Article
Plant Sciences
Lin-Bo Jia, Gi-Soo Nam, Tao Su, Gregory W. Stull, Shu-Feng Li, Yong-Jiang Huang, Zhe-Kun Zhou
Summary: Paleobotanical studies of fossils from South Korea in the middle Miocene reveal that mesothermal plants like Firmiana and Tilia endochrysea had distributions extending northward from Asia, but were still geographically distant from the Bering land bridge. This suggests that some mesothermal plants adjacent to the land bridge may have been able to utilize it as a migratory corridor, while others may have been ecologically restricted from crossing it.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xia Liu, Zhaoshan Wang, Wei Wang, Qinqin Huang, Yanfei Zeng, Yu Jin, Honglei Li, Shuhui Du, Jianguo Zhang
Summary: This study examines the origin and biogeography of the Populus genus using phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast fragments. The results suggest that the early divergences of the Salicaceae family occurred in Eurasia after the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction, with subsequent spread to other regions. Modern Populus species began to diversify during the early Oligocene, potentially facilitated by climate changes. Populus species from Eurasia colonized North America via the Bering Land Bridges. The present-day distribution of Populus can be explained by differences in extinction rates in different regions. Further research is needed to test these hypotheses. This study highlights the importance of combining phylogenetic analysis and biogeographic interpretations to understand the origin and distribution of biodiversity in temperate plant floras.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alisa O. Vershinina, Peter D. Heintzman, Duane G. Froese, Grant Zazula, Molly Cassatt-Johnstone, Love Dalen, Clio Der Sarkissian, Shelby G. Dunn, Luca Ermini, Cristina Gamba, Pamela Groves, Joshua D. Kapp, Daniel H. Mann, Andaine Seguin-Orlando, John Southon, Mathias Stiller, Matthew J. Wooller, Gennady Baryshnikov, Dmitry Gimranov, Eric Scott, Elizabeth Hall, Susan Hewitson, Irina Kirillova, Pavel Kosintsev, Fedor Shidlovsky, Hao-Wen Tong, Mikhail P. Tiunov, Sergey Vartanyan, Ludovic Orlando, Russell Corbett-Detig, Ross D. MacPhee, Beth Shapiro
Summary: The Bering Land Bridge connected Eurasia and North America during the Late Pleistocene, impacting genetic diversity and connectivity among caballine horse populations. Eurasian and North American horse populations diverged around 1.0-0.8 million years ago, with long-range dispersals across the BLB occurring around 875-625 and 200-50 thousand years ago. Low levels of gene flow between these populations were observed, while strong phylogeographical structuring was retained.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuan-Yuan Feng, Ting-Ting Shen, Cheng-Cheng Shao, Hong Du, Jin-Hua Ran, Xiao-Quan Wang
Summary: The study reconstructed a highly resolved phylogeny of Tsuga using nuclear, chloroplast, and mitochondrial genes, revealing the biogeographic history of the species originating in North America and dispersing to East Asia via the Bering Land Bridge in the middle Miocene. Additionally, a complex reticulate evolutionary pattern among East Asian Tsuga species was discovered, with implications for taxonomic reconsideration.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas Denk, Johannes M. Bouchal, H. Tuncay Guner, Mario Coiro, Rainer Butzmann, Kathleen B. Pigg, Bruce H. Tiffney
Summary: Previous research suggested that the sclerophyllous subhumid vegetation in western Eurasia and western North America during the Paleogene period was endemic to these disjunct regions, implying isolation between the southern areas of the Holarctic flora. However, a recent study discovered the presence of Vauquelinia, which is currently endemic to western North America, in Cenozoic strata of western Eurasia. The fossil record suggests that Vauquelinia and other dry-adapted plants potentially migrated across the Paleogene North Atlantic land bridge during the Eocene.
Review
Zoology
Zhe Zhao, Zhong-E Hou, Shu-Qiang Li
Summary: This study reviews the influence of tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region on the evolution and diversity patterns of Eurasian animals. The tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region directly impacts the composition and spatial distribution of Eurasian animal diversity, as well as animal origin, dispersal, preservation, diversification, and extinction. The Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Tethyan region plays a significant role in shaping the changes in Eurasian animal distribution.
ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexander T. Salis, Sarah C. E. Bray, Michael S. Y. Lee, Holly Heiniger, Ross Barnett, James A. Burns, Vladimir Doronichev, Daryl Fedje, Liubov Golovanova, C. Richard Harington, Bryan Hockett, Pavel Kosintsev, Xulong Lai, Quentin Mackie, Sergei Vasiliev, Jacobo Weinstock, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Julie A. Meachen, Alan Cooper, Kieren J. Mitchell
Summary: The Bering Land Bridge connected North America and Eurasia during the Pleistocene glacial cycles, allowing intermittent dispersal of animals, including humans, and changing the faunal community composition of both continents. The Pleistocene glacial cycles had profound impacts on environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, and vegetation, influencing faunal community structure and population dynamics. The study analyzed mitochondrial genome data from ancient brown bears and lions, revealing synchronicity in population dynamics and dispersal patterns across the Bering Land Bridge coinciding with glacial periods of low sea levels.
Review
Environmental Sciences
William B. Ludt
Summary: Biogeographers have long been intrigued by the disjunct distributions of flora and fauna, particularly when species are present in temperate or polar regions of both hemispheres but absent near the equator. Researchers have proposed various hypotheses regarding the mechanisms responsible for this pattern and emphasized the importance of using an integrative approach in future studies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Nussaibah B. Raja, Wolfgang Kiessling
Summary: Based on the study findings, it was revealed that over the past 66 million years, the diversity and dispersal of marine plankton were greatly influenced by large-scale climatic changes during the Cenozoic era. The origination of new species was more likely in the extratropics, while net dispersal was towards the tropics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bastian Heimburger, Leonie Schardt, Alexander Brandt, Stefan Scheu, Tamara R. Hartke
Summary: Late Cenozoic climate change in Australia led to aridification and significant changes in the ecosystems, promoting the diversification of plants and animals, including the Australian Amitermes group (AAG). This study uses ancestral range reconstruction and diversification analyses to investigate the evolutionary history of AAG, revealing its phylogenetic relationships, the biogeographical processes leading to its distribution, and the timing and pattern of diversification in response to climate change. The study provides insights into the future responses of Australia's termite fauna to human-mediated climate change.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kurt E. Galbreath, Arseny A. Makarikov, Kayce C. Bell, Stephen E. Greiman, Julie M. Allen, Genevieve M. S. Haas, Chenhong Li, Joseph A. Cook, Eric P. Hoberg
Summary: Investigations on the biogeographic histories of small mammals and their parasites reveal the impact of dynamic climate history on sea level fluctuation and the movement of organisms between Asia and North America. Using a large DNA sequence dataset, researchers analyze the colonization patterns of the cestode genus Arostrilepis and confirm multiple Asian lineages colonized North America during different glacial periods. The study also provides insights into past host colonization events and demonstrates the paraphyly of Arostrilepis with respect to Hymenandrya thomomyis, suggesting ancient colonization of new host lineages in North America.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Fraser J. Combe, Derek S. Sikes, Vasyl V. Tkach, Andrew G. Hope
Summary: The historical biogeography of non-marine fauna on Bering Sea islands reflects the unique evolutionary lineages of insular communities due to isolation and in situ environmental changes. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the majority of terrestrial species in the region. Scientific effort has predominantly focused on marine species and economically valuable resources, highlighting the need for increased research on terrestrial fauna in these remote outposts.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Aleix Obiol, Imer Muhovic, Ramon Massana
Summary: Marine heterotrophic flagellates play a crucial role in marine biogeochemical cycles, with only a few dominant taxa in surface waters and deep ocean. Co-occurrence networks show main clusters influenced by temperature and potential new prey-predator interactions. Further studies can focus on these ecologically relevant HF taxa identified in this research.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Huan-Wen Peng, Kun-Li Xiang, Andrey S. Erst, Tatyana V. Erst, Florian Jabbour, Rosa Del C. Ortiz, Wei Wang
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the diversification patterns in the subfamily Fumarioideae of the Papaveraceae family. The results suggest that the subfamily originated in Asia during the Late Cretaceous and dispersed to other regions in the Cenozoic era. The study also identifies two periods of rapid diversification in certain species, which coincided with changes in habitat and life history.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lei Duan, Shi-Jin Li, Chun Su, Yotsawate Sirichamorn, Li-Na Han, Wen Ye, Phan Ke Loc, Jun Wen, James A. Compton, Brian Schrire, Ze-Long Nie, Hong-Feng Chen
Summary: This study reconstructs the phylogenomic framework of the IRLC, inferring the inter-generic relationships and historical biogeography of Wisterieae. The Chloroplast capture scenario is proposed as a plausible explanation for topological incongruences in certain clades. Biogeographic analyses suggest an origin of Wisterieae in the late Eocene, with subsequent migrations and dispersals observed in different regions over time.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)