Deep Metazoan Phylogeny: Hexapoda/Pterygota

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Insects are by far the most successful animal group on earth. Radiation of bauplan modifications and ecological adaptations reach an unchallenged diversity. The most influential insect bauplan modifications took place during and after the transition from apterygote to pterygote insects. Key questions (and transitions) relate to: (i) the invention of wings, (ii) the origin of Neoptera (insects with wing flexion) and (iii) the origin of Holometabola (complete metamorphosis). Unfortunately, directions of evolutionary change and locations of important diversification shifts are still elusive since deep phylogenetic relationships between insect orders are not yet resolved. One potential explanation for this situation is that the divergences took place within a limited time frame. This circumstance is accompanied by the major challenge in finding useful molecular markers tracking accurately these short ancient internodes. This project is a combined approach (i) to compile molecular genetic data at different levels of genetic and genomic organization and (ii) to develop and apply new bioinformatics tools and algorithm to improve data analyses and – most important – data quality assessment. A representative sampling of all pterygote infraclasses will be analyzed with a special focus on the most basal orders. Since phylogenetic analyses of traditional single target genes as well as multiple gene alignments have not yet been able to conclusively resolve basal pterygote relationships we will also examine – in addition to multigene EST-approaches - developmental and respiratory genes, complete mitochondrial genomes, and secondary structure morphologies of rRNA genes. This study is part of the DFG priority program “Deep Metazoan Phylogeny”. All data sets of this proposal are generated under the goal to be an integrative part of comparative phylogenetic studies in the (i) Arthropoda and (ii) consequently the Protostomia lineages.