Assessing the Value of DNA Barcodes for Molecular Phylogenetics in Lepidoptera
Author Information
Author(s): John James Wilson
Primary Institution: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Hypothesis
Increased taxon sampling will increase phylogenetic signal in a DNA barcode datamatrix.
Conclusion
Increased taxon sampling did not improve the recovery of monophyletic families but did suggest substantial phylogenetic signal below the family branch.
Supporting Evidence
- Increased taxon sampling generally increased the number of clades formed per family.
- The average number of clades formed per family doubled from eight at the lowest taxon sampling level to 16 at the highest.
- DNA barcodes alone were not sufficient to reconstruct monophyly of families.
Takeaway
This study looked at how adding more species to DNA barcode data can help scientists understand the relationships between different moths and butterflies, but just adding more species didn't always help show clear family connections.
Methodology
Taxon sampling was systematically increased in datamatrices containing macrolepidopteran DNA barcodes, and two quantitative measures were used to assess changes in phylogenetic signal.
Limitations
DNA barcodes alone were not sufficient to reconstruct monophyly of families.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website