Molecular Analysis of Phylogenetic Relationships Among the Nymphalidae (Lepidoptera)

大型蝴蝶科蛱蝶科从根本上 重要的生物学研究领域的多样性超过一个 世纪。 然而，努力阐明该集团的进化 使用形态学数据的历史遇到了挫折; 现有的形态学同源性的共识产生了一个几乎 完全缺乏解决方案。 这个项目将研究分支系统学 的关系在蛱蝶科通过字符分析， DNA序列取自独立的线粒体和细胞核 基因区域 对分类群的调查将包括以下代表： 所有若虫部落（72属）。 这一点，加上使用 多个遗传标记，有望提供解决方案， 从以前的形态学或分子学研究中得不到。 系统发育的结果将作为一个框架， 著名的进化假说包括拟态，食草动物， 寄主植物的共同进化和不适口性的进化。 %%% 蛱蝶科有一些最著名的 昆虫世界中的物种，包括帝王蝶，我们的 国家昆虫，以及热带地区的这些引人注目的成员， 动物区系，如西番莲蝴蝶（Heliconius）和 美丽的闪蝶 像闪蝶这样的形态 目前，作为保护研究的一部分， 拯救地球生物多样性的紧急努力。 这个项目 将对代表性蝴蝶物种的DNA分子进行测序 并利用获得的分子数据， 产生一个关系或描述之间的关系， 物种 这种遗传学将使研究人员能够解决 其他关于模仿的问题或理论 这些昆虫的寄主组合。

The large butterfly family Nymphalidae has been fundamentally important to diverse research fields in biology for more than a century. However, efforts to elucidate the group's evolutionary history using data from morphology have met with frustration; the consensus of available morphological phylogenies yields an almost total lack of resolution. This project will examine cladistic relationships in the Nymphalidae through character analysis of DNA sequences taken from independent mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions. The survey of taxa will include representatives of all nymphalid tribes (in 72 genera). This, combined with the use of multiple genetic markers, is expected to provide resolution not available from previous morphological or molecular studies. The phylogenetic results will serve as a framework for examining well-known evolutionary hypotheses including mimicry, herbivore- hostplant coevolution, and the evolution of unpalatability. %%% The butterfly family Nymphalidae contains some of the best-known species in the insect world, including the Monarch Butterfly, our national insect, and such conspicuous members of the tropical fauna as the Passion Flower butterflies (Heliconius) and the beautiful Morpho butterflies. Forms such as the Morpho are currently the focus of intense conservation research as part of urgent efforts to save the earth's biodiversity. This project will sequence DNA molecules from representative butterfly species in the family Nymphalidae and use the molecular data obtained to produce a phylogeny or description of relationships among those species. This phylogeny will then allow researchers to address other questions or theories about such things as mimicry and hostplant associations of these insects.