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Strepsiptera, phylogenomics and the long branch attraction problem.
Bastien Boussau1, Zaak Walton2, Juan A Delgado3
1Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America; Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France.
Plos One
|October 2, 2014
Summary
Strepsiptera are confirmed as the sister group to Coleoptera, not an internal part of the beetle family. This insect phylogeny study utilized robust models and comprehensive taxonomic sampling for accurate results.
Area of Science:
- Insect evolutionary biology
- Comparative genomics
- Phylogenetics
Background:
- Insect phylogeny is crucial for understanding evolutionary relationships.
- Recent genomic advances allow for large-scale phylogenomic studies.
- Previous studies placed Strepsiptera sister to Coleoptera, but with limitations in taxonomic sampling and evolutionary models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To resolve the higher-level phylogeny of insects, focusing on the Neuropteroidea clade.
- To investigate the phylogenetic position of Strepsiptera in relation to Coleoptera and Neuropterida.
- To address limitations of previous studies by incorporating broader taxonomic sampling and robust evolutionary models.
Main Methods:
- Sequencing transcriptomes of seven key insect species.
- Compiling a phylogenomic dataset of 36 species.
- Employing phylogenetic models robust against long branch attraction artifacts.
Main Results:
- A highly resolved insect phylogeny was generated.
- Strepsiptera is confirmed as the sister group to Coleoptera.
- The study provides new insights into the evolutionary relationships within Neuropteroidea.
Conclusions:
- The phylogenetic position of Strepsiptera is robustly established as sister to Coleoptera.
- The study highlights the importance of taxonomic sampling and appropriate evolutionary models in phylogenomics.
- Findings contribute significantly to understanding insect evolution, particularly within the Neuropteroidea.
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