A dated molecular phylogeny of manta and devil rays (Mobulidae) based on mitogenome and nuclear sequences

• Published in: Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 2015-02, Vol.83, p.72-85
• Main Authors: Poortvliet, Marloes, Olsen, Jeanine L., Croll, Donald A., Bernardi, Giacomo, Newton, Kelly, Kollias, Spyros, O’Sullivan, John, Fernando, Daniel, Stevens, Guy, Galván Magaña, Felipe, Seret, Bernard, Wintner, Sabine, Hoarau, Galice
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bayes Theorem; Biological Evolution; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Divergence times; Fossils; Genome, Mitochondrial; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Likelihood Functions; Manta; Mitogenome; Mobula; Models, Genetic; Molecular clock; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Skates (Fish) - classification
• ISSN: 1055-7903; 1095-9513; 1095-9513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.10.012

[Display omitted] •First complete molecular phylogeny of the ray family Mobulidae based on mitogenome and nuclear sequences.•Bayesian and ML analyses show the genus Mobula as paraphyletic with the inclusion of Manta.•A fossil-calibrated clock indicates that mobulids diverged from rhinopterids around 30 Mya.•Subsequent radiations occurred between 19–17 Mya and 3.66 Mya – Recent.•The timing of radiations correspond to periods of climatic fluctuations and connected decreases in upwelling intensity, which are hypothesized to have facilitated allopatric speciation. Manta and devil rays are an iconic group of globally distributed pelagic filter feeders, yet their evolutionary history remains enigmatic. We employed next generation sequencing of mitogenomes for nine of the 11 recognized species and two outgroups; as well as additional Sanger sequencing of two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes in an extended taxon sampling set. Analysis of the mitogenome coding regions in a Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian framework provided a well-resolved phylogeny. The deepest divergences distinguished three clades with high support, one containing Manta birostris, Manta alfredi, Mobula tarapacana, Mobula japanica and Mobula mobular; one containing Mobula kuhlii, Mobula eregoodootenkee and Mobula thurstoni; and one containing Mobula munkiana, Mobula hypostoma and Mobula rochebrunei. Mobula remains paraphyletic with the inclusion of Manta, a result that is in agreement with previous studies based on molecular and morphological data. A fossil-calibrated Bayesian random local clock analysis suggests that mobulids diverged from Rhinoptera around 30 Mya. Subsequent divergences are characterized by long internodes followed by short bursts of speciation extending from an initial episode of divergence in the Early and Middle Miocene (19–17 Mya) to a second episode during the Pliocene and Pleistocene (3.6 Mya – recent). Estimates of divergence dates overlap significantly with periods of global warming, during which upwelling intensity – and related high primary productivity in upwelling regions – decreased markedly. These periods are hypothesized to have led to fragmentation and isolation of feeding regions leading to possible regional extinctions, as well as the promotion of allopatric speciation. The closely shared evolutionary history of mobulids in combination with ongoing threats from fisheries and climate change effects on upwelling and food supply, reinforces the case for greater