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


ABSTRACT: 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.

SUBMITTER: Barnett R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7762822 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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

Barnett Ross R   Westbury Michael V MV   Sandoval-Velasco Marcela M   Vieira Filipe Garrett FG   Jeon Sungwon S   Zazula Grant G   Martin Michael D MD   Ho Simon Y W SYW   Mather Niklas N   Gopalakrishnan Shyam S   Ramos-Madrigal Jazmín J   de Manuel Marc M   Zepeda-Mendoza M Lisandra ML   Antunes Agostinho A   Baez Aldo Carmona AC   De Cahsan Binia B   Larson Greger G   O'Brien Stephen J SJ   Eizirik Eduardo E   Johnson Warren E WE   Koepfli Klaus-Peter KP   Wilting Andreas A   Fickel Jörns J   Dalén Love L   Lorenzen Eline D ED   Marques-Bonet Tomas T   Hansen Anders J AJ   Zhang Guojie G   Bhak Jong J   Yamaguchi Nobuyuki N   Gilbert M Thomas P MTP  

Current biology : CB 20201015 24


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-  ...[more]

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