Adaptive evolution in locomotor performance: How selective pressures and functional relationships produce diversity

Evolution ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Scales ◽  
Marguerite A. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Selective Pressures

scholarly journals Assessing evidence for adaptive evolution in two hearing-related genes important for high-frequency hearing in echolocating mammals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Wang ◽  
Hanbo Zhao ◽  
Yujia Chu ◽  
Jiang Feng ◽  
Keping Sun
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Outer Hair Cells ◽  
Functional Domain ◽  
Coding Region ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Different Parts

Abstract High-frequency hearing is particularly important for echolocating bats and toothed whales. Previously, studies of the hearing-related genes Prestin, KCNQ4, and TMC1 documented that adaptive evolution of high-frequency hearing has taken place in echolocating bats and toothed whales. In this study, we present two additional candidate hearing-related genes, Shh and SK2, that may also have contributed to the evolution of echolocation in mammals. Shh is a member of the vertebrate Hedgehog gene family and is required in the specification of the mammalian cochlea. SK2 is expressed in both inner and outer hair cells, and it plays an important role in the auditory system. The coding region sequences of Shh and SK2 were obtained from a wide range of mammals with and without echolocating ability. The topologies of phylogenetic trees constructed using Shh and SK2 were different; however, multiple molecular evolutionary analyses showed that those two genes experienced different selective pressures in echolocating bats and toothed whales compared to non-echolocating mammals. In addition, several nominally significant positively selected sites were detected in the non-functional domain of the SK2 gene, indicating that different selective pressures were acting on different parts of the SK2 gene. This study has expanded our knowledge of the adaptive evolution of high-frequency hearing in echolocating mammals.

scholarly journals Solitary ecology as a phenomenon extending beyond insular systems: exaptive evolution in Anolis lizards

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 20190056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julián A. Velasco ◽  
Steven Poe ◽  
Constantino González-Salazar ◽  
Oscar Flores-Villela
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Phenotypic Evolution ◽  
Phenotypic Differentiation ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Ecological Release ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Island Species

The mechanisms driving phenotypic evolution have been of interest to biologists since Darwin. Ecological release—wherein adaptive evolution occurs following relaxation of constraining selective pressures—and environmental filtering—wherein exaptive traits allow colonization of a new area—have been studied in several insular cases. Anolis lizards, which may exist in solitude or sympatry with multiple congeners, are an excellent system for evaluating whether ecological release and environmental filtering are associated with phenotypic shifts across phylogenetic and geographical scales. Insular solitary Anolis exhibit phenotypic differentiation in body size and sexual size dimorphism—SSD—through exaptive and adaptive evolution, respectively. But, the generality of these effects has not yet been addressed. Here, we analyse the evolution of body size and SSD relative to sympatry in mainland Anolis . We found that mainland species co-occurring with few congeners exhibit uniform body size and greater SSD relative to other random mainland assemblages, consistent with the insular solitary pattern. The locations of evolutionary shifts for both traits do not coincide with evolutionary transitions to decreased levels of sympatry. These results are consistent with exaptive environmental filtering but not adaptive ecological release. Future studies should be conducted at local scales to evaluate the role of these factors in the evolution of solitary existence in mainland and island species.

scholarly journals Viruses rule over adaptation in conserved human proteins

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Castellano ◽  
Lawrence H. Uricchio ◽  
Kasper Munch ◽  
David Enard
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Host Adaptation ◽  
Arms Race ◽  
Interacting Proteins ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Host Proteins ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Human Proteins ◽  
Antiviral Proteins

AbstractAdaptive evolution often involves fast-evolving proteins, and the fastest-evolving proteins in primates include antiviral proteins engaged in an arms race with viruses 1-3. Even though fast-evolving antiviral proteins are the most studied cases of primate host adaptation against viruses, viruses predominantly interact with host proteins that are broadly conserved between distant species in order to complete their replication cycle 4. Broadly conserved proteins are generally viewed as playing a negligible role in adaptive evolution. Here, we used a dataset of ~4,500 human proteins known to physically interact with viruses (VIPs for Virus-Interacting Proteins), to test the involvement of broadly conserved proteins in adaptive evolution against viruses. We found that VIPs conserved between animals and fungi have experienced not only high rates of adaption, but also strong adaptive events. Broadly conserved proteins that do not interact with viruses experienced very little adaptation. As a result, the arms race with viruses explains more than 75% of adaptation in the most phylogenetically conserved subset of the human proteome. Our results imply that broadly conserved proteins have played a significant role in adaptation, and that viruses were likely one of very few selective pressures that were able to force the conserved, central pillars of host cellular functions to adapt during evolution.

scholarly journals Dietary, Cultural and Pathogens-related Selective Pressures Shaped Differential Adaptive Evolution Among Native Mexican Populations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Ojeda-Granados ◽  
Paolo Abondio ◽  
Alice Setti ◽  
Stefania Sarno ◽  
Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Genomic Signatures ◽  
Genetic Components ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mexican Populations

Native American genetic ancestry has been remarkably implicated with increased risk of diverse health issues in several Mexican populations, especially in relation to the dramatic changes in environmental, dietary and cultural settings they have recently undergone. In particular, the effects of these ecological transitions and Westernization of lifestyles have been investigated so far predominantly on Admixed individuals. Nevertheless, indigenous groups, rather than admixed Mexicans, have plausibly retained the highest proportions of genetic components shaped by natural selection in response to the ancient milieu experienced by Mexican ancestors during their pre-Columbian evolutionary history. These formerly adaptive alleles/haplotypes have the potential to represent the genetic determinants of some biological traits peculiar to the Mexican people and a reservoir of loci with potential biomedical relevance. To test such a hypothesis, we used high-resolution genomic data to infer the unique adaptive evolution of 15 Native Mexican groups selected as reasonable descendants of the main pre-Columbian Mexican civilizations. A combination of haplotype-based and gene-network analyses enabled us to detect genomic signatures ascribable to polygenic adaptive traits evolved by the main genetic clusters of indigenous Mexican populations to cope with local environmental and/or cultural conditions. Some of them were also found to play a role in modulating the susceptibility/resistance of these groups to certain pathological conditions, thus providing new evidence for diverse selective pressures having contributed to shape current biological and disease-risk patterns in present-day Native and Mestizo Mexican populations.

scholarly journals Signatures of adaptive evolution in platyrrhine primate genomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazel Byrne ◽  
Timothy H Webster ◽  
Sarah F Brosnan ◽  
Patricia Izar ◽  
Jessica W Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Reference Genome ◽  
Behavioural Flexibility ◽  
Adaptive Diversification ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Reference Genome Assembly ◽  
The Family ◽  
Sensorimotor Intelligence

The family Cebidae (capuchin and squirrel monkeys) form a remarkable platyrrhine clade exhibiting among the largest primate encephalisation quotients. Each cebid lineage is characterised by notable lineage-specific traits, with capuchins showing striking similarities to Hominidae including high sensorimotor intelligence with tool use, advanced cognitive abilities, and behavioural flexibility. Here, we take a comparative genomics approach, analysing five cebid branches including successive lineages, to infer a stepwise timeline for cebid adaptive evolution. We uncover candidate targets of selection across various periods of cebid evolution that may underlie the emergence of lineage-specific traits. Our analyses highlight shifting and sustained selective pressures on genes related to brain development, longevity, reproduction, and morphology, including evidence for cumulative and diversifying neurobiological adaptations over cebid evolutionary history. In addition to generating a new, high-quality reference genome assembly for robust capuchins, our results lend to a better understanding of the adaptive diversification of this distinctive primate clade.

scholarly journals Variation in gene expression patterns across a conifer hybrid zone highlights the architecture of adaptive evolution under novel selective pressures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Menon ◽  
Jared Swenson ◽  
Ehren Moler ◽  
Amy V Whipple ◽  
Kristen M Waring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Hybrid Zone ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Adaptive Potential ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Time Substitution

Variation in gene expression among natural populations are key contributors to adaptive evolution. Understanding the architecture underlying adaptive trait evolution provides insights into the adaptive potential of populations exposed to novel selective pressures. We investigated patterns and processes driving trait differentiation under novel climatic conditions by combining common garden experiments with transcriptome-wide datasets obtained from Pinus strobiformis - Pinus flexilis hybrid zone populations. We found strong signals of genotype-environment interactions at the individual transcript and the co-expression module level, a marked influence of drought related variables on adaptive evolution and an environment dependent influence of P. flexilis ancestry on survival. Using co-expression network connectivity as a proxy for pleiotropy we highlight that adaptive transcripts were pleiotropic across both gardens and modules with strong population differentiation exhibited lower preservation across gardens. Our work highlights the utility of integrating transcriptomics with space-for-time substitution studies to evaluate the adaptive potential of long-lived species. We conclude by suggesting that the combination of pleiotropic trait architectures and substantial genetic variation may enable long-lived forest tree species to respond to rapid shift in climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Human population structure and the adaptive response to pathogen-induced selection pressures

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1590) ◽  
pp. 878-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Novembre ◽  
Eunjung Han
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Genetics ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Pathogen Resistance ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Selection Pressures ◽  
Hiv Resistance ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Genomic Studies

The past few years of research in human evolutionary genetics have provided novel insights and questions regarding how human adaptations to recent selective pressures have taken place. Here, we review the advances most relevant to understanding human evolution in response to pathogen-induced selective pressures. Key insights come from theoretical models of adaptive evolution, particularly those that consider spatially structured populations, and from empirical population genomic studies of adaptive evolution in humans. We also review the CCR5 -Δ32 HIV resistance allele as a case study of pathogen resistance in humans. Taken together, the results make clear that the human response to pathogen-induced selection pressures depends on a complex interplay between the age of the pathogen, the genetic basis of potential resistance phenotypes, and how population structure impacts the adaptive process in humans.

scholarly journals Draft Genome Sequence of Chlamydia trachomatis Strain 54, Isolated from the Urogenital Tract of a Male in Japan

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Yamazaki ◽  
Junji Matsuo ◽  
Momoka Kikuchi ◽  
Kentaro Miyamoto ◽  
Kentaro Oka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Sexual Differentiation ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Urogenital Tract ◽  
Draft Genome Sequence ◽  
Selective Pressures

We report the draft genome sequence of Chlamydia trachomatis strain 54, isolated from the urogenital tract of a male in Japan, with unique polymorphic membrane proteins. Detailed genomic analysis will aid our understanding of the selective pressures that lead to sexual differentiation in chlamydial adaptive evolution.

scholarly journals Parallel and non-parallel divergence within polymorphic populations of brook stickleback, Culaea inconstans (Actinopterygii: Gasterosteidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn Willerth ◽  
Emily Franks ◽  
Jonathan A Mee
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Parallel Evolution ◽  
Threespine Stickleback ◽  
Ecological Consequences ◽  
Spine Morphology ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Body Morphology ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Brook Stickleback ◽  
Littoral Habitats

Studying parallel evolution allows us to draw conclusions about the repeatability of adaptive evolution. Whereas populations likely experience similar selective pressures in similar environments, it is not clear if this will always result in parallel divergence of ecologically relevant traits. Our study investigates the extent of parallelism associated with the evolution of pelvic spine reduction in brook stickleback populations. We find that populations with parallel divergence in pelvic spine morphology do not exhibit parallel divergence in head and body morphology but do exhibit parallel divergence in diet. In addition, we compare these patterns associated with pelvic reduction in brook stickleback to well-studied patterns of divergence between spined and unspined threespine stickleback. Whereas spine reduction is associated with littoral habitats and a benthic diet in threespine stickleback, spine reduction in brook stickleback is associated with a planktonic diet. Hence, we find that pelvic spine divergence is associated with largely non-parallel ecological consequences across species.

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