Gene Sampling and Phylogenetic Support in Leaf-Mining Moths
Author Information
Author(s): Kawahara Akito Y, Ohshima Issei, Kawakita Atsushi, Regier Jerome C, Mitter Charles, Cummings Michael P, Davis Donald R, Wagner David L, De Prins Jurate, Lopez-Vaamonde Carlos
Primary Institution: University of Maryland
Hypothesis
Can adding genes for a subset of taxa improve branch support for deep nodes in the phylogeny of Gracillariidae?
Conclusion
Adding more genes significantly improved support for deep divergences in the phylogeny of leaf-mining moths.
Supporting Evidence
- Partial augmentation of genes led to high support for deep divergences.
- More than three-quarters of nodes were supported with bootstrap values greater than 80%.
- Gracillariidae were monophyletic in all analyses conducted.
- Strong evidence for the exclusion of Douglasiidae from Gracillarioidea.
Takeaway
The more genes you look at, the better you can understand how different moths are related to each other.
Methodology
The study sequenced 21 nuclear protein-coding genes for 57 taxa and analyzed different data sets to assess phylogenetic relationships.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to compositional heterogeneity affecting phylogenetic inference.
Limitations
The study faced challenges with compositional heterogeneity and the effects of missing data.
Participant Demographics
The study included 45 species of Gracillarioidea, primarily Gracillariidae.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.015
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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