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Increased gene sampling strengthens support for higher-level groups within leaf-mining moths and relatives
Akito Y Kawahara1, Issei Ohshima, Atsushi Kawakita
1Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. kawahara@flmnh.ufl.edu
BMC Evolutionary Biology
|June 28, 2011
Summary
Adding more genetic data, especially non-synonymous changes, significantly improved phylogenetic resolution for leaf-mining moths (Gracillariidae). This strategy enhances deep node support in molecular studies.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Phylogenetics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Taxonomy
Background:
- Molecular phylogenetic studies often face challenges with weak branch support for critical evolutionary nodes.
- Sequencing additional genes is a common solution, but large data matrices can be difficult to generate.
- The effectiveness of incomplete sampling designs for improving deep node resolution requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if adding genes for a subset of taxa can improve phylogenetic branch support for deep nodes in Gracillariidae moths.
- To compare different data sampling designs (gene and taxon subsets) for their impact on phylogenetic resolution.
- To assess the utility of non-synonymous versus synonymous changes in resolving deep divergences.
Main Methods:
- Initial sequencing of ten genes (8,418 bp) for 57 Gracillariidae taxa and outgroups.
- Sequencing of eleven additional genes (6,375 bp) for a 27-taxon subset to augment data.
- Analysis using maximum likelihood with five different models and partitioning schemes for synonymous and non-synonymous changes.
- Statistical testing of non-monophyly using the Approximately Unbiased (AU) test.
Main Results:
- Partial gene augmentation significantly increased support for deep divergences, particularly when analyzing non-synonymous changes alone.
- Increasing taxa without more characters decreased support; increasing characters without more taxa generally increased support.
- Monophyly of Gracillariidae and several subgroups (Lithocolletinae + Leucanthiza, Acrocercops, Parectopa) were strongly supported.
- Evidence supports the exclusion of Douglasiidae from Gracillarioidea; a G.B.R.Y. clade was supported with non-synonymous data only.
Conclusions:
- Augmenting datasets with more characters, especially non-synonymous sites with low saturation, dramatically improves deep node support.
- Douglasiidae should be excluded from Gracillarioidea, necessitating taxonomic revisions.
- Gracillariidae are monophyletic, with most species forming six strongly supported clades; Bucculatricidae placement is clarified.
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