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Time flies, a new molecular time-scale for brachyceran fly evolution without a clock.

Brian M Wiegmann1, David K Yeates, Jeffrey L Thorne

  • 1Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA. bwiegman@unity.ncsu.edu

Systematic Biology
|December 12, 2003
PubMed
Summary

True flies (Diptera) underwent major diversification in the Mesozoic. This study clarifies their evolutionary relationships and ages using DNA, morphology, and fossils, revealing origins in the Triassic/Jurassic.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Paleontology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The insect order Diptera, or true flies, includes significant Mesozoic radiations within the Brachycera suborder.
  • Estimating brachyceran phylogeny and divergence dates is challenging due to limited evidence and rare fossils.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To improve estimates of brachyceran evolutionary relationships and ages.
  • To resolve phylogenetic uncertainties using combined molecular, morphological, and fossil data.

Main Methods:

  • Sequencing of the 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene from diverse taxa.
  • Parsimony-based phylogenetic analysis combining 28S rDNA and morphological data.
  • Bayesian estimation of divergence times using phylogenetic topology and fossil constraints.

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Main Results:

  • The combined data support monophyly of Brachycera and its four major infraorders.
  • A basal clade including Stratiomyomorpha, Xylophagomorpha, and Tabanomorpha received weak support.
  • Brachycera originated in the late Triassic/earliest Mesozoic, with major lineages emerging in the mid-Jurassic, predating angiosperms.

Conclusions:

  • This study enhances the resolution of brachyceran phylogeny.
  • Revised divergence time estimates provide improved temporal context for evolutionary studies and genomic comparisons.
  • The findings clarify the early evolutionary history of true flies.