Scientists from the Natural History Museum in London revealed the evolutionary tree frogs (amphibians anurans)) by far the most comprehensiveThis allowed important discoveries to be made in this field. In particular, this group of amphibians began to develop tens of millions of years later than previously thought until now.
Based on hundreds of genetic markers and an astonishing number of genetic markers, this comprehensive phylogeny 5,242 frog specieswill change our understanding of these fascinating creatures. The study was published in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
The new research allowed the possible start date of frog evolution to change dramatically. According to the paper’s lead author, Jeff Streicher, “This group was previously thought to have split into the thousands of species we know today, about 210 to 220 million years ago. Our new analysis shows instead: this date was actually about 180 million years ago. Finding that frogs are younger means they are diversifying into thousands of species faster than previously thought.”
A revolutionary new system
Frogs, with their diverse natural backgrounds, have always been fascinating to biologists and general nature enthusiasts alike. But, Previous attempts to construct comprehensive phylogenies for these creatures were limited according to the types of genetic data used.
In this study, the researchers resolved these limitations by developing a large family tree combining genetic data from phylogenomic studies with hundreds of genetic markers containing only a few species, and data from hundreds of small-scale frog studies containing thousands of species. frog species. This new system allowed them to include an astonishing 5,242 frog species. a remarkable 71% increase over previous family trees.
Jeff Streicher said: “Phylogenetic trees are the starting point for most studies examining a particular group of animals, so it’s important that they be as precise and detailed as possible.”
Dan Portik, lead author of the study, adds: “We have not only increased the data on which the frog’s phylogenetic tree is based, but also we have developed new software to help improve this data“.
And the researchers invented special software to make it easier to compare genes that make big differences between species.
John J. Wiens, lead author and professor at the University of Arizona, explained: “Previous studies were afraid to combine phylogenomic datasets containing hundreds of markers with other data from many small studies with fewer markers. We have shown that this is simply not possible.” it also gives rise to an enhanced family tree that may contain thousands of species. The same system can be applied to any group of organisms.“.
The study represents a significant advance in our understanding of frog evolution and provides a valuable resource for researchers, as well as providing new avenues for the study of anuran amphibians. The researchers say this extensive phylogeny lays the foundation for future discoveries as the scientific community continues to explore and expand our knowledge of these remarkable creatures.
Reference work: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790323002075?via%3Dihub
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