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915 results for “morphological evolution”
Adding the third dimension to studies of parallel evolution of morphology and function: an exploration based on parapatric lake-stream stickleback
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Interspecific introgression reveals a role of male genital morphology during the evolution of reproductive isolation in Drosophila
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Co-evolution of cleaning and feeding morphology in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific gobies
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Categorical versus geometric morphometric approaches to characterising the evolution of morphological disparity in Osteostraci (Vertebrata, stem-Gnathostomata)
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Data and code from: Widespread evolution of poricidal flowers: A striking example of morphological convergence across flowering plants
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Data from: Gliding dragons and flying squirrels: diversifying versus stabilizing selection on morphology following the evolution of an innovation
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The evolution of femoral morphology in giant non-avian theropod dinosaurs
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Data from: The evolution of sexual signal modes and associated sensor morphology in fireflies (Lampyridae, Coleoptera)
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Parallel and divergent morphological adaptations underlying the evolution of jumping ability in ants
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Different selection regimes explain morphological evolution in fossorial lizards
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Data for: Evolution and genomic basis of the plant-penetrating ovipositor: a key morphological trait in herbivorous Drosophilidae
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Phylogenomics, biogeography, and evolution of morphology and ecological niche of the eastern Asian‐ eastern North American Nyssa (Nyssaceae)
<p><i>Nyssa</i> (Nyssaceae, Cornales) represents a classical example of the well‐known eastern Asian‐eastern North American floristic disjunction. The genus consists of three species in eastern Asia, four species in eastern North America, and one species in Central America. Species of the genus are ecologically important trees in eastern North American and eastern Asian forests. The distribution of living species and a rich fossil record of the genus make it an excellent model for understanding the origin and evolution of the eastern Asian‐eastern North American floristic disjunction. However, despite the small number of species, relationships within the genus have remained unclear and have not been elucidated using a molecular approach. Here we integrate data from 48 nuclear genes, fossils, morphology, and ecological niche to resolve species relationships, elucidate its biogeographic history, and investigate the evolution of morphology and ecological niches, with the goal toward a better understanding of the well‐known EA‐ENA floristic disjunction. Results showed the Central American (CAM) <i>N. talamancana</i> was sister to the remaining species, which were divided among three, rapidly diversified subclades. Estimated divergence times and biogeographic history suggested <i>Nyssa</i> had an ancestral range in Eurasia and western North America in the late Paleocene. The rapid diversification occurred in the early Eocene, followed by multiple dispersals between and within the Erasian and North American continents. The genus experienced two major episodes of extinction in the early Oligocene and end of Neogene, respectively. The Central American <i>N. talamancana</i> represents a relic lineage of the boreotropical flora in the Paleocene/Eocene boundary that once diversified in western North America. The results supported the importance of both the North Atlantic land bridge and the Bering land bridge (BLB) for the Paleogene dispersals of <i>Nyssa</i> and the BLB for the Neogene dispersals and the role of Central America as refugia of the Paleogene flora. The total‐evidence based dated phylogeny suggested that the pattern of macroevolution of <i>Nyssa</i> coincided with paleoclimatic changes. We found a number of evolutionary changes in morphology (including wood anatomy and leaf traits) and ecological niches (precipitation and temperature) between the EA‐ENA disjunct, supporting ecological selection driving trait evolutions following geographic isolation. We also demonstrated challenges in phylogenomic studies of lineages with rapid diversification histories. The concatenation of gene data can lead to inference of strongly supported relationships incongruent with the species tree. However, conflicts in gene genealogies did not seem to impose a strong effect on divergence time dating in our case. Furthermore, we demonstrated that rapid diversification events may not be recovered in divergence time dating analysis using BEAST if critical fossil constraints of the relevant nodes are not available. Our study provides an example of complex bi‐directional exchanges of plants between Eurasia and North America in the Paleogene but "out of Asia" migrations in the Neogene to explain the present disjunct distribution of <i>Nyssa</i> in EA and ENA.<b> </b><b> </b></p>
Data from: Repeated evolution of exaggerated dewlaps and other throat morphology in lizards
The existence of elaborate ornamental structures in males is often assumed to reflect the outcome of female mate choice for showy males. However, female mate choice appears weak in many iguanian lizards, but males still exhibit an array of ornament-like structures around the throat. We performed a phylogenetic comparative study to assess whether these structures have originated in response to male-male competition or the need for improved signal efficiency in visually difficult environments. We found little evidence for the influence of male-male competition. Instead, forest species were more likely to exhibit colourful throat appendages than species living in open habitats, suggesting selection for signal efficiency. On at least three independent occasions, throat ornamentation has become further elaborated into a large, conspicuously coloured moving dewlap. Although the function of the dewlap is convergent, the underlying hyoid apparatus has evolved very differently, revealing the same adaptive outcome has been achieved through multiple evolutionary trajectories. More generally, our findings highlight that extravagant, ornament-like morphology can evolve in males without the direct influence of female mate choice, and that failure to consider alternative hypotheses for the evolution of these structures can obscure the true origins of signal diversity among closely related taxa.
Data from: Phylogenomics, life history and morphological evolution of ophiocomid brittlestars
Brittlestars in the family Ophiocomidae are large and colourful inhabitants of tropical shallow water habitats across the globe. Here we use targeted capture and next-generation sequencing to generate robust phylogenomic trees for 39 of the 43 species in order to test the monophyly of existing genera. The large genus Ophiocoma, as currently constituted, is paraphyletic on our trees and required revision. Four genera are recognised herein: an expanded Ophiomastix (now including Ophiocoma wendtii, O. occidentalis, O. endeani, O. macroplaca, and Ophiarthrum spp), Ophiocomella (now including the non-fissiparous Ophiocoma pumila, aethiops and valenciae) and Breviturma (now including Ophiocoma pica, O. pusilla, O. paucigranulata and O. longispina) and a restricted Ophiocoma. The resulting junior homonym Ophiomastix elegans is renamed O. brocki. The genus Ophiomastix exhibits relatively high rates of morphological disparity compared to other lineages. Ophiomastix flaccida and O. (formerly Ophiarthrum) pictum have divergent mitochondrial genomes, characterised by gene-order rearrangements, strand recoding, enriched GT base composition, and a corresponding divergence of nuclear mitochondrial protein genes. The new phylogeny indicates that larval and developmental transitions occurred rarely. Larval culture trials show that species with abbreviated lecithotrophic larval development occur only within Ophiomastix, although the possible monophyly of these species is obscured by the rapid early radiation within this genus. Asexual reproduction by fission is limited to one species-complex within Ophiocomella, also characterised by elevated levels of allelic heterozygosity, and which has achieved a relatively rapid global distribution. The crown ages of the new genera considerably predate the closure of the Tethyan seaway and all four are distributed in both the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. Two species pairs appear to reflect the closure of the Panama Seaway, although their fossil-calibrated node ages (12–14 ± 6 my), derived from both concatenated sequence and multispecies coalescent analyses, considerably predate the terminal closure event. Ophiocoma erinaceus has crossed the East Pacific barrier and is recorded from Clipperton Island, SW of Mexico.
Data from: Serial homology and correlated characters in morphological phylogenetics: modeling the evolution of dental crests in placentals
Accurate modeling of the complexity of morphological evolution is crucial for morphological phylogenetics and for performing tests on a wide variety of evolutionary scenarios. In this context, morphological integration and the problem of correlated categorical characters represent a major challenge. In particular, the magnitude and implications of correlations among serially homologous structures such as teeth have been much debated but were never tested statistically within a broad phylogenetic context. Here, we present a large-scale empirical study analyzing the serial variation of cingular crests on successive molars (M1, M2 and M3) of 274 placental species in a phylogenetic context. Both likelihood analyses and analysis of phylogenetic co-distributions demonstrated highly correlated evolution in the entire sample and thus the non-independence of these serial features at a macroevolutionary scale. Likelihood analyses show that their serial variation should be better scored within a single composite character model with constrained paths for transitions enabling simultaneous changes on all three molars, which suggests a strong developmental or genetic integration. These results are congruent with current molecular and developmental knowledge related to dental morphological variation and call into question the frequent use of separate characters scored on serially homologous structures of the dentition in phylogenetic analyses. Overall, they provide long-overdue and clear empirical evidence that in-depth studies of patterns of integration constitute an essential step towards more realistic character construction and modeling. This approach is critical for more accurate morphological phylogenetics and, more generally, for testing macroevolutionary scenarios on groups of correlated characters.
Data from: The Tetramerium lineage (Acanthaceae, Justicieae) revisited: phylogenetic relationships reveal polyphyly of many new world genera accompanied by rampant evolution of floral morphology
Molecular data confirm monophyly of the Tetramerium lineage (Acanthaceae, Justicieae), a group of nearly 200 species, ca. 75% from the New World (NW) and the remainder from Asia or Africa. Compared to our earlier work, > 50% more in-group taxa were sampled (nearly 2/3 of known taxa now sampled) and added ~20% more sequence data. We time-calibrate the phylogeny using primary fossil evidence and the larger context of a calibrated phylogeny for Acanthaceae. Many aspects of relationship are strongly supported but uncertainty remains about a number of phylogenetically isolated taxa (e.g., African Angkalanthus, Chorisochora; NW Ancistranthus) and some aspects of relationships among clades remain weakly supported. The group originated in the OW and began diversifying about 11.5 Ma. A single dispersal event to the NW occurred about 8.3 Ma, likely from Africa to southwestern North America. A number of major clades, particularly in the NW, are less than 5 Ma old and species in many clades are substantially younger. Several NW clades – even those with <10 species – comprise species that are markedly heterogeneous in floral traits likely reflecting selection by pollinators. Many NW genera are not monophyletic, which is not surprising given that floral traits have been relied upon taxonomically. Diversification rate analysis revealed no significant shifts resulting in a gradual increase in number of lineages with time. The Tetramerium lineage is now phylogenetically well characterized but remains enigmatic from the perspective of morphological evidence for many aspects of relationships. The lineage is usefully thought of as a 'clade complex': as a species complex is of morphologically confusing species, a 'clade complex' is of clades that are not well characterized morphologically.
Data from: Pleiotropic jaw morphology links the evolution of mechanical modularity and functional feeding convergence in Lake Malawi Cichlids
Complexity in how mechanistic variation translates into ecological novelty could be critical to organismal diversification. For instance, when multiple distinct morphologies can generate the same mechanical or functional phenotype this could mitigate tradeoffs and/or provide alternative ways to meet the same ecological challenge. To investigate how this type of complexity shapes diversity in a classic adaptive radiation, we tested several evolutionary consequences of the anterior jaw four-bar linkage for Lake Malawi cichlid trophic diversification. Using a novel phylogenetic framework, we demonstrated that different mechanical outputs of the same four jaw elements are evolutionarily associated with both jaw protrusion distance and jaw protrusion angle. However, these two functional aspects of jaw protrusion have evolved independently. Additionally, although four-bar morphology showed little evidence for attraction to optima, there was substantial evidence of adaptive peaks for emergent four-bar linkage mechanics and jaw protrusion abilities among Malawi feeding guilds. Finally, we highlighted a clear case of "cryptic convergence" in which two cichlid species that have independently evolved to graze algae in less than two million years, have converged on similar jaw protrusion abilities as well as four-bar linkage mechanics, but have evolved these similarities via non-convergent four-bar morphologies.
Data from: Molecular phylogenetics and the evolution of fruit and leaf morphology of Dichaea (Orchidaceae: Zygopetalinae)
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The orchid genus Dichaea, with over 100 species found throughout the neotropics, is easily recognized by distichous leaves on long stems without pseudobulbs and flowers with infrastigmatic ligules. The genus has previously been divided into four sections based primarily on presence of ovary bristles and a foliar abscission layer. The aim of this work is to use DNA sequence data to estimate phylogenetic relationships within Dichaea and map the distribution of major morphological characters that have been used to delimit subgenera/sections. METHODS: Sequence data for the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers and plastid matK, trnL intron, trnL-F spacer and ycf1 for 67 ingroup and seven outgroup operational taxonomic units were used to estimate phylogenetic relationships within Dichaea. Taxa from each of the four sections were sampled, with the greatest representation from section Dichaea, the most diverse and taxonomically puzzling group. KEY RESULTS: Molecular data and morphology support monophyly of Dichaea. Results indicate that section Dichaeopsis is polyphyletic and based on symplesiomorphies, including deciduous leaves and smooth ovaries that are widespread in Zygopetalinae. There are at least three well-supported clades within section Dichaeopsis. Section Pseudodichaea is monophyletic and defined by setose ovaries and leaves with an abscission layer. Sections Dichaea and Dichaeastrum are monophyletic and defined by pendent habit and persistent leaves. Section Dichaeastrum, distinguished from section Dichaea primarily by a glabrous ovary, is potentially polyphyletic. CONCLUSIONS: The leaf abscission layer was lost once, occurring only in the derived sections Dichaea and Dichaeastrum. The setose fruit is a more homoplasious character with several losses and gains within the genus. We propose an informal division of the genus based upon five well-supported clades.
Data from: Potential rapid evolution of foot morphology in Italian plethodontid salamanders (Hydromantes strinatii) following the colonization of an artificial cave
How organisms respond to environmental change is a long-standing question in evolutionary biology. Species invading novel habitats provide an opportunity to examine contemporary evolution in action, and decipher the pace of evolutionary change over short time scales. Here we characterized phenotypic evolution in the Italian plethodontid salamander, Hydromantes strinatii following the recent colonization of an artificial cave by a forest floor population. When compared with a nearby and genetically related population in the natural forest floor and a nearby cave population, the artificial cave population displayed significant differences in overall foot shape, with more inter-digital webbing relative to the other populations. Further, this population evolved significantly larger feet, which corresponded more closely to those found in other cave populations than to forest floor populations to which the cave population is closely related. Finally, we quantified the rate of evolution for both foot shape and foot area, and found that both traits displayed large and significant evolutionary rates, at levels corresponding to other classic cases of rapid evolution in vertebrates. Together these findings reveal that the response to novel environmental pressures can be large and rapid, and that the anatomical shifts observed in the artificial cave population of H. strinatii may represent a case of rapid evolution in response to novel environmental pressures.
Data from: Convergent evolution across the Australian continent: ecotype diversification drives morphological convergence in two distantly related clades of Australian frogs
Animals from different clades but subject to similar environments often evolve similar body shapes and physiological adaptations due to convergent evolution, but this has been rarely tested at the transcontinental level and across entire classes of animal. Australia's biome diversity, isolation and aridification history provide excellent opportunities for comparative analyses on broad-scale macroevolutionary patterns. We collected morphological and environmental data on eighty-four (98%) Australian hylid frog species and categorized them into ecotypes. Using a phylogenetic framework, we tested the hypothesis that frogs from the same ecotype display similar body shape patterns: (i) across all the Australian hylids, and (ii) through comparison with a similar previous study on 127 (97%) Australian myobatrachid species. Body size and shape variation did not follow a strong phylogenetic pattern and was not tightly correlated with environment, but there was a stronger association between morphotype and ecotype. Both arboreal and aquatic frogs had long limbs, whereas limbs of fossorial species were shorter. Other terrestrial species were convergent on the more typical frog body shape. We quantified the strength of morphological convergence at two levels: (i) between fossorial myobatrachid and hylid frogs, and (ii) in each ecomorph within the hylids. We found strong convergence within ecotypes, especially in fossorial species. Ecotypes were also reflected in physiological adaptations: both arboreal and cocooned fossorial frogs tend to have higher rates of evaporative water loss. Our results illustrate how adaptation to different ecological niches plays a crucial role in morphological evolution, boosting phenotypic diversity within a clade. Despite phylogenetic conservatism, morphological adaptation to repeatedly emerging new environments can erase the signature of ancestral morphotypes, resulting in phenotypic diversification and convergence both within and between diverse clades.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.