A Paleocene penguin from New Zealand substantiates multiple origins of gigantism in fossil Sphenisciformes

Mayr, Gérald; Scofield, R. Paul; Pietri, Vanesa L. De; Tennyson, Alan J. D.

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01959-6

Cited by 22 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Penguins have an extensive fossil record, with >50 extinct species documented to date [3, 12, 13], extending back >60 million years [12]. Extant penguins span a modest range of sizes [14, 15], with the emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) the largest (30 kg) and Eudyptula penguins the smallest (1 kg).…”

Section: Data Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-coverage genomes to elucidate the evolution of penguins

Pan

Cole

et al. 2019

GigaScience

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (66 million years ago) and subsequently lost the ability to fly but enhanced their diving capabilities. With ∼20 species among 6 genera, penguins range from the tropical Galápagos Islands to the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea ice around Antarctica. To inhabit such diverse and extreme environments, penguins evolved many physiological and morphological adaptations. However, they are also highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, penguins provide an exciting target system for understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation, adaptation, and demography. Genomic data are an emerging resource for addressing questions about such processes. Results Here we present a novel dataset of 19 high-coverage genomes that, together with 2 previously published genomes, encompass all extant penguin species. We also present a well-supported phylogeny to clarify the relationships among penguins. In contrast to recent studies, our results demonstrate that the genus Aptenodytes is basal and sister to all other extant penguin genera, providing intriguing new insights into the adaptation of penguins to Antarctica. As such, our dataset provides a novel resource for understanding the evolutionary history of penguins as a clade, as well as the fine-scale relationships of individual penguin lineages. Against this background, we introduce a major consortium of international scientists dedicated to studying these genomes. Moreover, we highlight emerging issues regarding ensuring legal and respectful indigenous consultation, particularly for genomic data originating from New Zealand Taonga species. Conclusions We believe that our dataset and project will be important for understanding evolution, increasing cultural heritage and guiding the conservation of this iconic southern hemisphere species assemblage.

show abstract

Section: Data Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-coverage genomes to elucidate the evolution of penguins

Pan

Cole

et al. 2019

GigaScience

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…24, 30). Notably, the scapula is not broadened in one of the stemward-most penguins known, Muriwaimanu tuatahi, whereas it is said to be broadened in other stemgroup penguins including Kupoupou stilwelli, Sequiwaimanu rosieae and Kumimanu biceae (although not to the same extent as in extant Spheniscidae, and it is not well preserved in the former two taxa; Slack et al 2006;Mayr et al 2017Blockland et al 2019).…”

Section: Functional Anatomy Of Flightless Auksmentioning

confidence: 98%

Wing musculature reconstruction in extinct flightless auks (PinguinusandMancalla) reveals incomplete convergence with penguins (Spheniscidae) due to differing ancestral states

Watanabe

Field

Matsuoka

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite longstanding interest in convergent evolution, factors that result in deviations from fully convergent phenotypes remain poorly understood. In birds, the evolution of flightless wing-propelled diving has emerged as a classic example of convergence, having arisen in disparate lineages including penguins (Sphenisciformes) and auks (Pan-Alcidae, Charadriiformes). Nevertheless, little is known about the functional anatomy of the wings of flightless auks because all such taxa are extinct, and their morphology is almost exclusively represented by skeletal remains. Here, in order to re-evaluate the extent of evolutionary convergence among flightless wing-propelled divers, wing muscles and ligaments were reconstructed in two extinct flightless auks, representing independent transitions to flightlessness: Pinguinus impennis (a crown-group alcid), and Mancalla (a stem-group alcid). Extensive anatomical data were gathered from dissections of 12 species of extant charadriiforms and 4 aequornithine waterbirds including a penguin. It was found that the wings of both flightless auk taxa were characterized by an increased mechanical advantage of wing elevator/retractor muscles, and decreased mobility of distal wing joints, both of which are likely advantageous for wing-propelled diving and parallel similar functional specializations in penguins. However, the conformations of individual muscles and ligaments underlying these specializations differ markedly between penguins and flightless auks, instead resembling those in each respective group’s close relatives. Thus, the wings of these flightless wing-propelled divers can be described as convergent as overall functional units, but are incompletely convergent at lower levels of anatomical organization—a result of retaining differing conditions from each group’s respective volant ancestors. Detailed investigations such as this one may indicate that, even in the face of similar functional demands, courses of phenotypic evolution are dictated to an important degree by ancestral starting points.

show abstract

“…These highly derived seabirds presumably originated in the Cretaceous (145-66 Ma) (e.g., Slack et al, 2006) or the Paleocene (66-56 Ma) (e.g., Jarvis et al, 2014). The earliest skeletons attributable to Sphenisciformes, found on New Zealand and Seymour Island (Antarctic Peninsula), are Paleocene in age (Tambussi et al, 2005;Slack et al, 2006;Mayr et al, 2017aMayr et al, , 2017b. The fossil record of Eocene (56-34 Ma) penguins is by far more abundant.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%