Biology subjects

Zwick, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Zwick, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Time-calibrated phylogenomics reveals relationships and parallel evolution of neoteny within Elateriformia (Coleoptera) despite pervasive homoplasy

The controversy over Elateriformia relationships hampers understanding of the evolution of disparate soft-bodied and fully sclerotized phenotypes, bioluminescence, and the ontogenetic reprogramming that leads to larviform females. Elateriformia contains >50,000 species in 34 families, including fireflies, jewel, and click beetles. We sample 31 families and 195 ingroup taxa, each with up to 4,224 orthologs. Through explicit hypothesis testing, coalescent-based approaches, and evaluation of dataset properties, we resolve backbone relationships. We reconfirm the monophyly of Byrrhoidea sensu lato, rejecting the recent resurrection of Dryopoidea, and verify the reciprocally monophyletic lampyroid and elaterid clades. We characterize short internodes and gene-tree discordance, both of which are indicative of ancient rapid radiations. Counterintuitively, signals from moderately variable genes are crucial for resolving certain splits, suggesting that even subtle rate differences distinguish phylogenetically informative loci from overly conserved, less informative markers. Time-calibrated phylogenies indicate the early origin of Elateriformia (281-287 Mya), with superfamilies diverging at the Permian-Triassic boundary and diversifying throughout the Jurassic. We identify 15 independent origins of soft-bodiedness and neotenic modifications spanning the Mid Jurassic to the present. Our hypothesis provides a foundation for investigating the genetic mechanisms underlying ontogenetic reprogramming and bioluminescence.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Molecular phylogenetics illuminates evolutionary history and hidden diversity of Australian cave crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae)

Cave crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) are a globally distributed group of insects found in dark, humid microhabitats including natural caves, alpine scree, and forest litter. Ten extant subfamilies are currently recognised and Macropathinae, which comprises the entirety of the fauna in South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, is thought to be the most ancient of these. The New Zealand rhaphidophorid fauna comprises high phylogenetic diversity throughout its mesic zone, with most species occurring above-ground. In contrast, the Australian fauna is poorly known, with an apparently greater relative proportion of species utilising caves as refugia. A robust phylogenetic framework is needed to underpin future taxonomic work on the group and potentially contrasting patterns of taxonomic diversity within Macropathinae. Here, we performed fossil-calibrated phylogenetic analysis using whole mitochondrial genomes and nuclear markers to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Macropathinae, with a focus on the Australian fauna. By dramatically increasing taxon sampling relative to past studies, we recovered the Australian fauna as rampantly polyphyletic, with the remaining Macropathinae nested amongst six distinct Australian lineages. Deep divergences between major clades imply additional Australian lineages remain undetected, either due to extinction or sampling bias, and have likely confounded past biogeographic signal. We inferred the radiation of Macropathinae began during the Lower Cretaceous prior to the fragmentation of Gondwana with a potential Pangaean origin for Rhaphidophoridae. Finally, we found evidence for several undescribed taxa of Australian Rhaphidophoridae, all of which qualify as short-range endemics, and discuss the conservation implications of these restricted distributions.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Plio-Pleistocene decline of mesic forest underpins diversification in a clade of Australian Panesthia cockroaches

The progressive aridification of the Australian continent, and coincident decline of mesic forest, has been a powerful driver of allopatric and environmental speciation in native species. The relictual mesic forests of the eastern seaboard now harbor a diverse group of endemic fauna, including the wood-feeding cockroaches of the genus Panesthia, which reached the continent via two separate invasions from Melanesia. The more recent of these colonization events gave rise to a group of five recognized species, occurring in mainland woodlands, sclerophylls and rainforests, as well as the forests and grasslands of the Lord Howe Island Group. Due to limited sampling in molecular studies and doubt regarding the standing taxonomy, there is little certainty about relationships among the species and poor understanding of the effects of ancient climatic changes upon their evolution. We undertook a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the clade, using complete mitogenomes and nuclear ribosomal markers from nearly all known morphospecies and populations. Our time-calibrated phylogenetic analyses reveal six unrecognized, highly divergent lineages, and suggest that these have arisen primarily through vicariance as rainforests fragmented during Plio-Pleistocene glacial cycles (2-5 million years ago). Ancestral niche reconstructions also evidence a tropical rainforest origin for the group, followed by at least three niche transitions into drier forest, including one associated with the singular colonization of the Lord Howe Island Group. Finally, we find evidence of frequent, parallel wing reduction, in potential association with the contraction of forest habitats into small refugia. Our results reiterate the far-reaching role of ancient aridification in driving speciation, niche expansion and morphological evolution in Australian fauna.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Phylogenomics reveals major diversification rate shifts in the evolution of silk moths and relatives

The silkmoths and their relatives (Bombycoidea) are an ecologically and taxonomically diverse superfamily that includes some of the most charismatic species of all the Lepidoptera. Despite displaying some of the most spectacular forms and ecological traits among insects, relatively little attention has been given to understanding their evolution and the drivers of their diversity. We heavily sampled (both in taxa and loci) all major lineages of the Bombycoidea, producing a well-supported phylogeny that identified important evolutionary patterns (e.g., morphology, biogeography, and differences in speciation and extinction). Importantly, analysis of diversification rates highlights the stark increases that exist within the Sphingidae (hawkmoths) and Saturniidae (wild silkmoths). We postulate that these rate shifts are due to differences in the intense selective pressures from insectivorous bats. The study also introduces a new Bombycoidea-specific Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) probe set, a modified DNA extraction protocol for Lepidoptera specimens from natural history collections, and additional information on the existing AHE bioinformatics pipeline. Our research highlights the flexibility of AHE to generate genomic data from a wide range of museum specimens, both age and preservation method, and will allow researchers to tap into the wealth of biological data residing in natural history collections around the globe.

evolutionary biology↗