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1. The Cephalozygoptera, a new, extinct suborder of Odonata with new taxa from the early Eocene Okanagan Highlands, western North America

   https://doi.org/doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4934.1.1  

   Archibald, S. B. (February 2021, Zootaxa)

   Marinov, Milen (Ed.)

   We describe the Cephalozygoptera, a new, extinct suborder of Odonata, composed of the families Dysagrionidae and Sieblosiidae, previously assigned to the Zygoptera, and possibly the Whetwhetaksidae n. fam. The Cephalozygoptera is close to the Zygoptera, but differs most notably by distinctive head morphology. It includes 59 to 64 species in at least 19 genera and one genus-level parataxon. One species is known from the Early Cretaceous (Congqingia rhora Zhang), possibly three from the Paleocene, and the rest from the early Eocene through late Miocene. We describe new taxa from the Ypresian Okanagan Highlands of British Columbia, Canada and Washington, United States of America: 16 new species of Dysagrionidae of the existing genus Dysagrion (D. pruettae); the new genera Okanagrion (O. threadgillae, O. hobani, O. beardi, O. lochmum, O. angustum, O. dorrellae, O. liquetoalatum, O. worleyae, all new species); Okanopteryx (O. jeppesenorum, O. fraseri, O. macabeensis, all new species); Stenodiafanus (S. westersidei, new species); the new genus-level parataxon Dysagrionites (D. delinei new species, D. sp. A, D. sp. B, both new); and one new genus and species of the new family Whetwhetaksidae (Whetwhetaksa millerae). 

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2. Deep Ancestral Introgression Shapes Evolutionary History of Dragonflies and Damselflies

   https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syab063  

   Suvorov, Anton; Scornavacca, Celine; Fujimoto, M Stanley; Bodily, Paul; Clement, Mark; Crandall, Keith A; Whiting, Michael F; Schrider, Daniel R; Bybee, Seth M (July 2021, Systematic Biology)

   Matschiner, Michael (Ed.)

   Abstract Introgression is an important biological process affecting at least 10% of the extant species in the animal kingdom. Introgression significantly impacts inference of phylogenetic species relationships where a strictly binary tree model cannot adequately explain reticulate net-like species relationships. Here, we use phylogenomic approaches to understand patterns of introgression along the evolutionary history of a unique, nonmodel insect system: dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). We demonstrate that introgression is a pervasive evolutionary force across various taxonomic levels within Odonata. In particular, we show that the morphologically “intermediate” species of Anisozygoptera (one of the three primary suborders within Odonata besides Zygoptera and Anisoptera), which retain phenotypic characteristics of the other two suborders, experienced high levels of introgression likely coming from zygopteran genomes. Additionally, we find evidence for multiple cases of deep inter-superfamilial ancestral introgression. [Gene flow; Odonata; phylogenomics; reticulate evolution.] 

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3. Out of the tropics: Macroevolutionary size trends in an old insect order are shaped by temperature and predators

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14544  

   Svensson, Erik I.; Gómez‐Llano, Miguel; Waller, John T. (December 2022, Journal of Biogeography)

   Abstract AimGlobal interspecific body size distributions have been suggested to be shaped by selection pressures arising from biotic and abiotic factors such as temperature, predation and parasitism. Here, we investigated the ecological and evolutionary drivers of global latitudinal size gradients in an old insect order. LocationGlobal. TaxonOdonata (dragonflies and damselflies). MethodsWe compiled data on interspecific variation in extant and extinct body sizes of Odonata, using an already existing database (The Odonate Phenotypic Database) and fossil data (The Paleobiology Database). We combined such body size data with latitudinal information and data on biotic and abiotic environmental variables across the globe to investigate and quantify interspecific latitudinal size‐gradients (“Bergmann's Rule”) and their environmental determinants. We used phylogenetic comparative methods and a global published phylogeny of Odonata to address these questions. ResultsPhylogenetic comparative analyses revealed that global size variation of extant Odonata taxa is negatively influenced by both regional avian diversity and temperature, with larger‐bodied species in the suborder Anisoptera (dragonflies) showing a steeper size‐latitude relationship than smaller‐bodied species in the suborder Zygoptera (damselflies). Interestingly, fossil data show that the relationship between wing size and latitude has shifted: latitudinal size trends had initially negative slopes but became shallower or positive following the evolutionary emergence and radiation of birds. Main ConclusionsThe changing size‐latitude trends over geological and macroevolutionary time were likely driven by a combination of predation from birds and maybe pterosaurs and high dispersal ability of large dragonflies. Our study reveals that a simple version of Bergmann's Rule based on temperature alone is not sufficient to explain interspecific size‐latitude trends in Odonata. Our results instead suggest that latitudinal size gradients were shaped not only by temperature but also by avian predators, potentially driving the dispersal of large‐sized clades out of the tropics and into the temperate zone. 

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4. Studying individual-level interactions can transform our understanding of avian mixed-species flocks

   https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithology/ukad007  

   Vander Meiden, Laura N.; Shizuka, Daizaburo; Johnson, Allison E. (April 2023, Ornithology)

   Abstract Avian mixed-species flocks are ubiquitous across habitats and a model for studying how heterospecific sociality influences the behavior and composition of animal communities. Here, we review the literature on mixed-species flocks and argue that a renewed focus on individual-level interactions among flock members can transform our understanding of this iconic, avian social system. Specifically, we suggest that an individual perspective will further our understanding of (1) how inter- and intraspecific variation in flock participation links to fitness costs and benefits, (2) the implications of familiarity between individuals in structuring mixed-species flock communities, and (3) how social roles within mixed-species flocks are related to social behavior within and across species. We summarize studies that use an individual perspective in each of these areas and discuss knowledge from conspecific social behavior to posit more broadly how individuals may shape mixed-species flocks. We encourage research approaches that incorporate individual variation in traits, relationships, and social roles in their assessment of mixed-species flocking dynamics. We propose that the analysis of individual variation in behavior will be particularly important for explicitly identifying fitness outcomes that led to the evolution of mixed-species flocks, which in turn affect community structure and resilience. 

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5. Genomic structural variation: A complex but important driver of human evolution

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24713  

   Soto, Daniela C.; Uribe‐Salazar, José M.; Shew, Colin J.; Sekar, Aarthi; McGinty, Sean P.; Dennis, Megan Y. (February 2023, American Journal of Biological Anthropology)

   Abstract Structural variants (SVs)—including duplications, deletions, and inversions of DNA—can have significant genomic and functional impacts but are technically difficult to identify and assay compared with single‐nucleotide variants. With the aid of new genomic technologies, it has become clear that SVs account for significant differences across and within species. This phenomenon is particularly well‐documented for humans and other primates due to the wealth of sequence data available. In great apes, SVs affect a larger number of nucleotides than single‐nucleotide variants, with many identified SVs exhibiting population and species specificity. In this review, we highlight the importance of SVs in human evolution by (1) how they have shaped great ape genomes resulting in sensitized regions associated with traits and diseases, (2) their impact on gene functions and regulation, which subsequently has played a role in natural selection, and (3) the role of gene duplications in human brain evolution. We further discuss how to incorporate SVs in research, including the strengths and limitations of various genomic approaches. Finally, we propose future considerations in integrating existing data and biospecimens with the ever‐expanding SV compendium propelled by biotechnology advancements. 

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