A comparative study on karyotypic diversification rate in mammals.
Chromosomal rearrangements have a relevant role in organismic evolution. However, little is known about the mechanisms that lead different phylogenetic clades to have different chromosomal rearrangement rates. Here, we investigate the causes behind the wide karyotypic diversity exhibited by mammals. In particular, we analyzed the role of metabolic, reproductive, biogeographic and genomic characteristics on the rates of macro- and microstructural karyotypic diversification (rKD) using comparative phylogenetic methods. We found evidence that reproductive characteristics such as larger litter size per year and longevity, by allowing a higher number of meioses in absolute time, favor a higher probability of chromosomal change. Furthermore, families with large geographic distributions but containing species with restricted geographic ranges showed a greater probability of fixation of macrostructural chromosomal changes in different geographic areas. Finally, rKD does not evolve by Brownian motion because the mutation rate depends on the concerted evolution of repetitive sequences. The decisive factors of rKD evolution will be natural selection, genetic drift and meiotic drive that will eventually allow or not the fixation of the rearrangements. Our results indicate that mammalian karyotypic diversity is influenced by historical and adaptive mechanisms where reproductive and genomic factors modulate the rate of chromosomal change.
PIBi Lab-Laboratorio de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristovão, Brazil.
P A
PA
Martinez
Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Penedo, Brazil.
U P
UP
Jacobina
Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
R V
RV
Fernandes
Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
C
C
Brito
Institute of Plant Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
C
0000-0002-8170-6659
C
Penone
BioMa-Biodiversity and Macroecology Lab, Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Mostoles, Spain.
T F
TF
Amado
Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
C R
CR
Fonseca
Paraná y Los Claveles, Garupá, Argentina.
C J
CJ
Bidau
D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D005075:Biological Evolution; D049628:Body Size; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D040961:Genetic Drift; D059785:Karyotype; D008136:Longevity; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics*; D008540:Meiosis; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic