scholarly journals Molecular phylogeny of Blaberidae (Dictyoptera, Blattodea) with implications for taxonomy and evolutionary studies

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Legendre ◽  
Philippe Grandcolas ◽  
France Thouzé
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Molecular Evolution ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Tree Reconstruction ◽  
Incertae Sedis ◽  
Evolutionary Studies ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses

In the present “tree-thinking” period, relying on accurate phylogenetic hypotheses is of paramount importance for biologists interested in an evolutionary perspective. In the Blaberidae cockroaches, a well-defined monophyletic family comprising several model species, no such phylogenetic tree is available despite several earlier contributions. Here, using six molecular markers (12S, 16S, 18S, 28S, COI and COII), we investigate the relationships of Blaberidae and compare our results with the traditional morphology-based classification. This resulted in a broad spectrum of situations, from congruent and well-supported hypotheses (e.g., the monophyly of Blaberidae, Oxyhaloinae and (Geoscapheiinae + Panesthiinae)) to incongruent and weakly supported results (e.g., polyphyly of Perisphaerinae). We emphasize that interesting and contrasted situations lie between the two extremities of this spectrum, especially concerning the genera Thanatophyllum Grandcolas, 1991, Phoetalia Stål, 1874, Laxta Walker, 1868 and Pronauphoeta Shelford, 1909. We also discuss the phylogenetic position of two incertae sedis genera (Eustegasta Gerstaecker, 1883 and Gynopeltis Gerstaecker, 1869). We conclude that in-depth signal analyses should be performed to better understand molecular evolution and its consequence on tree reconstruction for this group. As for phylogenetic relationships per se, new markers should be searched for, especially to decipher deeper relationships in Blaberidae.

Improved resolution of recalcitrant nodes in the animal phylogeny through the analysis of genome gene content and morphology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ksenia Juravel ◽  
Luis Porras ◽  
Sebastian Hoehna ◽  
Davide Pisani ◽  
Gert Wörheide
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gene Content ◽  
Statistical Hypothesis ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Statistical Hypothesis Testing ◽  
Animal Phylogeny ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses

An accurate phylogeny of animals is needed to clarify their evolution, ecology, and impact on shaping the biosphere. Although multi-gene alignments of up to several hundred thousand amino acids are nowadays routinely used to test hypotheses of animal relationships, some nodes towards the root of the animal phylogeny are proving hard to resolve. While the relationships of the non-bilaterian lineages, primarily sponges (Porifera) and comb jellies (Ctenophora), have received much attention since more than a decade, controversies about the phylogenetic position of the worm-like bilaterian lineage Xenacoelomorpha and the monophyly of the "Superphylum" Deuterostomia have more recently emerged. Here we independently analyse novel genome gene content and morphological datasets to assess patterns of phylogenetic congruence with previous amino-acid derived phylogenetic hypotheses. Using statistical hypothesis testing, we show that both our datasets very strongly support sponges as the sister group of all the other animals, Xenoacoelomorpha as the sister group of the other Bilateria, and largely support monophyletic Deuterostomia. Based on these results, we conclude that the last common animal ancestor may have been a simple, filter-feeding organism without a nervous system and muscles, while the last common ancestor of Bilateria might have been a small, acoelomate-like worm without a through gut.

scholarly journals Molecular markers as a tool for population and evolutionary studies of stingless bees

Apidologie ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Arias ◽  
Rute Magalhães Brito ◽  
Flávio de Oliveira Francisco ◽  
Geraldo Moretto ◽  
Favízia Freitas de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Stingless Bees ◽  
Evolutionary Studies

The relationship among freezing tolerance, vernalization requirement, Ppd alleles and winter hardiness in European wheat cultivars

2017 ◽  
Vol 155 (9) ◽  
pp. 1353-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. GORASH ◽  
R. ARMONIENĖ ◽  
Ž. LIATUKAS ◽  
G. BRAZAUSKAS
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Complex Trait ◽  
Winter Hardiness ◽  
Photoperiod Sensitivity ◽  
The Other ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Crucial Component ◽  
Per Se ◽  
The Relationship

SUMMARYWinter hardiness of wheat is a complex trait involving a system of structural, regulatory and developmental genes, which interact in a complex pathway. The objective of the present work was to study the relationship among the main traits determining the level of adaptation and the possibility for target manipulation of breeding material by using molecular markers and phenological parameters. Wheat cultivars from different ecoclimatic environments of Europe were included for analysis. Gene-specific assay showed that photoperiod sensitivity of the studied cultivars was determined by polymorphism in the Ppd-D1 allele. The study established the relationship among winter hardiness, LT50 (the temperature at which 50% of plants are killed), photoperiod sensitivity, vernalization duration and earliness per se genes in the environment of Lithuania. The cultivars from Northern and Western Europe exhibited stronger requirement for vernalization and photoperiod. Although the group of cultivars from the southern latitudes were characterized by earliness, they possessed a stronger level of LT50. The level of LT50 was found to be the most crucial component of winter hardiness, the other traits served as supplementary components.

scholarly journals Importance of the postcranial skeleton in eusuchian phylogeny: Reassessing the systematics of allodaposuchid crocodylians

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0251900
Author(s):  
Alejandro Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Postcranial Skeleton ◽  
Skull Morphology ◽  
Taxonomic Descriptions ◽  
The Family ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses ◽  
Internal Relationships

Our current knowledge on the crocodyliform evolution is strongly biased towards the skull morphology, and the postcranial skeleton is usually neglected in many taxonomic descriptions. However, it is logical to expect that it can contribute with its own phylogenetic signal. In this paper, the changes in the tree topology caused by the addition of the postcranial information are analysed for the family Allodaposuchidae, the most representative eusuchians in the latest Cretaceous of Europe. At present, different phylogenetic hypotheses have been proposed for this group without reaching a consensus. The results of this paper evidence a shift in the phylogenetic position when the postcranium is included in the dataset, pointing to a relevant phylogenetic signal in the postcranial elements. Finally, the phylogenetic relationships of allodaposuchids within Eusuchia are reassessed; and the internal relationships within Allodaposuchidae are also reconsidered after an exhaustive revision of the morphological data. New and improved diagnoses for each species are here provided.

scholarly journals Hepatitis B Virus: Alternative phylogenetic hypotheses and its impact on molecular evolution inferences

2020 ◽  
Vol 276 ◽  
pp. 197776
Author(s):  
Bibiane A. Godoy ◽  
João Renato R. Pinho ◽  
Nelson J.R. Fagundes
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Molecular Evolution ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses

Gintarasia and Xalocoa, two new genera to accommodate temperate to subtropical species in the predominantly tropical Graphidaceae (Ostropales, Ascomycota)

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaphan Kraichak ◽  
Sittiporn Parnmen ◽  
Robert Lücking ◽  
H. Thorsten Lumbsch
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Genetic Markers ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
New Combinations ◽  
New Genera ◽  
Phylogenetic Placement ◽  
Complex Chemistry ◽  
Subtropical Species

The phylogenetic placement of Chapsa lamellifera, C. megalophthalma and Diploschistes ocellatus was studied using a dataset of five genetic markers (mtSSU, nuLSU, RPB1, RPB2 and ITS). As extratropical species occurring in Australasia, C. lamellifera and C. megalophthalma differ from other species in that genus by having relatively large ascomata with muriform ascospores and complex chemistry of either the protocetraric or stictic acids chemosyndrome. D. ocellatus is unique within Diploschistes, in lacking lateral paraphyses and containing the norstictic acid chemosyndrome. Previous phylogenetic analysis gave inconclusive results regarding the phylogenetic position of these taxa, and hence in the present study, a larger sampling of molecular markers was employed. Our results demonstrated that the two Chapsa species and D. ocellatus are not part of their current genera. Consequently, the new genera Gintarasia Kraichak, Lücking & Lumbsch and Xalocoa Kraichak, Lücking & Lumbsch are described to accommodate these species. The new combinations Gintarasia lamellifera (Kantvilas & Vězda) Kraichak, Lücking & Lumbsch, G. lordhowensis (Mangold) Kraichak, Lücking & Lumbsch, G. megalophthalma (Müll. Arg.) Kraichak, Lücking & Lumbsch and Xalocoa ocellata (Vill.) Kraichak, Lücking & Lumbsch are also proposed.

Cabamofa orientalis sp. nov. from Thailand, congeneric with C. mira Jaschhof from Costa Rica (Diptera: Bibionomorpha: Sciaroidea incertae sedis)

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4576 (2) ◽  
pp. 392
Author(s):  
MATHIAS JASCHHOF ◽  
JAN ŠEVČÍK
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Systematic Position ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Single Male ◽  
Lowland Rain Forest ◽  
Incertae Sedis ◽  
Entomological Research

The genus Cabamofa, previously containing only C. mira from Costa Rica (Jaschhof 2005), is shown here to have a second species in Thailand, which is described and named C. orientalis sp. nov. The new species is known from a single male collected by the TIGER Project (Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological Research), a mass-sampling program to inventory insect diversity in Southeast Asia (Plant et al. 2011; http://sharkeylab.org/tiger, accessed 14 December 2018). As the circumstances of finding indicate, C. orientalis is a decidedly rare species, an attribute applying to perhaps one third of all tropical arthropods (Lim et al. 2012) and most Sciaroidea incertae sedis (Jaschhof 2017), including the Costa Rican C. mira. The latter species was originally described from two females, which were Malaise trapped in 2003 in lowland rain forest (Jaschhof 2005), while a conspecific male, a museum specimen collected in 1922 in an unknown habitat, was detected and described subsequently (Amorim & Rindal 2007). Cabamofa is one of nearly 20 sciaroid genera whose family affiliation has not yet been resolved (Jaschhof 2017), but there is morphological evidence suggesting its close affinity to other Sciaroidea incertae sedis, such as Rogambara Jaschhof, 2005, Ohakunea Tonnoir & Edwards, 1927, and Colonomyia Colless, 1963. These four genera together form the Ohakunea group of Jaschhof (2005), or the Ohakuneinae (as a subfamily of the broadly conceived family Rangomaramidae) of Amorim & Rindal (2007). Recent molecular work (Ševčík et al. 2016, Kaspřák et al. 2019) suggests a more distant phylogenetic position of Ohakunea to other Sciaroidea incertae sedis. The obvious conflict here between morphological and molecular evidence is stimulating fresh interest in the “incertae sedis issue”, as proven by the present contribution. The morphology of C. orientalis provides no new clues as to the systematic position of Cabamofa, or the Ohakunea group, but reveals characters that were previously not known to occur in Cabamofa. The delimitation of this genus is briefly reviewed below. Our finding of C. orientalis extends the geographic distribution of Cabamofa from the New World to the Old World (Oriental) tropics, which consorts with the disjunct (Neotropical-Australasian) areas found in both Colonomyia and Ohakunea. Morphological terminology used here is in accordance with that by Cumming & Wood (2017). 

Phylogeny, Molecules Versus Morphology, and Rates of Character Evolution Among Fruitbats (Chiroptera: Megachiroptera)

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Springer ◽  
LJ Hollar ◽  
JAW Kirsch
Keyword(s):  
Cladistic Analysis ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Character Evolution ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Minimum Length ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Dna Hybridisation ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses

Andersen's 1912 monograph on megachiropterans remains the definitive work on the systematics of this group. Andersen argued that the Macroglossinae, containing the eonycterine and notopterine sections, are a monophyletic sister-group to other fruitbats (i.e. Andersen's Rousettus, Cynopterus and Epomophorus sections). Two recent molecular studies (DNA hybridisation and restriction mapping of ribosomal cistrons), as well as an analysis of female reproductive characters, challenge the monophyly of the Macroglossinae and several of Andersen's other conclusions such as the phylogenetic position of Nyctimene. We performed a cladistic analysis on 36 morphological characters, including 33 that were gleaned from Andersen, to determine whether phylogenetic hypotheses based on modem phylogenetic methods are in agreement with Andersen's original conclusions and to compare morphological and molecular phylogenetic hypotheses. Minimum-length trees based on parsimony are largely consistent with Andersen and support (1) a monophyletic Macroglossinae, within which the eonycterine section is paraphyletic with respect to a monophyletic notopterine section, (2) a monophyletic Cynopterus section, excepting the exclusion of Myonycteris, (3) a monophyletic Epomophorus section, excepting the exclusion of Plerotes, and (4) a paraphyletic Rousettus section, with several of the Rousettus-like forms branching off near the base of the tree. Bootstrapping analyses on a reduced data-set that included taxa shared in common with the DNA hybridisation study did not provide strong support (greater than or equal to 95%) for any clades but did provide moderate support (greater than or equal to 70) for several clades, including a monophyletic Macroglossinae. These findings are in marked contrast to the DNA hybridisation phylogeny. A high index of between-data-set incongruence is further evidence for the clash between DNA hybridisation and morphology. A phylogenetic framework was constructed on the basis of morphological data and DNA hybridisation data using a criterion of moderate support and shows little resolution, whereas employing a criterion of strong support produced a framework resolving several additional nodes. One implication of this framework is that characteristic macroglossine features such as a long tongue with a thick carpet of filiform papillae have evolved independently on several occasions (or evolved once and were lost several times). Rates of character evolution for the morphological characters employed in our analysis were calculated using divergence times estimated from DNA hybridisation data. Rates have apparently been fastest in the interior branches, and slower along the external branches, which suggests an early adaptive radiation in the history of fruitbats.

Understanding Intentions in Social Interaction: The Role of the Anterior Paracingulate Cortex

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1854-1863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Walter ◽  
Mauro Adenzato ◽  
Angela Ciaramidaro ◽  
Ivan Enrici ◽  
Lorenzo Pia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Brain Region ◽  
Neural System ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Prefrontal Region ◽  
Per Se

Neuroimaging studies have identified the anterior paracingulate cortex (PCC) as the key prefrontal region subserving theory of mind. We adopt an evolutionary perspective hypothesizing that, in response to the pressures of social complexity, a mechanism for manipulating information concerning social interaction has emerged in the anterior PCC. To date, neuroimaging studies have not properly distinguished between intentions of persons involved in social interactions and intentions of an isolated person. In two separate fMRI experiments, we demonstrated that the anterior PCC is not necessarily involved in the understanding of other people's intentions per se, but primarily in the understanding of the intentions of people involved in social interaction. Moreover, this brain region showed activation when a represented intention implies social interaction and therefore had not yet actually occurred. This result suggests that the anterior PCC is also involved in our ability to predict future intentional social interaction, based on an isolated agent's behavior. We conclude that distinct areas of the neural system underlying theory of mind are specialized in processing distinct classes of social stimuli.

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