Phylogeny of the Mecoptera of the World: Evidence for Two New Holometabolous Insect Orders

翅目（蝎蛉）是一个小的昆虫目，约有500种，分布在世界各地。这些昆虫之间的系统发育关系是有争议的，有证据表明，目前安置在甲翅目的两个科应该分配到自己的目的。此外，跳蚤（管翅目）与其他昆虫的关系长期以来一直是个谜，它们实际上是经过高度改造的蝎子。在这个研究项目中，Michael Whiting和George Byers将通过结合从这些昆虫的生物学、行为和形态学研究中收集的数据和DNA序列数据来研究鞘翅目昆虫的系统发育关系。Whiting将收集序列数据，Byers将进行形态学研究。然后，这些数据将用于使用一系列计算技术提供对翼龙系统发育的可靠估计。这项研究将回答一些长期存在的昆虫系统发育问题，并对昆虫分类产生重大的修订。该项目还将为研究这些昆虫及其基因的进化和发育生物学家提供重要的基础，并为今后的生物系统发育工作提供概念和方法平台。

9615269 WHITING The Mecoptera (scorpionflies) is a small insect order of about 500 species distributed throughout the world. The phylogenetic relationships among these insects are controversial, and there is some evidence that the two families currently placed in the Mecoptera should be assigned to their own orders. It also appears that the fleas (Siphonaptera), whose relationship to other insects has long remained a mystery, are actually highly modified scorpionflies. In this research project, Michael Whiting and George Byers will investigate phylogenetic relationships in Mecoptera by combining data compiled from studies on the biology, behavior, and morphology of these insects with data from DNA sequences. Whiting will collect sequence data, and Byers will conduct morphological studies. These data will then be used to provide a robust estimate of mecopteran phylogeny, using a range of computational techniques. This research should answer some long-standing questions of insect phylogeny and yield a significant revision of insect classification. The project should also provide an important base for evolutionary and developmental biologists who study these insects and their genes, and serve as a conceptual and methodological platform for future work on the phylogeny of organisms.