J Evol Biol. 2016 Sep 3. doi: 10.1111/jeb.12975. [Epub ahead of print]
- 1Departamento
de Ciências Biológicas, Centro de Ciências Humanas e Naturais,
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
ritagomesrocha@gmail.com.
- 2Departamento de Biologia,
Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus
Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
ritagomesrocha@gmail.com.
- 3Departamento de Ciências
Biológicas, Centro de Ciências Humanas e Naturais, Universidade Federal
do Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
- 4Departamento
de Biologia, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de
Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
- 5Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, 650 Life Sciences Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Abstract
The
family Sciuridae is one of the most widespread and ecologically diverse
lineage of rodents and represents an ideal model for investigating the
evolution of locomotion modes and the historical biogeography of
terrestrial mammals. We used a comprehensive database on locomotion
modes, an updated phylogeny and novel biogeographic comparative methods
to re-assess the evolution of locomotion of squirrels and to investigate
if these locomotion modes evolved convergently in different continents.
We found that locomotion changes occurred in different independent
lineages of the family, including four reversals to terrestriality and
one evolution of gliding. We also found evidence for Eurasia as the
center of origin of Sciuridae, challenging the classification of the
oldest squirrel fossil records from the early Oligocene in North
America. Additionally, Eurasia is also the possible center of origin for
most of squirrel sub-families and tribes, and where locomotion changes
have occurred. Parallel locomotion shifts could be explained by the
adaptation towards different ecological niches followed by colonization
of new continents. This article is protected by copyright. All rights
reserved.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Ancestral range estimation; continental colonization; locomotion; macroevolution; speciation
- [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
