New Insights on the Evolution of the Sweet Taste Receptor of Primates Adapted to Harsh Environments

摘要

A sense of taste is vital to an animal’s fitness. It enables animals to select and ingest beneficial foods and avoid harmful substances in their daily lives. There have been relatively few studies regarding the evolution of the taste receptor gene for sweetness, particularly in regard to endemic Bornean primates. We constructed TAS1R2 gene phylogenies for 20 anthropoid primate species using four different methods as well as established the phylogenic time divergence. The phylogenetic analysis successfully separated the primates into their taxonomic groups and as per their dietary preferences. Of note, the estimated time of divergence for the primate speciation pattern in this study was more recent than the previously published estimates. This difference may have been due to environmental changes, such as food scarcity and climate change, during the late Miocene epoch, which likely forced primates to adapt their dietary preferences. These findings establish a foundation for further investigations.