TY - JOUR
T1 - Paleogenomics illuminates the evolutionary history of the extinct Holocene “horned” crocodile of Madagascar, Voay robustus
AU - Hekkala, E.
AU - Gatesy, J.
AU - Narechania, A.
AU - Meredith, R.
AU - Russello, M.
AU - Aardema, M. L.
AU - Jensen, E.
AU - Montanari, S.
AU - Brochu, C.
AU - Norell, M.
AU - Amato, G.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank K. Vliet and St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (St. Augustine, Florida, USA) for tissue samples of extant crocodylians, and M. Lee for providing phylogenetic trees from published work. For funding we thank University of California - Riverside (to J.G.), Fordham University Faculty Fellowship and the National Science Foundation -NSF RAPID DEB1931213 (to E.H.), and NSF grants DEB-1556701, DBI-1725932 (to R.M.).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Ancient DNA is transforming our ability to reconstruct historical patterns and mechanisms shaping modern diversity and distributions. In particular, molecular data from extinct Holocene island faunas have revealed surprising biogeographic scenarios. Here, we recovered partial mitochondrial (mt) genomes for 1300–1400 year old specimens (n = 2) of the extinct “horned” crocodile, Voay robustus, collected from Holocene deposits in southwestern Madagascar. Phylogenetic analyses of partial mt genomes and tip-dated timetrees based on molecular, fossil, and stratigraphic data favor a sister group relationship between Voay and Crocodylus (true crocodiles). These well supported trees conflict with recent morphological systematic work that has consistently placed Voay within Osteolaeminae (dwarf crocodiles and kin) and provide evidence for likely homoplasy in crocodylian cranial anatomy and snout shape. The close relationship between Voay and Crocodylus lends additional context for understanding the biogeographic origins of these genera and refines competing hypotheses for the recent extinction of Voay from Madagascar.
AB - Ancient DNA is transforming our ability to reconstruct historical patterns and mechanisms shaping modern diversity and distributions. In particular, molecular data from extinct Holocene island faunas have revealed surprising biogeographic scenarios. Here, we recovered partial mitochondrial (mt) genomes for 1300–1400 year old specimens (n = 2) of the extinct “horned” crocodile, Voay robustus, collected from Holocene deposits in southwestern Madagascar. Phylogenetic analyses of partial mt genomes and tip-dated timetrees based on molecular, fossil, and stratigraphic data favor a sister group relationship between Voay and Crocodylus (true crocodiles). These well supported trees conflict with recent morphological systematic work that has consistently placed Voay within Osteolaeminae (dwarf crocodiles and kin) and provide evidence for likely homoplasy in crocodylian cranial anatomy and snout shape. The close relationship between Voay and Crocodylus lends additional context for understanding the biogeographic origins of these genera and refines competing hypotheses for the recent extinction of Voay from Madagascar.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105053526&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s42003-021-02017-0
DO - 10.1038/s42003-021-02017-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 33907305
AN - SCOPUS:85105053526
SN - 2399-3642
VL - 4
JO - Communications biology
JF - Communications biology
IS - 1
M1 - 505
ER -