TY - JOUR
T1 - A genomic exploration of the early evolution of extant cats and their sabre-toothed relatives
T2 - [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
AU - Westbury, Michael V.
AU - Barnett, Ross
AU - Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela
AU - Gower, Graham
AU - Vieira, Filipe Garrett
AU - de Manuel, Marc
AU - Hansen, Anders J.
AU - Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki
AU - Werdelin, Lars
AU - Marques-Bonet, Tomas
AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.
AU - Lorenzen, Eline D.
N1 - A genomic exploration of the early evolution of extant cats and their sabre-toothed relatives [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.13104.1
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background: The evolutionary relationships of Felidae during their Early-Middle Miocene radiation is contentious. Although the early common ancestors have been subsumed under the grade-group Pseudaelurus, this group is thought to be paraphyletic, including the early ancestors of both modern cats and extinct sabretooths. Methods: Here, we sequenced a draft nuclear genome of Smilodon populator, dated to 13,182 ± 90 cal BP, making this the oldest palaeogenome from South America to date, a region known to be problematic for ancient DNA preservation. We analysed this genome, together with genomes from other extinct and extant cats to investigate their phylogenetic relationships. Results: We confirm a deep divergence (~20.65 Ma) within sabre-toothed cats. Through the analysis of both simulated and empirical data, we show a lack of gene flow between Smilodon and contemporary Felidae. Conclusions: Given that some species traditionally assigned to Pseudaelurus originated in the Early Miocene ~20 Ma, this indicates that some species of Pseudaelurus may be younger than the lineages they purportedly gave rise to, further supporting the hypothesis that Pseudaelurus was paraphyletic.
AB - Background: The evolutionary relationships of Felidae during their Early-Middle Miocene radiation is contentious. Although the early common ancestors have been subsumed under the grade-group Pseudaelurus, this group is thought to be paraphyletic, including the early ancestors of both modern cats and extinct sabretooths. Methods: Here, we sequenced a draft nuclear genome of Smilodon populator, dated to 13,182 ± 90 cal BP, making this the oldest palaeogenome from South America to date, a region known to be problematic for ancient DNA preservation. We analysed this genome, together with genomes from other extinct and extant cats to investigate their phylogenetic relationships. Results: We confirm a deep divergence (~20.65 Ma) within sabre-toothed cats. Through the analysis of both simulated and empirical data, we show a lack of gene flow between Smilodon and contemporary Felidae. Conclusions: Given that some species traditionally assigned to Pseudaelurus originated in the Early Miocene ~20 Ma, this indicates that some species of Pseudaelurus may be younger than the lineages they purportedly gave rise to, further supporting the hypothesis that Pseudaelurus was paraphyletic.
KW - Ancient DNA
KW - Felidae
KW - Gene flow
KW - Genomics
KW - Palaeogenome
KW - Phylogeny
KW - Smilodon
U2 - 10.12688/openreseurope.13104.2
DO - 10.12688/openreseurope.13104.2
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35098251
AN - SCOPUS:85107704729
VL - 1
JO - Open Research Europe
JF - Open Research Europe
SN - 2732-5121
M1 - 25
ER -