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Related Experiment Video

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A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Evaluating nuclear protein-coding genes for phylogenetic utility in beetles.

Alexander L Wild¹, David R Maddison

¹Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. alwild@myrmecos.net

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

|July 23, 2008

Summary

This study introduces new nuclear gene markers for beetle systematics, enhancing phylogenetic analysis. Combining these genes accurately reconstructs beetle evolutionary history, aiding in understanding the beetle tree of life.

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An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

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Published on: July 12, 2022

Area of Science:

Entomology
Molecular Phylogenetics
Systematics

Background:

Nuclear protein-coding genes are vital for phylogenetic inference but underutilized in Coleoptera studies.
Coleoptera, the most diverse insect order, requires expanded molecular markers for robust systematic analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and evaluate new nuclear gene markers for beetle systematics.
To assess the phylogenetic performance of eight nuclear genes across different evolutionary timescales.
To test the utility of concatenated nuclear loci for reconstructing the beetle tree of life.

Main Methods:

Developed protocols for three novel beetle genes: alpha-spectrin, RNA polymerase II, and topoisomerase I.
Refined protocols for five existing genes: arginine kinase, CAD, enolase, PEPCK, and wingless.
Evaluated gene performance using a Bayesian framework on a test phylogeny of 31 beetle specimens and 2 outgroups.

Main Results:

All eight genes effectively resolved Cenozoic divergences and closely related species within Bembidion.
Individual genes showed varying accuracy for older Mesozoic and Permian divergences.
Concatenated data from multiple nuclear loci reconstructed the test phylogeny with high support in Bayesian and parsimony analyses.

Conclusions:

Combining data from multiple nuclear loci is a promising strategy for resolving the beetle tree of life.
The developed and refined gene protocols expand the molecular toolkit for Coleoptera systematics.
This approach provides a robust foundation for future phylogenetic studies in beetles.