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"Inordinate Fondness" explained: why are there So many beetles?
1Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 24, 1998
Summary
Phylogenetic analysis of herbivorous beetles reveals that angiosperm-feeding lineages drove significant diversification. These adaptive radiations account for nearly half of all beetle and herbivorous insect species.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Entomology
- Molecular Phylogenetics
Background:
- The Phytophaga represent the largest and oldest radiation of herbivorous beetles.
- Understanding their evolutionary history is key to comprehending insect-plant interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct the phylogeny of the Phytophaga.
- To investigate the role of angiosperms in the diversification of herbivorous beetles.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analysis using 115 complete DNA sequences of the 18S nuclear ribosomal subunit.
- Incorporation of 212 morphological characters into the phylogenetic reconstruction.
Main Results:
- Basal lineages of Phytophaga from the Jurassic period are associated with conifers and cycads.
- Repeated origins of angiosperm-feeding lineages correlate with accelerated beetle diversification rates.
- These radiations represent a substantial portion of Coleoptera and herbivorous insect species diversity.
Conclusions:
- Angiosperm-associated radiations have been a major driver of herbivorous beetle evolution.
- The Phytophaga's diversification is strongly linked to the rise of flowering plants.