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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Ark clams and relatives (Bivalvia: Arcida) show convergent morphological evolution associated with lifestyle transitions in the marine benthos

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Author(s):
Audino, Jorge A. [1] ; Serb, Jeanne M. [2] ; Marian, Jose Eduardo A. R. [1]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Zool, Rua Matao, Travessa 14, 101, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[2] Iowa State Univ, Dept Ecol Evolut & Organismal Biol, 2200 Osborn Dr, Ames, IA 50011 - USA
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society; v. 126, n. 4, p. 866-884, APR 2019.
Web of Science Citations: 2
Abstract

One of the most intriguing puzzles in macroevolutionary studies is to understand how distantly related taxa can evolve towards similar phenotypes in response to similar ecological conditions. Ark clams and their relatives (Arcida) display two main ecologies represented by epifaunal and infaunal lifestyles. Their mantle margin includes features, such as photosensory and muscular organs, that may coincide with each habit, making these bivalves a suitable model to explore evolutionary convergence in the marine benthos. To test for the evolutionary association between lifestyles and morphology, we gathered data on the mantle margin for 64 species across all six extant arcidan families. A molecular phylogeny of Arcida was inferred based on four gene sequences from 54 species and used to study trait evolution. Our results support the hypothesis that photoreceptor organs had a single origin and that infaunal lineages lost these structures in independent events, suggesting a correlated pattern of evolution. In addition, the enlargement of the posterior inner fold, which acts as a functional siphon, favoured the occurrence of convergent transitions to infaunal habits during the Mesozoic. We provide evidence of ecomorphological associations and putative adaptations in a bivalve clade that sheds light on the underlying factors driving evolution of the marine benthos. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 17/01365-3 - Comparative phylogenetic methods and mantle margin evolution: implications for morphological and ecological diversification in Pteriomorphia (Mollusca, Bivalvia)
Grantee:Jorge Alves Audino
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate