Abstract
In the current manuscript, we present the results of comparative analysis of seven species of Meromyza flies in the “variegata” cluster and of the evolutionary close species M.inornata, based the following criteria: 1) 14 external key features; 2) shape and area of the anterior processes of postgonites; 3) mtDNA CO1 region and 4) host plant diversity data. We could demonstrate the primary role of host plants in species formation inside genus Meromyza and calculated the timing of the divergence of M.inornata and the species of “variegata” cluster. Based on our estimates of evolution rate for mtDNA CO1 gene, we could conclude that that divergence of herbs happened before the speciation of grass flies Meromyza. Meromyza species, close to the ancestral species of the cluster, are adapted to the wide range of host plants. We revealed the most informative variables h1, S and Plant analysing data with the following statistical methods: linear discriminant analysis - LDA, regularised discriminant analysis - RDA, flexible discriminant analysis – FDA and probabilistic neural network - PNN. The highest classification accuracy was achieved using PNN (99%) and the lowest when using LDA (95.8%). When the Plant trait was excluded, the classification accuracy decreased by 14%. We revealed the significant trends in size change of the anterior process of the postgonite amongst studies species. This morphological structure is an element of male reproductive apparatus critical for the restriction of interspecies mating. We determined three branches of speciation in the “variegata” cluster and five trends in the evolution of this cluster, based on the external morphological features. We showed that M.variegata and especially M.mosquensis, the species closest to the ancestral haplotype, have the largest number of features typical of those of M.inornata. Based on the external features and the area of the anterior process of the postgonite, we reconstructed the phylogenetic position of M.elbergi in the cluster. In accordance with the obtained outcomes, we could conclude that the distribution, species diversity and the adaptation of the grass flies to narrow oligophagy were directly connected to host plant diversity. The adaptation to different host plants could be the main factor in divergence of grass flies and their evolution started later than the diversification in the Pooideae subfamily of grasses.
Highlights
Studies of the mechanisms and factors contributing to species biodiversity are an important part of modern research in zoology (Chesson 2000, Vorobjeva and Striganova 2005, Parmesan 2006, Gaujour et al 2012, Jeltsch et al 2013)
We present here the results of comparative analysis of seven species of Meromyza flies in the “variegata” cluster and evolutionary close species M. inornata Becker, 1910, based on external key features, shape and area of the anterior processes of postgonites, mtDNA CO1 region and host plant diversity data
The comparative analysis was based on the original descriptions of M. bohemica Fedoseeva, 1962, M. elbergi Fedoseeva, 1979, M. femorata Macquart, 1835, M. laeta Meigeni, 1838, M. mosquensis Fedoseeva 1960, M. rufa Fedoseeva. 1962, M. variegata Meigeni, 1830 andM. inornata (Becker 1910, Fedoseeva 1960, Fedoseeva 1962, Hubicka 1970, Fedoseeva 1979) and results of our morphometric study of specimens from the collection of the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution (Moscow, Russia), partially presented earlier (Safonkin et al 2020b)
Summary
Studies of the mechanisms and factors contributing to species biodiversity are an important part of modern research in zoology (Chesson 2000, Vorobjeva and Striganova 2005, Parmesan 2006, Gaujour et al 2012, Jeltsch et al 2013). Modern approaches to phylogenetic reconstructions are based on interaction of cladistics, numerical and genetic phyletics (Scotland et al 2003, Pavlinov 2003, Pavlinov 2005, Patwardhan et al 2014). Construction of a cladogram represents the initial stage of phylogenetic studies where reconstruction of an evolutionary scenario requires a set of additional data (Pavlinov 2005). The creation of a cladogram in modern phylogenetics is the final stage of phylogenesis reconstruction. Grass flies of the genus Meromyza (Diptera, Chloropidae, Meromyza Meigen, 1830) represent a perfect model for employment of both modern and classical approaches to phylogenetic reconstructions. The identification key of this genus was developed, based on a set of external morphological features and specific features of male genital apparatus (Narchuk and Fedoseeva 2010)
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