Identification of the First Fungal Annexin: Analysis of Annexin Gene Duplications and Implications for Eukaryotic Evolution

Annexin homologues have been found in animals, plants, and distinct protist lineages. We report the identification of the first fungal annexin, encoded by the anx14 gene of the filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa. Annexins have a complex evolutionary history and exhibit a large number of gene duplications and gene losses in various taxa, including the complete loss of annexin sequences from another ascomycete, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Surprisingly, the N. crassa annexin homologue is most closely related to the annexin homologue of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, suggesting a phylogenetic link between cellular slime molds and true fungi. Both of these annexin homologues are closely related to the family of annexin homologues present in animals, an observation consistent with the existence of the animal–fungal clade. These data further suggest that the gene duplications that generated the family of annexin sequences present in animals, fungi, and slime molds began prior to the divergence of these taxa. Received: 10 December 1997 / Accepted: 17 April 1998     

Nothobartsia,a new genus ofScrophulariaceae from southwest Europe

Recent systematic studies ofBartsia andOdontites showed the necessity to exclude the closely related perennial speciesBartsia aspera (Portugal and northern Morocco) andBartsia spicata (Central Pyrenees) from the genusBartsia as a segregate genus namedNothobartsia. Morphologically this new genus combines characteristic features ofBartsia and ofOdontites. Its autonomous systematic position is supported by the cladistic analysis, showing thatNothobartsia represents a relatively primitive genus standing close to the common ancestral root ofBartsia, Euphrasia, andOdontites.     

Phylogeny of the Anomala (Crustacea, Decapoda, Reptantia) based on the ossicles of the foregut

We present a cladistic analysis of the Anomala based on 66 ingroup species and 5 outgroup representatives. Based on a comparative analysis of the morphology of the foregut we scored 124 characters related to size, shape, and fusion of foregut ossicles and other foregut structures. Our parsimony analysis resulted in 30 equally parsimonious trees which differ mainly at the lower hierarchical level. Our study reveals two large clades within Anomala. One large clade consists of Galatheoidea and Chirostyloidea. The internal relationships show a monophyletic Porcellanidae nested within a group comprising paraphyletic Galatheidae, and Munididae as well as Munidopsidae. The other large clade contains Aegla as sister group to a monophyletic group consisting of the Hippoidea and a clade formed by Lomis and the Paguroidea. Coenobitidae are nested within paraphyletic Diogenidae and Lithodidae are nested within paraphyletic Paguridae. The results are discussed in the context of other morphological and molecular analyses. Furthermore, some aspects of carcinization are touched upon; in particular, an anomalan stem species with a, at least to some extent, ventrally folded pleon is suggested.     

Cladistic analysis of early Homo crania from Swartkrans and Sterkfontein, South Africa

The phylogenetic relationships of early Pleistocene Homo crania from the South African sites of Swartkrans and Sterkfontein were investigated through cladistic analyses of 99 morphological characters. The Swartkrans Member 1 specimen SK 847 and the Stw 53 cranium from Sterkfontein Member 5A were treated as separate operational taxonomic units (OTUs), distinct from the three species of early Homo-H. erectus, H. habilis, and H. rudolfensis-that are recognized from the Plio-Pleistocene deposits of East Africa. The cladistic analyses differed in the treatment of the South African OTUs (separate Swartkrans and Sterkfontein OTUs vs. a single Swartkrans+Sterkfontein OTU). PAUP 4.0 was used to construct cladograms and address hypotheses about relationships. In the analysis that treated the South African specimens as a single OTU, the position of that OTU was stable as a separate branch on the Homo clade between H. rudolfensis and [H. habilis+(H. erectus+H. sapiens)]. When SK 847 and Stw 53 were treated as separate OTUs, the majority of most parsimonious trees indicated that they were positioned in similar positions as the combined South African Homo OTU; that is, as separate branches between H. rudolfensis and [H. habilis+(H. erectus+H. sapiens)], with the Swartkrans OTU generally occupying a more derived position. The position of the Sterkfontein OTU was more stable than that of the Swartkrans OTU, which was found in several other positions among the minimum length trees. Running the analyses with only those characters preserved by SK 847 and Stw 53 resulted in similar topologies for minimum length trees, although the positions of Stw 53, SK 847, and H. habilis exchanged places in some trees. In no case was an exclusive sister relationship between either South African OTU and a particular species of Homo supported statistically. Both South African OTUs differ from H. habilis in the fewest number of cladistic characters.     

中鲤亚属的分支系统学分析

基于外部形态特征和内部骨骼特征对鲤科鲤属中鲤亚属进行了分支系统学分析,内群包括中鲤亚属的全部5种和鲤亚属的2种鱼类,外群采用乌原鲤。在鲤属鱼类和外群间共有48个性状存在变化。系统发育分析采用PAUP^*软件的Parsimony和Bootstrap两种方式的Branch-and-Bound算法,排除不能极化的特征和特有离征之后,还有28个特征可用,由这28个特征可得到唯一的系统树,树长69,一致性系数0.7246,排除无用特征的一致性系数0.6122,保留系数0.6346。由5种中鲤组成的中鲤亚属明显不构成一个单系群。结果表明：中鲤亚属是一个复系群,该类元应该被撤销。     

分支系统学和种系发生种

简要评述进化系统学和分支系统学的物种概念问题。介绍了关系物种问题研究的一些新进展,特别是种系发生种概念和种系发生种的划定方法－居群聚合分析和分支单型聚合。     

A phylogenetic analysis of 100+ genera and 50+ families of euasterids based on morphological and molecular data with notes on possible higher level morphological synapomorphies

 A data matrix of 143 morphological and chemical characters for 142 genera of euasterids according to the APG system was compiled and complemented with rbcL and ndhF sequences for most of the genera. The data were subjected to parsimony analysis and support was assessed by bootstrapping. Strict consensus trees from analyses of morphology alone and morphology + rbcL + ndhF are presented. The morphological data recover several groups supported by molecular data but at the level of orders and above relationships are only superficially in agreement with molecular studies. The analyses provide support for monophyly of Gentianales, Aquifoliales, Apiales, Asterales, and Dipsacales. All data indicate that Adoxaceae are closely related to Dipsacales and hence they should be included in that order. The trees were used to assess some possible morphological synapomorphies for euasterids I and II and for the orders of the APG system. Euasterids I are generally characterised by opposite leaves, entire leaf margins, hypogynous flowers, “early sympetaly” with a ring-shaped corolla primordium, fusion of stamen filaments with the corolla tube, and capsular fruits. Euasterids II often have alternate leaves, serrate-dentate leaf margins, epigynous flowers, “late sympetaly” with distinct petal primordia, free stamen filaments, and indehiscent fruits. It is unclear which of these characters represent synapomorphies and symplesiomorphies for the two groups, respectively, and there are numerous expections to be interpreted as reversals and parallelisms. Received August 28, 2000 Accepted August 7, 2001     

A Review of Current Theories and Methods in Cladistics and a Cladistic Study of Twelve Lindera Species in Eastern China

Cladistics has become a widely used method for phylogenetic reconstruction．Because of rapid improvement Of cladistic theories and methodologies,and application of new data,especially,molecular data,it is becoming realistic to reconstruct phylogenies of organisms,and to establish natural classifications based on these phylogenies．This paper reviews some current cladistic theories and methods in a practical way,such as choosing characters,defining character states,polarizing characters,analyzing data matrices, calculating consensus cladograms,choosing among multiple equally most parsimonious cladograms,estimating reliability of cladograms,and applying cladograms to classification, character evolution,and biogeography． Based on 36 morphological characters．a parsimony analysis of 12 species representing six sections in subgenus Lindera and an outgroup species from subgenus lteodaphne of the genus Lindera(Lauraceae)was conducted．The results suggest a close relationship between section Lindera and section Sphaerocarpae,which is different from the previous phylogenetic hypothesis within the genus．In the strict consensus cladogram,two species,L．megaphylla and L.chienii,from section Cupuliformes are in the most primitive and the most advanced clades respectively,indicating that the section is polyphyletic．The cladogram also suggests that section Lindera be a polyphyletic group．