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Published on: March 10, 2021
Flight loss linked to faster molecular evolution in insects
T Fatima Mitterboeck1, Sarah J Adamowicz
1Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1. tmitterb@uoguelph.ca
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|July 26, 2013
Summary
Insect flight loss is linked to faster molecular evolution, particularly in mitochondrial genes. This may be due to relaxed selection on energy metabolism and smaller population sizes in flightless (FL) insects.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Evolution
- Genomics
Background:
- Flight loss has evolved independently numerous times in insects.
- Flight loss can lead to reduced effective population sizes (Ne) and relaxed selective constraints.
- Previous studies in birds suggest flight loss is associated with higher molecular rates in energy-related genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between insect flight loss and molecular evolutionary rates.
- To analyze molecular rates across 49 independent flight loss events in diverse insect taxa.
- To compare rates in flightless (FL) and flight-capable lineages using both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of 49 phylogenetically independent insect lineages.
- Estimation of molecular evolutionary rates using non-synonymous-to-synonymous substitution ratios (dN/dS) and overall substitution rates (OSRs).
- Analysis of both nuclear and mitochondrial protein-coding DNA sequences.
Main Results:
- Flightless (FL) insect lineages exhibit significantly higher dN/dS ratios and OSRs compared to flight-capable relatives.
- This pattern was observed in mitochondrial genes but not in nuclear genes.
- The findings suggest relaxed selective constraints, potentially on energy metabolism, and possibly reduced Ne in FL lineages.
Conclusions:
- Insect flight loss is associated with accelerated molecular evolution in mitochondrial DNA.
- Relaxed selection on energy metabolism and reduced effective population sizes may drive these accelerated rates in flightless insects.
- The study provides evidence for the evolutionary consequences of flight loss across diverse insect groups.
Keywords:
comparative methodeffective population sizeflight lossmitochondrial genesmolecular evolutionary ratesselective constraintsMore Related Videos
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