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Comparative Mitogenomics Reveals Gene Rearrangement and Phylogenetic Relationships in Siphlonuroidea (Insecta:
Chen-Xiao Hu1, Ting Yang1, Hui-Yuan Wu1
1College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China.
Insects
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Phylogenetic analysis of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) reveals Siphlonuroidea, including Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae, form a distinct group. Isonychiidae is more closely related to Heptageniidae, outside Siphlonuroidea.
Area of Science:
- * Entomology and evolutionary biology.
- * Focus on insect systematics and phylogenomics.
Background:
- * The superfamily Siphlonuroidea within Ephemeroptera (mayflies) lacks resolved phylogenetic relationships.
- * Placement of Siphlonuroidea families and their relation to other mayfly lineages requires clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To elucidate the phylogenetic positions of Siphlonuridae, Ameletidae, and Isonychiidae within Ephemeroptera.
- * To investigate the evolutionary history and divergence times of these mayfly lineages.
Main Methods:
- * Generation and comparative analysis of 16 newly assembled mitochondrial genomes from 14 Ephemeroptera species.
- * Mitogenomic analysis included tRNA gene rearrangement patterns and compositional analysis (A+T content).
- * Phylogenomic inference using the PCG12 dataset and divergence time estimation.
Main Results:
- * Identified distinct tRNA gene rearrangement patterns in Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae, with a potential synapomorphy in Ameletidae.
- * Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae share higher and similar A+T content, clustering together, distinct from Isonychiidae.
- * Phylogenetic analyses support Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae as sister groups within Siphlonuroidea, with Isonychiidae sister to Heptageniidae.
Conclusions:
- * Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae are confirmed as closely related within Siphlonuroidea.
- * Isonychiidae is placed outside Siphlonuroidea, showing a closer affinity to Heptageniidae.
- * Siphluriscidae is identified as the earliest-diverging extant mayfly lineage.
Keywords:
Ephemeropteradivergence time estimationevolutionary historymitochondrial gene ordermitogenomicsmolecular phylogenyMore Related Videos
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