Article
Biology
Anna L. Wisniewski, Graeme T. Lloyd, Graham J. Slater
Summary: This study investigated the historical biogeography of Primates and their relatives using a novel meta-analytical phylogeny. The results showed that ancestral range estimates for young nodes were largely congruent with molecular phylogeny, but node age had a significant effect on the congruence of ancestral range estimates, with lower probability of congruent inference for older nodes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sven Gippner, Scott L. Travers, Mark D. Scherz, Timothy J. Colston, Mariana L. Lyra, Ashwini Mohan, Malte Multzsch, Stuart Nielsen, Lois Rancilhac, Frank Glaw, Aaron M. Bauer, Miguel Vences
Summary: The dwarf geckos of the genus Lygodactylus are found in continental Africa, Madagascar, and South America. This study confirmed the monophyly of 14 Lygodactylus species groups and estimated the crown diversification of Lygodactylus to have started at 46 mya. Further research on related genera and phylogenomic approaches may help provide better biogeographic insights into the evolutionary history of these geckos.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shlomo Cain, Stephanie F. Loria, Rachel Ben-Shlomo, Lorenzo Prendini, Eran Gefen
Summary: This study investigated the phylogeny and biogeography of Buthacus species in the Levant, supporting a revised classification and revealing two geographically-separated clades. The divergence between these clades occurred in the Early Miocene in the Levant, coinciding with the existence of two land bridges allowing fauna exchange between Africa and Asia.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Josefin Stiller, Graham Short, Healy Hamilton, Norah Saarman, Sarah Longo, Peter Wainwright, Greg W. Rouse, W. Brian Simison
Summary: By sampling ultraconserved elements and taxon, we reconstructed the phylogeny of syngnathids and discovered previously overlooked species diversity and significant biogeographic patterns. The changes in diversification rates suggest possible links to declining global temperatures, the separation of the Atlantic and Pacific faunas, and associated environmental changes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xing Liu, Hui-Min Cai, Wen-Qiao Wang, Wei Lin, Zhi-Wei Su, Zhong-Hui Ma
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between fruit colour variation and species diversification in the genus Callicarpa. The results showed that fruit colours were correlated with biogeographic distribution, dispersal events, and diversification rate. Violet-fruited lineages were associated with large-scale dispersal events and highest diversification rates.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martha Paola Barajas Barbosa, Dylan Craven, Patrick Weigelt, Pierre Denelle, Rudiger Otto, Sandra Diaz, Jonathan Price, Jose Maria Fernandez-Palacios, Holger Kreft
Summary: Oceanic island floras are known for their unique morphological characteristics and provide examples of trait evolution. These morphological shifts are believed to be influenced by the biogeographical processes and evolutionary histories of oceanic islands. However, the mechanisms behind the distribution and diversity of plant functional traits remain unclear.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Uhrova, O. Mikula, N. C. Bennett, P. Van Daele, L. Pialek, J. Bryja, J. H. Visser, B. Jansen van Vuuren, R. Sumbera
Summary: African mole-rats of the Bathyergidae family exhibit complex genetic structures within their genera, with potential five gene pools in Georychus and eleven to thirteen in Heliophobius identified. Divergence dating suggests the diversification of both genera coincided with the Pleistocene, driven by large-scale climatic changes. Taxonomic revisions based on genetic evidence propose one Georychus species and two Heliophobius species, pending further integrated evidence from morphological, ecological, or behavioral datasets.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose Martin Pujolar, Mozes P. K. Blom, Andrew Hart Reeve, Jonathan D. Kennedy, Petter Zahl Marki, Thorfinn S. Korneliussen, Benjamin G. Freeman, Katerina Sam, Ethan Linck, Tri Haryoko, Bulisa Iova, Bonny Koane, Gibson Maiah, Luda Paul, Martin Irestedt, Knud Andreas Jonsson
Summary: Using genomic data and demographic models, the authors show that populations in high elevations become isolated, while montane populations maintain gene flow for further colonization. Tropical mountains are important for Earth's biodiversity, with montane species typically inhabiting multiple mountainous regions. Pleistocene climate oscillations have had a significant impact on species demographics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ada Chornelia, Alice Catherine Hughes
Summary: This study investigated the origin and distribution of families such as Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, and Rhinonycteridae. The results showed that Rhinolophidae originated from the Oriental region, while Hipposideridae originated from the Oriental and African regions. These findings demonstrate the significance of complex historical events and species-specific ecological characteristics in shaping current distributions.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Qigao Jianzuo, Lu Li, Joan Madurell-Malapeira, Shiqi Wang, Shijie Li, Jiao Fu, Shanqin Chen
Summary: A new small-sized lynx species has been discovered in Longdan, Gansu Province, China. This species differs from previously described lynx species in terms of size and certain traits. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that this new species is closely related to Lynx rufus or possibly Lynx issiodorensis and three other living lynx species. The study also suggests that the ancestor of Lynx lynx, Lynx pardinus, and Lynx canadensis is the Plio-Pleistocene Lynx issiodorensis. The diversification of lynx species during the Plio-Pleistocene was initially driven by body size differentiation.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Tom Carruthers, Robert W. Scotland
Summary: Research using simulation and analysis has found that when substitution rates, speciation rates, and extinction rates vary, the benefits of increased character and taxon sampling on parameter estimation accuracy are limited. Methodological assumptions are more likely to be violated, and limitations in the information content of the data become more important in complex cases.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Denis Geraads, W. Andrew Barr, Denne Reed, Michel Laurin, Zeresenay Alemseged
Summary: The study found that the newly discovered camel species C. grattardi in the Afar area of Ethiopia is the earliest and most basal species in the genus, while the divergence time of the extant dromedary and Bactrian camel is relatively recent. This contradicts molecular estimates.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jan Smycka, Anna Toszogyova, David Storch
Summary: Range size is a universal characteristic of every biological species, and there are theoretical arguments that large-ranged species should have higher diversification rates. However, observation suggests that small-ranged species are often phylogenetically clustered, indicating higher diversification. This study on mammals using a diversification model shows that range size changes during speciation are common and small-ranged species indeed diversify slower. However, both range size and diversification are strongly influenced by idiosyncratic and spatially localized events, which can override the general pattern of range size evolution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Fernando Javier Ureta Suelgaray, Viviana Monica Chiocchio, Federico Ciolfi, Mario Carlos Nazareno Saparrat
Summary: Dark septate endophytes (DSE) are pigmented fungi that colonize plant roots and have a key position in the evolution of the order Chaetothyriales. The order has representatives with diverse lifestyles, but all taxa have the phenotypic characteristic of being highly melanized, which allows them to tolerate extreme or toxic environmental conditions. This study analyzes the contribution of the DSE habit to the diversification of Chaetothyriales and reports its distribution among the main families and/or clades within the order.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Akito Y. Kawahara, Caroline Storer, Ana Paula S. Carvalho, David M. Plotkin, Fabien L. Condamine, Mariana P. Braga, Emily A. Ellis, Ryan A. St Laurent, Xuankun Li, Vijay Barve, Liming Cai, Chandra Earl, Paul B. Frandsen, Hannah L. Owens, Wendy A. Valencia-Montoya, Kwaku Aduse-Poku, Emmanuel F. A. Toussaint, Kelly M. Dexter, Tenzing Doleck, Amanda Markee, Rebeccah Messcher, Y-Lan Nguyen, Jade Aster T. Badon, Hugo A. Benitez, Michael F. Braby, Perry A. C. Buenavente, Wei-Ping Chan, Steve C. Collins, Richard A. Rabideau Childers, Even Dankowicz, Rod Eastwood, Zdenek F. Fric, Riley J. Gott, Jason P. W. Hall, Winnie Hallwachs, Nate B. Hardy, Rachel L. Hawkins Sipe, Alan Heath, Jomar D. Hinolan, Nicholas T. Homziak, Yu-Feng Hsu, Yutaka Inayoshi, Micael G. A. Itliong, Daniel H. Janzen, Ian J. Kitching, Krushnamegh Kunte, Gerardo Lamas, Michael J. Landis, Elise A. Larsen, Torben B. Larsen, Jing V. Leong, Vladimir Lukhtanov, Crystal A. Maier, Jose I. Martinez, Dino J. Martins, Kiyoshi Maruyama, Sarah C. Maunsell, Nicolas Oliveira Mega, Alexander Monastyrskii, Ana B. B. Morais, Chris J. Mueller, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Gregory Nielsen, Pablo Sebastian Padron, Djunijanti Peggie, Helena Piccoli Romanowski, Szabolcs Safian, Motoki Saito, Stefan Schroeder, Vaughn Shirey, Doug Soltis, Pamela Soltis, Andrei Sourakov, Gerard Talavera, Roger Vila, Petr Vlasanek, Houshuai Wang, Andrew D. Warren, Keith R. Willmott, Masaya Yago, Walter Jetz, Marta A. Jarzyna, Jesse W. Breinholt, Marianne Espeland, Leslie Ries, Robert P. Guralnick, Naomi E. Pierce, David J. Lohman
Summary: Butterflies are believed to have evolved alongside plants and dispersed globally in response to geological events, according to a new comprehensive phylogenetic study. The study sequenced genes from nearly 2,300 butterfly species and reconstructed a phylogenomic tree representing 92% of all genera, resulting in the reclassification of 36 butterfly tribes. The research also revealed that butterflies first fed on Fabaceae plants and originated in the Americas.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Leilton Willians Luna, Camila Cherem Ribas, Alexandre Aleixo
Summary: Ecological, climatic, and palaeogeographical processes drive biological diversification. Our study found three genetic clusters in the Striped Woodcreeper, distributed in the western, central, and eastern parts of the Amazon Basin. Migration rates indicate historical barriers along the Amazonas-Solimoes River.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Patricia Mendonca, Cleyssian Dias, Alexandre Aleixo, Lincoln Silva Carneiro, Juliana Araripe, Pericles Sena do Rego
Summary: The phylogeographic structure of Attila spadiceus was described using partial Cytb amplicon region analysis, revealing two principal molecular lineages and lack of reflection of morphological variation in the mitochondrial gene tree. The diversification of A. spadiceus is inferred to have started in the Pleistocene, around 1.5 million years ago, driven by the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region forming two molecular lineages.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Waleska Elizangela dos Santos Barbosa, Mateus Ferreira, Eduardo de Deus Schultz, Leilton Willians Luna, Thiago Orsi Laranjeiras, Alexandre Aleixo, Camila Cherem Ribas
Summary: Distinct types of seasonally flooded habitats along Amazonian floodplains have different impacts on the population histories of two closely related ovenbird species. Differences in habitat preferences lead to varied demographic changes, gene flow, and population sizes, influenced by late Pleistocene and Holocene climatic variations.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Carlynne C. Simoes, Pablo Vieira Cerqueira, Pedro Peloso, Alexandre Aleixo
Summary: Integrative taxonomic studies revealed taxonomic inconsistencies within Rhynchocyclus olivaceus, with evidence supporting its paraphyletic nature. The study identified at least four morphologically cryptic lineages within R. olivaceus, prompting the proposal to split these groups into separate species, including an undescribed species named Rhynchocyclus cryptus, sp. nov.
Article
Ecology
Joseph A. Tobias, Catherine Sheard, Alex L. Pigot, Adam J. M. Devenish, Jingyi Yang, Ferran Sayol, Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg, Nico Alioravainen, Thomas L. Weeks, Robert A. Barber, Patrick A. Walkden, Hannah E. A. MacGregor, Samuel E. I. Jones, Claire Vincent, Anna G. Phillips, Nicola M. Marples, Flavia A. Montano-Centellas, Victor Leandro-Silva, Santiago Claramunt, Bianca Darski, Benjamin G. Freeman, Tom P. Bregman, Christopher R. Cooney, Emma C. Hughes, Elliot J. R. Capp, Zoe K. Varley, Nicholas R. Friedman, Heiko Korntheuer, Andrea Corrales-Vargas, Christopher H. Trisos, Brian C. Weeks, Dagmar M. Hanz, Till Topfer, Gustavo A. Bravo, Vladimir Remes, Larissa Nowak, Lincoln S. Carneiro, Amilkar J. Moncada R., Beata Matysiokova, Daniel T. Baldassarre, Alejandra Martinez-Salinas, Jared D. Wolfe, Philip M. Chapman, Benjamin G. Daly, Marjorie C. Sorensen, Alexander Neu, Michael A. Ford, Rebekah J. Mayhew, Luis Fabio Silveira, David J. Kelly, Nathaniel N. D. Annorbah, Henry S. Pollock, Ada M. Grabowska-Zhang, Jay P. McEntee, Juan Carlos T. Gonzalez, Camila G. Meneses, Marcia C. Munoz, Luke L. Powell, Gabriel A. Jamie, Thomas J. Matthews, Oscar Johnson, Guilherme R. R. Brito, Kristof Zyskowski, Ross Crates, Michael G. Harvey, Maura Jurado Zevallos, Peter A. Hosner, Tom Bradfer-Lawrence, James M. Maley, F. Gary Stiles, Hevana S. Lima, Kaiya L. Provost, Moses Chibesa, Mmatjie Mashao, Jeffrey T. Howard, Edson Mlamba, Marcus A. H. Chua, Bicheng Li, M. Isabel Gomez, Natalia C. Garcia, Martin Packert, Jerome Fuchs, Jarome R. Ali, Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Monica L. Carlson, Rolly C. Urriza, Kristin E. Brzeski, Dewi M. Prawiradilaga, Matt J. Rayner, Eliot T. Miller, Rauri C. K. Bowie, Rene-Marie Lafontaine, R. Paul Scofield, Yingqiang Lou, Lankani Somarathna, Denis Lepage, Marshall Illif, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Mathias Templin, D. Matthias Dehling, Jacob C. Cooper, Olivier S. G. Pauwels, Kangkuso Analuddin, Jon Fjeldsa, Nathalie Seddon, Paul R. Sweet, Fabrice A. J. DeClerck, Luciano N. Naka, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Alexandre Aleixo, Katrin Bohning-Gaese, Carsten Rahbek, Susanne A. Fritz, Gavin H. Thomas, Matthias Schleuning
Summary: Functional traits provide a quantitative framework for theories in evolutionary biology, ecology, and ecosystem science. The AVONET dataset contains comprehensive functional trait data for all bird species, allowing integration with other datasets and providing a global template for testing hypotheses and exploring the origins, structure, and functioning of biodiversity.
Article
Ecology
Lincoln Carneiro, Tiberio C. T. Burlamaqui, Alexandre Aleixo, David C. Oren, Jose Maria Cardoso Da Silva
Summary: This study investigates the biogeographical history of bare-eyes, a bird genus, in the Amazon and explores the roles of speciation and biotic interchange in the assembly of Amazonian biota. The results show that vicariance was the most critical process in shaping the distribution and differentiation of most lineages, while one event of post-speciation dispersal led to sympatric occurrence in Western Amazonia. The study highlights the importance of alternating dispersal and vicariance events in assembling continental biotas.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Tania Fontes Quaresma, Aurea A. Cronemberger, Romina Batista, Alexandre Aleixo
Summary: This article presents a phylogenetic and population genetic analysis of the Willisornis genus, endemic to the Amazon Basin. The study reveals 13 independent genetic lineages and confirms the monophyly of all recognized species. The diversification of Willisornis is linked to hydrographic and climate change cycles in the Amazon Basin.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gabriel Macedo, Rafael S. Marcondes, Cibele Biondo, Gustavo A. Bravo, Elizabeth P. Derryberry
Summary: Selection on signals is affected by resource availability, which is regulated by climate. Harsher environments may lead to convergent development of signals in both sexes, increasing sexual dimorphism.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leilton Willians Luna, Luciano Nicolas Naka, Gregory Thom, Laura Lacey Knowles, Andre Oliveira Sawakuchi, Alexandre Aleixo, Camila Cherem Ribas
Summary: This study examines the genetic divergence of three bird species specialized in seasonally flooded habitats in the Amazon basin and Rio Branco, and finds that genetic divergence is influenced by habitat specialization and river color. The complete disruption of gene flow between populations occurred during the Late Pleistocene transition, about 250,000 years ago, leading to the current genetic differentiation.
Letter
Zoology
Andres M. Cuervo
Article
Ornithology
Dnilson Oliveira Ferraz, Larissa Sampaio, Keila de Araujo Lima, Juliana Araripe, Fernando Sequeira, Alexandre Aleixo, Pablo Vieira Cerqueira, Lincoln S. Carneiro, Pericles Sena do Rego
Summary: This study used a multilocus molecular approach to investigate the taxonomy and biogeographic configuration of Band-tailed Manakin. Three monophyletic lineages were identified, partially overlapping with the current subspecific classification. The diversification of this species was influenced by hydrographic dynamics and climatic shifts in the Amazon basin.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Oscar Johnson, Camila C. C. Ribas, Alexandre Aleixo, Luciano N. N. Naka, Michael G. G. Harvey, Robb T. T. Brumfield
Summary: Understanding the factors that influence genetic structure across species is essential for studying speciation and population genetics. This study examined population genetic data from bird species specialized in different Amazonian habitat types. The results showed that habitat type significantly affects population genetic structure, with species in more dynamic habitats having higher levels of gene flow. These differences in genetic variation across taxa specialized in distinct habitats could lead to divergent responses to environmental change and habitat-specific diversification dynamics over time.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Pedro Paulo, Fernando Henrique Teofilo, Carolina Bertuol, Erico Polo, Andre E. E. Moncrieff, Lucas N. N. Bandeira, Claudia Nunez-Penichet, Igor Yuri Fernandes, Mariane Bosholn, Arielli F. F. Machado, Leilton Willians Luna, Willian Thomaz Pecanha, Aline Pessutti Rampini, Shizuka Hashimoto, Cleyssian Dias, Juliana Araripe, Alexandre Aleixo, Pericles Sena do Rego, Tomas Hrbek, Izeni P. P. Farias, A. Townsend Peterson, Igor L. L. Kaefer, Marina Anciaes
Summary: Investigating the parallel roles of geography and environmental heterogeneity in diversification provides insights into the driving forces behind the evolution of biological systems. In this study on Blue-crowned Manakins, it was found that both genetic and color diversity were influenced by geographic and climatic distances, with color variation being marginally associated with latitude and genetic distances being explained by linear and least-cost geographic distances.
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ornithology
Alexandre Aleixo
Summary: In a recent commentary, Lima claims that the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee (CBRO) is misinterpreting the general lineage species concept (GLSC) in making species ranking decisions, leading to misinformation within the Brazilian ornithological community and misleading users of the CBRO checklist. However, the arguments presented by Lima are unfounded and result from an inaccurate interpretation of the GLSC and a lack of understanding of the practical implementation of species concepts by taxonomists and taxonomy committees. Evidence from recent taxonomic treatments implemented by the CBRO confirms the use of the GLSC in guiding species ranking decisions. Unsubstantiated commentaries like Lima's may unintentionally amplify representation bias against Latin American ornithologists in global initiatives such as the publication of a single worldwide avian checklist.
ORNITHOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Markus Osaland Fjelde, Einar Timdal, Reidar Haugan, Mika Bendiksby
Summary: This study investigated the taxonomy of the crustose lichen genus Calvitimela using molecular phylogenetics and morphological observations. The results revealed evolutionarily old and deeply divergent lineages within Calvitimela, with overlapping morphological characters between different subgenera. Chemical characters were informative at the level of subgenera but often homoplastic at the species level. A practical taxonomy of Calvitimela was proposed based on these findings.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bo-Yang Shi, Da Pan, Kang-Qin Zhang, Tian-Yu Gu, Darren C. J. Yeo, Peter K. L. Ng, Neil Cumberlidge, Hong-Ying Sun
Summary: This study investigates the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of montane potamids in the Hengduan Mountains Region. The results suggest that the vicariance events of these crabs are correlated with the emergence of sky islands due to the uplift of the mountains. The mountain ridges provided corridors for their dispersal and past climatic conditions played a crucial role in their evolutionary history. The mechanisms isolating sky islands are reinforced by the climatic features of dry-hot valleys and continue to affect local diversification.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Attila Nemeth, Edvard Mizsei, Levente Laczko, David Czaban, Zsolt Hegyeli, Szabolcs Lengyel, Gabor Csorba, Gabor Sramko
Summary: Species delimitation of European blind mole rats is challenging due to their small morphological differences and complex chromosomal evolution. This study provides a comprehensive framework to improve understanding of their evolutionary history and revise their taxonomy. The results reveal the presence of multiple superspecies and species, with distinct geographic patterns and rapid chromosomal evolution.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying Qi, Zhaoyan Zhong, Xu Liu, Xing He, Yadong Zhou, Lili Zhang, Chong Chen, Katrin Linse, Jian-Wen Qiu, Jin Sun
Summary: This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships among patellogastropod families using mitochondrial and phylogenomic data. The results show that the mitochondrial phylogeny recovers monophyly of most families, but the relationships among families are still contentious. However, a more robust family-level topology consistent with morphology is achieved by phylogenomics. Additionally, the mainly deep-water families are found to be monophyletic, suggesting a single colonization of the deep water during the Jurassic.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Jie Shi, Jin -Liang Huang, Jia-Xuan Mi, Jing Li, Fan-Yu Meng, Yu Zhong, Fang He, Fei -Fei Tian, Fan Zhang, Liang-Hua Chen, Han-Bo Yang, Hong-Lin Hu, Xue-Qin Wan
Summary: Despite numerous studies on hybrid speciation, our understanding of this process remains limited. In this study, we conducted an 18-year systematic investigation on Populus taxa on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and discovered three new taxa that originated from distant hybridization between two different sections. These hybrid taxa demonstrate greater ecological adaptability than their ancestral species due to heterosis. We propose a hybrid speciation process model that can explain important evolutionary concerns.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Cho, Denis Tikhonenkov, Gordon Lax, Kristina I. Prokina, Patrick J. Keeling
Summary: Unlike conspicuous ochrophytes, many small and overlooked flagellates belonging to basally branching stramenopiles remain poorly characterized at the cellular or genomic level. This study describes four new species, including two new genera, of sediment-dwelling MAST-6 and provides updated phylogenomic tree of stramenopiles. The characterization of these flagellates is important due to their phylogenetic diversity and abundance in various environments.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tian-Tian Xue, Steven B. Janssens, Bin-Bin Liu, Sheng-Xiang Yu
Summary: Phylogenomic conflicts are widespread among genomic data, with most previous studies primarily focusing on nuclear datasets instead of organellar genomes. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic conflicts within and between plastid and mitochondrial genomes using Potentilla as a case study. We found that both plastid and mitochondrial genomes divided Potentilla into eight highly supported clades, with two newly identified clades. Our results demonstrate that mitochondrial genes can fully resolve phylogenetic relationships among major clades of Potentilla and are not always linked with plastomes in evolutionary history.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra A. Grossi, Chunpo Tian, Mengjiao Ren, Fasheng Zou, Daniel R. Gustafsson
Summary: This study suggests that the coevolutionary relationships between chewing lice, endosymbiotic bacteria, and birds are not independent, but the patterns vary depending on the analysis method used. Additionally, louse host-switching does not seem to affect bacterial strains.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ingrid Olivares, Sergio Tusso, Maria Jose Sanin, Marylaure de La Harpe, Oriane Loiseau, Jonathan Rolland, Nicolas Salamin, Michael Kessler, Kentaro K. Shimizu, Margot Paris
Summary: Traditionally, differences between species have been associated with morphological variation. However, the discovery of cryptic diversity suggests that the evolution of distinct lineages can occur without morphological differences. Through genetic analysis, we found that a tropical montane plant lineage is composed of numerous unrecognized genetic groups that are not morphologically distinct. Geographic distance and topography play a crucial role in determining the genetic divergence of these groups.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)