A Skull Might Lie: Modeling Ancestral Ranges and Diet from
Genes and Shape of Tree Squirrels

J 2015

A Skull Might Lie: Modeling Ancestral Ranges and Diet from Genes and Shape of Tree Squirrels

PEČNEROVÁ, Patrícia, Jiří MORAVEC and Natália MARTÍNKOVÁ

Basic information

Original name

A Skull Might Lie: Modeling Ancestral Ranges and Diet from Genes and Shape of Tree Squirrels

Authors

PEČNEROVÁ, Patrícia (703 Slovakia, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Jiří MORAVEC (203 Czech Republic) and Natália MARTÍNKOVÁ (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Systematic Biology, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015, 1063-5157

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Impact factor

Impact factor: 8.225

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/15:00085027

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv054

UT WoS

000363168100014

Keywords in English

Ancestral range reconstruction; diet modeling; geometric morphometry; multilocus phylogeny; Sciurini; speciation

Abstract

V originále

Tropical forests of Central and South America represent hotspots of biological diversity. Tree squirrels of the tribe Sciurini are an excellent model system for the study of tropical biodiversity as these squirrels disperse exceptional distances, and after colonizing the tropics of the Central and South America, they have diversified rapidly. Here, we compare signals from DNA sequences with morphological signals using pictures of skulls and computational simulations. Phylogenetic analyses reveal step-wise geographic divergence across the Northern Hemisphere. In Central and South America, tree squirrels form two separate clades, which split from a common ancestor. Simulations of ancestral distributions show western Amazonia as the epicenter of speciation in South America. This finding suggests that wet tropical forests on the foothills of Andes possibly served as refugia of squirrel diversification during Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Comparison of phylogeny and morphology reveals one major discrepancy: Microsciurus species are a single clade morphologically but are polyphyletic genetically. Modeling of morphology–diet relationships shows that the only group of species with a direct link between skull shape and diet are the bark-gleaning insectivorous species of Microsciurus. This finding suggests that the current designation of Microsciurus as a genus is based on convergent ecologically driven changes in morphology.

Links

MUNI/C/0772/2011, interní kód MU

Name: Molekulární a morfologické signály speciační exploze u stromových veverek

Investor: Masaryk University, Rector's Program

Citovat

PEČNEROVÁ, Patrícia, Jiří MORAVEC and Natália MARTÍNKOVÁ. A Skull Might Lie: Modeling Ancestral Ranges and Diet from Genes and Shape of Tree Squirrels. Systematic Biology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015, vol. 64, No 6, p. 1074-1088. ISSN 1063-5157. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv054.

@article{1319531,
   author = {Pečnerová, Patrícia and Moravec, Jiří and Martínková, Natália},
   article_location = {Oxford},
   article_number = {6},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv054},
   keywords = {Ancestral range reconstruction; diet modeling; geometric morphometry; multilocus phylogeny; Sciurini; speciation},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1063-5157},
   journal = {Systematic Biology},
   title = {A Skull Might Lie: Modeling Ancestral Ranges and Diet from Genes and Shape of Tree Squirrels},
   volume = {64},
   year = {2015}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1319531
AU  - Pečnerová, Patrícia - Moravec, Jiří - Martínková, Natália
PY  - 2015
TI  - A Skull Might Lie: Modeling Ancestral Ranges and Diet from Genes and Shape of Tree Squirrels
JF  - Systematic Biology
VL  - 64
IS  - 6
SP  - 1074-1088
EP  - 1074-1088
PB  - Oxford University Press
SN  - 10635157
KW  - Ancestral range reconstruction
KW  - diet modeling
KW  - geometric morphometry
KW  - multilocus phylogeny
KW  - Sciurini
KW  - speciation
N2  - Tropical forests of Central and South America represent hotspots of biological diversity. Tree squirrels of the tribe Sciurini are an excellent model system for the study of tropical biodiversity as these squirrels disperse exceptional distances, and after colonizing the tropics of the Central and South America, they have diversified rapidly. Here, we compare signals from DNA sequences with morphological signals using pictures of skulls and computational simulations. Phylogenetic analyses reveal step-wise geographic divergence across the Northern Hemisphere. In Central and South America, tree squirrels form two separate clades, which split from a common ancestor. Simulations of ancestral distributions show western Amazonia as the epicenter of speciation in South America. This finding suggests that wet tropical forests on the foothills of Andes possibly served as refugia of squirrel diversification during Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Comparison of phylogeny and morphology reveals one major discrepancy: Microsciurus species are a single clade morphologically but are polyphyletic genetically. Modeling of morphology–diet relationships shows that the only group of species with a direct link between skull shape and diet are the bark-gleaning insectivorous species of Microsciurus. This finding suggests that the current designation of Microsciurus as a genus is based on convergent ecologically driven changes in morphology.
ER  -

PEČNEROVÁ, Patrícia, Jiří MORAVEC and Natália MARTÍNKOVÁ. A Skull Might Lie: Modeling Ancestral Ranges and Diet from Genes and Shape of Tree Squirrels. \textit{Systematic Biology}. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015, vol.~64, No~6, p.~1074-1088. ISSN~1063-5157. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syv054.

Detailed Information on Publication Record