Abstract
THE evolutionary relationships among arthropods are of particular interest because the best-studied model system for ontogenetic pattern formation, the insect Drosophila, is a member of this phylum. Evolutionary inferences about the developmental mechanisms that have led to the various designs of the arthropod body plan depend on a knowledge of the phylogenetic framework of arthropod evolution. Based on morphological evidence1–3, but also on palaeonto-logical considerations4, the sister group of the insects is believed to be found among the myriapods. Using nuclear ribosomal gene sequences for constructing a molecular phylogeny, we provide strong evidence that the crustaceans and not the myriapods should be considered to be the sister group of the insects. Moreover, the degree of sequence divergence suggests that the diversification of the myriapods occurred during the Cambrian, Our findings have general implications for the course of land colonization by the different arthropod groups, as well as for the interpretation of primitive and derived features of arthropod morphology.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Weygoldt, P. Z. zool. Syst. Evol.-forsch. 24, 19–35 (1986).
Kristensen, N. P. in The Insects of Australia 2nd edn (eds Naumann, I. D. et al.) 125–140 (Melbourne Univ. Press, 1991).
Štys, P. & Zrzavý, J. Eur. J. Ent. 91, 257–275 (1994).
Lauterbach, K.-E. Abh. naturw. Ver. Hamburg (NF) 23, 105–161 (1980).
Kumar, S., Tamura, K. & Nei, M. MEGA: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis, Version 1.01 (Pennsylvania State Univ., 1993).
Swofford, D. L. Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony, 3.4.1 (Illinois Nat. Hist. Surv., Champaign, 1993).
Felsenstein, J. Phylogenetic Inference Programs (PHYLIP) (Univ. of Washington, 1989).
Felsenstein, J. Evolution 39, 791–793 (1985).
Averoff, M. Akam, M. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B347, 293–303 (1995).
Dohle, W. Abh. naturw. Ver. Hamburg (NF) 23, 45–104 (1980).
Robison, R. & Kaesler, R. L. in Fossil Invertebrates (eds Boardman, R. S., Cheetham, A. H. & Rowell, A. J.) 206–220 (Blackwell, Oxford, 1987).
Jeram, A. J., Selden, P. A. & Edwards, D. Science 250, 685–661 (1990).
Kukalová-Peck, J. in The Insects of Australia 2nd edn (eds Naumann, I. D. et al.) 141–179 (Melbourne Univ. Press, 1991).
Brusca, C. & Brusca, G. J. Invertebrates (ed. Sinauer, A. D.) (Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, 1990).
Paulus, H. F. in Arthropod Phylogeny (ed. Gupta, A. P.) 299–371 (Van Nostrand, New York, 1979).
Weygoldt, P. in Neurobiology of Arachnids (ed. Barth, F. G.) 20–37 (Springer, New York, 1985).
Anderson, D. T. Embryology and Phylogeny in Annelids and Arthropods (Pergamon, Oxford, 1973).
Whitington, P. M., Meier, T. & King, P. Wilhelm Roux Arch. dev. Biol. 199, 349–363 (1991).
Whitington, P. M., Leach, D. & Sandeman, R. Development 118, 449–461 (1993).
Manton, S. M. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B247, 1–183 (1964).
Boudreaux, H. B. Arthropod Phylogeny (ed. Gupta, A. P.) 551–584 (Van Nostrand, New York, 1979).
Robison, R. A. Nature 343, 163–164 (1990).
Panganiban, G., Nagy, L. & Carroll, S. B. Curr. Biol. 4, 671–675 (1994).
Huelsenbeck, J. P. & Hillis, D. M. Syst. Zool. 42, 247–264 (1993).
Gaut, B. S. & Lewis, P. O. Molec. Biol. Evol. 12, 152–162 (1995).
Wu, C.-I. & Li, W.-H. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 1741–1745 (1985).
Hillis, D. M., Huelsenbeck, J. P. & Swofford, D. L. Nature 369, 363–364 (1994).
Weir, B. S. Genetic Data Analysis (Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, 1990).
Tautz, D., Hancock, J. M., Webb, D. A., Tautz, C. & Dover, G. Molec. Biol. Evol. 5, 366–376 (1988).
Higgins, D. G. & Sharp, P. M. Gene 73, 237–244 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Friedrich, M., Tautz, D. Ribosomal DNA phylogeny of the major extant arthropod classes and the evolution of myriapods. Nature 376, 165–167 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/376165a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/376165a0
This article is cited by
-
Exploring mitogenome evolution in Branchiopoda (Crustacea) lineages reveals gene order rearrangements in Cladocera
Scientific Reports (2022)
-
Histaminergic interneurons in the ventral nerve cord: assessment of their value for Euarthropod phylogeny
Zoological Letters (2019)
-
CPAP3 proteins in the mineralized cuticle of a decapod crustacean
Scientific Reports (2018)
-
Evolutionary origin of type IV classical cadherins in arthropods
BMC Evolutionary Biology (2017)
-
An evolutionary timescale for terrestrial isopods and a lack of molecular support for the monophyly of Oniscidea (Crustacea: Isopoda)
Organisms Diversity & Evolution (2017)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.