Parallel adaptive radiations in two major clades of placental mammals

Higher level relationships among placental mammals, as well as the historical biogeography and morphological diversification of this group, remain unclear. Here we analyse independent molecular data sets, having aligned lengths of DNA of 5,708 and 2,947 base pairs, respectively, for all orders of placental mammals. Phylogenetic analyses resolve placental orders into four groups: Xenarthra, Afrotheria, Laurasiatheria, and Euarchonta plus Glires. The first three groups are consistently monophyletic with different methods of analysis. Euarchonta plus Glires is monophyletic or paraphyletic depending on the phylogenetic method. A unique nine-base-pair deletion in exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene provides additional support for the monophyly of Afrotheria, which includes proboscideans, sirenians, hyracoids, tubulidentates, macroscelideans, chrysochlorids and tenrecids. Laurasiatheria contains cetartiodactyls, perissodactyls, carnivores, pangolins, bats and eulipotyphlan insectivores. Parallel adaptive radiations have occurred within Laurasiatheria and Afrotheria. In each group, there are aquatic, ungulate and insectivore-like forms.     

The environmental signal of an early Holocene pollen record from the Shiyang River basin lake sediments, NW China

Pollen analyses of 85 samples from the Sanjiaocheng section well along the margin of a palaeolake at the end of the Shiyang River, NW China, show that Picea and Sabina dominate the pollen assemblage. Together they reach as high as 40%–60%, with the percentage of Picea varying inversely with that of Sabina. Similar results were obtained from another section in the Shiyang River drainage. Using modern ecological habitat relationship analogues, pollen transport characteristics, and the overall pollen assemblage, we propose that both Picea and Sabina pollen were transported by the river from the mountains at the upper reaches of the Shiyang River, and that the assemblage is more indicative of changes in upland vegetation than of local conditions near the section. This interpretation is supported by pollen data derived from surface samples, water samples, and riverbed samples. Using a moisture indicator (the Picea to Sabina ratio) and calculated pollen concentrations, we identify a series of palaeoenvironmental changes during the early Holocene (10–6.3 ¹⁴C kaBP).