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Aligned 18S for Zoraptera (Insecta): phylogenetic position and molecular evolution.
Kazunori Yoshizawa1, Kevin P Johnson
1Systematic Entomology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan. psocid@res.agr.hokudai.ac.jp
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
|July 12, 2005
Summary
The phylogenetic position of Zoraptera (angel insects) was clarified using nuclear 18S rDNA sequences. Analyses reveal Zoraptera is closely related to Dictyoptera (cockroaches, termites, mantises).
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Insect Phylogenetics
- Molecular Evolution
Background:
- The order Zoraptera, or angel insects, is poorly understood with only 32 extant species.
- Its phylogenetic placement is debated, with proposed links to Paraneoptera, Dictyoptera, or Embioptera.
Purpose of the Study:
- To infer the phylogenetic position of Zoraptera using molecular data.
- To investigate the evolutionary relationships of this enigmatic insect order.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences.
- Sequence alignment guided by a secondary structure model.
- Phylogenetic inference using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses.
Main Results:
- Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses strongly support a close relationship between Zoraptera and Dictyoptera.
- Zoraptera 18S rDNA sequences exhibit a high substitution rate, leading to long evolutionary branches.
- Unusual sequence features include long insertions and modified secondary structures in specific helices.
Conclusions:
- Zoraptera is phylogenetically nested within or closely allied to Dictyoptera.
- The unique molecular characteristics of Zoraptera 18S rDNA provide insights into its evolutionary history.