Mid-Cretaceous amber fossils illuminate the past diversity of tropical lizards

Daza, Juan D.; Stanley, Edward L.; Wagner, Philipp; Bauer, Aaron M.; Grimaldi, David A.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501080

Cited by 109 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(60 reference statements)

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“…The marginally better fit provided by the irreversible six‐rate null‐two model instead provides some evidence to support the traditional hypothesis that toepads arose once in gekkotans, followed by independent losses in several lineages. These findings also fit well with recent discoveries of stem gekkotan fossils possessing toepads, suggesting that toepads arose very early in the diversification of Gekkota (Arnold & Poinar, ; Daza et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Rate heterogeneity across Squamata, misleading ancestral state reconstruction and the importance of proper null model specification

Harrington

Reeder

2016

J of Evolutionary Biology

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The binary-state speciation and extinction (BiSSE) model has been used in many instances to identify state-dependent diversification and reconstruct ancestral states. However, recent studies have shown that the standard procedure of comparing the fit of the BiSSE model to constant-rate birth-death models often inappropriately favours the BiSSE model when diversification rates vary in a state-independent fashion. The newly developed HiSSE model enables researchers to identify state-dependent diversification rates while accounting for state-independent diversification at the same time. The HiSSE model also allows researchers to test state-dependent models against appropriate state-independent null models that have the same number of parameters as the state-dependent models being tested. We reanalyse two data sets that originally used BiSSE to reconstruct ancestral states within squamate reptiles and reached surprising conclusions regarding the evolution of toepads within Gekkota and viviparity across Squamata. We used this new method to demonstrate that there are many shifts in diversification rates across squamates. We then fit various HiSSE submodels and null models to the state and phylogenetic data and reconstructed states under these models. We found that there is no single, consistent signal for state-dependent diversification associated with toepads in gekkotans or viviparity across all squamates. Our reconstructions show limited support for the recently proposed hypotheses that toepads evolved multiple times independently in Gekkota and that transitions from viviparity to oviparity are common in Squamata. Our results highlight the importance of considering an adequate pool of models and null models when estimating diversification rate parameters and reconstructing ancestral states.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Rate heterogeneity across Squamata, misleading ancestral state reconstruction and the importance of proper null model specification

Harrington

Reeder

2016

J of Evolutionary Biology

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“…However, likely due to limited sample size, we have only weak evidence against a Brownian Motion with a trend model. The gecko fossil record is unfortunately less informative (Daza et al 2014(Daza et al , 2016. For example, geckos were found to be more variable in adhesive performance (Fig.…”

Section: Trait Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tempo and mode of performance evolution across multiple independent origins of adhesive toe pads in lizards

et al. 2017

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Understanding macroevolutionary dynamics of trait evolution is an important endeavor in evolutionary biology. Ecological opportunity can liberate a trait as it diversifies through trait space, while genetic and selective constraints can limit diversification. While many studies have examined the dynamics of morphological traits, diverse morphological traits may yield the same or similar performance and as performance is often more proximately the target of selection, examining only morphology may give an incomplete understanding of evolutionary dynamics. Here, we ask whether convergent evolution of pad-bearing lizards has followed similar evolutionary dynamics, or whether independent origins are accompanied by unique constraints and selective pressures over macroevolutionary time. We hypothesized that geckos and anoles each have unique evolutionary tempos and modes. Using performance data from 59 species, we modified Brownian motion (BM) and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) models to account for repeated origins estimated using Bayesian ancestral state reconstructions. We discovered that adhesive performance in geckos evolved in a fashion consistent with Brownian motion with a trend, whereas anoles evolved in bounded performance space consistent with more constrained evolution (an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model). Our results suggest that convergent phenotypes can have quite distinctive evolutionary patterns, likely as a result of idiosyncratic constraints or ecological opportunities.

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“…Burmese amber is currently the most abundant source of Mesozoic amber inclusions, and includes the greatest diversity of arthropods discovered to date (Grimaldi et al, 2002;Ross et al, 2010). The significance of Burmese amber for understanding Cretaceous biotic evolution cannot be overestimated, and even recently these mines have revealed the earliest Palpigradi (Engel et al, 2016b), Neophasmatodea (Engel et al, 2016c), diverse ants and termites (Barden and Grimaldi, 2016;Engel et al, 2016d;Perrichot et al, 2016), as well as amber-preserved vertebrates within Squamata (Daza et al, 2016).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Evanioid Wasps from the Cenomanian of Myanmar (Hymenoptera: Othniodellithidae, Aulacidae), with a Summary of Family-Group Names Among Evanioidea

Engel

2017

American Museum Novitates

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Three new evanioid wasps (Euhymenoptera: Evanioidea) are described and figured from individuals preserved in mid-Cretaceous (earliest Cenomanian) amber from northern Myanmar. The new species represent the families Othniodellithidae and Aulacidae, both previously recorded from Burmese amber. Xenodellitha preta, new genus and species, is the second othniodellithid wasp and the diagnosis of the family is slightly emended in order to accommodate this species. The subfamily Hyptiogastritinae (Aulacidae) is expanded to include Protofoenus Cockerell and a third genus from Burmese amber. Archeofoenus tartaricus, new genus and species, is the third known species of the extinct aulacid subfamily Hyptiogastritinae, differing from Hyptiogastrites electrinus Cockerell in the low position of the discal cell and the open subdiscal cell in the forewing, and from Protofoenus swinhoei Cockerell in the form of the head and mandible, coloration, and forewing venational details. Together, Archeofoenus and Protofoenus are placed in Archeofoenini, new tribe. The last species is similar to the genus Electrofoenus Cockerell, and together they are classified in Electrofoenini among the Aulacidae. Electrofoenops diminuta, new genus and species, is distinguished from Electrofoenus on the basis of wing venation. The significance of these taxa is briefly discussed and a summary of available family-group names among Evanioidea is appended.

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Mid-Cretaceous amber fossils illuminate the past diversity of tropical lizards

Abstract: Exquisitely preserved fossil lizards from 99-million-year-old Burmese amber provide new insights into paleotropical diversity.

Cited by 109 publications

References 38 publications

Rate heterogeneity across Squamata, misleading ancestral state reconstruction and the importance of proper null model specification

Rate heterogeneity across Squamata, misleading ancestral state reconstruction and the importance of proper null model specification

Tempo and mode of performance evolution across multiple independent origins of adhesive toe pads in lizards

New Evanioid Wasps from the Cenomanian of Myanmar (Hymenoptera: Othniodellithidae, Aulacidae), with a Summary of Family-Group Names Among Evanioidea

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