Evolution,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Nov. 2, 2024
A
contemporary
interpretation
of
Dollo's
Law
is
that
the
evolution
specialized
structures
irreversible.
Among
land
plants,
reproductive
specialization
shows
a
trend
toward
increasing
complexity
without
reversion,
raising
questions
about
evolutionary
steps
and
irreversibility
complexity.
Ferns,
exhibit
varied
strategies,
some
are
dimorphic
(producing
separate
leaves
for
photosynthesis
reproduction),
while
others
monomorphic
(where
one
leaf
used
both
spore
dispersal).
This
diversity
provides
an
opportunity
to
examine
applicability
in
across
plants.
We
analyzed
118
species
Blechnaceae
Onocleaceae
using
quantitative
morphometrics
phylogenetic
comparative
methods
test
pillars
irreversibility.
The
dimorphism
neither
stepwise
nor
irreversible,
with
direct
transitions
from
monomorphism
dimorphism,
including
several
reversions.
In
contrast,
upon
further
fertile
dispersal,
suggesting
additional
specialization,
not
alone,
may
facilitate
These
results
provide
insight
into
canalization
fertile-sterile
seed
where
traits
like
heterospory
ovules
lead
potential
findings
suggest
as
new
evolve
alongside
pre-existing
ones,
reversion
become
increasingly
unlikely.
Communications Biology,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
8(1)
Published: March 3, 2025
Untangling
the
patterns
and
drivers
behind
diversification
extinction
of
highly
diversified
lineages
remains
a
challenge
in
evolutionary
biology.
While
insect
has
been
widely
studied
through
"Big
Four"
orders
(Coleoptera,
Hymenoptera,
Lepidoptera
Diptera),
fifth
most
diverse
order,
Hemiptera,
often
overlooked.
Hemiptera
exhibit
rich
fossil
record
are
present-day
ecosystems,
with
many
closely
associated
to
their
host
plants,
making
them
crucial
group
for
studying
how
past
ecological
shifts-such
as
mass
extinctions
floral
turnovers-have
influenced
diversification.
This
study
leverages
birth-death
models
Bayesian
framework
estimate
diversity
dynamics.
Our
results
reveal
that
global
changes
flora
over
time
significantly
shaped
trajectories
Hemiptera.
Two
major
faunal
turnovers
particularly
diversification:
(i)
aftermath
Permo-Triassic
(ii)
Angiosperm
Terrestrial
Revolution.
analyses
suggest
clades
was
driven
by
floristic
shifts
combined
competitive
pressures
from
overlapping
niches.
Leveraging
extensive
allowed
us
refine
our
understanding
across
hemipteran
lineages.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
121(13)
Published: March 11, 2024
With
~14,000
extant
species,
ants
are
ubiquitous
and
of
tremendous
ecological
importance.
They
have
undergone
remarkable
diversification
throughout
their
evolutionary
history.
However,
the
drivers
diversity
dynamics
not
well
quantified
or
understood.
Previous
phylogenetic
analyses
suggested
patterns
associated
with
Angiosperm
Terrestrial
Revolution
(ATR),
but
these
studies
overlooked
valuable
information
from
fossil
record.
To
address
this
gap,
we
conducted
a
comprehensive
analysis
using
large
dataset
that
includes
both
ant
record
(~24,000
individual
occurrences)
neontological
data
(~14,000
occurrences),
tested
four
hypotheses
proposed
for
diversification:
co-diversification,
competitive
extinction,
hyper-specialization,
buffered
extinction.
Taking
into
account
biases
in
record,
found
three
distinct
periods
(the
latest
Cretaceous,
Eocene,
Oligo-Miocene)
one
extinction
period
(Late
Cretaceous).
The
hypothesis
between
stem
crown
is
supported.
Instead,
support
hyper-specialization
hypotheses.
environmental
changes
ATR,
mediated
by
angiosperm
radiation,
likely
played
critical
role
buffering
against
favoring
providing
new
niches,
such
as
forest
litter
arboreal
nesting
sites,
additional
resources.
We
also
hypothesize
decline
during
Late
Cretaceous
was
due
to
hyper-specialized
morphology,
which
limited
ability
expand
dietary
niche
changing
environments.
This
study
highlights
importance
holistic
approach
when
studying
interplay
past
environments
trajectories
organisms.
Communications Biology,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
8(1)
Published: Feb. 16, 2025
Abstract
Behavioral
innovations
can
be
ecologically
transformative
for
lineages
that
perform
them
and
their
associated
communities.
Many
dominant,
superorganismal,
speciose
ant
use
mouth-to-mouth
social
regurgitation
behavior
–
stomodeal
trophallaxis
to
share
exogenous
endogenous
materials
within
colonies.
This
is
less
common
in
other
species-poor,
cooperative
lineages.
How
why
evolved
fixed
only
some
clades
remains
unclear,
whether
this
trait
could
indicative
of
superorganismality
has
yet
established.
Here
we
show
two
main
events,
non-doryline
formicoids
around
130
Ma
ponerines
90
Ma,
today
encompass
86%
all
species.
We
found
began
drinking
sugary
liquids
had
reduced
intra-colonial
conflict
by
constraining
worker
reproductive
potential.
Evolution
increased
net
diversification.
Causal
models
indicate
required
low
contributed
the
large
colony
sizes
ants
it.
suggests
evolution
was
enabled
both
reduction
opportunistic
inclusion
nectar
honeydew
diet
during
shifts
terrestrial
ecosystems
toward
flowering
plants.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
122(20)
Published: May 5, 2025
Around
34
Mya,
the
Eocene−Oligocene
transition
(EOT)
marked
most
dramatic
global
climatic
cooling
of
Cenozoic.
On
a
planetary
scale,
paleontological
evidence
suggests
that
this
was
associated
with
major
faunal
turnovers,
sometimes
even
regarded
as
mass
extinction
crisis.
In
South
America,
there
is
no
consensus
on
response
endemic
mammals
to
transition.
Here,
using
vetted
fossil
dataset
and
cutting-edge
Bayesian
methods,
we
analyzed
dynamics
American
mammal
(SAM)
diversification
their
possible
drivers
across
latitude
(tropical
vs.
extratropical),
taxonomic
groups,
trophic
guilds
throughout
(
ca.
56
23
Ma).
Our
results
did
not
any
among
SAM
at
EOT.
Instead,
they
experienced
gradual
long-term
diversity
decline
from
middle
Eocene
early
Oligocene,
followed
by
sudden
waxing-and-waning
large
taxonomic—but
ecological—turnover.
Tropical
extratropical
lineages
have
had
very
distinct
macroevolutionary
histories.
No
effective
change
in
pace
which
tropical
diversify
found,
thus
favoring
stability
hypothesis
proposed
Wallace.
Diversity-dependent
effects,
temperature,
Andean
uplift
were
recovered
probable
period.
Contrasting
casts
doubt
common
primarily
linking
Oligocene
changes
grassland
expansion.
findings
illustrate
uniqueness
deep-time
interplay
between
physical
environment
context
shift,
highlighting
need
consider
regional
idiosyncrasies
for
understanding
coevolution
life
climate.
Research Square (Research Square),
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Feb. 4, 2025
Abstract
The
wing
veins
of
known
fossil
and
living
phorids
are
reduced,
making
them
difficult
to
homologise.
Consequently,
different
interpretations
have
led
much
confusion
over
the
years.
However,
crucial
for
phylogenetic
taxonomy
studies,
especially
fossils.
We
addressed
these
challenges
by
studying
Cretaceous
specimens,
which
exhibit
fewer
reductions
in
compared
modern
fauna,
along
with
post-Cretaceous
specimens
that
display
recent
patterns.
Additionally,
we
examined
related
families
such
as
Ironomyiidae,
Platypezidae,
Opetiidae,
Lonchopteridae
show
similarities
Phoridae.
results
proposal
two
models
include
majority
found
each
taxon.
early
model
(Phoridae
sensu
lato,
including
Sciadocerinae
+
“†Prioriphorinae”)
consists
most
species,
except
†Metopina
goeleti
from
New
Jersey
amber,
displays
a
pattern.
stricto,
i.e.
Euphorida)
is
present
phorids.
These
newly
proposed
facilitate
rapid
identification
Phoridae
based
on
their
degree
reduction.
Based
this
new
interpretation,
re-evaluate
three
holotypes
Phoridae:
†Euliphora
grimaldii,
†Prioriphora
schroederhohenwarthi,
†Ulrichophora
lobata.
described
specimen
belonging
†Prioriphorain
Fouras-Bois
Vert
amber
(France)
genus
within
Ironomyiidae
family
San
Just
(Spain).
Both
findings
represent
first
record
taxa
respective
localities.
Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: March 11, 2025
Plant
pollination
by
insects
represents
one
of
the
most
transformative
and
iconic
ecological
relationships
in
natural
world.
Despite
tens
thousands
papers,
as
well
numerous
books,
on
biology
published
over
past
200
years,
studies
focused
fossil
record
pollinating
have
only
been
last
few
decades,
this
field
is
still
undergoing
major
developments.
Current
palaeontological
evidence
indicates
that
were
diverse
participated
reproduction
different
gymnosperm
lineages
long
before
their
association
with
flowering
plants
(angiosperms).
However,
since
much
literature
remains
unfamiliar
to
many
scientists
working
extant
plant-pollinator
interactions,
wider
public,
notion
insect
began
origin
angiosperms
widespread.
Herein
we
highlight
how
all
known
orders
and/or
extinct
pollinator
representatives
radiated
evolution
plants.
We
also
illustrate
changing
composition
fauna
through
time,
reflecting
nature
these
communities
compared
those
existing
today.
Addressing
plant
from
a
perspective
skewed
towards
present-day
biological
groups,
patterns,
processes
risks
missing
an
important
deep-time
evolutionary
component.
Our
conclusions
show
fundamental
elucidating
pollination,
informing
interactions.
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
15(1)
Published: June 27, 2024
Palaeontologists
have
long
sought
to
explain
the
diversification
of
individual
clades
whole
biotas
at
global
scales.
Advances
in
our
understanding
spatial
distribution
fossil
record
through
geological
time,
however,
has
demonstrated
that
trends
biodiversity
were
a
mosaic
regionally
heterogeneous
processes.
Drivers
must
presumably
also
displayed
regional
variation
produce
disparities
observed
past
taxonomic
richness.
Here,
we
analyse
ammonoids,
pelagic
shelled
cephalopods,
Late
Cretaceous,
characterised
by
some
palaeontologists
as
an
interval
biotic
decline
prior
their
total
extinction
Cretaceous-Paleogene
boundary.
We
subdivide
this
eliminate
impacts
sampling
biases
and
infer
origination
rates
corrected
for
temporal
using
Bayesian
methods.
then
model
these
abiotic
drivers
commonly
inferred
influence
diversification.
Ammonoid
dynamics
responses
common
set
diversity
heterogeneous,
do
not
support
ecological
decline,
demonstrate
signal
is
influenced
effort.
These
results
call
into
question
feasibility
seeking
scales
record.