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Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

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Published on: August 14, 2018

Completing a molecular timetree of primates.

Jack M Craig^1,2,3, S Blair Hedges^1,2,3, Sudhir Kumar^1,2,3

¹Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Frontiers in Bioinformatics

|December 31, 2024

Summary

This study presents a near-complete molecular timetree for 455 primate species, revealing consistent speciation rates across the primate tree of life. This resource aids in understanding primate biodiversity origins.

Keywords:

dating evolution phylogeny primates speciation

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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.