New data from the Middle Jurassic of China shed light on the phylogeny and origin of the proboscis in the Mesopsychidae (Insecta: Mecoptera)

Birdsong is a prime example of acoustically sophisticated vocal behaviour, but its complexity has evolved mainly through sexual selection to attract mates and repel sexual rivals. In contrast, non-human primate calls often mediate complex social interactions, but are generally regarded as acoustically simple. Here, we examine arguably the most complex call in great ape vocal communication, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) ‘pant hoot’. This signal consists of four acoustically distinct phases: introduction, build-up, climax and let-down. We applied state-of-the-art Support Vector Machines (SVM) methodology to pant hoots produced by wild male chimpanzees of Budongo Forest, Uganda. We found that caller identity was apparent in all four phases, but most strongly in the low-amplitude introduction and high-amplitude climax phases. Age was mainly correlated with the low-amplitude introduction and build-up phases, dominance rank (i.e. social status) with the high-amplitude climax phase, and context (reflecting activity of the caller) with the low-amplitude let-down phase. We conclude that the complex acoustic structure of chimpanzee pant hoots is linked to a range of socially relevant information in the different phases of the call, reflecting the complex nature of chimpanzee social lives.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequential information in a great ape utterance

Fedurek

Zuberbühler

Dahl

2016

“…We digitized 15 lateral landmark coordinates using the software program tpsDig2112. Landmarks were selected to provide adequate coverage of the lateral body profile and largely followed previous studies on Gambusia spp 33113. with additional landmark points defined at the eyes and pectoral fins (see Supplementary Fig.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shared and unique patterns of phenotypic diversification along a stream gradient in two congeneric species

Jourdan

Krause

Lazar

et al. 2016

Stream ecosystems show gradual variation of various selection factors, which can result in a zonation of species distributions and gradient evolution of morphological and life-history traits within species. Identifying the selective agents underlying such phenotypic evolution is challenging as different species could show shared and/or unique (species-specific) responses to components of the river gradient. We studied a stream gradient inhabited by two mosquitofishes (genus Gambusia) in the Río Grijalva basin in southern Mexico and found a patchy distribution pattern of both congeners along a stretch of 100 km, whereby one species was usually dominant at a given site. We uncovered both shared and unique patterns of diversification: some components of the stream gradient, including differences in piscine predation pressure, drove shared patterns of phenotypic divergence, especially in females. Other components of the gradient, particularly abiotic factors (max. annual temperature and temperature range) resulted in unique patterns of divergence, especially in males. Our study highlights the complexity of selective regimes in stream ecosystems. It exemplifies that even closely related, congeneric species can respond in unique ways to the same components of the river gradient and shows how both sexes can exhibit quite different patterns of divergence in multivariate phenotypic character suites.

“…Given that the closest relative of Dysosma, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum , is native to the Himalayan regions161719, we therefore assume that the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of the D. versipellis-pleiantha complex originated in the high-altitude habitats of the QTP region/Southwest China, and then expanded its geographic range across subtropical China. In general, such a niche shift from high-to-lower elevation habitats is thought to be rare20, but is also known from other taxa in our study area (e.g. Myricaria 21) or elsewhere (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…vicariance) across multiple localized refugia (e.g. WTD456789; WTE101112131415). For some of them (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Quaternary climate change drives allo-peripatric speciation and refugial divergence in the Dysosma versipellis-pleiantha complex from different forest types in China

Wang

Comes

Cao

et al. 2017

Subtropical China harbours the world’s most diverse temperate flora, but little is known about the roles of geographical and eco-climatic factors underlying the region’s exceptionally high levels of species diversity and endemism. Here we address this key question by investigating the spatio-temporal and ecological processes of divergence within the Dysosma versipellis-pleiantha species complex, endemic to subtropical China. Our cpDNA phylogeny showed that this monophyletic group of understory herbs is derived from a Late Pliocene ancestor of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP)/Southwest China. Genetic and ENM data in conjunction with niche differentiation analyses support that the early divergence of D. versipellis and D. pleiantha proceeded through allo-peripatric speciation, possibly triggered by Early Pleistocene climate change, while subsequent climate-induced cycles of range contractions/expansions enhanced the eco-geographical isolation of both taxa. Furthermore, modelling of population-genetic data indicated that major lineage divergences within D. versipellis likely resulted from long-term allopatric population isolation in multiple localized refugia over the last glacial/interglacial periods, and which in turn fostered endemic species formation (D. difformis, D. majoensis) from within D. versipellis in Southwest China. These findings point to an overriding role of Quaternary climate change in triggering essentially allopatric (incipient) speciation in this group of forest-restricted plant species in subtropical China.