Molecular Phylogenetics of the Major Lineages of Adephagan Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera), with an Emphasis on Carabid Diversification

9420219 Maddison这个项目将利用分子序列数据重建Adephaga亚目(昆虫纲：鞘翅目)主要甲虫谱系的系统发育或关系模式。Adephagans是一个地质上很古老的甲虫谱系，目前在陆地、树栖和水生栖息地都有成员。它们有30,000多个物种，比哺乳动物、鸟类和爬行动物的总和还多，是温带和北极地区占主导地位的小型捕食者之一。以前基于形态数据的研究已经产生了大量关于亚目内的关系和生态变化的性质的相互竞争的假说。预计分子数据将解决其中一些冲突。本项目寻求的已解决的系统发育框架对于研究特定家庭和部落内的多样性是必要的，例如快速辐射的苯比丁步甲，或研究整个阿德帕加的结构、细胞遗传学、生物地理和生态多样性。这个项目将使用分子序列数据来探索地甲虫家族之间的关系以及地面甲虫主要谱系之间的关系，已经选择了60个焦点分类群来涵盖亚目的多样性以及来自其余三个甲虫亚目的外群代表。所选择的阿德法根代表性物种代表了当前争议或相互冲突的关系假说中的主要参与者。选择类群是为了挑战每个科的单系性，并尽量减少系统发育上的长谱系的数量(因为这增加了系统发育推断方法的错误率)。总共约2600个碱基对的三个基因的部分将被测序：18S核糖体DNA(核基因)，12S核糖体DNA(线粒体)，以及一个蛋白质编码基因。在研究不同的基因集合时，任何一个片段中独特的改变模式所引起的潜在偏见都将被消除。预计这项研究的最终结果将是一份得到很好支持的食虫科和步甲虫主要谱系的系统发育或关系图，这将成为未来对这些甲虫群体进行比较研究的基础。这项研究的支持将有助于我们通过建立主要群体之间的关系来了解大量甲虫谱系的生物多样性。这些信息将成为未来对这些种群进行生态学研究的重要基础，这些种群包括许多重要的捕食者，因此是各种食物网的主要组成部分。***

9420219 MADDISON This project will reconstruct the phylogeny or pattern of relationships of the major lineages of beetles of the suborder Adephaga (Insecta: Coleoptera) using molecular sequence data. Adephagans are a geologically old lineage of beetles with members currently found in terrestrial, arboreal and aquatic habitats. With over 30,000 species, they are more diverse than mammals, birds and reptiles combined and are among the dominant small predators in temperate and arctic regions. Previous studies based on morphological data have yielded a large number of competing hypotheses about relationships and the nature of ecological change within the suborder. It is anticipated that molecular data will resolve some of these conflicts. The resolved phylogenetic frame sought with this project is necessary for studies of diversification within particular families and tribes, for example the rapidly radiating bembidiine carabids, or studies of the structural, cytogenetic, biogeographic and ecological diversity in Adephaga as a whole. For this project which will use molecular sequence data to explore the relationships of adephagan families as well as the relationships of the major lineages of ground beetles, 60 focal taxa have been chosen to encompass the diversity of the suborder as well as outgroup representatives from the three remaining beetle suborders. The adephagan representative species chosen represent major players in the current controversies or conflicting hypotheses of relationships. Taxa have been chosen to challenge the monophyly of each family and to minimize the number of long lineages on the phylogeny (as these increase the error rate of phylogenetic inference methods). Portions of three genes, totalling about 2,600 base pairs, will be sequenced: 18S ribosomal DNA (a nuclear gene), 12S ribosomal DNA (mitochondrial), and one protein-coding gene. In examining a diverse collection of genes, the potential biases caused by distinctive modes of change in any one piece will be a voided. The end product of this study is expected to be a well-supported phylogeny or map of relationships of adephagan families and the major lineages of carabid beetles, that will serve as a foundation for future comparative studies within these beetle groups. %%% Support of this research will contribute to our knowledge of biodiversity of a large number of beetle lineages by establishing relationships among major groups. This information will form an important basis for future ecological studies of these groups which include many important predators and are thus a major component of a diversity of food webs. ***