Genomic Adaptations and Evolutionary History of the Extinct Scimitar-Toothed Cat, Homotherium latidens

Homotherium was a genus of large-bodied scimitar-toothed cats, morphologically distinct from any extant felid species, that went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene [1-4]. They possessed large, saber-form serrated canine teeth, powerful forelimbs, a sloping back, and an enlarged optic bulb, all of...

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Autores: Barnett, Ross|||0000-0003-4023-0284, Westbury, Michael V.|||0000-0003-0478-3930, Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela|||0000-0002-4635-6171, Garrett Vieira, Filipe|||0000-0002-8464-7770, Jeon, Sungwon, Zazula, Grant, Martin, Michael|||0000-0002-2010-5139, Ho, Simon Y.W.|||0000-0002-0361-2307, Mather, Niklas, Gopalakrishnan, Shyam|||0000-0002-2004-6810, Ramos-Madrigal, Jazmín|||0000-0002-1661-7991, de Manuel, Marc|||0000-0002-1245-0127, Zepeda Mendoza, Marie Lisandra|||0000-0002-1126-8219, Antunes, Agostinho|||0000-0002-1328-1732, Baez, Aldo Carmon, De Cahsan, Binia|||0000-0002-6978-6633, Larson, Greger|||0000-0002-4092-0392, O'Brien, Stephen J.|||0000-0001-7353-8301, Eizirik, Eduardo|||0000-0002-9658-0999, Johnson, Warren E.|||0000-0002-5954-186X, Koepfli, Klaus-Peter|||0000-0001-7281-0676, Wilting, Andreas|||0000-0001-5073-9186, Fickel, Jöms, Dalén, Love|||0000-0001-8270-7613, Lorenzen, Eline D., Marquès i Bonet, Tomàs|||0000-0002-5597-3075, Hansen, Anders J.|||0000-0002-3492-2033, Zhang, Guojie|||0000-0001-6860-1521, Bhak, Jong, Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki|||0000-0002-6492-6588, Gilbert, M. Thomas P.|||0000-0002-5805-7195
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:234448
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/234448
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.051
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Homotherium
Paleogenome
Genomics
Comparative genomes
Adaptation
Phylogeny
Ancient DNA
Palaeogenome
Diversity
Selection
Descripción
Sumario:Homotherium was a genus of large-bodied scimitar-toothed cats, morphologically distinct from any extant felid species, that went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene [1-4]. They possessed large, saber-form serrated canine teeth, powerful forelimbs, a sloping back, and an enlarged optic bulb, all of which were key characteristics for predation on Pleistocene megafauna [5]. Previous mitochondrial DNA phylogenies suggested that it was a highly divergent sister lineage to all extant cat species [6-8]. However, mitochondrial phylogenies can be misled by hybridization [9], incomplete lineage sorting (ILS), or sex-biased dispersal patterns [10], which might be especially relevant for Homotherium since widespread mito-nuclear discrepancies have been uncovered in modern cats [10]. To examine the evolutionary history of Homotherium, we generated a ∼7x nuclear genome and a ∼38x exome from H. latidens using shotgun and target-capture sequencing approaches. Phylogenetic analyses reveal Homotherium as highly divergent (∼22.5 Ma) from living cat species, with no detectable signs of gene flow. Comparative genomic analyses found signatures of positive selection in several genes, including those involved in vision, cognitive function, and energy consumption, putatively consistent with diurnal activity, well-developed social behavior, and cursorial hunting [5]. Finally, we uncover relatively high levels of genetic diversity, suggesting that Homotherium may have been more abundant than the limited fossil record suggests [3, 4, 11-14]. Our findings complement and extend previous inferences from both the fossil record and initial molecular studies, enhancing our understanding of the evolution and ecology of this remarkable lineage.

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