Completing a molecular timetree of primates.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Molecular Phylogenetics
• Primate Taxonomy

Background:

• Primates (apes, monkeys, tarsiers, lemurs) are well-studied, yet a complete molecular timetree is lacking.
• Existing phylogenies combine genomic data and literature consensus but miss species with available molecular data.
• A comprehensive molecular phylogeny is crucial for understanding primate evolutionary history and biodiversity patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a near-complete molecular timetree for 455 primate species.
• To incorporate all available molecular data from GenBank for primate species.
• To test hypotheses regarding the origins of primate biodiversity and speciation rates.

Main Methods:

• Assembling a primate timetree using a synthetic approach.
• Conducting a literature review for published timetrees.
• Performing de novo dating of untimed trees and assembling timetrees from novel alignments.
• Integrating data from genomic phylogenies and TimeTree.org.

Main Results:

• A molecular timetree encompassing 455 primate species was successfully assembled.
• The study incorporated all available molecular data, addressing previous gaps.
• Analysis revealed largely constant speciation rates across the primate tree of life.
• Minor variations in speciation rates were observed in smaller primate clades.

Conclusions:

• The developed primate timetree provides a robust framework for macroevolutionary studies.
• Findings support a relatively constant rate of speciation across primate evolution.
• The study enhances our understanding of the drivers of primate biodiversity.
• This resource is valuable for future research on primate evolutionary history.