Article
Biology
Nicolas Mongiardino Koch, Russell J. Garwood, Luke A. Parry
Summary: Fossils provide a direct window into evolutionary events in the distant past. Incorporating fossils into phylogenetic hypotheses of living clades can help time-calibrate divergences and elucidate macroevolutionary dynamics. Additionally, fossils improve the accuracy of phylogenetic analysis of morphological datasets and increase the number of resolved nodes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Tomasz Szczygielski
Summary: The material referred to as Chelytherium obscurum is significant as the first described Triassic turtle, one of the oldest testudinates in the world, and the oldest among British palaeontological collections. Despite being initially overlooked and almost forgotten, recent reevaluation places Chelytherium obscurum as a member of the Proterochersidae, synonymous with Proterochersis robusta, according to previous suggestions.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Renato Jose Pires Machado, Caleb Califre Martins, Horst Aspoeck, Leon Gustavo De Miranda Tavares, Ulrike Aspoeck
Summary: A new genus of Berothidae, Speleoberotha, with two new species from Brazil, Speleoberotha mineira sp. nov. and Speleoberotha palomae sp. nov., has been discovered. This is the first time cave-associated species of Berothidae have been recorded. Through phylogenetic analyses, a new concept of the subfamily Cyrenoberothinae is proposed, including the new genus and three fossil genera along with the extant Cyrenoberotha and Manselliberotha. The biogeographical history of Cyrenoberothinae is also discussed, suggesting its origin in Gondwana.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Muhammad Akbar Khan, Sayyed Ghyour Abbas, Kiran Aftab, Muhammad Adeeb Babar, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Faheem Malik, Rafia Zaman
Summary: In this study, new bovid remains from the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene of Padhri in the Potwar Plateau of Pakistan are described. Comparison with closely related genera from the Siwaliks showed that a maxillary fragment and a hemimandible belong to Tragoportax punjabicus, two isolated teeth can be assigned as cf. Tragoportax sp., and a mandible fragment belongs to Gazella lydekkeri. It is suggested that Tragoportax is represented by two valid species and Gazella by three species. The extinction of Tragoportax and Gazella from the Siwaliks during the Early Pliocene could be associated with habitat loss.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ben J. Slater, Madeleine S. Bohlin
Summary: Accumulated records of organic microfossils spanning billions of years provide important insights into the evolution of animal groups. This style of fossilization has significant geological fidelity and temporal continuity, making it valuable for studying the early history of animals.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Abhijit Sreepada, Mansi Tiwari, Kasturi Pal
Summary: This article provides an overview of the classification of human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and the characteristics of adhesion GPCRs (aGPCRs). It discusses the crucial roles of aGPCRs in organ development, their involvement in various physiological processes, and their association with diseases.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2022)
Article
Biology
Ben Thuy, Mats E. Eriksson, Manfred Kutscher, Johan Lindgren, Lea D. Numberger-Thuy, David F. Wright
Summary: This study reveals a rare case where the origin of a diverse animal group (the living Ophiuroidea) is linked to a single speciation event, rather than hypothetical ancestors. Through fossil records from the Silurian period in Sweden, the study discovers that the miniaturization of the brittle star group coincides with the global extinction and environmental perturbation known as the Mulde Event. This sheds light on the evolution of the modern brittle star body plan.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Parasitology
Daniel J. G. Lahr
Summary: The paradigm of eukaryotic evolution has been dramatically changed in the past two decades, impacting our understanding of life on earth. This essay summarises advances made in the phylogenetic relationships among shelled amoebae, paleobiological studies of Neoproterozoic fossils, as well as the surprising diversity of organisms in the Neoproterozoic era, demanding a reinterpretation of the history of eukaryotes.
MEMORIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joelson Moreno Brito Moura, Risoneide Henriques da Silva, Washington Soares Ferreira Junior, Taline Cristina da Silva, Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque
Summary: Adaptive memory refers to the human tendency to store and retrieve important information easily to tackle challenges related to the Pleistocene era. Recent evidence suggests that humans have experienced multi-regional evolution across Africa, but there is limited evidence on how this impacts memory performance in survival processing. An experiment was conducted to analyze if adaptive memory operates differently in ancestral environments compared to modern settings when recalling important information. The results indicated no ancestral advantage in memory recall, suggesting that humans have evolved cognitive mechanisms that enable them to adapt and survive in various environments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vicente M. Cabrera
Summary: Human evolutionary genetics provides a chronological framework for interpreting human history based on the molecular clock hypothesis. The study revealed that the substitution rate may differ significantly from the average germline mutation rate over time, mainly due to changes in the effective population size of human populations. Additionally, transient polymorphisms were found to play a slowdown role in evolutionary rates.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Zhenyu Zhang, Wei Zhang, Jun-Chen Tang, Jin-Teng Che, Zhongchao Zhang, Jia-Hua Chen, Zhen Yang
Summary: The researchers synthesized (+)-Haperforin G in 20 steps from commercially available starting materials. They used a Co-catalyzed intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction to selectively construct a cyclopentanone with an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center at the bridge-head position. Light-initiated photocatalysis was employed for the convergent and asymmetric cross-coupling of the unstabilized C(sp(3)) radical with an enone. This developed chemistry opens up possibilities for synthesizing structurally diverse analogs of haperforin G (6).
JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Tamara Spasojevic, Gavin R. Broad, Ilari E. Saaksjarvi, Martin Schwarz, Masato Ito, Stanislav Korenko, Seraina Klopfstein
Summary: This study assessed the impact of outgroup sampling and missing morphological data on age estimates in total-evidence dating analysis. The results showed that including more distant outgroups led to older and less precise age estimates. Additionally, the phenomenon of bare-branch attraction was identified as potentially detrimental to total-evidence dating studies.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Zoboli
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the diverse palaeontological heritage in SW Sardinia, Italy. Through rigorous research and field surveys, relevant fossil sites were identified based on their scientific and historical significance. A total of one hundred localities were selected and grouped into six areas for the development of geotourism routes focusing on palaeontological heritage. The revaluation of the Serbariu coal mine as a geo-palaeontological museum has greatly contributed to the promotion of the local geoheritage and is now considered one of Sardinia's most significant scientific museums. Proposed geo-palaeontological routes starting from the museum aim to boost cultural tourism and socioeconomic growth in the region.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuanyuan Wang, Suyue Zhong, Zhenhua Niu, Yangyang Dai, Jian Li
Summary: With the development of industrial technology and the increase of people's environmental awareness, the research on sustainable materials and their applications has become a hot topic. Graphitic phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4), as a two-dimensional material, has attracted much attention in sustainable research due to its advantages such as simple preparation, good electrochemical properties, excellent photochemical properties, and better thermal stability. However, the inherent limitations of g-C3N4 have limited its practical application.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Paleontology
Jake Newman-Martin, Kenny J. Travouillon, Natalie Warburton, Milo Barham, Alison J. Blyth
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive taxonomic review of the genus Dasycercus, integrating material from various sources across Australia. Through analysis of cranial and dental morphology, the validity of three species, D. cristicauda, D. blythi, and D. hillieri, is confirmed, and three new species are proposed. Additionally, four likely extinct taxa are identified, marking the first recorded instance of modern extinction within the family Dasyuridae.
Article
Anthropology
Karen R. Swan, Rachel Ives, Laura A. B. Wilson, Louise T. Humphrey
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael D. Stein, Suzanne J. Hand, Michael Archer, Stephen Wroe, Laura A. B. Wilson
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Camilo Lopez-Aguirre, Suzanne J. Hand, Daisuke Koyabu, Vuong Tan Tu, Laura A. B. Wilson
Summary: The study utilized 3D virtual modelling and geometric morphometrics to explore the phylogenetic, ecological, and biological drivers of humeral morphology in bats. They found that phylogeny, diet, and foraging guild significantly correlated with shape variation at all levels, while size only had a significant effect on epiphyseal morphology. The study also revealed a significant phylogenetic signal in all levels of humeral shape, with epiphyseal shape significantly correlated with wing aspect ratio.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Taro Nojiri, Laura A. B. Wilson, Camilo Lopez-Aguirre, Vuong Tan Tu, Shigeru Kuratani, Kai Ito, Hiroki Higashiyama, Nguyen Truong Son, Dai Fukui, Alexa Sadier, Karen E. Sears, Hideki Endo, Satoshi Kamihori, Daisuke Koyabu
Summary: The study found that laryngeal echolocation in bats may have multiple origins, supporting the hypothesis of a non-echolocating bat ancestor and independent gain of echolocation in Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera. Additionally, there were no developmental differences in the hearing apparatus between non-echolocating bats and terrestrial non-bat mammals.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Camilo Lopez-Aguirre, Laura A. B. Wilson, Daisuke Koyabu, Vuong Tan Tu, Suzanne J. Hand
Summary: This study investigated the humeral shape and biomechanical variation in relation to different foraging and roosting behaviors in bats. The results revealed a strong ecological signal and lack of phylogenetic structuring in humeral phenotypes. Terrestrial locomoting and upstand roosting species exhibited unique patterns of shape and biomechanical variation.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Camilo Lopez-Aguirre, Suzanne J. Hand, Daisuke Koyabu, Vuong Tan Tu, Laura A. B. Wilson
Summary: Fluctuating asymmetry, as an index of both developmental instabilities and homeostatic capabilities of organisms, was studied in prenatal development of bats focusing on the humerus bone. Results showed relatively stable magnitudes of fluctuating asymmetry throughout ontogeny, with significant differences in cross-sectional asymmetry across developmental stages. Developmental patterns of longitudinal and cross-sectional asymmetry did not correspond, indicating independent processes controlling symmetric bone elongation and thickening.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Laura A. B. Wilson, Ana Balcarcel, Madeleine Geiger, Laura Heck, Marcelo R. Sanchez-Villagra
Summary: The study utilized morphological integration and modularity frameworks to assess the patterns related to the neural crest hypothesis and domestication syndrome. The findings suggest the presence of morphological differences between the neural crest and mesoderm modules in domestic and wild animals, but no significant changes in integration magnitude between domesticates and their wild progenitors.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Laura A. B. Wilson
Summary: This study measured fluctuating asymmetry in the cranium of six domestic mammal species and their wild relatives, finding that most domestic mammals showed greater disparity for asymmetric shape. However, only two forms, Pig and Dog, exhibited significantly higher disparity and asymmetry compared to their wild counterparts, Wild Boar and Wolf. This suggests that new variation in domesticates may retain a general, conserved pattern in the structuring of the cranium while also responding to selection on specific features.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Norberto P. Giannini, Miriam M. Morales, Laura A. B. Wilson, Paul M. Velazco, Fernando Abdala, David A. Flores
Summary: Marsupials are a major representation of mammalian diversification, confined geographically to the Americas and Australasia. Their cranial morphospace is influenced by size, shape trends, and evolutionary convergence, showing marked patterns of ecological and phylogenetic structuring. While some groups exhibit convergence, others show remarkable evolutionary divergence, with varying rates of evolution across different forms. Extinct forms are expected to fill in space voids and potentially increase intra- and intercontinental convergence.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Joshua M. White, Larisa R. G. DeSantis, Alistair R. Evans, Laura A. B. Wilson, Matthew R. McCurry
Summary: Research on the extinct diprotodontid marsupial Hulitherium tomasettii suggests that it was not a specialist bamboo feeder as previously believed, but rather a generalized browser that may have been able to utilize vegetation higher up in trees. The study used a multi-proxy approach to analyze dental complexity and microwear texture, concluding that H. tomasettii did not exhibit the characteristics of extant bamboo feeding taxa.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Norberto P. Giannini, Fernando Abdala, David A. Flores, Laura A. B. Wilson
Summary: Ontogenetic allometry, the covariation of shape with size over the course of development, can vary across species and in association with ecological factors. In this study, we conducted a detailed examination of cranial ontogeny in the numbat to understand the development and evolution of its specialized feeding function. Our results revealed positive allometry for length of certain skull elements, which directly relates to the unique rostral elongation in the numbat.
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Nicolas L. M. Brualla, Laura A. B. Wilson, Michael Doube, Richard T. T. Carter, Alan G. G. McElligott, Daisuke Koyabu
Summary: This article describes how comparative chiropteran laryngeal morphology is a novel area of research that could improve the understanding of echolocation and may help resolve the evolutionary history of bats. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding laryngeal sound production for the evolution of the chiropteran auditory system and the ecological and behavioral aspects of bat biology. The article also suggests that different laryngeal components may independently modulate the parameters of sound production in echolocation.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura A. B. Wilson, Susanne R. K. Zajitschek, Malgorzata Lagisz, Jeremy Mason, Hamed Haselimashhadi, Shinichi Nakagawa
Summary: Sex differences play a significant role in the risk and expression of diseases, but previous research has mainly focused on male animals and cells. Using data from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, this study reveals that body weight does not account for all phenotypic differences between male and female mice, highlighting the need for more female-focused research.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Biology
Ben Thomas Gleeson, Laura A. B. Wilson
Summary: Altered neural crest cell (NCC) behavior is often used to explain domestication syndrome in animals, but recent studies have questioned its validity and even the existence of the syndrome itself. In this review, we synthesize published literature and critiques to propose a novel interpretation, suggesting that shared disruption of wild reproductive regimes primarily caused the trait changes observed under ancient domestication. We compare these clear mechanisms with the more speculative genetic associations suggested by the NCC hypothesis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
J. William O. Ballard, Matt A. Field, Richard J. Edwards, Laura A. B. Wilson, Loukas G. Koungoulos, Benjamin D. Rosen, Barry Chernoff, Olga Dudchenko, Arina Omer, Jens Keilwagen, Ksenia Skvortsova, Ozren Bogdanovic, Eva Chan, Robert Zammit, Vanessa Hayes, Erez Lieberman Aiden
Summary: We describe a female Alpine dingo named Cooinda, who has been identified as a representative specimen for future research on the evolutionary history, morphology, physiology, and ecology of dingoes. The study provides evidence that Cooinda exhibits genetic and morphological characteristics typical of the Alpine ecotype.