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#Analysis finds flaw in ‘Protura-sister’ hypothesis: Reassessing early hexapod phylogeny

The inaccuracy of the "protura-sister" hypothesis: Reassessing early hexapod phylogeny
Embryology and morphology cannot establish the “Protura-sister” hypothesis on the early evolution of Hexapoda recently proposed by phylogenomics. Credit: Makiko Fukui

The early lineages of hexapods (broadly defined insects) have long been debated. Researchers at University of Tsukuba and collaborators critically examined the newly proposed “Protura-sister” phylogenetic hypothesis. This analysis revealed a fundamental flaw in the hypothesis, reinforcing the validity of the previously established “Ellipura” hypothesis.

The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Hexapods, which make up 75% of all animal species, have been a focus of evolutionary debate for over a century. No consensus has been reached on the phylogenetic relationships among the four earliest lineages: Protura, Collembola, Diplura, and Insecta, the latter including all hexapods except the first three groups.

To clarify these relationships, researchers have conducted large-scale molecular phylogenetic analyses using extensive gene sequence datasets. These studies have supported the “Ellipura” hypothesis, which proposes the grouping [Ellipura (= Protura + Collembola) + (Diplura + Insecta)], as the most widely accepted theory.

However, the alternative “Protura-sister” hypothesis (Protura + [(Collembola + Diplura) + Insecta]) has emerged based on molecular phylogenetic analysis and garnered substantial attention. By examining the non-nucleotide sequence data used to support this hypothesis, researchers identified critical errors resulting from misinterpretation and insufficient analysis.

More information:
Ryuichiro Machida et al, Embryology cannot establish the “Protura-sister,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2423813122

Provided by
University of Tsukuba


Citation:
Analysis finds flaw in ‘Protura-sister’ hypothesis: Reassessing early hexapod phylogeny (2025, February 7)
retrieved 7 February 2025
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