Ghost lineage

A ghost lineage is a hypothesized ancestor in a species lineage that has left no fossil evidence, but can still be inferred to exist or have existed because of gaps in the fossil record or genomic evidence.^[1]^[2] The process of determining a ghost lineage relies on fossilized evidence before and after the hypothetical existence of the lineage and extrapolating relationships between organisms based on phylogenetic analysis.^[3] Ghost lineages assume unseen diversity in the fossil record and serve as predictions for what the fossil record could eventually yield; these hypotheses can be tested by unearthing new fossils or running phylogenetic analyses.^[4]

Ghost lineages and Lazarus taxa are related concepts, as both stem from gaps in the fossil record.^[2] A ghost lineage is any gap in a taxon's fossil record, with or without reappearance, while a Lazarus taxon is a type of ghost lineage wherein a species is believed to have gone extinct due to an absence of it in the fossil record, but then reappears after a period of time.^[2] Examples of Lazarus taxa include the famous coelacanths, as well as the Philippine naked-backed fruit bat.^[5]

^ Lorente-Galdos B, Lao O, Serra-Vidal G, Santpere G, Kuderna LF, Arauna LR, et al. (April 2019). "Whole-genome sequence analysis of a Pan African set of samples reveals archaic gene flow from an extinct basal population of modern humans into sub-Saharan populations". Genome Biology. 20 (1): 77. doi:10.1186/s13059-019-1684-5. PMC 6485163. PMID 31023378.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wedel M (May 2010). "Ghost lineages". University of California Museum of Paleontology. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
^ Norell MA (January 1993). "Tree-Based Approaches to Understanding History; Comments on Ranks, Rules and the Quality of the Fossil Record" (PDF). American Journal of Science. 293 (A): 407–417. Bibcode:1993AmJS..293..407N. doi:10.2475/ajs.293.a.407.
^ Dingus L, Rowe T (1998). The Mistaken Extinction: Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds. New York: W. H. Freeman.
^ Gentle L. "Meet the Lazarus creatures – six species we thought were extinct, but aren't". The Conversation. Retrieved 2019-12-04.

[1] Lorente-Galdos B, Lao O, Serra-Vidal G, Santpere G, Kuderna LF, Arauna LR, et al. (April 2019). "Whole-genome sequence analysis of a Pan African set of samples reveals archaic gene flow from an extinct basal population of modern humans into sub-Saharan populations". Genome Biology. 20 (1): 77. doi:10.1186/s13059-019-1684-5. PMC 6485163. PMID 31023378.

[:2-2] Wedel M (May 2010). "Ghost lineages". University of California Museum of Paleontology. Retrieved November 4, 2019.

[:0-3] Norell MA (January 1993). "Tree-Based Approaches to Understanding History; Comments on Ranks, Rules and the Quality of the Fossil Record" (PDF). American Journal of Science. 293 (A): 407–417. Bibcode:1993AmJS..293..407N. doi:10.2475/ajs.293.a.407.

[4] Dingus L, Rowe T (1998). The Mistaken Extinction: Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds. New York: W. H. Freeman.

[5] Gentle L. "Meet the Lazarus creatures – six species we thought were extinct, but aren't". The Conversation. Retrieved 2019-12-04.

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