
pmid: 21539925
Melittobia, a polyphagous pupal parasitoid of many solitary bees and wasps, has a complex courtship display, the evolutionary history of which is poorly understood. The current phylogeny of this genus suggests the complexity of the courtship has increased over time. We test this hypothesis using Bayesian and Maximum likelihood techniques to construct a molecular phylogeny of Melittobia-the first for this genus using modern techniques--using two intergenic regions (Internal Transcribed Spacer regions 1 and 2) and Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (CO1), and reconstruct the ancestral state of each major node in the phylogeny for five behaviors coincidental to major shifts in display complexity. We show that species-groups identified solely on behavioral characters are reliable, although the relationships among groups are different than those previously hypothesized. We also show that behaviors traditionally used in the courtship studies do not support a hypothesis of increasing display complexity over time.
Male, Likelihood Functions, Base Sequence, Behavior, Animal, Molecular Sequence Data, Wasps, Courtship, Bayes Theorem, DNA, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Biological Evolution, Electron Transport Complex IV, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Animals, DNA, Intergenic, Female, Phylogeny
Male, Likelihood Functions, Base Sequence, Behavior, Animal, Molecular Sequence Data, Wasps, Courtship, Bayes Theorem, DNA, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Biological Evolution, Electron Transport Complex IV, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Animals, DNA, Intergenic, Female, Phylogeny
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 10 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
