Scheda di dettaglio – i prodotti della ricerca
| Dato | Valore |
|---|---|
| Title | Independently evolving species in asexual bdelloid rotifers |
| Abstract | Asexuals are an important test case for theories of why species exist. If asexual clades displayed the same pattern of discrete variation as sexual clades, this would challenge the traditional view that sex is necessary for diversification into species. However, critical evidence has been lacking: all putative examples have involved organisms with recent or ongoing histories of recombination and have relied on visual interpretation of patterns of genetic and phenotypic variation rather than on formal tests of alternative evolutionary scenarios. Here we show that a classic asexual clade, the bdelloid rotifers, has diversified into distinct evolutionary species. Intensive sampling of the genus Rotaria reveals the presence of well-separated genetic clusters indicative of independent evolution. Moreover, combined genetic and morphological analyses reveal divergent selection in feeding morphology, indicative of niche divergence. Some of the morphologically coherent groups experiencing divergent selection contain several genetic clusters, in common with findings of cryptic species in sexual organisms. Our results show that the main causes of speciation in sexual organisms, population isolation and divergent selection, have the same qualitative effects in an asexual clade. The study also demonstrates how combined molecular and morphological analyses can shed new light on the evolutionary nature of species. |
| Source | PLoS biology 5 (4), pp. 914–921 |
| Journal | PLoS biology |
| Editor | Public Library of Science,, San Francisco, CA, Stati Uniti d'America |
| Year | 2007 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pbio.0050087 |
| Authors | Fontaneto, Diego; Herniou, Elisabeth A.; Boschetti, Chiara; Caprioli, Manuela; Melone, Giulio; Ricci, Claudia; Barraclough, Timothy G. |
| Text | 283712 2007 10.1371/journal.pbio.0050087 ISI Web of Science WOS 000245901500022 Independently evolving species in asexual bdelloid rotifers Fontaneto, Diego; Herniou, Elisabeth A.; Boschetti, Chiara; Caprioli, Manuela; Melone, Giulio; Ricci, Claudia; Barraclough, Timothy G. Imperial College London; University of Milan; Imperial College London; University of Cambridge; Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics Asexuals are an important test case for theories of why species exist. If asexual clades displayed the same pattern of discrete variation as sexual clades, this would challenge the traditional view that sex is necessary for diversification into species. However, critical evidence has been lacking all putative examples have involved organisms with recent or ongoing histories of recombination and have relied on visual interpretation of patterns of genetic and phenotypic variation rather than on formal tests of alternative evolutionary scenarios. Here we show that a classic asexual clade, the bdelloid rotifers, has diversified into distinct evolutionary species. Intensive sampling of the genus Rotaria reveals the presence of well separated genetic clusters indicative of independent evolution. Moreover, combined genetic and morphological analyses reveal divergent selection in feeding morphology, indicative of niche divergence. Some of the morphologically coherent groups experiencing divergent selection contain several genetic clusters, in common with findings of cryptic species in sexual organisms. Our results show that the main causes of speciation in sexual organisms, population isolation and divergent selection, have the same qualitative effects in an asexual clade. The study also demonstrates how combined molecular and morphological analyses can shed new light on the evolutionary nature of species. 5 Articolo in rivista Public Library of Science, 1544 9173 PLoS biology PLoS biology PLoS Biol PLoS biology. Biology Public Library of Science biology diego.fontaneto FONTANETO DIEGO |