Sustained high rates of morphological evolution during the rise of tetrapods

Simões, Tiago R.; Pierce, Stephanie E.

doi:10.1038/s41559-021-01532-x

Cited by 26 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…a, Strict consensus tree from the maximum parsimony analysis with Bremer decay (D) and bootstrap support values.b, Majority-rule tree from undated Bayesian analysis with posterior probabilities. Both analyses recover a basal polytomy; Megalichthys is shown as the outgroup, consistent with other studies9,23,25,36 .…”

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confidence: 89%

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A new elpistostegalian from the Late Devonian of the Canadian Arctic

Stewart

Lemberg

Daly

et al. 2022

Nature

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A fundamental gap in the study of the origin of limbed vertebrates lies in understanding the morphological and functional diversity of their closest relatives. Whereas analyses of the elpistostegalians Panderichthys rhombolepis, Tiktaalik roseae and Elpistostege watsoni have revealed a sequence of changes in locomotor, feeding and respiratory structures during the transition1–9, an isolated bone, a putative humerus, has controversially hinted at a wider range in form and function than now recognized10–14. Here we report the discovery of a new elpistostegalian from the Late Devonian period of the Canadian Arctic that shows surprising disparity in the group. The specimen includes partial upper and lower jaws, pharyngeal elements, a pectoral fin and scalation. This new genus is phylogenetically proximate to T. roseae and E. watsoni but evinces notable differences from both taxa and, indeed, other described tetrapodomorphs. Lacking processes, joint orientations and muscle scars indicative of appendage-based support on a hard substrate13, its pectoral fin shows specializations for swimming that are unlike those known from other sarcopterygians. This unexpected morphological and functional diversity represents a previously hidden ecological expansion, a secondary return to open water, near the origin of limbed vertebrates.

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supporting

confidence: 89%

“…Analyses were run for five million generations with four runs of four chains sampling every 5,000 generations and a burn-in of 20%. Megalichthys was designated as an outgroup, consistent with other studies 9,23,25,36 .…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 68%

A new elpistostegalian from the Late Devonian of the Canadian Arctic

Stewart

Lemberg

Daly

et al. 2022

Nature

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“…Previous phylogenetic analyses included three ( Ahlberg & Johanson, 1998 ; Cloutier et al, 2020 ; Johanson & Ahlberg, 2001 ; Simões & Pierce, 2021 ; Zhu & Ahlberg, 2004 ; Zhu et al, 2017 ), four ( Young, Long & Ritchie, 1992 ), or five megalichthyids ( Witzmann & Schoch, 2012 ). Thus, our phylogenetic analysis contains the largest megalichthyid diversity included in a phylogenetic analysis with nine species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… Simões & Pierce (2021) changed two codings from Cloutier et al ‘s ( 2020 ) matrix: character 62 (anteromedial process of vomer) for Acanthostega and character 106 (opercular process of hyomandibula) for Panderichthys . We agree solely with the modification suggested for the coding of Acanthostega for character 62 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A fresh look at Cladarosymblema narrienense, a tetrapodomorph fish (Sarcopterygii: Megalichthyidae) from the Carboniferous of Australia, illuminated via X-ray tomography

Clement

Cloutier

Lü

et al. 2021

PeerJ

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Background The megalichthyids are one of several clades of extinct tetrapodomorph fish that lived throughout the Devonian–Permian periods. They are advanced “osteolepidid-grade” fishes that lived in freshwater swamp and lake environments, with some taxa growing to very large sizes. They bear cosmine-covered bones and a large premaxillary tusk that lies lingually to a row of small teeth. Diagnosis of the family remains controversial with various authors revising it several times in recent works. There are fewer than 10 genera known globally, and only one member definitively identified from Gondwana. Cladarosymblema narrienense Fox et al. 1995 was described from the Lower Carboniferous Raymond Formation in Queensland, Australia, on the basis of several well-preserved specimens. Despite this detailed work, several aspects of its anatomy remain undescribed. Methods Two especially well-preserved 3D fossils of Cladarosymblema narrienense, including the holotype specimen, are scanned using synchrotron or micro-computed tomography (µCT), and 3D modelled using specialist segmentation and visualisation software. New anatomical detail, in particular internal anatomy, is revealed for the first time in this taxon. A novel phylogenetic matrix, adapted from other recent work on tetrapodomorphs, is used to clarify the interrelationships of the megalichthyids and confirm the phylogenetic position of C. narrienense. Results Never before seen morphological details of the palate, hyoid arch, basibranchial skeleton, pectoral girdle and axial skeleton are revealed and described. Several additional features are confirmed or updated from the original description. Moreover, the first full, virtual cranial endocast of any tetrapodomorph fish is presented and described, giving insight into the early neural adaptations in this group. Phylogenetic analysis confirms the monophyly of the Megalichthyidae with seven genera included (Askerichthys, Cladarosymblema, Ectosteorhachis, Mahalalepis, Megalichthys, Palatinichthys, and Sengoerichthys). The position of the megalichthyids as sister group to canowindrids, crownward of “osteolepidids” (e.g.,Osteolepis and Gogonasus), but below “tristichopterids” such as Eusthenopteron is confirmed, but our findings suggest further work is required to resolve megalichthyid interrelationships.

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“…Here, we test hypotheses predicting that parental care or terrestrial habitats in which offspring develop alter the offspring size–number trade-off, specifically leading to smaller clutches of larger eggs, in a sample of over 800 amphibian species. Importantly, selection is expected to increase rates of phenotypic evolution on target traits [ 31 – 36 ]. Therefore, we expect that egg and clutch size exhibit higher phenotypic change when under selection imposed by parental care and offspring habitat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Terrestrial reproduction and parental care drive rapid evolution in the trade-off between offspring size and number across amphibians

2022

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The trade-off between offspring size and number is central to life history strategies. Both the evolutionary gain of parental care or more favorable habitats for offspring development are predicted to result in fewer, larger offspring. However, despite much research, it remains unclear whether and how different forms of care and habitats drive the evolution of the trade-off. Using data for over 800 amphibian species, we demonstrate that, after controlling for allometry, amphibians with direct development and those that lay eggs in terrestrial environments have larger eggs and smaller clutches, while different care behaviors and adaptations vary in their effects on the trade-off. Specifically, among the 11 care forms we considered at the egg, tadpole and juvenile stage, egg brooding, male egg attendance, and female egg attendance increase egg size; female tadpole attendance and tadpole feeding decrease egg size, while egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and male tadpole transport decrease clutch size. Unlike egg size that shows exceptionally high rates of phenotypic change in just 19 branches of the amphibian phylogeny, clutch size has evolved at exceptionally high rates in 135 branches, indicating episodes of strong selection; egg and tadpole environment, direct development, egg brooding, tadpole feeding, male tadpole attendance, and tadpole transport explain 80% of these events. By explicitly considering diversity in parental care and offspring habitat by stage of offspring development, this study demonstrates that more favorable conditions for offspring development promote the evolution of larger offspring in smaller broods and reveals that the diversity of parental care forms influences the trade-off in more nuanced ways than previously appreciated.

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Sustained high rates of morphological evolution during the rise of tetrapods

Cited by 26 publications

References 65 publications

A new elpistostegalian from the Late Devonian of the Canadian Arctic

A new elpistostegalian from the Late Devonian of the Canadian Arctic

A fresh look at Cladarosymblema narrienense, a tetrapodomorph fish (Sarcopterygii: Megalichthyidae) from the Carboniferous of Australia, illuminated via X-ray tomography

Terrestrial reproduction and parental care drive rapid evolution in the trade-off between offspring size and number across amphibians

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