Biology subjects

Hackel, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Hackel, J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Nuclear phylogenomics of grasses (Poaceae) supports current classification and reveals repeated reticulation

O_LIGrasses (Poaceae) comprise around 11,800 species and are central for human livelihoods and terrestrial ecosystems. Knowing their relationships and evolutionary history is key to comparative research and crop breeding. Advances in genome-scale sequencing allow for increased breadth and depth of phylogenomic analyses, making it possible to infer a new reference species tree of the family. C_LIO_LIWe inferred a comprehensive species tree of grasses by combining new and published sequences for 331 nuclear genes from genome, transcriptome, target enrichment and shotgun data. Our 1,153-tip tree covers 79% of grass genera (including 21 genera sequenced for the first time) and all but two small tribes. We compared it to a 910-tip plastome tree. C_LIO_LIThe nuclear phylogeny matches that of the plastome at most deep branches, with only a few instances of incongruence. Gene tree-species tree reconciliation suggests that reticulation events occurred repeatedly in the history of grasses. C_LIO_LIWe provide a robust framework for the grass tree of life to support research on grass evolution, including modes of reticulation, and genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture. C_LI

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Global analysis of Poales diversification - parallel evolution in space and time into open and closed habitats

O_LIPoales are one of the most species-rich, ecologically and economically important orders of plants and often characterise open habitats, enabled by unique suites of traits. We test the hypotheses that Poales species are assembled into distinct phyloregions, with centres of high phylogenetic diversity and endemism clustered in tropical regions, and that cosmopolitan families show parallel transitions into open and closed habitats at different times. C_LIO_LIWe sampled 42% of Poales species and obtained taxonomic and biogeographic data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants database, which was combined with open/closed habitat data scored by taxonomic experts. A dated supertree of Poales was constructed. We integrated spatial phylogenetics with regionalization analyses, historical biogeography, ancestral state estimations, and models of contingent evolution. C_LIO_LIDiversification in Poales and assembly of open and closed habitats result from dynamic evolutionary processes that vary across lineages, time, space, and traits, most prominently in tropical and southern latitudes. Our results reveal parallel and recurrent patterns of habitat and trait transitions in the species-rich families Poaceae and Cyperaceae, yet other smaller families display unique evolutionary trajectories. C_LIO_LIThe Poales have achieved global dominance via parallel evolution in open habitats, with notable, spatially and phylogenetically restricted divergences into strictly closed habitats. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Scale-Dependent Coherence of Terrestrial Vertebrate Biodiversity with Environment

AimUnderstanding connections between environment and biodiversity is crucial for conservation, identifying causes of ecosystem stress, and predicting population responses to changing environments. Explaining biodiversity requires an understanding of how species richness and environment co-vary across scales. Here, we identify scales and locations at which biodiversity is generated and correlates with environment. LocationFull latitudinal range per continent. Time periodPresent-day. Major taxa studiedTerrestrial vertebrates: all mammals, carnivorans, bats, songbirds, humming-birds, amphibians. MethodsWe describe the use of wavelet power spectra, cross-power and coherence for identifying scale-dependent trends across Earths surface. Spectra reveal scale- and location-dependent coherence between species richness and topography (E), mean annual precipitation (Pn), temperature (Tm) and annual temperature range ({triangleup}T). Results> 97% of species richness of taxa studied is generated at large scales, i.e. wavelengths 103 km, with 30-69% generated at scales 104 km. At these scales, richness tends to be highly coherent and anti-correlated with E and {triangleup}T, and positively correlated with Pn and Tm. Coherence between carnivoran richness and {triangleup}T is low across scales, implying insensitivity to seasonal temperature variations. Conversely, amphibian richness is strongly anti-correlated with {triangleup}T at large scales. At scales 103 km, examined taxa, except carnivorans, show highest richness within the tropics. Terrestrial plateaux exhibit high coherence between carnivorans and E at scales[~] 103 km, consistent with contribution of large-scale tectonic processes to biodiversity. Results are similar across different continents and for global latitudinal averages. Spectral admittance permits derivation of rules-of-thumb relating long-wavelength environmental and species richness trends. Main conclusionsSensitivities of mammal, bird and amphibian populations to environment are highly scale-dependent. At large scales, carnivoran richness is largely independent of temperature and precipitation, whereas amphibian richness correlates strongly with precipitation and temperature, and anti-correlates with temperature range. These results pave the way for spectral-based calibration of models that predict biodiversity response to climate change scenarios.

systems biology↗