Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution

Matthias Meyer; Eleftheria Palkopoulou; Sina Baleka; Mathias Stiller; Kirsty E.H. Penkman; Kurt W. Alt; Yasuko Ishida; Dietrich Mania; Swapan Mallick; Tom Meijer; Harald Meller; Sarah Nagel; Birgit Nickel; Sven Ostritz; Nadin Rohland; Karol Schauer; Tim Schüler; Alfred L. Roca; David Reich; Beth Shapiro; Michael Hofreiter

doi:10.7554/eLife.25413

Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution

Matthias Meyer, Eleftheria Palkopoulou, Sina Baleka, Mathias Stiller, Kirsty E.H. Penkman, Kurt W. Alt, Yasuko Ishida, Dietrich Mania, Swapan Mallick, Tom Meijer, Harald Meller, Sarah Nagel, Birgit Nickel, Sven Ostritz, Nadin Rohland, Karol Schauer, Tim Schüler, Alfred L. Roca, David Reich, Beth ShapiroMichael Hofreiter^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The straight-tusked elephants Palaeoloxodon spp. were widespread across Eurasia during the Pleistocene. Phylogenetic reconstructions using morphological traits have grouped them with Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and many paleontologists place Palaeoloxodon within Elephas. Here, we report the recovery of full mitochondrial genomes from four and partial nuclear genomes from two P. antiquus fossils. These fossils were collected at two sites in Germany, Neumark-Nord and Weimar-Ehringsdorf, and likely date to interglacial periods ~120 and ~244 thousand years ago, respectively. Unexpectedly, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses suggest that P. antiquus was a close relative of extant African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis). Species previously referred to Palaeoloxodon are thus most parsimoniously explained as having diverged from the lineage of Loxodonta, indicating that Loxodonta has not been constrained to Africa. Our results demonstrate that the current picture of elephant evolution is in need of substantial revision.

Original language	English
Article number	e25413
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	eLife
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25413
Publication status	Published - 6 Jun 2017

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

10.7554/eLife.25413

24-01-2017-SR-eLife-25413R1_Merged_PDF
© Meyer et al, 2017.
Accepted author manuscript, 4.18 MBLicence: CC BY
Meyer et al 2017 elife elephant evolution
© Meyer et al, 2017.
Final published version, 928 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Meyer, M., Palkopoulou, E., Baleka, S., Stiller, M., Penkman, K. E. H., Alt, K. W., Ishida, Y., Mania, D., Mallick, S., Meijer, T., Meller, H., Nagel, S., Nickel, B., Ostritz, S., Rohland, N., Schauer, K., Schüler, T., Roca, A. L., Reich, D., ... Hofreiter, M. (2017). Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution. eLife, 6, 1-14. Article e25413. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25413

@article{f87be815fb2c41679561fcf7c36ff424,

title = "Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution",

abstract = "The straight-tusked elephants Palaeoloxodon spp. were widespread across Eurasia during the Pleistocene. Phylogenetic reconstructions using morphological traits have grouped them with Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and many paleontologists place Palaeoloxodon within Elephas. Here, we report the recovery of full mitochondrial genomes from four and partial nuclear genomes from two P. antiquus fossils. These fossils were collected at two sites in Germany, Neumark-Nord and Weimar-Ehringsdorf, and likely date to interglacial periods ~120 and ~244 thousand years ago, respectively. Unexpectedly, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses suggest that P. antiquus was a close relative of extant African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis). Species previously referred to Palaeoloxodon are thus most parsimoniously explained as having diverged from the lineage of Loxodonta, indicating that Loxodonta has not been constrained to Africa. Our results demonstrate that the current picture of elephant evolution is in need of substantial revision.",

author = "Matthias Meyer and Eleftheria Palkopoulou and Sina Baleka and Mathias Stiller and Penkman, {Kirsty E.H.} and Alt, {Kurt W.} and Yasuko Ishida and Dietrich Mania and Swapan Mallick and Tom Meijer and Harald Meller and Sarah Nagel and Birgit Nickel and Sven Ostritz and Nadin Rohland and Karol Schauer and Tim Sch{\"u}ler and Roca, {Alfred L.} and David Reich and Beth Shapiro and Michael Hofreiter",

note = "{\textcopyright} Meyer et al, 2017.",

year = "2017",

month = jun,

day = "6",

doi = "10.7554/eLife.25413",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "1--14",

journal = "eLife",

issn = "2050-084X",

publisher = "eLife Sciences Publications",

}

Meyer, M, Palkopoulou, E, Baleka, S, Stiller, M, Penkman, KEH, Alt, KW, Ishida, Y, Mania, D, Mallick, S, Meijer, T, Meller, H, Nagel, S, Nickel, B, Ostritz, S, Rohland, N, Schauer, K, Schüler, T, Roca, AL, Reich, D, Shapiro, B & Hofreiter, M 2017, 'Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution', eLife, vol. 6, e25413, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25413

TY - JOUR

T1 - Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution

AU - Meyer, Matthias

AU - Palkopoulou, Eleftheria

AU - Baleka, Sina

AU - Stiller, Mathias

AU - Penkman, Kirsty E.H.

AU - Alt, Kurt W.

AU - Ishida, Yasuko

AU - Mania, Dietrich

AU - Mallick, Swapan

AU - Meijer, Tom

AU - Meller, Harald

AU - Nagel, Sarah

AU - Nickel, Birgit

AU - Ostritz, Sven

AU - Rohland, Nadin

AU - Schauer, Karol

AU - Schüler, Tim

AU - Roca, Alfred L.

AU - Reich, David

AU - Shapiro, Beth

AU - Hofreiter, Michael

PY - 2017/6/6

Y1 - 2017/6/6

N2 - The straight-tusked elephants Palaeoloxodon spp. were widespread across Eurasia during the Pleistocene. Phylogenetic reconstructions using morphological traits have grouped them with Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and many paleontologists place Palaeoloxodon within Elephas. Here, we report the recovery of full mitochondrial genomes from four and partial nuclear genomes from two P. antiquus fossils. These fossils were collected at two sites in Germany, Neumark-Nord and Weimar-Ehringsdorf, and likely date to interglacial periods ~120 and ~244 thousand years ago, respectively. Unexpectedly, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses suggest that P. antiquus was a close relative of extant African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis). Species previously referred to Palaeoloxodon are thus most parsimoniously explained as having diverged from the lineage of Loxodonta, indicating that Loxodonta has not been constrained to Africa. Our results demonstrate that the current picture of elephant evolution is in need of substantial revision.

AB - The straight-tusked elephants Palaeoloxodon spp. were widespread across Eurasia during the Pleistocene. Phylogenetic reconstructions using morphological traits have grouped them with Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and many paleontologists place Palaeoloxodon within Elephas. Here, we report the recovery of full mitochondrial genomes from four and partial nuclear genomes from two P. antiquus fossils. These fossils were collected at two sites in Germany, Neumark-Nord and Weimar-Ehringsdorf, and likely date to interglacial periods ~120 and ~244 thousand years ago, respectively. Unexpectedly, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses suggest that P. antiquus was a close relative of extant African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis). Species previously referred to Palaeoloxodon are thus most parsimoniously explained as having diverged from the lineage of Loxodonta, indicating that Loxodonta has not been constrained to Africa. Our results demonstrate that the current picture of elephant evolution is in need of substantial revision.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85021157060&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.7554/eLife.25413

DO - 10.7554/eLife.25413

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85021157060

SN - 2050-084X

VL - 6

SP - 1

EP - 14

JO - eLife

JF - eLife

M1 - e25413

ER -

Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Kirsty Elizabeth Helena Penkman

Cite this

Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Profiles

Kirsty Elizabeth Helena Penkman

Cite this