加州大学Peter C. Wainwright课题组揭示了关键创新的进化稳定性刺激了快速多样化。相关论文于2025年2月26日发表在《自然》杂志上。

在这里，课题组研究人员表明牙齿复杂性的进化不稳定性，而不是复杂性本身，刺激了鳍状鱼类的快速多样化。当简单牙齿和复杂牙齿之间的转换迅速发生时，物种形成率要高5倍。小组发现非洲慈鲷在所有鱼类中是独一无二的；它们的血统以无与伦比的速度在简单牙齿和复杂牙齿之间转换。这一创新与复杂牙齿的生态多样性相互作用，促进了马拉维湖、维多利亚湖和巴隆比Mbo湖的快速适应性辐射。对牙齿多样性的显著影响源于牙齿复杂性与微生境和饮食的密切联系。他们的研究结果表明，与创新本身相比，创新进化过程中的系统发育差异对多样化模式的影响更大。从这个新的角度调查创新的影响，可能会涉及到更多的特征，以引导生命之树的异质性和多样化率。

研究人员表示，在整个生命树上，谱系多样化的速度变化很大，这通常是进化创新的结果。尽管产生新特征的能力在不同的进化枝之间可能会有所不同，并可能推动生态转变，但在宏观进化尺度上，创新进化速度差异的影响一直被忽视。复杂牙齿是主要脊椎动物进化成功的一项创新。

附：英文原文

Title: Evolutionary lability of a key innovation spurs rapid diversification

Author: Peoples, Nick, Burns, Michael D., Mihalitsis, Michalis, Wainwright, Peter C.

Issue&Volume: 2025-02-26

Abstract: Rates of lineage diversification vary considerably across the tree of life, often as a result of evolutionary innovations1,2,3,4,5. Although the ability to produce new traits can vary between clades and may drive ecological transitions6,7,8,9, the impact of differences in the pace at which innovations evolve at macroevolutionary scales has been overlooked. Complex teeth are one innovation that contributed to the evolutionary success of major vertebrate lineages10,11,12. Here we show that evolutionary lability of tooth complexity, but not complexity itself, spurs rapid diversification across ray-finned fishes. Speciation rates are five times higher when transitions between simple and complex teeth occur rapidly. We find that African cichlids are unique among all fishes; they are dominated by lineages that transition between simple and complex teeth at unparalleled rates. This innovation interacted with the ecological versatility of complex teeth to spur rapid adaptive radiations in lakes Malawi, Victoria and Barombi Mbo. The marked effect on diversification stems from the tight association of tooth complexity with microhabitat and diet. Our results show that phylogenetic variation in how innovations evolve can have a stronger effect on patterns of diversification than the innovation itself. Investigating the impact of innovations from this new perspective will probably implicate more traits in causing heterogeneous diversification rates across the tree of life.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08612-z

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08612-z