A genomic exploration of the early evolution of extant cats and their sabre-toothed relatives

Westbury, Michael V.; Barnett, Ross; Sandoval Velasco, Marcela; Gower, Graham; Garrett Vieira, Filipe; Manuel Montero, Marc de, 1991-; Hansen, Anders J.; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Werdelin, Lars; Marquès i Bonet, Tomàs, 1975-; Gilbert, M Thomas; Lorenzen, Eline D.

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.13104.2

A genomic exploration of the early evolution of extant cats and their sabre-toothed relatives

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Westbury MV, Barnett R, Sandoval-Velasco M, Gower G, Garrett Vieira F, de Manuel M, Hansen AJ, Yamaguchi N, Werdelin L, Marquès Bonet T, Gilbert MTP, Lorenzen ED. A genomic exploration of the early evolution of extant cats and their sabre-toothed relatives. Open Research Europe. 2021;1:25. DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.13104.2

Abstract

Background: The evolutionary relationships of Felidae during their Early–Middle Miocene radiation is contentious. Although the early common ancestors have been subsumed under the grade-group Pseudaelurus, this group is thought to be paraphyletic, including the early ancestors of both modern cats and extinct sabretooths. Methods: Here, we sequenced a draft nuclear genome of Smilodon populator, dated to 13,182 ± 90 cal BP, making this the oldest palaeogenome from South America to date, a region known to be problematic for ancient DNA preservation. We analysed this genome, together with genomes from other extinct and extant cats to investigate their phylogenetic relationships. Results: We confirm a deep divergence (~20.65 Ma) within sabre-toothed cats. Through the analysis of both simulated and empirical data, we show a lack of gene flow between Smilodon and contemporary Felidae. Conclusions: Given that some species traditionally assigned to Pseudaelurus originated in the Early Miocene ~20 Ma, this indicates that some species of Pseudaelurus may be younger than the lineages they purportedly gave rise to, further supporting the hypothesis that Pseudaelurus was paraphyletic.