Reconstructing the phylogeny of the Sipuncula

Sipunculans are marine spiralian worms with possible close affinities to the Mollusca or Annelida. Currently 147 species, 17 genera, 6 families, 4 orders and 2 classes are recognized. In this paper we review sipunculan morphology, anatomy, paleontological data and historical affiliations. We have conducted cladistic analyses for two data sets to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among sipunculan species. We first analyzed the relationships among the 45 species of Phascolosomatidea with representatives of the Sipunculidea as outgroups, using 35 morphological characters. The resulting consensus tree has low resolution and branch support is low for most branches. The second analysis was based on DNA sequence data from two nuclear ribosomal genes (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA) and one nuclear protein-coding gene, histone H3. Outgroups were chosen among representative spiralians. In a third analysis, the molecular data were combined with the morphological data. Data were analyzed using parsimony as the optimality criterion and branch support evaluated with jackknifing and Bremer support values. Branch support for outgroup relationships is low but the monophyly of the Sipuncula is well supported. Within Sipuncula, the monophyly of the two major groups, Phascolosomatidea and Sipunculidea is not confirmed. Of the currently recognized families, only Themistidae appears monophyletic. The Aspidosiphonidae, Phascolosomatidae and Golfingiidae would be monophyletic with some adjustments in their definition. The Sipunculidae is clearly polyphyletic, with Sipunculus nudus as the sister group to the remaining Sipuncula, Siphonosoma cumanense the sister group to a clade containing Siphonosoma vastumand the Phascolosomatidea, and Phascolopsis gouldi grouping within the Golfingiiformes, as suggested previously by some authors. Of the genera with multiple representatives, only Phascolosoma and Themiste are monophyletic as currently defined. We are aiming to expand our current dataset with more species in our molecular database and more detailed morphological studies.     

从12S rRNA基因第三结构域序列分析探讨蜘蛛若干重要类群的亲缘关系

本文将12S rRNA基因序列分析应用于研究若干重要蜘蛛类群的系统关系,以对传统的分类研究结论进行验证和补充,并且探讨12S rRNA基因序列分析在蜘蛛系统发生研究中的适用性。根据12S rRNA基因第3结构域构建的分子系统树得出结论:1.圆网类(即妖面蛛总科与园蛛总科)并非单系;2.隙蛛与暗蛛较漏斗蛛具有更近的亲缘关系;3.壁钱和拟壁钱并不近缘;4.有筛器类蜘蛛为复系类群;5.12S rRNA基因第3结构域片段对推断近缘科属间的系统发生关系是有效的遗传标记。     

Congruence between molecular phylogeny and cuticular design in Echiniscoidea (Tardigrada,Heterotardigrada)

Although morphological characters distinguishing echiniscid genera and species are well understood, the phylogenetic relationships of these taxa are not well established. We thus investigated the phylogeny of Echiniscidae, assessed the monophyly of Echiniscus, and explored the value of cuticular ornamentation as a phylogenetic character within Echiniscus. To do this, DNA was extracted from single individuals for multiple Echiniscus species, and 18S and 28S rRNA gene fragments were sequenced. Each specimen was photographed, and published in an open database prior to DNA extraction, to make morphological evidence available for future inquiries. An updated phylogeny of the class Heterotardigrada is provided, and conflict between the obtained molecular trees and the distribution of dorsal plates among echiniscid genera is highlighted. The monophyly of Echiniscus was corroborated by the data, with the recent genus Diploechiniscus inferred as its sister group, and Testechiniscus as the sister group of this assemblage. Three groups that closely correspond to specific types of cuticular design in Echiniscus have been found with a parsimony network constructed with 18S rRNA data. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

Phylogenetic relationships among Rhacophorinae (Rhacophoridae, Anura, Amphibia), with an emphasis on the Chinese species

The partial nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes was determined for 23 Chinese species of Rhacophoridae (Amphibia: Anura), representing four of the eight recognized genera. Using Buergeriinae as the outgroup, phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference) were performed in combination with already published mitochondrial 12S and 16S sequences of Rhacophorinae frogs. In all cases, Philautus romeri Smith, 1953 is recovered as the sister taxon to all other Rhacophorinae, although the support values are weak. Chirixalus doriae Boulenger, 1893 is closer to Chiromantis [ Chiromantis rufescens (Günther, 1868) and Chiromantis xerampelina Peters, 1854] than to Chirixalus vittatus (Boulenger, 1887). The clade { Philautus odontotarsus Ye & Fei, 1993, [ Philautus idiootocus (Kuramoto & Wang, 1987), Kurixalus eiffingeri (Boettger, 1895)]} is recovered with strong support. The monophyly of Theloderma and Rhacophorus rhodopus Liu & Hu, 1959 is not supported. It is suggested that Philautus albopunctatus Liu & Hu, 1962 should be placed into the synonymy of Theloderma asperum (Boulenger, 1886), and that Philautus rhododiscus Liu & Hu, 1962 should be assigned to Theloderma , so as to correct the paraphyly. Additionally, the monophyly of ' Aquixalus ' is not supported, and this requires further examination. Results also indicate that the Rhacophorus leucomystax (Gravenhorst, 1829)/ Rhacophorus megacephalus (Hallowell, 1861) complex needs further revision. Studies employing broader sampling and more molecular markers will be needed to resolve the deep relationships within the subfamily Rhacophorinae.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 153 , 733–749.     

Rapid evolutionary divergences in reef fishes of the family Acanthuridae (Perciformes: Teleostei)

A phylogenetic analysis of the sugeonfish family Acanthuridae was conducted to investigate: (a) the pattern of divergences among outgroup and basal ingroup taxa, (b) the pattern of species divergences within acanthurid genera, (c) monophyly in the genus Acanthurus, and (d) the evolution of thick-walled stomach morphology in the genera Acanthurus and Ctenochaetus. Fragments of the 12S, 16S, t-Pro, and control region mitochondrial genes were sequenced for 21 acanthurid taxa (representing all extant genera) and four outgroup taxa. Unweighted parsimony analysis produced two optimal trees. Both of these were highly incongruent with a previous morphological phylogeny, especially with regard to the placement of the monotypic outgroups Zanclus and Luvarus. The maximum likelihood tree and the morphological phylogeny were not significantly different and the conflicting branches were very short. Split decomposition analysis identified conflict in the placement of long basal branches separated by short internodes, providing further evidence that long branch attraction is an important cause of disagreement between molecular and morphological trees. Parametric bootstrapping rejected hypotheses of monophyly of: (a) the genus Acanthurus and (b) a group containing representatives of Acanthurus/Ctenochaetus with thick-walled stomachs. The branching pattern of the likelihood and split decomposition trees indicates that evolution in the acanthurid clade has involved at least three periods of intense speciation.     

基于12S,16S和28S rRNA基因序列的中国小毛瓢虫属系统发育分析

【目的】小毛瓢虫属Scymnus Kugelann昆虫主要捕食蚜虫、蚧虫等害虫,是一类经济上重要的天敌昆虫。目前针对小毛瓢虫属的系统发育研究尚属空白,亚属之间的系统演化关系尚不明确,为了建立合理的分类系统,亟需对小毛瓢虫属的亲缘关系进行研究和探讨。【方法】以华南农业大学馆藏的小毛瓢虫属5亚属共44种为研究对象,采用PCR技术对12S, 16S和28S rRNA基因的部分序列进行扩增;运用MEGA 7.0分析了小毛瓢虫属内12S, 16S和28S rRNA基因的碱基组成,基于K2P模型计算了小毛瓢虫属44种的种间遗传距离;采用最大似然法(maximum-likelihood, ML)和贝叶斯推断法(Bayesian-inference, BI)构建该属的系统发育树。【结果】扩增获得小毛瓢虫属44种的12S rRNA基因序列平均长度为356 bp, 16S rRNA基因序列平均长度为351 bp, 28S rRNA基因序列平均长度为315 bp;序列分析表明,12S rRNA基因的A, T, G和C平均含量分别为38.8%, 43.5%, 11.9%和5.8%, 16S rRNA基因的A, T, G和C平均含量分别为37.6%, 40.3%, 14.4%和7.7%, 28S rRNA基因的A, T, G和C平均含量分别为26.7%, 18.3%, 31.4%和23.5%;基于联合序列分析的种间遗传距离为0.004～0.276,平均遗传距离为0.115。系统发育分析结果表明,小毛瓢虫属为单系起源,而小毛瓢虫亚属Scymnus(Scymnus) Kugelann、毛瓢虫亚属Scymnus(Neopullus) Sasaji、小瓢虫亚属Scymnus(Pullus) Mulsant和拟小瓢虫亚属Scymnus(Parapullus) Yang均为并系起源。【结论】基于12S, 16S和28S rRNA基因序列的小毛瓢虫属系统发育分析显示传统的形态学分类体系与基于分子数据分析的结果部分不一致,这表明应该对该属内各亚属的鉴别特征进行全面检视,筛选并确立各亚属的形态指标,同时也表明该属内的亚属分类单元需重新厘定。     

A modern approach to rotiferan phylogeny: combining morphological and molecular data

The phylogeny of selected members of the phylum Rotifera is examined based on analyses under parsimony direct optimization and Bayesian inference of phylogeny. Species of the higher metazoan lineages Acanthocephala, Micrognathozoa, Cycliophora, and potential outgroups are included to test rotiferan monophyly. The data include 74 morphological characters combined with DNA sequence data from four molecular loci, including the nuclear 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, histone H3, and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I. The combined molecular and total evidence analyses support the inclusion of Acanthocephala as a rotiferan ingroup, but do not support the inclusion of Micrognathozoa and Cycliophora. Within Rotifera, the monophyletic Monogononta is sister group to a clade consisting of Acanthocephala, Seisonidea, and Bdelloidea-for which we propose the name Hemirotifera. We also formally propose the inclusion of Acanthocephala within Rotifera, but maintaining the name Rotifera for the new expanded phylum. Within Monogononta, Gnesiotrocha and Ploima are also supported by the data. The relationships within Ploima remain unstable to parameter variation or to the method of phylogeny reconstruction and poorly supported, and the analyses showed that monophyly was questionable for the families Dicranophoridae, Notommatidae, and Brachionidae, and for the genus Proales. Otherwise, monophyly was generally supported for the represented ploimid families and genera.     

Phylogeny of sipunculan worms: A combined analysis of four gene regions and morphology

The intra-phyletic relationships of sipunculan worms were analyzed based on DNA sequence data from four gene regions and 58 morphological characters. Initially we analyzed the data under direct optimization using parsimony as optimality criterion. An implied alignment resulting from the direct optimization analysis was subsequently utilized to perform a Bayesian analysis with mixed models for the different data partitions. For this we applied a doublet model for the stem regions of the 18S rRNA. Both analyses support monophyly of Sipuncula and most of the same clades within the phylum. The analyses differ with respect to the relationships among the major groups but whereas the deep nodes in the direct optimization analysis generally show low jackknife support, they are supported by 100% posterior probability in the Bayesian analysis. Direct optimization has been useful for handling sequences of unequal length and generating conservative phylogenetic hypotheses whereas the Bayesian analysis under mixed models provided high resolution in the basal nodes of the tree.     

Phylogeny of pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae): combined analysis using morphology and molecules

The spider family Pholcidae comprises a large number of mainly tropical, web-weaving spiders, and is among the most diverse and dominant spider groups in the world. The phylogeny of this family has so far been investigated exclusively using morphological data. Here, we present the first molecular data for the family analyzed in a phylogenetic context. Four different gene regions (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 28S rRNA) and 45 morphological characters were scored for 31 pholcid and three outgroup taxa. The data were analyzed both for individual genes, combined molecular data, and molecular plus morphological data, using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Some of the phylogenetic hypotheses obtained previously using morphology alone were also supported by our results, like the monophyly of pholcines and of the New World clade. On the other hand, some of the previous hypotheses could be discarded with some confidence (monophyly of holocnemines, the position of Priscula), and still others need further investigation (the position of holocnemines, ninetines, and Metagonia). The data obtained provide an excellent basis for future investigations of phylogenetic patterns both within the family and among spider families.     

Molecular phylogeny of musk deer: a genomic view with mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome b gene

The phylogenetic status of the infra order Pecora is controversial, even though it is supported by paleontological, morphological, and molecular evidence. We analyzed two mitochondrial genes (i.e., 16S rRNA and cytochrome b) to resolve the phylogenetic position of pecoran species, i.e., the Bovidae, Cervidae, and Moschidae endemic to the Indian subcontinent. We used phylogenetic analysis based on different algorithms, including neighbor joining, maximum parsimony, Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, minimum evolution, median joining network, along with multidimensional scaling, and DNA word analysis. Our results established the basal position of Tragulidae and the monophyly of the infra order Pecora within the Suborder Ruminantia. Our results also demonstrated that Bovidae, Cervidae, and Moschidae are allied with the placement of musk deer as more closely related to bovids than to cervids. Molecular dating based on sequence analysis shows that the radiation of Pecora occurred during the early Oligocene and that the majority of the pecoran families radiated and dispersed rapidly during the Oligocene/Miocene transition.     

Molecular phylogeny of the family Tephritidae (Insecta: Diptera): New insight from combined analysis of the mitochondrial 12S, 16S,and COII genes

The phylogeny of the family Tephritidae (Diptera: Tephritidae) was reconstructed from mitochondrial 12S, 16S, and COII gene fragments using 87 species, including 79 tephritid and 8 outgroup species. Minimum evolution and Bayesian trees suggested the following phylogenetic relationships: (1) A sister group relationship between Ortalotrypeta and Tachinisca, and their basal phylogenetic position within Tephritidae; (2) a sister group relationship between the tribe Acanthonevrini and Phytalmiini; (3) monophyly of Plioreocepta, Taomyia and an undescribed new genus, and their sister group relationship with the subfamily Tephritinae; (4) a possible sister group relationship of Cephalophysa and Adramini; and (5) reconfirmation of monophyly for Trypetini, Carpomyini, Tephritinae, and Dacinae. The combination of 12S, 16S, and COII data enabled resolution of phylogenetic relationships among the higher taxa of Tephritidae.     

Secondary structure and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 of bush crickets (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Barbitistini)

We inferred secondary structure models of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 and 2 of bush crickets using a combined comparative and thermodynamic approach. The inferred secondary structure models were used to account for interdependency of interacting nucleotides in a phylogenetic analysis of the bush cricket genus Poecilimon. Our analysis indicates that the two previously reported conformational structures (i.e., hairpin and ring) of ITS2 are likely to fold in bush crickets as well and that both predicted structures are similar to those proposed for other eukaryotes. Comparing predicted ITS1 secondary structure models proved to be difficult because of substantial variation in their nucleotide sequence length. Our study revealed that the phylogenetic signal of ITS1 and ITS2 is largely congruent with that preserved in the mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA, tRNA‐Val and 12S rRNA. The phylogenetic signal in both the nuclear and the mitochondrial genome question the monophyly of the genus Poecilimon: species of the genera Poecilimonella, Parapoecilimon, Polysarcus and Phonochorion consistently cluster within Poecilimon.     

Molecular phylogeny of Collembola inferred from ribosomal RNA genes

The classification of taxa within Collembola (Springtails, Hexapoda) has been controversial. In this study, we combined complete 18S rRNA gene with partial 28S rRNA gene (D7-D10) sequences to investigate the phylogeny of Collembola. About 2500 aligned sites of thirty species representing 29 genera from14 families of Collembola were analyzed, including one species of Neelipleona from which no sequence has been reported previously.The phylogenetic trees were obtained by different methods (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis). Our results supported the monophyly of two of the four taxonomic groups of Collembola summarized by Deharveng [Deharveng, L., 2004. Recent advances in Collembola systematics. Pedobiologia 48, 415–433.], namely of Poduromorpha and of Symphypleona. Within Poduromorpha, Neanuridae was monophyletic with high support, but Hypogastruridae was not. Entomobryomorpha was paraphyletic, as the Tomoceroidea (Tomoceridae and Oncopoduridae) was found to be apart from the other entomobryomorphs. In the latter Isotomoidea and Entomobryoidea joined into a group with moderate support. Within Symphypleona, the phylogenetic relationship [(Sminthuridae + Bourletiellidae) + Sminthurididae] was consistent with traditional morphological studies. Neelipleona grouped with Symphypleona in all trees, with moderate support in the ML and Bayesian analyses.     

新疆塔里木盆地可培养嗜盐放线菌系统发育多样性

应用纯培养手段和基于16S rRNA基因序列的系统发育分析,对从塔里木盆地高盐环境土壤样品中分离的18株可培养嗜盐放线菌多样性进行了研究.实验结果表明,18株嗜盐放线菌可3个(GlycomycetaceaePseudonocardineae和Nocardiopsaceae),在有效发表的5个属的嗜盐放线菌中有4个属的嗜盐放线菌被分离到.多数菌株属于Actinopolyspora属(38.9%),Nocardiopsis属(27.8%)和Streptomonospora属(22.2%),是塔里木盆地高盐环境中嗜盐放线菌的优势类群.这些分离菌株中,菌株YIM 92370与最近种的相似性为92%,在Glycomycetaceae科内形成一个独立的分支,极有可能代表Glycomycetaceae科的一个新属.研究结果表明塔里木盆地高盐环境中存在有较为丰富的嗜盐放线菌系统发育多样性,并且潜藏着新类型的放线菌资源.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene from 13 sipunculan genera: intra- and interphylum relationships

Abstract. Sipunculans are a phylum of non-segmented, marine worms. Although they are well characterized morphologically, relationships within the phylum and the relationship of Sipuncula to other spiralian phyla have been strongly debated. I analyzed representatives of 13 of 17 described genera using a 654-bp fragment of the mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, to construct the first intraphylum phylogenetic hypothesis for sipunculans based on molecular sequence data. Within the phylum, tree topologies are loosely congruent with a previously published morphological analysis, except that the monotypic genus Phascolopsis occurred within the Golfingiaformes as a sister group to, or nested within, the Themistidae. Phylogenetic analyses, including 30 sequences from additional invertebrate taxa, suggest that sipunculans are most closely related to the Annelida (including Echiura). A previously proposed sipunculan-molluscan relationship is not supported. While not universally accepted, this hypothesis is consistent with other recent and past data on phylum-level relationships.     

First molecular data on the phylum Loricifera: an investigation into the phylogeny of ecdysozoa with emphasis on the positions of Loricifera and Priapulida

Recent progress in molecular techniques has generated a wealth of information for phylogenetic analysis. Among metazoans all but a single phylum have been incorporated into some sort of molecular analysis. However, the minute and rare species of the phylum Loricifera have remained elusive to molecular systematists. Here we report the first molecular sequence data (nearly complete 18S rRNA) for a member of the phylum Loricifera, Pliciloricus sp. from Korea. The new sequence data were analyzed together with 52 other ecdysozoan sequences, with all other phyla represented by three or more sequences. The data set was analyzed using parsimony as an optimality criterion under direct optimization as well as using a Bayesian approach. The parsimony analysis was also accompanied by a sensitivity analysis. The results of both analyses are largely congruent, finding monophyly of each ecdysozoan phylum, except for Priapulida, in which the coelomate Meiopriapulus is separate from a clade of pseudocoelomate priapulids. The data also suggest a relationship of the pseudocoelomate priapulids to kinorhynchs, and a relationship of nematodes to tardigrades. The Bayesian analysis placed the arthropods as the sister group to a clade that includes tardigrades and nematodes. However, these results were shown to be parameter dependent in the sensitivity analysis. The position of Loricifera was extremely unstable to parameter variation, and support for a relationship of loriciferans to any particular ecdysozoan phylum was not found in the data.     

Phylogenetic relationship among Libellula, Ladona and Plathemis (Odonata: Libellulidae) based on DNA sequence of mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene

Abstract. The type genus for the dragonfly family Libellulidae is Libellula. At present, Libellula s.l. includes twenty-nine species, whose distribution is largely Nearctic. Whether two other libellulid taxa, Ladona and Plathemis, should be considered synonyms of Libellula, subgenera of Libellula, or separate genera, has been a subject of intermittent debate for over a century. Earlier proposals concerning Ladona and Plathemis were based on a limited number of morphological characters and lacked rigorous phylogenetic analyses. Therefore, we used the DNA sequence of a portion of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene and parsimony, maximum likelihood and neighbour-joining analyses to explore whether Ladona and Plathemis are monophyletic lineages distinct from Libellula. We obtained ≈ 415 bp of DNA sequence from twenty-three taxa including thirteen species of Libellula s.s., all three recognized species of Ladona, the two species of Plathemis and representatives of four other libellulid genera. Tetragoneuria williamsoni (Odonata: Corduliidae) was included as the outgroup. Parsimony analysis suggested that Ladona and Plathemis are monophyletic lineages distinct from Libellula s.s. with a sister group relationship between Libellula and Ladona. The monophyly of Ladona, Plathemis and Libellula was supported in > 90% of bootstrap replications and in trees five to ten steps longer than the most parsimonious trees. Relationships inferred from maximum likelihood and neighbour-joining analyses also supported the monophyly of Ladona and Plathemis. The four other libellulid genera included in the study formed a monophyletic clade distinct from Libellula, Ladona and Plathemis. Based on our analysis, we propose that Ladona and Plathemis be considered either genera or subgenera within Libellulidae.     

九种绢丝昆虫线粒体12S rRNA基因的序列特征和系统发育分析

为探讨鳞翅目中绢丝昆虫之间的系统发育关系和分子进化特征,本研究测定了中国柞蚕Antheraea pernyi野生型和放养型的线粒体12S rRNA基因的部分序列,结合来自GenBank数据库的17条序列,对总共9种绢丝昆虫（2科3属）的12S rRNA基因序列进行了分析。利用软件MEGA 3.1进行碱基组成、变异位点的统计和分子进化分析,分别用类平均聚类法（UPGMA）、邻接法（NJ）、最小进化法（ME）、最大简约法（MP）重建系统发生树。测定的中国柞蚕野生型的12S rRNA基因序列（427 bp）与放养型“豫早1号”的序列完全一致。序列对齐后共鉴定80个变异位点,50个简约信息位点。碱基组成分析显示在科属间具有明显差异,AT含量蚕蛾科高于大蚕蛾科;在A和T碱基的使用上,大蚕蛾科偏好使用T,而蚕蛾科则偏好使用A。与动物中常见的以转换为主的碱基替换模式不同,所分析的9种昆虫中除桑蚕属内部为转换与颠换基本一致外,其余物种间均是颠换多于转换。进化分析支持柞蚕属、樗蚕属和桑蚕属的单系。基于UPGMA法的进化树支持琥珀蚕是柞蚕属的较原始类型,而NJ、ME和MP法则支持印度柞蚕是较原始的类型,因此,柞蚕属种间的进化关系尚需进一步研究。     

Phylogenetic reconstruction of the wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) using sequences from the 12S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and NADH1 genes: implications for classification, biogeography, and the evolution of web building behavior

Current knowledge of the evolutionary relationships amongst the wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) is based on assessment of morphological similarity or phylogenetic analysis of a small number of taxa. In order to enhance the current understanding of lycosid relationships, phylogenies of 70 lycosid species were reconstructed by parsimony and Bayesian methods using three molecular markers; the mitochondrial genes 12S rRNA, NADH1, and the nuclear gene 28S rRNA. The resultant trees from the mitochondrial markers were used to assess the current taxonomic status of the Lycosidae and to assess the evolutionary history of sheet-web construction in the group. The results suggest that a number of genera are not monophyletic, including Lycosa, Arctosa, Alopecosa, and Artoria. At the subfamilial level, the status of Pardosinae needs to be re-assessed, and the position of a number of genera within their respective subfamilies is in doubt (e.g., Hippasa and Arctosa in Lycosinae and Xerolycosa, Aulonia and Hygrolycosa in Venoniinae). In addition, a major clade of strictly Australasian taxa may require the creation of a new subfamily. The analysis of sheet-web building in Lycosidae revealed that the interpretation of this trait as an ancestral state relies on two factors: (1) an asymmetrical model favoring the loss of sheet-webs and (2) that the suspended silken tube of Pirata is directly descended from sheet-web building. Paralogous copies of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene were sequenced, confounding the interpretation of the phylogenetic analysis and suggesting that a cautionary approach should be taken to the further use of this gene for lycosid phylogenetic analysis.     

基于16S rDNA序列探讨中国剑角蝗科的单系性及其六属的系统发育关系

在中国学者夏凯龄的分类系统中,剑角蝗科Acrididae一直被看作是单系群,包含6个亚科。但是,近年来的研究对其单系性争议较大。为探讨其单系性和剑角蝗属等6属的系统发育关系,我们测定了剑角蝗科14种蝗虫的16S rRNA基因部分序列,并从GenBank中下载了1种蝗虫的同源序列。以蚱科的2个种作外群,用NJ、MP及ML法重建系统发生树。由三棵分子系统树中得出的系统发生关系与中国的分类系统差别较大,都不支持剑角蝗科是单系群,但与国外Kevan的系统相一致,提示我们国内的分类系统亟待修改和完善。长腹蝗亚科与斑腿蝗科的亲缘关系要近于与剑角蝗科的其他种类的关系。另外,尽管所测的红足剑角蝗和上海剑角蝗的16S rDNA的片段序列完全相同,我们仍不能断定二者是同一个物种[动物学报52 (2) : 302 -308 , 2006]。