A New Evolutionary History of Primates

[Pulsar]

From sciencedaily:

A robust new phylogenetic tree resolves many long-standing issues in primate taxonomy. The genomes of living primates harbor remarkable differences in diversity and provide an intriguing context for interpreting human evolution. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted by international researchers to determine the origin, evolution, patterns of speciation, and unique features in genome divergence among primate lineages.

This evolutionary history will be published on March 17 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

The authors sequenced 54 gene regions from 186 species spanning the primate radiation. The analysis illustrates the importance of resolving complex, species-rich phylogenies using large-scale comparative genomic approach. Patterns of species and gene sequence evolution and adaptation relate not only to human genome organization and genetic disease sensitivity, but also to global emergence of zoonoses (human pathogens originating from non-human disease reservoirs), to mammalian comparative genomics, to primate taxonomy and to species conservation.

To date, available molecular genetic data applied to primate systematics has been informative, but limited in scope and constrained to just specific subsets of taxa. Now, a team of international researches from the US, Brazil, France and Germany, have provided a highly robust depiction of the divergence hierarchy, mode and tempo governing the extraordinarily divergent primate lineages. The findings illustrate events in primate evolution from ancient to recent and clarify numerous taxonomic controversies. Ongoing speciation, reticulate evolution, ancient relic lineages, unequal rates of evolution and disparate distributions of genetic insertions/deletions among the reconstructed primate lineages are uncovered.

The authors said: "Advances in human biomedicine, including those focused on changes in genes triggered or disrupted in development, resistance/susceptibility to infectious disease, cancers, and mechanisms of recombination and genome plasticity, can not be adequately interpreted in the absence of a precise evolutionary context or hierarchy. Resolution of the primate species phylogeny here provides a validated framework essential in the development, interpretation and discovery of the genetic underpinnings of human adaptation and disease."

I'd love to see AronRa make a video about this, like he did about cats and dogs.

 

[Squawk]

That's really quite cool stuff, thanks for linking.

 

[Proteus]

Hmm, I wonder why they used the term "new" considering this phylogram is essentially the same that other authors have constructed over the years for about a decade or two from other aspects of the biological science. Oh well, more media sensationalism. Cool stuff though.

 

[Laurens]

What, if anything do the different coloured dots signify?

Also is there any reason why several names have boxes around them?

 

[Pulsar]

What, if anything do the different coloured dots signify?

Also is there any reason why several names have boxes around them?

The full article is available at http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1001342

The caption of the figure reads:

Shown is the maximum likelihood tree based on 34,927 bp sequenced from 54 genes amplified from selected single species representing each genus. All unmarked nodes have bootstrap support of 100%. Nodes with green circles have bootstrap proportions<70%, grey circles 71-80%, black circles 81-90% and red circles 91-99%. Boxes indicate genus of species with completed, nominated or draft whole genome sequence accomplished. Numbers in parenthesis next to each genus indicate number of species present in study followed by the total number described [3]. Numbers in parentheses next to family names indicate number of genera included in study followed by total described [3]. Numbers in bold refer to nodes on Figure 2, Figure S1, Table 1, Table 2, Table 3. Reference fossil dates used for calibration of tree in dating algorithms are represented by letters A-H on nodes (see Materials and Methods). Fossil dates are as follows and sources are listed in Materials and Methods: A) Galagidae-Lorisidae split 38-42 MYA, B) Simiiformes emerge 36-50 MYA, C) Catarrhini emerge 20-38 MYA, D) Platyrrhini emerge 20-27 MYA, E) Tribe Papionini emerge 6-8 MYA, F) Theropithecus emerge 3.5-4.5 MYA, G) Family Hominidae emerge 13-18 MYA, H) Homo-Pan split 6-7 MYA.

I assume the colours just highlight the different parvorders and infraorders.

There's another figure, which shows the 190 individual species sampled in the study:
http://www.plosgenetics.org/article...I=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1001342.g001#

 

[JTB]

How long until a YEC claims that 'scientists just admitted that evolution was wrong and had to change their story again. Meanwhile, God's truth has remained the same for six-thousand years'? :roll: