image: Virtual model of the last common ancestor of Polyneoptera. view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Benjamin Wipfler and Evgeny V. Yan.
A study suggests that winged insects evolved from a terrestrial ancestor. Polyneoptera is a lineage of winged insects called Pterygota, which comprises more than 40,000 species. The evolutionary history of Polyneoptera is ambiguous, and whether winged insects evolved in an aquatic or terrestrial environment remains unclear. Benjamin Wipfler, Sabrina Simon, and colleagues conducted phylogenomic analyses and reconstructed ancient polyneopteran traits, habitats, and lifestyles. Analysis of 106 existing insect species, including 3,014 protein-coding genes and 112 behavioral, ecological, and morphological characteristics, revealed that polyneopteran insects likely evolved from a ground-dwelling common ancestor that had long antennae and segmented abdominal appendages. The ancestor's biting mouthparts, located below the head capsule, were similar to those of dragonflies. The authors report that the ancestor also had hardened forewings that would have made flight difficult, resulting in the evolution of triangular hind wings. The findings suggest that wings did not evolve in aquatic environments, as previously speculated. Although several ancestral Pterygota species lived on plants and trees, the common polyneopteran ancestor of modern-day Pterygota eventually returned to life on the ground. The findings also suggest that insects evolved wings for aerial descent, that changes in polyneopteran mouthpart orientation is a frequent evolutionary transition influenced by lifestyle, and that maternal care evolved independently within various insect species, according to the authors.
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Article #18-17794: "Evolutionary history of Polyneoptera and its implications for our understanding of early winged insects," by Benjamin Wipfler et al.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Benjamin Wipfler, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, GERMANY; tel: +491791348825; email: benjamin.wipfler@leibniz-zfmk.de; Sabrina Simon, Wageningen University and Research, NETHERLANDS; tel; +31654335456, email: sabrina.simon@wur.nl
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences