Phylogenomic analyses resolve relationships among garter snakes (Thamnophis: Natricinae: Colubridae) and elucidate biogeographic history and morphological evolution

Hallas, Joshua M.; Feldman, Chris R.

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107374

Cited by 19 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 126 publications

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“…The aquatic ecomorph occurs in all four major global regions that have natricine snakes (Figure 2) and are spread across the whole phylogeny. This ecomorph showed convergence in head shape, perhaps due to functional adaptations for moving headfirst through water (Hallas et al, 2022; Hibbitts & Fitzgerald, 2005; Segall et al, 2016, 2020; Vincent et al, 2009). In our PC1 vs PC2 plots overall, many aquatic natricines had a narrow snout and shorter naris to naris and eye to eye distance (Figure 3; Figure S3) highlighting dorsally positioned eyes and nostrils, characters typical of aquatic snakes (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Morphological convergence may also be related to foraging strategy, for example some aquatic natricine snakes have independently evolved similar head shapes depending on whether they are lateral or frontal strikers (Herrel et al, 2008; Vincent et al, 2009). Habit also influences snake morphology, particularly in aquatic (Hallas et al, 2022; Segall et al, 2016, 2020) and fossorial (Da Silva et al, 2018) taxa. Within generally aquatic homalopsid snakes, head shape is influenced by a combination of diet, habitat use and burrowing habit (Fabre et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Habit also influences snake morphology, particularly in aquatic (Hallas et al, 2022;Segall et al, 2016Segall et al, , 2020 and fossorial (Da Silva et al, 2018) taxa. Within generally aquatic homalopsid snakes, head shape is influenced by a combination of diet, habitat use and burrowing habit (Fabre et al, 2016).…”

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Diet and habit explain head‐shape convergences in natricine snakes

Veerappan

Gower

Cooper

2022

J of Evolutionary Biology

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The concept of ecomorphs, whereby species with similar ecologies have similar phenotypes regardless of their phylogenetic relatedness, is often central to discussions regarding the relationship between ecology and phenotype. However, some aspects of the concept have been questioned, and sometimes species have been grouped as ecomorphs based on phenotypic similarity without demonstrating ecological similarity. Within snakes, similar head shapes have convergently evolved in species living in comparable environments and/or with similar diets. Therefore, ecomorphs could exist in some snake lineages, but this assertion has rarely been tested for a wide‐ranging group within a single framework. Natricine snakes (Natricinae) are ecomorphologically diverse and currently distributed in Asia, Africa, Europe and north‐central America. They are primarily semiaquatic or ground‐dwelling terrestrial snakes, but some are aquatic, burrowing or aquatic and burrowing in habit and may be generalist or specialist in diet. Thus, natricines present an interesting system to test whether snakes from different major habit categories represent ecomorphs. We quantify morphological similarity and disparity in head shape among 191 of the ca. 250 currently recognized natricine species and apply phylogenetic comparative methods to test for convergence. Natricine head shape is largely correlated with habit, but in some burrowers is better explained by dietary specialism. Convergence in head shape is especially strong for aquatic burrowing, semiaquatic and terrestrial ecomorphs and less strong for aquatic and burrowing ecomorphs. The ecomorph concept is useful for understanding natricine diversity and evolution, though would benefit from further refinement, especially for aquatic and burrowing taxa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diet and habit explain head‐shape convergences in natricine snakes

Veerappan

Gower

Cooper

2022

J of Evolutionary Biology

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“…Similarity between these species occurs across levels of biological organization, from higher-order phenomena (top) to lower-level mechanisms (bottom). Because these snakes are distantly related (Hallas et al, 2022), and intervening snakes along the phylogeny do not exhibit most of these derived traits (e.g., Feldman et al, 2009;McGlothlin et al, 2016), we can infer the evolutionary pathway of resistance as occurring by convergence (green), divergence (red), common ancestry (grey) or still unknown (yellow) [Colour…”

Section: Con Clus Ionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The road not taken: Evolution of tetrodotoxin resistance in the Sierra garter snake (Thamnophis couchii) by a path less travelled

et al. 2022

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The repeated evolution of tetrodotoxin (TTX) resistance provides a model for testing hypotheses about the mechanisms of convergent evolution. This poison is broadly employed as a potent antipredator defence, blocking voltage-gated sodium channels (Na v ) in muscles and nerves, paralysing and sometimes killing predators. Resistance in taxa bearing this neurotoxin and a few predators appears to come from convergent replacements in specific Na v residues that interact with TTX. This stereotyped

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“…A consummate riparian generalist, the range of T. sirtalis (Figure 1) spans multiple ecoregions and biogeographic barriers known to shape the genetic structure within many disparately related taxa (Avise, 2000; Brunsfeld et al, 2001; Soltis et al, 2006). Phylogenetic studies of the genus Thamnophis (Guo et al, 2012; Hallas et al, 2022; McVay et al, 2015; Nuñez et al, 2023) have stabilized taxonomy and generally support a middle Miocene origin in southern NA followed by divergence into a widespread northern clade containing T. sirtalis (Northern Mexico, contiguous US, Canada) and a southern clade occurring within the Mexican Transition Zone. Phylogeographic studies within the northern clade have identified Pleistocene signatures in contemporary population structure in central and western NA (Allen, 2005; Hallas et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeographic barriers and historic climate shape the phylogeography and demography of the common gartersnake

Jones,

Leaché,

Burbrink

2023

Journal of Biogeography

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AimCurrent distributions of widespread North American (NA) species have been shaped by Pleistocene glacial cycles, latitudinal temperature gradients, sharp longitudinal habitat transitions and the vicariant effects of major mountain and river systems that subdivide the continent. Within these transcontinental species, genetic diversity patterns might not conform to established biogeographic breaks compared to more spatially restricted taxa due to intrinsic differences or spatiotemporal differences. In this study, we highlight the effects of these extrinsic variables on genetic structuring by investigating the phylogeographic history of a widespread generalist squamate found throughout NA.LocationNorth America.TaxonCommon gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis.MethodsWe evaluate the effects of major river basins and the forest‐grassland transition into the Interior Plains on genetic structure patterns using phylogenetic, spatially informed population structure and demographic analyses of single nucleotide polymorphism data and address range expansion history with ecological niche modelling using locality and historic climate data.ResultsWe identify four phylogeographic lineages with varying degrees of connectivity between them. We find discordant population structure patterns between sex‐linked and autosomal loci with respect to the relationship between the central NA lineage relative to coastal lineages. We find support for southeast Pleistocene refugia where recent secondary contact occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum and evidence for both northern and southern refugia in western NA.Main ConclusionOur results provide strong evidence for a Pliocene origin for T. sirtalis in central‐southeastern NA preceding its rapid expansion across the continent prior to middle Pleistocene climate‐mediated lineage formation. We implicate major riverine networks within the Mississippi watershed in likely repeated westward expansion events across the Interior Plains. Finally, we corroborate prior conclusions that phenotypic differences between subspecies do not reflect shared evolutionary history and note that the degree of separation between inferred lineages warrants further investigation before any taxonomic revisions are proposed.

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Phylogenomic analyses resolve relationships among garter snakes (Thamnophis: Natricinae: Colubridae) and elucidate biogeographic history and morphological evolution

Cited by 19 publications

References 126 publications

Diet and habit explain head‐shape convergences in natricine snakes

Diet and habit explain head‐shape convergences in natricine snakes

The road not taken: Evolution of tetrodotoxin resistance in the Sierra garter snake (Thamnophis couchii) by a path less travelled

Biogeographic barriers and historic climate shape the phylogeography and demography of the common gartersnake

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