Dispersal assembly of rain forest tree communities across the Amazon basin

Dexter, Kyle G.; Lavin, Matt; Torke, Benjamin M.; Twyford, Alex D.; Kursar, Thomas A.; Coley, Phyllis D.; Drake, C.M.; Hollands, Ruth; Pennington, R. Toby

doi:10.1073/pnas.1613655114

Cited by 108 publications

(137 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(75 reference statements)

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“…Leaf samples of representative individuals of each species were dried in silica and later extracted and DNA sequenced to confirm species delineations and to place species in a phylogenetic context. Previous phylogenetic work on Inga , using 6,000+ base pairs from seven chloroplast DNA loci and one nuclear locus (nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers), generated through Sanger sequencing, resulted in a poorly resolved phylogeny with multiple polytomies (Dexter et al, ; Kursar et al, ; Richardson et al, ). We therefore employed transcriptome data from three Inga species to design a bait‐capture set that targeted 264 nuclear loci for enrichment from whole‐genome libraries for subsequent sequencing (Nicholls et al, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inga has over 300 described species (Pennington, ) and appears to have explosively radiated ~9 million years ago (Richardson, Pennington, Pennington, & Hollingsworth, ). Furthermore, in any given forest, it is one of the most diverse genera and one of the most abundant in terms of individual plant stems (Dexter et al, ; Valencia et al, ). For Inga , as with most tropical species, herbivores prefer to feed on expanding leaves, as these are low in fibre and high in nutrients—two unavoidable consequences of growth (Coley, Endara, & Kursar, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Macroevolutionary patterns in overexpression of tyrosine: An anti‐herbivore defence in a speciose tropical tree genus, Inga (Fabaceae)

et al. 2019

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Plant secondary metabolites are a key defence against herbivores, and their evolutionary origin is likely from primary metabolites. Yet for this to occur, an intermediate step of overexpression of primary metabolites would need to confer some advantage to the plant. Here, we examine the evolution of overexpression of the essential amino acid, L‐tyrosine and its role as a defence against herbivores. We examined overexpression of tyrosine in 97 species of Inga (Fabaceae), a genus of tropical trees, at five sites throughout the Neotropics. We predicted that tyrosine could act as an anti‐herbivore defence because concentrations of 4% tyrosine in artificial diets halved larval growth rates. We also collected insect herbivores to determine if tyrosine and its derivatives influenced host associations. Overexpression of tyrosine was only present in a single lineage comprising 21 species, with concentrations ranging from 5% to 20% of the leaf dry weight. Overexpression was pronounced in expanding but not in mature leaves. Despite laboratory studies showing toxicity of L‐tyrosine, Inga species with tyrosine suffered higher levels of herbivory. We therefore hypothesize that overexpression is only favoured in species with less effective secondary metabolites. Some tyrosine‐producing species also contained secondary metabolites that are derived from tyrosine: tyrosine‐gallates, tyramine‐gallates and DOPA‐gallates. Elevated levels of transcripts of prephenate dehydrogenase, an enzyme in the tyrosine biosynthetic pathway that is insensitive to negative feedback from tyrosine, were found only in species that overexpress tyrosine or related gallates. Different lineages of herbivores showed contrasting responses to the overexpression of tyrosine and its derived secondary metabolites in their host plants. Synthesis. We propose that overexpression of some primary metabolites can serve as a chemical defence against herbivores, and are most likely to be selected for in species suffering high herbivory due to less effective secondary metabolites. Overexpression may be the first evolutionary step in the transition to the production of more derived secondary metabolites. Presumably, derived compounds would be more effective and less costly than free tyrosine as anti‐herbivore defences.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macroevolutionary patterns in overexpression of tyrosine: An anti‐herbivore defence in a speciose tropical tree genus, Inga (Fabaceae)

et al. 2019

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“…Understanding the relative contributions of in situ speciation and dispersal in shaping different communities has been greatly aided by the use of phylogenetic data (reviewed by Tucker et al ). Phylogenetic data can help separate the two processes by providing the shared ancestry for a range of taxa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies on the South American biota suggest that the paradigm regarding how communities are shaped to be shifting away from the influence of biogeographic and climatic processes (Robinson et al , Herzog and Kattan , Ribas et al ) to dispersal being the main driver of diversification and community assembly (Smith et al , Dexter et al , Oliveira et al ). Dispersal ability is expected to positively correlate with diversification rate if it facilitates colonization of new areas and the crossing of geographic barriers (Claramunt et al , Weeks and Claramunt ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the contribution of dispersal to community structure in Neotropical passerine birds

et al. 2018

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For two centuries evolutionary biologists have sought to explain elevated biodiversity in the Neotropics. Although different process are known to be important, it is still not uncommon for researchers to emphasize a single mechanism. Recently, arguments have highlighted the importance of dispersal shaping community structure and evolution across the region. We examine this hypothesis by visualizing spatial variation in community structure for the majority of South American passerines (Aves) across the northern half of South America. By sampling over a contiguous area we show how community structure varies widely across Amazonia and surrounding regions. Our results support a combination of processes including: the inability of species to disperse across geographic barriers, Andean uplift, and variation in habitat type. Although dispersal is a factor, our results emphasize a lack of dispersal, driven primarily by features of the landscape, coupled with historical changes in climate to be important drivers of Neotropical diversity.

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“…This suggests a potential scenario in which parapatric speciation might be a general process shaping Amazon forest composition. Nonetheless, current evidence suggests that allopatric speciation after dispersal might be a major evolutionary driver of speciation in Amazon tree lineages (Dexter et al., 2017). Therefore, it will be important to carry out subsequent research at clades levels to elucidate whether these can be considered general mechanisms for the formation of species pool in Amazonian forests (Fine & Baraloto, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporating phylogenetic information for the definition of floristic districts in hyperdiverse Amazon forests: Implications for conservation

Andino

Pitman

Steege

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Using complementary metrics to evaluate phylogenetic diversity can facilitate the delimitation of floristic units and conservation priority areas. In this study, we describe the spatial patterns of phylogenetic alpha and beta diversity, phylogenetic endemism, and evolutionary distinctiveness of the hyperdiverse Ecuador Amazon forests and define priority areas for conservation. We established a network of 62 one‐hectare plots in terra firme forests of Ecuadorian Amazon. In these plots, we tagged, collected, and identified every single adult tree with dbh ≥10 cm. These data were combined with a regional community phylogenetic tree to calculate different phylogenetic diversity (PD) metrics in order to create spatial models. We used Loess regression to estimate the spatial variation of taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity as well as phylogenetic endemism and evolutionary distinctiveness. We found evidence for the definition of three floristic districts in the Ecuadorian Amazon, supported by both taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity data. Areas with high levels of phylogenetic endemism and evolutionary distinctiveness in Ecuadorian Amazon forests are unprotected. Furthermore, these areas are severely threatened by proposed plans of oil and mining extraction at large scales and should be prioritized in conservation planning for this region.

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Dispersal assembly of rain forest tree communities across the Amazon basin

Cited by 108 publications

References 72 publications

Macroevolutionary patterns in overexpression of tyrosine: An anti‐herbivore defence in a speciose tropical tree genus, Inga (Fabaceae)

Macroevolutionary patterns in overexpression of tyrosine: An anti‐herbivore defence in a speciose tropical tree genus, Inga (Fabaceae)

Evaluating the contribution of dispersal to community structure in Neotropical passerine birds

Incorporating phylogenetic information for the definition of floristic districts in hyperdiverse Amazon forests: Implications for conservation

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