A molecular timescale for vertebrate evolution
Abstract
A timescale is necessary for estimating rates of molecular and morphological change in organisms and for interpreting patterns of macroevolution and biogeography. Traditionally, these times have been obtained from the fossil record, where the earliest representatives of two lineages establish a minimum time of divergence of these lineages. The clock-like accumulation of sequence differences in some genes provides an alternative method by which the mean divergence time can be estimated. Estimates from single genes may have large statistical errors, but multiple genes can be studied to obtain a more reliable estimate of divergence time. However, until recently, the number of genes available for estimation of divergence time has been limited. Here we present divergence-time estimates for mammalian orders and major lineages of vertebrates, from an analysis of 658 nuclear genes. The molecular times agree with most early (Palaeozoic) and late (Cenozoic) fossil-based times, but indicate major gaps in the Mesozoic fossil record. At least five lineages of placental mammals arose more than 100 million years ago, and most of the modern orders seem to have diversified before the Cretaceous/Tertiary extinction of the dinosaurs.
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Metatherians and eutherians diverged about 180 million years ago.
“Metatherians and eutherians diverged ,180 million years (Myr) ago, long before the radiation of the extant eutherian clades ,100 Myr ago 1,2 .”
From Genome of the marsupial Monodelphis domestica reveals innovation in non-coding sequences (2007) · cites this paper as [1]
Song-learning birds and humans are separated from a common ancestor by more than 68 million years among birds or 310 million years between birds and humans.
“We examined whether complex behavioral and anatomical convergence is associated with molecular convergence in song-learning birds and humans, species separated from a common ancestor by more than 68 million years (among birds) or 310 million years (between birds and humans) (34–36).”
From Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds (2014) · cites this paper as [35]
Convergent gene expression for RA/LMC and Area X/putamen involves species separated from a common ancestor by 68 million to 310 million years, different vertebrate lineages, and many genes.
“We find the convergent gene expression for RA/LMC and Area X/putamen remarkable in that they involve species separated from a common ancestor by 68 million to 310 million years (34–36), different vertebrate lineages, and many genes.”
From Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds (2014) · cites this paper as [35]
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- Authors
- Kumar, S., & Hedges, S. B.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hedges, S. Blair
- ORCID
- Kumar, Sudhir
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 1998-04
- Volume
- 392
- Issue
- 6679
- Pages
- 917-920
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W1594381616
- Cited by
- 1,936
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 81 · 2013: 61 · 2012: 75
- FWCI
- 127.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Keywords
- molecular clock, divergence time estimation, vertebrate evolution, mammalian orders, nuclear genes, placental mammals, Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction, macroevolution, biogeography
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Birds, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Genes, Mammals, Vertebrates, Evolution, Molecular
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