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Evolution of Host Specialisation, Phylogeography and Taxonomic Revision of Xenidae (Strepsiptera)
Benda, Daniel
Twisted-winged parasites (Strepsiptera: Xenidae) are an excellent group for studying the specialisation of parasites on hosts. Their parasitic lifestyle led to the evolution of numerous morphological, behavioural, physiological, and reproductive adaptations. Moreover, many complex adaptive traits of Strepsiptera have no parallel in other organisms. In contrast, little attention has been paid to the study of strepsipteran molecular phylogeny, phylogeography, species delimitation, and their implications for taxonomic classification. Using the methods of molecular phylogeny, we created the first dated phylogenetic study of the family Xenidae. By investigating historical biogeography and ancestral host groups, we indicate that multiple lineages were exchanged between the New World and the Old World + Australia until Antarctica became completely frozen over. During the late Paleogene and Neogene periods, several lineages spread from the Afrotropics to other Old World regions and Australia. The original hosts of Xenidae were most likely social wasps, and the subsequent host switch from social to solitary wasps was secondary and probably occurred only once. The parallel host switch from solitary wasps to digger wasps (Sphecidae) occurred independently in the New and Old World. The biogeography and...
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Mustelid carnivores of Central Europe in the Quaternary fossil record
Vencová, Barbora ; Horáček, Ivan (advisor) ; Kyselý, René (referee)
The present paper reports results of detailed examination of fossil record of mustelid carnivores deposited in the collections of Faculty of Science, Charles University and National Museum Prague. In total 414 items were analyzed coming from 136 Quaternary and Pliocene community samples (6 MN51-17, 8 Q1, 10 Q2, 2 Q3, 104 Q4) of diverse sites in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Results of detailed biometrical analysis compared with corresponding data obtained in a set of extant taxa (204 ind. 8 spp.) and extensive literary resources revealed presence of 16 taxa (9 extant, 7 fossil). Larger samples enabling a more detailed analysis were available for the genus Martes, and in particular for a groups of Mustela nivalis - M.erminea which composed 77% of all fossil records. The earliest items (MN15-MN17) co-identified with M.pliocaenica conform well to expected common ancestor of both extant species. Yet, also those from the Early Pleistocene (MN17-Q2: M.praenivalis, M.plioerminea) show certain differences, which suggest that phenotype morphocline establishing extant populations established only during the Middle Pleistocene (Q3). A particularly rich sample available from the present glacial cycle (mostly continuous Vistulian - Holocene sequences) revealed unexpected predominance of the glacial records...
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Evolution of Host Specialisation, Phylogeography and Taxonomic Revision of Xenidae (Strepsitera)
Benda, Daniel ; Straka, Jakub (advisor) ; Malenovský, Igor (referee) ; Cook, Jerry L. (referee)
Twisted-winged parasites (Strepsiptera: Xenidae) are an excellent group for studying the specialisation of parasites on hosts. Their parasitic lifestyle led to the evolution of numerous morphological, behavioural, physiological, and reproductive adaptations. Moreover, many complex adaptive traits of Strepsiptera have no parallel in other organisms. In contrast, little attention has been paid to the study of strepsipteran molecular phylogeny, phylogeography, species delimitation, and their implications for taxonomic classification. Using the methods of molecular phylogeny, we created the first dated phylogenetic study of the family Xenidae. By investigating historical biogeography and ancestral host groups, we indicate that multiple lineages were exchanged between the New World and the Old World + Australia until Antarctica became completely frozen over. During the late Paleogene and Neogene periods, several lineages spread from the Afrotropics to other Old World regions and Australia. The original hosts of Xenidae were most likely social wasps, and the subsequent host switch from social to solitary wasps was secondary and probably occurred only once. The parallel host switch from solitary wasps to digger wasps (Sphecidae) occurred independently in the New and Old World. The biogeography and...
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