The Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution buffered ants against extinction

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 121(13)

Опубликована: Март 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.

Язык: Английский

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Diversification and extinction of Hemiptera in deep time

Communications Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 8(1)

Опубликована: Март 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.

Язык: Английский

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Ecological change and conflict reduction led to a social circulatory system in ants

Communications Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 8(1)

Опубликована: Фев. 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.

Язык: Английский

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Evolutionary implications of a deep‐time perspective on insect pollination

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Март 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.

Язык: Английский

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The radiation of Hymenoptera illuminated by Bayesian inferences from the fossil record

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Март 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

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Global biogeographic regions for ants have complex relationships with those for plants and tetrapods

Nature Communications, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 15(1)

Опубликована: Июль 5, 2024

On a global scale, biodiversity is geographically structured into regions of biotic similarity. Delineating these has been mostly targeted for tetrapods and plants, but those hyperdiverse groups such as insects are relatively unknown. Insects may have higher biogeographic congruence with plants than due to their tight ecological evolutionary links the former, it remains untested. Here, we develop regionalization major widespread insect group, ants, based on most comprehensive distributional phylogenetic information date, examine its similarity regionalizations vascular plants. Our ant supports newly proposed Madagascan Sino-Japanese realms tetrapod delineations, recovers clusters observed in not tetrapods, Holarctic Indo-Pacific realms. Quantitative comparison suggests strong associations among different groups-plants showed ants tetrapods. These results underscore wide diverse distribution patterns across tree life similarities shared by that captured groups. analysis highlights importance developing maps obtain more geographic picture Earth.

Язык: Английский

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The fate of South America’s endemic mammalian fauna in response to the most dramatic Cenozoic climate disruption

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 122(20)

Опубликована: Май 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.

Язык: Английский

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Review of Wing Morphology in Fossil and Modern Species of Humpbacked Flies (Diptera: Phoridae)

Research Square (Research Square), Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Фев. 4, 2025

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.

Язык: Английский

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A hell ant from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Апрель 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

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Unveiling the diversity of iron maiden ants: morphological insights from two new Cretaceous species

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 204(2)

Опубликована: Июнь 1, 2025

Abstract The genus Zigrasimecia, also known as the iron maiden ant, represents a peculiar lineage spanning most of Cretaceous period and characterized by armed mouthparts. Despite recent publications that have contributed to our understanding past diversity within this genus, its true extent remains underestimated morphological variations poorly comprehended. In study, we introduce two new species Zigrasimecia bellator sp. nov. sinusoidal Using micro-computed tomography scanning three-dimensional reconstruction techniques, highlight their distinctive features, particularly certain setae microstructures body. Additionally, present an updated identification key tailored for workers. Through comparative morphology, propose hypotheses regarding predatory behaviour ants. Our findings contribute deeper fascinating ant genus.

Язык: Английский

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