the first occurrence of woolly rhinoceros, which are thought to have evolved in Europe. Our other three samples cluster in haplogroup C, previously only identified from one specimen from Wrangel Island (ND030) and initially considered to be an isolated clade. Herein, our findings suggest that ND030 is likely descended from a northward dispersal of the individuals carrying haplogroup C from Northern China. Additionally, Chinese woolly rhinoceros specimens exhibit higher nucleotide diversity than those from Siberia. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight Northern China as a possible refugium and a key evolution center of the Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxia Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China.
- Bioarchaeology Laboratory, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China.
| | - Guojiang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
| | - Bo Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jiaming Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Linying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- College of Earth and Environmental Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730099, China
| | | | - Lei Bao
- Ordos Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Ordos, 017010, China
| | - Yamei Hou
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Shiwen Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
| | - Shan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
| | - Yong Wu
- The Third Geological and Mineral Exploration Institute of Gansu Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Dong Pan
- Palaeontological Fossil Conservation Center, Qinggang County, Suihua, 151600, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | | | - Xulong Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Guilian Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China.
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China.
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18
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Beaudet A, de Jager E. Broca's area, variation and taxic diversity in early Homo from Koobi Fora (Kenya). eLife 2023; 12:RP89054. [PMID: 37721480 PMCID: PMC10506792 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Because brain tissues rarely fossilize, pinpointing when and how modern human cerebral traits emerged in the hominin lineage is particularly challenging. The fragmentary nature of the fossil material, coupled with the difficulty of characterizing such a complex organ, has been the source of long-standing debates. Prominent among them are the uncertainties around the derived or primitive state of the brain organization in the earliest representatives of the genus Homo, more particularly in key regions such as the Broca's area. By revisiting a particularly well-preserved fossil endocast from the Turkana basin (Kenya), here we confirm that early Homo in Africa had a primitive organization of the Broca's area ca. 1.9 million years ago. Additionally, our description of KNM-ER 3732 adds further information about the variation pattern of the inferior frontal gyrus in fossil hominins, with implications for early Homo taxic diversity (i.e. one or two Homo species at Koobi Fora) and the nature of the mechanisms involved in the emergence of derived cerebral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Beaudet
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Évolution, Paléoécosystèmes et Paléoprimatologie (PALEVOPRIM), UMR 7262 CNRS & University of PoitiersPoitiersFrance
- Department of Archaeology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Edwin de Jager
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Évolution, Paléoécosystèmes et Paléoprimatologie (PALEVOPRIM), UMR 7262 CNRS & University of PoitiersPoitiersFrance
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19
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Shi CM, Zhang XS, Liu L, Ji YJ, Zhang DX. Phylogeography of the desert scorpion illuminates a route out of Central Asia. Curr Zool 2023; 69:442-455. [PMID: 37614924 PMCID: PMC10443618 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of phylogeography requires the integration of knowledge across different organisms, ecosystems, and geographic regions. However, a critical knowledge gap exists in the arid biota of the vast Asian drylands. To narrow this gap, here we test an "out-of-Central Asia" hypothesis for the desert scorpion Mesobuthus mongolicus by combining Bayesian phylogeographic reconstruction and ecological niche modeling. Phylogenetic analyses of one mitochondrial and three nuclear loci and molecular dating revealed that M. mongolicus represents a coherent lineage that diverged from its most closely related lineage in Central Asia about 1.36 Ma and underwent radiation ever since. Bayesian phylogeographic reconstruction indicated that the ancestral population dispersed from Central Asia gradually eastward to the Gobi region via the Junggar Basin, suggesting that the Junggar Basin has severed as a corridor for Quaternary faunal exchange between Central Asia and East Asia. Two major dispersal events occurred probably during interglacial periods (around 0.8 and 0.4 Ma, respectively) when climatic conditions were analogous to present-day status, under which the scorpion achieved its maximum distributional range. M. mongolicus underwent demographic expansion during the Last Glacial Maximum, although the predicted distributional areas were smaller than those at present and during the Last Interglacial. Development of desert ecosystems in northwest China incurred by intensified aridification might have opened up empty habitats that sustained population expansion. Our results extend the spatiotemporal dimensions of trans-Eurasia faunal exchange and suggest that species' adaptation is an important determinant of their phylogeographic and demographic responses to climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Min Shi
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Xue-Shu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ya-Jie Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - De-Xing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
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20
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Pansani TR, Pobiner B, Gueriau P, Thoury M, Tafforeau P, Baranger E, Vialou ÁV, Vialou D, McSparron C, de Castro MC, Dantas MAT, Bertrand L, Pacheco MLAF. Evidence of artefacts made of giant sloth bones in central Brazil around the last glacial maximum. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230316. [PMID: 37434527 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The peopling of the Americas and human interaction with the Pleistocene megafauna in South America remain hotly debated. The Santa Elina rock shelter in Central Brazil shows evidence of successive human settlements from around the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the Early Holocene. Two Pleistocene archaeological layers include rich lithic industry associated with remains of the extinct giant ground sloth Glossotherium phoenesis. The remains include thousands of osteoderms (i.e. dermal bones), three of which were human-modified. In this study, we perform a traceological analysis of these artefacts by optical microscopy, non-destructive scanning electron microscopy, UV/visible photoluminescence and synchrotron-based microtomography. We also describe the spatial association between the giant sloth bone remains and stone tools and provide a Bayesian age model that confirms the timing of this association in two time horizons of the Pleistocene in Santa Elina. The conclusion from our traceological study is that the three giant sloth osteoderms were intentionally modified into artefacts before fossilization of the bones. This provides additional evidence for the contemporaneity of humans and megafauna, and for the human manufacturing of personal artefacts on bone remains of ground sloths, around the LGM in Central Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais R Pansani
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo 13565-905, Brazil
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Astrobiologia, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Sorocaba, São Paulo 18052-780, Brazil
- Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Briana Pobiner
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Pierre Gueriau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la Culture, UVSQ, MNHN, Institut photonique d'analyse non-destructive européen des matériaux anciens, 91192 Saint-Aubin, France
| | - Mathieu Thoury
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la Culture, UVSQ, MNHN, Institut photonique d'analyse non-destructive européen des matériaux anciens, 91192 Saint-Aubin, France
| | - Paul Tafforeau
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Emmanuel Baranger
- Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, LMPS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Águeda V Vialou
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 75005 Paris, France
- Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Denis Vialou
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Cormac McSparron
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5AG, UK
| | - Mariela C de Castro
- Laboratório de Biologia Integrativa e Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, IBiotec, Universidade Federal de Catalão, 75704-020 Catalão, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Mário A T Dantas
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Geociências, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - Campus Anísio Teixeira, 45029-094 Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Loïc Bertrand
- Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mírian L A F Pacheco
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Astrobiologia, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Sorocaba, São Paulo 18052-780, Brazil
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21
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Thorn KM, Fusco DA, Hutchinson MN, Gardner MG, Clayton JL, Prideaux GJ, Lee MSY. A giant armoured skink from Australia expands lizard morphospace and the scope of the Pleistocene extinctions. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230704. [PMID: 37312544 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
There are more species of lizards and snakes (squamates) alive today than any other order of land vertebrates, yet their fossil record has been poorly documented compared with other groups. Here, we describe a gigantic Pleistocene skink from Australia based on extensive material that includes much of the skull and postcranial skeleton, and spans ontogenetic stages from neonate to adult. Tiliqua frangens substantially expands the known ecomorphological diversity of squamates. At approximately 2.4 kg, it was more than double the mass of any living skink, with an exceptionally broad, deep skull, squat limbs and heavy, ornamented body armour. It probably filled the armoured herbivore niche that land tortoises (testudinids), absent from Australia, occupy on other continents. Tiliqua frangens and other giant Plio-Pleistocene skinks suggest that small-bodied groups that dominate vertebrate biodiversity might have lost their largest and often most morphologically extreme representatives in the Late Pleistocene, expanding the scope of these extinctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailah M Thorn
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Diana A Fusco
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
| | - Mark N Hutchinson
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Michael G Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jessica L Clayton
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
| | - Gavin J Prideaux
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
| | - Michael S Y Lee
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
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22
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Jochum A, Bochud E, Haberthür D, Lee HG, Hlushchuk R, Portell RW. Fossil Carychiidae (Eupulmonata, Ellobioidea) from the Lower Pleistocene Nashua Formation of Florida, with the description of a new species. Zookeys 2023; 1167:89-107. [PMID: 37363734 PMCID: PMC10285683 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1167.102840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent fossil shell mining for a new rail line in the Orlando area of Orange County, Florida has uncovered two species of the ellobioid genus Carychium O. F. Müller, 1773 in a bed of freshwater marl from the Lower Pleistocene Nashua Formation. To taxonomically interpret these finds, the well-preserved shells were imaged via high-resolution X-ray tomography (micro-CT) to view significant internal diagnostic characters such as the columellar configuration and the degree of lamellar sinuosity and their relationship in context to the entire shell. The image data are compared to that of type material and extant and fossil Carychium species inhabiting the SE USA, Mexico, Central America, and Jamaica. Based on these results, the species Carychiumfloridanum G. H. Clapp, 1918 and Carychiumnashuaensesp. nov. are identified from fossil shells dating from the Early Pleistocene. This work documents the first fossil members of C.floridanum and the first fossil Carychium from the SE USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Jochum
- Natural History Museum Bern, Bernastrasse 15, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Estée Bochud
- Natural History Museum Bern, Bernastrasse 15, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - David Haberthür
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Harry G. Lee
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 2, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ruslan Hlushchuk
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roger W. Portell
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 2, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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23
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Kosintsev PA, Simonova GV, Konovalova KY. First Data on Nutrition of the Ural Cave Bear Ursus (Spelaearctos) kanivetz Verestchagin, 1973 (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae) as Based on 13C and 15N Isotope Analyses. Dokl Biol Sci 2023; 510:160-162. [PMID: 37582991 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496623700357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
First data on the contents of the 13C and 15N isotopes in collagen were obtained for 16 bones of the Ural cave bear Ursus (Spelaearctos) kanivetz Verestchagin, 1973 from the Tayn (Secrets) cave (55°25' N, 57°46' E). The bones are dated to the middle MIS 3 and belonged to males and females of about 2 years, about 3 years, and older than 4 years of age. No considerable difference in isotope signatures was observed between individuals of different ages and different genders. Cave bears were assumed to forage independently on plant food from the second year of life. The δ13C and δ15N values established for the Ural cave bear are close to the values reported for U. (S.) spelaeus ingressus.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Kosintsev
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
| | - G V Simonova
- Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - K Yu Konovalova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
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24
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Carr AS, Chase BM, Birkinshaw SJ, Holmes PJ, Rabumbulu M, Stewart BA. Paleolakes and socioecological implications of last glacial "greening" of the South African interior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221082120. [PMID: 37186818 PMCID: PMC10214169 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221082120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining the timing and drivers of Pleistocene hydrological change in the interior of South Africa is critical for testing hypotheses regarding the presence, dynamics, and resilience of human populations. Combining geological data and physically based distributed hydrological modeling, we demonstrate the presence of large paleolakes in South Africa's central interior during the last glacial period, and infer a regional-scale invigoration of hydrological networks, particularly during marine isotope stages 3 and 2, most notably 55 to 39 ka and 34 to 31 ka. The resulting hydrological reconstructions further permit investigation of regional floral and fauna responses using a modern analog approach. These suggest that the climate change required to sustain these water bodies would have replaced xeric shrubland with more productive, eutrophic grassland or higher grass-cover vegetation, capable of supporting a substantial increase in ungulate diversity and biomass. The existence of such resource-rich landscapes for protracted phases within the last glacial period likely exerted a recurrent draw on human societies, evidenced by extensive pan-side artifact assemblages. Thus, rather than representing a perennially uninhabited hinterland, the central interior's underrepresentation in late Pleistocene archeological narratives likely reflects taphonomic biases stemming from a dearth of rockshelters and regional geomorphic controls. These findings suggest that South Africa's central interior experienced greater climatic, ecological, and cultural dynamism than previously appreciated and potential to host human populations whose archaeological signatures deserve systematic investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S. Carr
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, LeicesterLE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Brian M. Chase
- Institut des Sciences de L'Evolution-Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement,34095Montpellier, France
- Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch7701, South Africa
| | - Stephen J. Birkinshaw
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon TyneNE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J. Holmes
- Department of Geography, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein9300, South Africa
| | - Mulalo Rabumbulu
- Department of Geography Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg2006, South Africa
| | - Brian A. Stewart
- Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109
- Rock Art Research Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, 2050Wits, South Africa
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25
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Mills KK, Everson KM, Hildebrandt KPB, Brandler OV, Steppan SJ, Olson LE. Ultraconserved elements improve resolution of marmot phylogeny and offer insights into biogeographic history. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 184:107785. [PMID: 37085130 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Marmots (Marmota spp.) comprise a lineage of large-bodied ground squirrels that diversified rapidly in the Pleistocene, when the planet quickly transitioned to a drier, colder, and highly seasonal climate-particularly at high latitudes. Fossil evidence indicates the genus spread from North America, across Beringia, and into the European Alps over the course of only a few million years, beginning in the late Pliocene. Marmots are highly adapted to survive long and severely cold winters, and this likely favored their expansion and diversification over this time period. Previous phylogenetic studies have identified two major subgenera of marmots, but the timing of important speciation events and some species relationships have been difficult to resolve. Here we use ultraconserved elements and mitogenomes, with samples from all 15 extant species, to more precisely retrace how and when marmots came to inhabit a vast Holarctic range. Our results indicate marmots arose in North America in the mid Miocene (∼16.3 Mya) and dispersed across the Bering Land Bridge in the late Pliocene (∼3-4 Mya); in addition, our fossil-calibrated timeline is suggestive of the rise and spread of open grasslands as being particularly important to marmot diversification. The woodchuck (M. monax) and the Alaska marmot (M. broweri) are found to be more closely related to the Eurasian species than to the other North American species. Paraphyly is evident in the bobak marmot (M. bobak) and the hoary marmot (M. caligata), and in the case of the latter the data are highly suggestive of a second, cryptic species in the Cascade Mountains of Washington.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall K Mills
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 982 North Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
| | - Kathryn M Everson
- Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 2701 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Kyndall P B Hildebrandt
- Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Oleg V Brandler
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 26, Moscow, Russia
| | - Scott J Steppan
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Link E Olson
- Department of Mammalogy, University of Alaska Museum, 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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26
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Ndiaye M, Huysecom E, Douze K. New Insights on the Palaeo-archaeological Potential of the Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal. Afr Archaeol Rev 2023; 40:429-442. [PMID: 37333717 PMCID: PMC10272251 DOI: 10.1007/s10437-023-09525-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The study of the Palaeolithic in Senegal has made considerable progress in the last decade and has provided a renewed vision of the behavioral evolution of prehistoric populations in West Africa. The cultural trajectories within the region seem to be highly variable and bear witness to strong behavioral dynamics, the mechanisms of which still need to be better understood. However, the number of reliable, dated, and stratified sites, as well as the palaeoenvironmental data providing a context for populations in their palaeolandscapes, is still scarce. In order to provide new and solid data, we conducted new archaeological survey in the Niokolo-Koba National Park in south-central Senegal, aiming at a preliminary identification of Pleistocene and early Holocene sedimentary deposits. Here, we report an overview of the newly discovered industries found in different contexts. Most of the 27 identified sites show surface and out-of-context assemblages, but other sites are stratified and have all the criteria to justify the development of a long-term archaeological, geochronological, geomorphological, and palaeobotanical project. The Niokolo-Koba National Park, through which the Gambia River flows, is characterized by an abundance of sources of knappable material and by well-preserved sedimentary sequences. Therefore, archaeological research in the Niokolo-Koba National Park has the potential to provide major milestones in our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics at work in West Africa during the early periods of occupation of the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matar Ndiaye
- Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, University of Cheikh Anta Diop, BP: 206 Fann, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Eric Huysecom
- Laboratory of Archaeology of Africa and Anthropology, Section of Biology, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Katja Douze
- Laboratory of Archaeology of Africa and Anthropology, Section of Biology, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
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27
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Yang Q, Liu Z, Houlton BZ, Gao D, Chang Q, Li H, Fan X, Liu B, Bai E. Isotopic evidence for increased carbon and nitrogen exchanges between peatland plants and their symbiotic microbes with rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations since 15,000 cal. year BP. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:1939-1950. [PMID: 36585918 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Whether nitrogen (N) availability will limit plant growth and removal of atmospheric CO2 by the terrestrial biosphere this century is controversial. Studies have suggested that N could progressively limit plant growth, as trees and soils accumulate N in slowly cycling biomass pools in response to increases in carbon sequestration. However, a question remains over whether longer-term (decadal to century) feedbacks between climate, CO2 and plant N uptake could emerge to reduce ecosystem-level N limitations. The symbioses between plants and microbes can help plants to acquire N from the soil or from the atmosphere via biological N2 fixation-the pathway through which N can be rapidly brought into ecosystems and thereby partially or completely alleviate N limitation on plant productivity. Here we present measurements of plant N isotope composition (δ15 N) in a peat core that dates to 15,000 cal. year BP to ascertain ecosystem-level N cycling responses to rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We find that pre-industrial increases in global atmospheric CO2 concentrations corresponded with a decrease in the δ15 N of both Sphagnum moss and Ericaceae when constrained for climatic factors. A modern experiment demonstrates that the δ15 N of Sphagnum decreases with increasing N2 -fixation rates. These findings suggest that plant-microbe symbioses that facilitate N acquisition are, over the long term, enhanced under rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations, highlighting an ecosystem-level feedback mechanism whereby N constraints on terrestrial carbon storage can be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiannan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Ziping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Benjamin Z Houlton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Global Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Decai Gao
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Qing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongkai Li
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xianlei Fan
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Bai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Edith Bai
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education; School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
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28
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Quam R, Martínez I, Rak Y, Hylander B, Pantoja A, Lorenzo C, Conde-Valverde M, Keeling B, Ortega Martínez MC, Arsuaga JL. The Neandertal nature of the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos mandibles. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023. [PMID: 36998196 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The recovery of additional mandibular fossils from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) site provides new insights into the evolutionary significance of this sample. In particular, morphological descriptions of the new adult specimens are provided, along with standardized metric data and phylogenetically relevant morphological features for the expanded adult sample. The new and more complete specimens extend the known range of variation in the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in some metric and morphological details. In other aspects, the addition of new specimens has made it possible to confirm previous observations based on more limited evidence. Pairwise comparisons of individual metric variables revealed the only significant difference between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals was a more vertical symphysis in the latter. Similarly, principal components analysis of size-adjusted variables showed a strong similarity between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals. Morphologically, the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show nearly the full complement of Neandertal-derived features. Nevertheless, the Neandertals differ from the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in showing a high frequency of the H/O mandibular foramen, a truncated, thinned and inverted gonial margin, a high placement of the mylohyoid line at the level of the M3, a more vertical symphysis and somewhat more pronounced expression of the chin structures. Size-related morphological variation in the SH hominins includes larger retromolar spaces, more posterior placement of the lateral corpus structures, and stronger markings associated with the muscles of mastication in larger specimens. However, phylogenetically relevant features in the SH sample are fairly stable and do not vary with the overall size of the mandible. Direct comparison of the enlarged mandibular sample from Atapuerca (SH) with the Mauer mandible, the type specimen of H. heidelbergensis, reveals important differences from the SH hominins, and there is no morphological counterpart of Mauer within the SH sample, suggesting the SH fossils should not be assigned to this taxon. The Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show a greater number of derived Neandertal features, particularly those related to midfacial prognathism and in the configuration of the superior ramus, than other European middle Pleistocene specimens. This suggests that more than one evolutionary lineage co-existed in the middle Pleistocene, and, broadly speaking, it appears possible to separate the European middle Pleistocene mandibular remains into two distinct groupings. One group shows a suite of derived Neandertal features and includes specimens from the sites of Atapuerca (SH), Payre, l'Aubesier and Ehringsdorf. The other group includes specimens that generally lack derived Neandertal features and includes the mandibles from the sites of Mauer, Mala Balanica, Montmaurin and (probably) Visogliano. The two published Arago mandibles differ strongly from one another, with Arago 2 probably belonging to this former group, and Neandertal affinities being more difficult to identify in Arago 13. Outside of the SH sample, derived Neandertal features in the mandible only become more common during the second half of the middle Pleistocene. Acceptance of a cladogenetic pattern of evolution during the European middle Pleistocene has the potential to reconcile the predictions of the accretion model and the two phases model for the appearance of Neandertal morphology. The precise taxonomic classification of the SH hominins must contemplate features from the dentition, cranium, mandible and postcranial skeleton, all of which are preserved at the SH site. Nevertheless, the origin of the Neandertal clade may be tied to a speciation event reflected in the appearance of a suite of derived Neandertal features in the face, dentition and mandible, all of which are present in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins. This same suite of features also provides a useful anatomical basis to include other European middle Pleistocene mandibles and crania within the Neandertal clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
- Centro de Investigación UCM-ISCIII sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
- Universidad de Alcalá. Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Universidad de Alcalá. Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yoel Rak
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Bill Hylander
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Biological Sciences Building, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ana Pantoja
- Centro de Investigación UCM-ISCIII sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departamento d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
- Universidad de Alcalá. Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brian Keeling
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
| | | | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro de Investigación UCM-ISCIII sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid, Spain
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Ortego J, Espelta JM, Armenteras D, Díez MC, Muñoz A, Bonal R. Demographic and spatially-explicit landscape genomic analyses in a tropical oak reveal the impacts of late Quaternary climate change on Andean montane forests. Mol Ecol 2023. [PMID: 36942365 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Tropical Andes are one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on earth, yet our understanding on how their biotas have responded to Quaternary climatic oscillations is extraordinarily limited and the alternative models proposed to explain their demographic dynamics have been seldom formally evaluated. Here, we test the hypothesis that the interplay between the spatial configuration of geographical barriers to dispersal and elevational displacements driven by Quaternary cooling-warming cycles have shaped the demographic trajectories of montane oak forests (Quercus humboldtii) from the Colombian Andes. Specifically, we integrate genomic data and environmental niche modelling at fine temporal resolution to test competing spatially-explicit demographic and coalescent models, including scenarios considering (i) isotropic gene flow through the landscape, (ii) the hypothetical impact of contemporary barriers to dispersal (i.e., inter-Andean valleys), and (ii) distributional shifts of montane oak forests from the Last Glacial Maximum to present. Although our data revealed a marked genetic fragmentation of montane oak forests, statistical support for isolation-with-migration models indicate that geographically separated populations from the different Andean Cordilleras regularly exchange gene flow. Accordingly, spatiotemporally-explicit demographic analyses supported a model of flickering connectivity, with scenarios considering isotropic gene flow or currently unsuitable habitats as persistent barriers to dispersal providing a comparatively worse fit to empirical genomic data. Overall, these results emphasize the role of landscape heterogeneity on shaping spatial patterns of genomic variation in montane oak forests, rejecting the hypothesis of genetic continuity and supporting a significant impact of Quaternary climatic oscillations on their demographic trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Ortego
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Espelta
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E08193, Bellaterra, (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Dolors Armenteras
- Laboratorio de Ecología del Paisaje y Modelación de Ecosistemas ECOLMOD, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Edificio 421, 111321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - María Claudia Díez
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecología y Silvicultura de Especies Forestales Tropicales. Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellín, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Alberto Muñoz
- Departamento de Didáctica de Ciencias Experimentales, Sociales y Matemáticas, Facultad de Educación, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl Bonal
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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30
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Wang Y, Zhan H, Zhang Y, Long Z, Yang X. Mitochondrial genome analysis, phylogeny and divergence time evaluation of Strixaluco (Aves, Strigiformes, Strigidae). Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e101942. [PMID: 38327340 PMCID: PMC10848841 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e101942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Prior research has shown that the European peninsulas were the main sources of Strixaluco colonisation of Northern Europe during the late glacial period. However, the phylogenetic relationship and the divergence time between S.aluco from Leigong Mountain Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, China and the Strigiformes from overseas remains unclear. The mitochondrial genome structure of birds is a covalent double-chain loop structure that is highly conserved and, thus, suitable for phylogenetic analysis. This study examined the phylogenetic relationship and divergence time of Strix using the whole mitochondrial genome of S.aluco. New information In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Strixaluco, with a total length of 18,632 bp, is reported for the first time. A total of 37 genes were found, including 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, 13 protein-coding genes and two non-coding control regions. Certain species of Tytoninae were used as out-group and PhyloSuite software was applied to build the ML-tree and BI-tree of Strigiformes. Finally, the divergence time tree was constructed using BEAST 2.6.7 software and the age of Miosurniadiurna fossil-bearing sediments (6.0-9.5 Ma) was set as internal correction point. The common ancestor of Strix was confirmed to have diverged during the Pleistocene (2.58-0.01 Ma). The combined action of the dramatic uplift of the Qinling Mountains in the Middle Pleistocene and the climate oscillation of the Pleistocene caused Strix divergence between the northern and southern parts of mainland China. The isolation of glacial-interglacial rotation and glacier refuge was the main reason for the divergence of Strixuralensis and S.aluco from their common ancestor during this period. This study provides a reference for the evolutionary history of S.aluco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeying Wang
- Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Haofeng Zhan
- Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Yu Zhang
- Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Zhengmin Long
- Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Xiaofei Yang
- Guizhou University, Guiyang, ChinaGuizhou UniversityGuiyangChina
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Martin LJ. The Yale Geochronometric Laboratory and the Rewriting of Global Environmental History. J Hist Biol 2023; 56:35-63. [PMID: 36920651 DOI: 10.1007/s10739-023-09704-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Beginning in the nineteenth century, scientists speculated that the Pleistocene megafauna-species such as the giant ground sloth, wooly mammoth, and saber-tooth cat-perished because of rapid climate change accompanying the end of the most recent Ice Age. In the 1950s, a small network of ecologists challenged this view in collaboration with archeologists who used the new tool of radiocarbon dating. The Pleistocene overkill hypothesis imagined human hunting, not climate change, to be the primary cause of megafaunal extinction. This article situates the Pleistocene overkill hypothesis in a broader history of the emergence of historical ecology as a distinct sub-discipline of paleoecology. Tracing the work of the Yale Geochronometric Laboratory and an interdisciplinary research network that included Paul Sears, Richard Foster Flint, Edward Deevey, Kathryn Clisby, and Paul S. Martin, it reveals how both the methods and the meaning of studying fossil pollen shifted between the 1910s and 1960s. First used as a tool for fossil fuel extraction, fossil pollen became a means of envisioning climatic history, and ultimately, a means of reimagining global ecological history. First through pollen stratigraphy and then through radiocarbon dating, ecologists reconstructed past biotic communities and rethought the role of humans in these communities. By the 1980s, the discipline of historical ecology would reshape physical environments through the practice of ecological restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Martin
- Center for Environmental Studies, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USA.
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32
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VAN Linden L, Stoops K, Dumbá LCCS, Cozzuol MA, Maclaren JA. Sagittal crest morphology decoupled from relative bite performance in Pleistocene tapirs (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae). Integr Zool 2023; 18:254-277. [PMID: 35048523 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bite force is often associated with specific morphological features, such as sagittal crests. The presence of a pronounced sagittal crest in some tapirs (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae) was recently shown to be negatively correlated with hard-object feeding, in contrast with similar cranial structures in carnivorans. The aim of this study was to investigate bite forces and sagittal crest heights across a wide range of modern and extinct tapirs and apply a comparative investigation to establish whether these features are correlated across a broad phylogenetic scope. We examined a sample of 71 specimens representing 15 tapir species (5 extant, 10 extinct) using the dry-skull method, linear measurements of cranial features, phylogenetic reconstruction, and comparative analyses. Tapirs were found to exhibit variation in bite force and sagittal crest height across their phylogeny and between different biogeographical realms, with high-crested morphologies occurring mostly in Neotropical species. The highest bite forces within tapirs appear to be driven by estimates for the masseter-pterygoid muscle complex, rather than predicted forces for the temporalis muscle. Our results demonstrate that relative sagittal crest height is poorly correlated with relative cranial bite force, suggesting high force application is not a driver for pronounced sagittal crests in this sample. The divergent biomechanical capabilities of different contemporaneous tapirids may have allowed multiple species to occupy overlapping territories and partition resources to avoid excess competition. Bite forces in tapirs peak in Pleistocene species, independent of body size, suggesting possible dietary shifts as a potential result of climatic changes during this epoch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa VAN Linden
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Kim Stoops
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Larissa C C S Dumbá
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mario A Cozzuol
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jamie A Maclaren
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium.,Evolution and Diversity Dynamics Lab, Department of Geology, Université de Liège, Quartier Agora, Liège, Belgium
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Abstract
Placed in the center of the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, Italy plays a central role for the study of Europe's biogeography. In this paper, the influence of climatic, spatial, and historical factors on current patterns of variation in earwig species richness and composition is investigated. The Italian earwig fauna is mainly composed of species which are either widely distributed in Europe and the Palearctic region or that are endemic to the Alps and the Apennines. Variation in species richness does not follow any obvious geographical patterns, but a positive influence of precipitation on richness is consistent with earwig preferences for humid climates. European mainland territories did not contribute substantially to the current biodiversity of Italian earwigs, which explains the lack of a distinct peninsula effect, although a southward decrease in similarity with the central European fauna was observed. However, southern areas did not exert a pivotal role during Pleistocene glaciations in determining current patterns of species richness. Variation in species composition among Italian regions can be mostly explained by geographical proximity, while climatic differences and historical (paleogeographical and paleoecological) events seem to have played a minor role. However, the isolation of ancient earwig stocks on Italian mountains led to the origin of a relatively large number of endemics, which makes the Italian earwig fauna one of the richest in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fattorini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
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34
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Baca M, Popović D, Agadzhanyan AK, Baca K, Conard NJ, Fewlass H, Filek T, Golubiński M, Horáček I, Knul MV, Krajcarz M, Krokhaleva M, Lebreton L, Lemanik A, Maul LC, Nagel D, Noiret P, Primault J, Rekovets L, Rhodes SE, Royer A, Serdyuk NV, Soressi M, Stewart JR, Strukova T, Talamo S, Wilczyński J, Nadachowski A. Ancient DNA of narrow-headed vole reveal common features of the Late Pleistocene population dynamics in cold-adapted small mammals. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222238. [PMID: 36787794 PMCID: PMC9928523 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal species across the Eurasian Late Pleistocene steppe-tundra environment. Previous ancient DNA studies of the collared lemming and common vole have revealed dynamic population histories shaped by climatic fluctuations. To investigate the extent to which species with similar adaptations share common evolutionary histories, we generated a dataset comprised the mitochondrial genomes of 139 ancient and 6 modern narrow-headed voles from several sites across Europe and northwestern Asia covering approximately the last 100 thousand years (kyr). We inferred Bayesian time-aware phylogenies using 11 radiocarbon-dated samples to calibrate the molecular clock. Divergence of the main mtDNA lineages across the three species occurred during marine isotope stages (MIS) 7 and MIS 5, suggesting a common response of species adapted to open habitat during interglacials. We identified several time-structured mtDNA lineages in European narrow-headed vole, suggesting lineage turnover. The timing of some of these turnovers was synchronous across the three species, allowing us to identify the main drivers of the Late Pleistocene dynamics of steppe- and cold-adapted species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Baca
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Danijela Popović
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Baca
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Nicholas J Conard
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology and.,Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helen Fewlass
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Filek
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Ivan Horáček
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Monika V Knul
- Department of Archaeology, Anthropology and Geography, University of Winchester, Winchester, UK
| | - Magdalena Krajcarz
- Institute of Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - Maria Krokhaleva
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Loïc Lebreton
- Department of Human and Environment, (HNHP) UMR 7194MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France.,Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain.,Department of History and Art History, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Anna Lemanik
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
| | - Lutz C Maul
- Senckenberg Research Station of Quaternary Palaeontology, Weimar, Germany
| | - Doris Nagel
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pierre Noiret
- Research Group Prehistory, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jérome Primault
- DRAC/SRA Poitou-Charentes, Ministry of Culture and Communications, Poitiers, France
| | - Leonid Rekovets
- Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Sara E Rhodes
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior, University of Algavre, Faro, Portugal
| | - Aurélien Royer
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | - Natalia V Serdyuk
- Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marie Soressi
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - John R Stewart
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - Tatiana Strukova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Jarosław Wilczyński
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
| | - Adam Nadachowski
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, Poland
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Alempic JM, Lartigue A, Goncharov AE, Grosse G, Strauss J, Tikhonov AN, Fedorov AN, Poirot O, Legendre M, Santini S, Abergel C, Claverie JM. An Update on Eukaryotic Viruses Revived from Ancient Permafrost. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020564. [PMID: 36851778 PMCID: PMC9958942 DOI: 10.3390/v15020564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
One quarter of the Northern hemisphere is underlain by permanently frozen ground, referred to as permafrost. Due to climate warming, irreversibly thawing permafrost is releasing organic matter frozen for up to a million years, most of which decomposes into carbon dioxide and methane, further enhancing the greenhouse effect. Part of this organic matter also consists of revived cellular microbes (prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes) as well as viruses that have remained dormant since prehistorical times. While the literature abounds on descriptions of the rich and diverse prokaryotic microbiomes found in permafrost, no additional report about "live" viruses have been published since the two original studies describing pithovirus (in 2014) and mollivirus (in 2015). This wrongly suggests that such occurrences are rare and that "zombie viruses" are not a public health threat. To restore an appreciation closer to reality, we report the preliminary characterizations of 13 new viruses isolated from seven different ancient Siberian permafrost samples, one from the Lena river and one from Kamchatka cryosol. As expected from the host specificity imposed by our protocol, these viruses belong to five different clades infecting Acanthamoeba spp. but not previously revived from permafrost: Pandoravirus, Cedratvirus, Megavirus, and Pacmanvirus, in addition to a new Pithovirus strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Marie Alempic
- IGS, Information Génomique & Structurale (UMR7256), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (FR 3489), Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, and Institut Origines, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Audrey Lartigue
- IGS, Information Génomique & Structurale (UMR7256), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (FR 3489), Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, and Institut Origines, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Artemiy E. Goncharov
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, Parasitology and Disinfectology, Northwestern State Medical Mechnikov University, Saint Petersburg 195067, Russia
| | - Guido Grosse
- Permafrost Research Section, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam, 14478 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jens Strauss
- Permafrost Research Section, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Alexey N. Tikhonov
- Laboratory of Theriology, Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Science, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | | | - Olivier Poirot
- IGS, Information Génomique & Structurale (UMR7256), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (FR 3489), Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, and Institut Origines, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Matthieu Legendre
- IGS, Information Génomique & Structurale (UMR7256), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (FR 3489), Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, and Institut Origines, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Sébastien Santini
- IGS, Information Génomique & Structurale (UMR7256), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (FR 3489), Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, and Institut Origines, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Chantal Abergel
- IGS, Information Génomique & Structurale (UMR7256), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (FR 3489), Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, and Institut Origines, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Michel Claverie
- IGS, Information Génomique & Structurale (UMR7256), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (FR 3489), Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, and Institut Origines, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-413-946-777
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36
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Lopatin AV. Early Pleistocene Serotine Bat Eptesicus praeglacialis (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera) from the Taurida Cave in Crimea. Dokl Biol Sci 2023; 508:85-94. [PMID: 37186053 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496622060102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The cranial and mandibular remains of a large serotine bat Eptesicus praeglacialis Kormos, 1930 are described from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave in the central Crimea. This is the first finding of the skull material of E. praeglacialis and the first record of the species in Crimea. Judging by the tooth wear stages, the remains of both young and adult specimens are present in the taphocenosis. The small mammal tooth marks on the bones (caused by eating the remnants of soft tissues) in the absence of signs of digestion, characterizing materials from the predatory bird pellets, indicate that the taphocenosis includes the remains of E. praeglacialis individuals that used the cave as a shelter and died there. This corresponds to the idea of appearance of hibernation in caves as a climatically determined ecological adaptation in some European forest-dwelling bats (including Eptesicus) at the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Lopatin
- Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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Agiadi K, Quillévéré F, Nawrot R, Sommeville T, Coll M, Koskeridou E, Fietzke J, Zuschin M. Palaeontological evidence for community-level decrease in mesopelagic fish size during Pleistocene climate warming in the eastern Mediterranean. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221994. [PMID: 36629116 PMCID: PMC9832546 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesopelagic fishes are an important element of marine food webs, a huge, still mostly untapped food resource and great contributors to the biological carbon pump, whose future under climate change scenarios is unknown. The shrinking of commercial fishes within decades has been an alarming observation, but its causes remain contended. Here, we investigate the effect of warming climate on mesopelagic fish size in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a glacial-interglacial-glacial transition of the Middle Pleistocene (marine isotope stages 20-18; 814-712 kyr B.P.), which included a 4°C increase in global seawater temperature. Our results based on fossil otoliths show that the median size of lanternfishes, one of the most abundant groups of mesopelagic fishes in fossil and modern assemblages, declined by approximately 35% with climate warming at the community level. However, individual mesopelagic species showed different and often opposing trends in size across the studied time interval, suggesting that climate warming in the interglacial resulted in an ecological shift toward increased relative abundance of smaller sized mesopelagic fishes due to geographical and/or bathymetric distribution range shifts, and the size-dependent effects of warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Agiadi
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, UZA II, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frédéric Quillévéré
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, ENS de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Rafał Nawrot
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, UZA II, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Theo Sommeville
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, UZA II, 1090, Vienna, Austria,IMBRSea Program, Ghent University - Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marta Coll
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Efterpi Koskeridou
- Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784, Athens, Greece
| | - Jan Fietzke
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstrasse 1-3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
| | - Martin Zuschin
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, UZA II, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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Van Der Wal C, Ahyong ST, Adams MWD, Ewart KM, Ho SYW, Lo N. Genomic analysis reveals strong population structure in the Giant Sydney Crayfish (Euastacus spinifer (Heller, 1865)). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 178:107629. [PMID: 36191898 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Australia is home to over 140 species of freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Parastacidae), representing a centre of diversity for this group in the Southern Hemisphere. Species delimitation in freshwater crayfish is difficult because many species show significant variation in colouration and morphology. This is particularly evident in the genus Euastacus, which exhibits large variations in colour and spination throughout its putative range. To understand this variation, we investigated the genetic diversity, population structure, phylogeny, and evolutionary timescale of the Giant Sydney Crayfish (Euastacus spinifer (Heller, 1865)). Our data set is sampled from over 70 individuals from across the ∼600 km range of the species, and includes a combination of two mitochondrial markers and more than 7000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the nuclear genome. Data were also obtained for representatives of the close relative, Euastacus vesper McCormack and Ahyong, 2017. Genomic SNP analyses revealed strong population structure, with multiple distinct populations showing little evidence of gene flow or migration. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial data revealed similar structure between populations. Taken together, our analyses suggest that E. spinifer, as currently understood, represents a species complex, of which E. vesper is a member. Molecular clock estimates place the divergences within this group during the Pleistocene. The isolated and highly fragmented populations identified in our analyses probably represent relict populations of a previously widespread ancestral species. Periodic flooding events during the Pleistocene are likely to have facilitated the movement of these otherwise restricted freshwater crayfish within and between drainage basins, including the Murray-Darling and South East Coast Drainages. We present evidence supporting the recognition of populations in the southern parts of the range of E. spinifer as one or two separate species, which would raise the number of species within the E. spinifer complex to at least three. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that many freshwater crayfish exhibit highly fragmented, range-restricted distributions. In combination with the life-history traits of these species, the restricted distributions exacerbate the threats already placed on freshwater crayfish, which are among the five most endangered animal groups globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Van Der Wal
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
| | - Shane T Ahyong
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Maxim W D Adams
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Kyle M Ewart
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Simon Y W Ho
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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Rose JP, Sytsma KJ. Phylogeography and genetic variation in Western Jacob's ladder (Polemonium occidentale) provide insights into the origin and conservation of rare species in the Great Lakes region. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:79-94. [PMID: 36217576 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The perennial herb Western Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium occidentale, Polemoniaceae) is widespread in the mountains of western North America but reappears as a disjunct in the Great Lakes Region in Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA as the narrow endemic P. occidentale subsp. lacustre. This distribution is shown by a diverse assemblage of angiosperms. It has been hypothesized that these species became isolated just after the Last Glacial Maximum, but this has not been tested. Additionally, the genetic diversity and population connectivity of the endemic Great Lakes flora has been understudied, with important conservation implications. Using genotyping-by-sequencing, we examined the relationship of P. occidentale subsp. lacustre to its closest relatives, relationships among all known populations, and genetic diversity within these populations. Polemonium occidentale subsp. lacustre represents an isolated, unique lineage that diverged from its closest relatives 1.3 Ma and arrived in the Great Lakes Region by at least 38 ka. Nearly all extant populations diverged prior to the Last Glacial Maximum, are genetically distinct, and show little within-population genetic diversity. Clonality may mitigate reduction in diversity due to drift. Mixed population signal between Wisconsin and some Minnesota populations may be due to gene flow during the Late Pleistocene. While populations of P. occidentale subsp. lacustre may be relictual from a now extinct western relative, it is best treated as a distinct species. Conservation efforts should focus more on ensuring that current populations remain rather than maintaining large populations sizes across a few populations. However, encouraging habitat heterogeneity may accomplish both simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey P Rose
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kenneth J Sytsma
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Peresani M. Inspecting human evolution from a cave. Late Neanderthals and early sapiens at Grotta di Fumane: present state and outlook. J Anthropol Sci 2022; 100:71-107. [PMID: 36576952 DOI: 10.4436/jass.10016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Of the many critical phases of human evolution, one of the most investigated is the transition from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic with the pivotal bio-cultural substitution of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens in Western Eurasia. The complexity of this over ten thousands years phase raises from the ensemble of evidence ascribed to the diverse adaptations expressed by Neanderthals and the first representatives of our species. In countless archaeological records Neanderthals left clear traces of a cultural variability dotted with innovations in the technology of stone and bone tools, alongside with manifestations in the range of the symbolic sphere. Together with other aspects of daily life, this evidence contributes shedding light on the cognitive aptitudes of those hominins and reassessing gaps in Pleistocene human diversities. Among archaeological contexts, the cave of Fumane in the Monti Lessini (Veneto Pre-Alps, northeastern Italy) is a key site. It is positioned along the potential trajectory of hominins moving into southern Europe from eastern and southeastern regions and includes a finely layered sedimentary sequence with cultural layers ascribed to the Mousterian, Uluzzian, Aurignacian and Gravettian. The ensemble constitutes one of the most complete, detailed and dated continental stratigraphic series from a segment of the late Pleistocene between 50 and 30 ka cal BP in a cave context of Southern Europe. Assessments based on sedimentological and palaeontological record provide indicators for framing Neanderthals in their respective ecological contexts since the late Middle Pleistocene until their demise during MIS3. On-going research is producing data ascribable to the human ecological relations and the interaction with specific natural resources, thus contributing to shed light on the complexity of Neanderthal behavior. Thanks to the high-resolution archaeological record of the earliest appearances of Homo sapiens, Fumane also provides clues to compare life, subsistence, and cultures between these Pleistocene hominins for comprehensive reasonings on our unicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Peresani
- Department of Humanities, Anthropogenic and Prehistoric section, University of Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Ferrara, Italy; Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, National Council of Research, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy,
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Brumm A. Pigs as Pets: Early Human Relations with the Sulawesi Warty Pig (Sus celebensis). Animals (Basel) 2022; 13. [PMID: 36611658 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sulawesi warty pig (S. celebensis) is a wild and still-extant suid that is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It has long been theorised that S. celebensis was domesticated and/or deliberately introduced to other islands in Indonesia prior to the advent of the Neolithic farming transition in the region. Thus far, however, there has been no empirical support for this idea, nor have scientists critiqued the argument that S. celebensis was a pre-Neolithic domesticate in detail. Here, it is proposed that early foragers could have formed a relationship with S. celebensis that was similar in essence to the close association between Late Pleistocene foragers in Eurasia and the wild wolf ancestors of domestic dogs. That is, a longstanding practice of hunter-gatherers intensively socialising wild-caught S. celebensis piglets for adoption into human society as companion animals ('pets') may have altered the predator-prey dynamic, brought aspects of wild pig behaviour and reproduction under indirect human selection and control, and caused changes that differentiated human-associated pigs from their solely wild-living counterparts.
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Rull V. Responses of Caribbean Mangroves to Quaternary Climatic, Eustatic, and Anthropogenic Drivers of Ecological Change: A Review. Plants (Basel) 2022; 11:3502. [PMID: 36559614 PMCID: PMC9786987 DOI: 10.3390/plants11243502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mangroves are among the world's most threatened ecosystems. Understanding how these ecosystems responded to past natural and anthropogenic drivers of ecological change is essential not only for understanding how extant mangroves have been shaped but also for informing their conservation. This paper reviews the available paleoecological evidence for Pleistocene and Holocene responses of Caribbean mangroves to climatic, eustatic, and anthropogenic drivers. The first records date from the Last Interglacial, when global average temperatures and sea levels were slightly higher than present and mangroves grew in locations and conditions similar to today. During the Last Glaciation, temperatures and sea levels were significantly lower, and Caribbean mangroves grew far from their present locations on presently submerged sites. The current mangrove configuration was progressively attained after Early Holocene warming and sea level rise in the absence of anthropogenic pressure. Human influence began to be important in the Mid-Late Holocene, especially during the Archaic and Ceramic cultural periods, when sea levels were close to their present position and climatic and human drivers were the most influential factors. During the last millennium, the most relevant drivers of ecological change have been the episodic droughts linked to the Little Ice Age and the historical developments of the last centuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentí Rull
- Botanic Institute of Barcelona (IBB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Pg. del Migdia s/n, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
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Abstract
The distribution and movement of species, broadly known as biogeography, is one of the fundamental subfields of ecology and evolutionary biology. However, significant mysteries remain about the processes that gave rise to the modern distribution of biodiversity across the globe. Over the last several decades, the genetic study of ancient and subfossil specimens has started to shed light on past migrations of some species, with a particular focus on humans and megafauna. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Salis et al. (2021) use ancient mitogenomes and a new phylogeographic method to add an important new piece of evidence to the mystery of megafaunal migrations into North America during the Pleistocene. They found a striking synchronicity of brown bear (Ursus arctos) and lion (Panthera spp.) migrations across the Bering Land Bridge at several time points during the late Pleistocene, which highlights the lasting impact of sea level change on the prehistoric and modern dispersal of terrestrial carnivores across continents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Gaughran
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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Valentich-Scott P, Goddard JHR. A fossil species found living off southern California, with notes on the genus Cymatioa (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Galeommatoidea). Zookeys 2022; 1128:53-62. [PMID: 36762233 PMCID: PMC9836502 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1128.95139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A small bivalve mollusk previously only known from the Pleistocene of Los Angeles County has recently been found living intertidally near Santa Barbara, California. The bivalve has been determined to be Cymatioacooki (Willett, 1937), a member of the Galeommatoidea J.E. Gray, 1840. We document the habitat for the newly discovered C.cooki, and compare it to C.electilis (Berry, 1963), the other extant member of this genus recorded from the region. Cymatioacooki is rare, and while many galeommatoid species have been shown to be commensal with other invertebrates, we have been unable to determine any specific commensal relationships for it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Valentich-Scott
- Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, California 93105, USASanta Barbara Museum of Natural HistorySanta BarbaraUnited States of America
| | - Jeffrey H. R. Goddard
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USAUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraUnited States of America
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45
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Pyenson ND, Al-Ansi M, Fieseler CM, Al Jaber KH, Klim KD, LeBlanc J, Mohamed AMD, Al-Shaikh I, Marshall CD. Fossil Sirenia from the Pleistocene of Qatar: new questions about the antiquity of sea cows in the Gulf Region. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14075. [PMID: 36275454 PMCID: PMC9586076 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the largest and least documented populations of dugongs (Dugong dugon) resides in the coastal waters of the United Arab Emirates, and waters surrounding Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. The archaeological record of dugongs in the Gulf Region is abundant, but little is known about their fossil record in the region. Here we report an isolated sirenian rib fragment from the Futaisi Member of the Fuwayrit Formation near the town of Al Ruwais, in northern Qatar. The Fuwayrit Formation is a marine Pleistocene deposit exposed onshore in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Based on the correlative dating of the basal Futaisi Member with other onshore platforms, the rib fragment is approximately 125 ka. We propose that this isolated rib (likely the first rib from the right side) belongs to Dugongidae, with strong similarities to extant Dugong. We cannot, however, eliminate the possibility that it belongs to an extinct taxon, especially given its similarities with other fossil dugongid material from both Qatar and elsewhere in the world. Aside from reflecting the presence of Gulf seagrass communities in the Pleistocene, this occurrence also suggests that different (and potentially multiple) lineages of sirenians inhabited the Gulf Region in the geologic past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D. Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, United States,Department of Paleontology and Geology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington State, United States
| | - Mehsin Al-Ansi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Clare M. Fieseler
- Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | | | - Katherine D. Klim
- Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | | | | | | | - Christopher D. Marshall
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University-Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States,Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States
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Gould MJ, Cain JW, Atwood TC, Harding LE, Johnson HE, Onorato DP, Winslow FS, Roemer GW. Pleistocene-Holocene vicariance, not Anthropocene landscape change, explains the genetic structure of American black bear ( Ursus americanus) populations in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9406. [PMID: 36248671 PMCID: PMC9551525 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogeography of the American black bear (Ursus americanus) is characterized by isolation into glacial refugia, followed by population expansion and genetic admixture. Anthropogenic activities, including overharvest, habitat loss, and transportation infrastructure, have also influenced their landscape genetic structure. We describe the genetic structure of the American black bear in the American Southwest and northern Mexico and investigate how prehistoric and contemporary forces shaped genetic structure and influenced gene flow. Using a suite of microsatellites and a sample of 550 bears, we identified 14 subpopulations organized hierarchically following the distribution of ecoregions and mountain ranges containing black bear habitat. The pattern of subdivision we observed is more likely a product of postglacial habitat fragmentation during the Pleistocene and Holocene, rather than a consequence of contemporary anthropogenic barriers to movement during the Anthropocene. We used linear mixed‐effects models to quantify the relationship between landscape resistance and genetic distance among individuals, which indicated that both isolation by resistance and geographic distance govern gene flow. Gene flow was highest among subpopulations occupying large tracts of contiguous habitat, was reduced among subpopulations in the Madrean Sky Island Archipelago, where montane habitat exists within a lowland matrix of arid lands, and was essentially nonexistent between two isolated subpopulations. We found significant asymmetric gene flow supporting the hypothesis that bears expanded northward from a Pleistocene refugium located in the American Southwest and northern Mexico and that major highways were not yet affecting gene flow. The potential vulnerability of the species to climate change, transportation infrastructure, and the US–Mexico border wall highlights conservation challenges and opportunities for binational collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Gould
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation EcologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA,Department of BiologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA,U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - James W. Cain
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation EcologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA,Department of BiologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA,U.S. Geological Survey New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA
| | - Todd C. Atwood
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Science CenterAnchorageAlaskaUSA
| | | | | | - Dave P. Onorato
- Fish and Wildlife Research InstituteFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionNaplesFloridaUSA
| | | | - Gary W. Roemer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation EcologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA,Department of BiologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNew MexicoUSA
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Figueroa‐Corona L, Moreno‐Letelier A, Ortega‐Del Vecchyo D, Peláez P, Gernandt DS, Eguiarte LE, Wegrzyn J, Piñero D. Changes in demography and geographic distribution in the weeping pinyon pine ( Pinus pinceana) during the Pleistocene. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9369. [PMID: 36225821 PMCID: PMC9534753 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate changes, together with geographical barriers imposed by the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Chihuahuan Desert, have shaped the genetic diversity and spatial distribution of different species in northern Mexico. Pinus pinceana Gordon & Glend. tolerates extremely arid conditions. Northern Mexico became more arid during the Quaternary, modifying ecological communities. Here, we try to identify the processes underlying the demographic history of P. pinceana and characterize its genetic diversity using 3100 SNPs from genotyping by sequencing 90 adult individuals from 10 natural populations covering the species' entire geographic distribution. We inferred its population history and contrasted possible demographic scenarios of divergence that modeled the genetic diversity present in this restricted pinyon pine; in support, the past distribution was reconstructed using climate from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 22 kya). We inferred that P. pinceana diverged into two lineages ~2.49 Ma (95% CI 3.28-1.62), colonizing two regions: the Sierra Madre Oriental (SMO) and the Chihuahuan Desert (ChD). Our results of population genomic analyses reveal the presence of heterozygous SNPs in all populations. In addition, low migration rates across regions are probably related to glacial-interglacial cycles, followed by the gradual aridification of the Chihuahuan Desert during the Holocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Figueroa‐Corona
- Posgrado en Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico,Departamento de Ecología EvolutivaInstituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | | | - Diego Ortega‐Del Vecchyo
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma HumanoUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoJuriquillaMexico
| | - Pablo Peláez
- Centro de Ciencias GenómicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCuernavacaMorelosMexico
| | - David S. Gernandt
- Departamento de BotánicaInstituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | - Luis E. Eguiarte
- Departamento de Ecología EvolutivaInstituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | - Jill Wegrzyn
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | - Daniel Piñero
- Departamento de Ecología EvolutivaInstituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico
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Lockey AL, Rodríguez L, Martín-Francés L, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Crété L, Martinón-Torres M, Parfitt S, Pope M, Stringer C. Comparing the Boxgrove and Atapuerca (Sima de los Huesos) human fossils: Do they represent distinct paleodemes? J Hum Evol 2022; 172:103253. [PMID: 36162354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The early Middle Pleistocene human material from Boxgrove (West Sussex, UK) consists of a partial left tibia and two lower incisors from a separate adult individual. These remains derive from deposits assigned to the MIS 13 interglacial at about 480 ka and have been referred to as Homo cf. heidelbergensis. The much larger skeletal sample from the Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Spain) is dated to the succeeding MIS 12, at about 430 ka. This fossil material has previously been assigned to Homo heidelbergensis but is now placed within the Neanderthal clade. Because of the scarcity of human remains from the Middle Pleistocene and their morphological variability, this study assessed whether the Boxgrove specimens fit within the morphological variability of the homogeneous Sima de los Huesos population. Based on morphometric analyses performed against 22 lower incisors from Sima de los Huesos and published material, the data from the Boxgrove incisors place them comfortably within the range of Sima de los Huesos. Both assemblages present robust incisors distinct from the overall small recent Homo sapiens incisors, and Boxgrove also aligns closely with Homo neanderthalensis and some other European Middle Pleistocene hominins. Following morphological and cross-sectional analyses of the Boxgrove tibia compared to seven adult Sima de los Huesos specimens and a set of comparative tibiae, Boxgrove is shown to be similar to Sima de los Huesos and Neanderthals in having thick cortices and bone walls, but in contrast resembles modern humans in having a straight anterior tibial crest and a suggestion of a lateral concavity. Based on the patterns observed, there is no justification for assigning the Boxgrove and Sima de los Huesos incisors to distinct paleodemes, but the tibial data show greater contrasts and suggest that all three of these samples are unlikely to represent the same paleodeme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle L Lockey
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK; Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Universität Tübingen, 72070, Germany
| | - Laura Rodríguez
- Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León. Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Facultad de Humanidades y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Edificio I+D+i, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, C/ Villadiego s/n, 09001, Burgos, Spain
| | - Laura Martín-Francés
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Cátedra de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales - Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK; National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Lucile Crété
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK; National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Simon Parfitt
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK; Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Matt Pope
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
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Han TS, Hu ZY, Du ZQ, Zheng QJ, Liu J, Mitchell-Olds T, Xing YW. Adaptive responses drive the success of polyploid yellowcresses ( Rorippa, Brassicaceae) in the Hengduan Mountains, a temperate biodiversity hotspot. Plant Divers 2022; 44:455-467. [PMID: 36187546 PMCID: PMC9512641 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Polyploids contribute substantially to plant evolution and biodiversity; however, the mechanisms by which they succeed are still unclear. According to the polyploid adaptation hypothesis, successful polyploids spread by repeated adaptive responses to new environments. Here, we tested this hypothesis using two tetraploid yellowcresses (Rorippa), the endemic Rorippa elata and the widespread Rorippa palustris, in the temperate biodiversity hotspot of the Hengduan Mountains. Speciation modes were resolved by phylogenetic modeling using 12 low-copy nuclear loci. Phylogeographical patterns were then examined using haplotypes phased from four plastid and ITS markers, coupled with historical niche reconstruction by ecological niche modeling. We inferred the time of hybrid origins for both species as the mid-Pleistocene, with shared glacial refugia within the southern Hengduan Mountains. Phylogeographic and ecological niche reconstruction indicated recurrent northward colonization by both species after speciation, possibly tracking denuded habitats created by glacial retreat during interglacial periods. Common garden experiment involving perennial R. elata conducted over two years revealed significant changes in fitness-related traits across source latitudes or altitudes, including latitudinal increases in survival rate and compactness of plant architecture, suggesting gradual adaptation during range expansion. These findings support the polyploid adaptation hypothesis and suggest that the spread of polyploids was aided by adaptive responses to environmental changes during the Pleistocene. Our results thus provide insight into the evolutionary success of polyploids in high-altitude environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Shen Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Zheng-Yan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Quan-Jing Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jia Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | | | - Yao-Wu Xing
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
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50
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Hu J, Westbury MV, Yuan J, Wang C, Xiao B, Chen S, Song S, Wang L, Lin H, Lai X, Sheng G. An extinct and deeply divergent tiger lineage from northeastern China recognized through palaeogenomics. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220617. [PMID: 35892215 PMCID: PMC9326283 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tigers (Panthera tigris) are flagship big cats and attract extensive public attention due to their charismatic features and endangered status. Despite this, little is known about their prehistoric lineages and detailed evolutionary histories. Through palaeogenomic analyses, we identified a Pleistocene tiger from northeastern China, dated to beyond the limits of radiocarbon dating (greater than 43 500 years ago). We used a simulated dataset and different reads processing pipelines to test the validity of our results and confirmed that, in both mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies, this ancient individual belongs to a previously unknown lineage that diverged prior to modern tiger diversification. Based on the mitochondrial genome, the divergence time of this ancient lineage was estimated to be approximately 268 ka (95% CI: 187-353 ka), doubling the known age of tigers' maternal ancestor to around 125 ka (95% CI: 88-168 ka). Furthermore, by combining our findings with putative mechanisms underlying the discordant mito-nuclear phylogenetic placement for the South China tigers, we proposed a more complex scenario of tiger evolution that would otherwise be missed using data from modern tigers only. Our study provides the first glimpses of the genetic antiquity of tigers and demonstrates the utility of aDNA-based investigation for further understanding tiger evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaming Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China,School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Michael V. Westbury
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Junxia Yuan
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunxue Wang
- School of Archaeology, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China,School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Shungang Chen
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiwen Song
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China
| | - Linying Wang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China
| | - Haifeng Lin
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China
| | - Xulong Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China,School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Guilian Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China,School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, People's Republic of China
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