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1. A well‐resolved transcriptomic phylogeny of the mite harvestman family Pettalidae (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) reveals signatures of Gondwanan vicariance

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13828  

   Baker, Caitlin M. ; Boyer, Sarah L. ; Giribet, Gonzalo ( March 2020 , Journal of Biogeography)

   We explored the extent to which Gondwanan vicariance contributed to the circum‐Antarctic distribution of the mite harvestman family Pettalidae, a group of small, dispersal‐limited arachnids whose phylogeny has been poorly resolved, precluding rigorous biogeographic hypothesis testing.

   Continental landmasses of former temperate Gondwana (Chile, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand).

   Pettalidae, Opiliones.

   We generated transcriptomes for a phylogeny of 16 pettalids, spanning 9 genera. Data were analysed using maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and coalescence methods. The phylogenetic position of the Sri Lankan genusPettaluswas further explored using quartet likelihood mapping and changes in gene likelihood scores. We also estimated divergence times and looked for signatures of extinction across Antarctica and central Australia using previously published phylogenies with near‐complete species sampling constrained to match our transcriptomic results. Finally, we estimated ancestral ranges and inferred instances of vicariance.

   We recovered a well‐supported topology with a division between taxa from landmasses that made up East Gondwana, and a grade of taxa from West Gondwana.Pettaluswas resolved either as the sister group of the Queensland‐endemicAustropurcellia, or as the sister group to a larger clade from East Gondwana, though favouringPettalus + Austropurcellia. Divergence times for multiple vicariance events coincided with Gondwana's breakup. Speciation–extinction analysis found one diversification process for the family: an initial burst of cladogenesis that slowed down through time.

   Given that the order of cladogenesis corresponds to the order in which Gondwana fragmented, and the concurrent timing of vicariance and rifting, Gondwanan breakup explains major biogeographic patterns in Pettalidae. Some divergences predate initial rifting, but there is no evidence oftrans‐oceanic dispersal. The Sri Lanka–eastern Australia relationship makes sense in the light of large‐scale extinction across Antarctica and central Australia; however, we find no clear signatures of mass extinction.

    

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2. Complex patterns of Gondwanan biogeography revealed in a dispersal‐limited arachnid

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14080  

   Derkarabetian, Shahan ; Baker, Caitlin M. ; Giribet, Gonzalo ( March 2021 , Journal of Biogeography)

   We explore the biogeographic history of the Gondwanan lineage Triaenonychidae, a dispersal‐limited arachnid taxon that underwent a recent taxonomic revision based on phylogenomic data. We explicitly test hypotheses related to a biogeographical pattern of ‘common vicariance, rare dispersal’, predicted for dispersal‐limited taxa.

   Continental landmasses of former temperate Gondwanan terranes (southern South America, southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia).

   Triaenonychidae, Opiliones, Arachnida.

   Utilizing a recently published phylogenomic data set based on ultra‐conserved elements, we conduct Bayesian divergence dating analyses, ancestral area estimation in a likelihood model testing framework, and analyses of macroevolutionary dynamics. Results are correlated with geological history and palaeoclimate reconstructions to infer biogeographic history and distribution.

   We find that divergence dates of ancestral Triaenonychidae pre‐date continental breakup of Gondwana and could be attributed to palaeoclimatic differentiation across Gondwana. There is evidence for two separate expansion routes that span eastern and western Gondwana corresponding to northern warmer climate and southern cooler climate lineages. Many divergences across intercontinental lineages coincide with the timing of continental fragmentation, supporting vicariance as a dominant force. However, some lineages are supported as obvious examples of rare long‐distance dispersal. Biogeographic results support the predicted pattern of common vicariance and rare dispersal for these dispersal‐limited organisms.

   Vicariance due to continental fragmentation was important in the early diversification of Triaenonychidae. Their unique combination and degrees of dispersal ability and microhabitat preference resulted in complex phylogenetic patterns of geographic distribution not typically seen in other animal taxa. Examining biogeographic patterns across recent studies of arachnid taxa with varying dispersal ability, it is clear that biological characteristics play an important role in the relative importance of dispersal and vicariance (dispersal–vicariance continuum) for any given taxon and can be useful in forming testable a priori hypotheses.

    

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3. Evolution and biogeography of acidocerine water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) shaped by Gondwanan vicariance and Cenozoic isolation of South America

   https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12467  

   Short, Andrew Edward Z. ; Girón, Jennifer C. ; Toussaint, Emmanuel F. A. ( January 2021 , Systematic Entomology)

   The water scavenger beetle subfamily Acidocerinae is a cosmopolitan, ecologically diverse lineage with more than 500 described species whose morphology and classification are poorly understood. We present the first phylogenetic analyses of the subfamily inferred from five loci (18S, 28S, H3, CAD, COI). We used secondary calibrations to estimate divergence times and employ this phylogeny to revise the classification and examine the historical biogeography of this lineage. Most genera are resolved as reciprocally monophyletic, with several exceptions:Horelophopsissyn. n.is recovered as a derived lineage of and placed in synonymy withAgraphydrus. The large genusHelochares, as well as its primary constituent subgeneraHelochares(s. str.) andHydrobaticusare found to be polyphyletic.Batocharesstat. n.andSindolusstat. rev.are elevated from subgenera ofHelocharesto generic rank.Crephelocharesstat. rev.is removed from synonymy withChasmogenus. We found that the crown Acidocerinae date to the mid‐Jurassic in South America + Africa (West Gondwana). South America and Africa remain important areas of endemism throughout the evolution of the lineage and are resolved either individually or in combination as the ancestral area for all but one clade that is older than 90 million years ago. Six of the seven lineages occurring in South America diverged more than 100 million years ago and are endemic to the region, suggesting the Neotropical acidocerine fauna became isolated following the breakup of West Gondwana. Conversely, lineages found on other Gondwanan fragments (India, Madagascar, Australia) are comparatively young and derived, with all being Cenozoic in age. The few taxa that occur in North America today are all the result of recent Cenozoic dispersal from South America, although North America may have played an important role as an ancestral area in the Mesozoic.

    

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4. Giant Goblins above the waves at the southern end of the world: The biogeography of the spider family Orsolobidae (Araneae, Dysderoidea)

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13487  

   Chousou‐Polydouri, Natalia ; Carmichael, Anthea ; Szűts, Tamás ; Saucedo, Alma ; Gillespie, Rosemary ; Griswold, Charles ; Wood, Hannah M. ( January 2019 , Journal of Biogeography)

   As a continental island, much of the biota of New Zealand was initially thought to have been shaped by vicariance. Recent studies, however, have highlighted the role of dispersal, with some even suggesting that the entire biota is the product of dispersal events following emergence of the islands. This study focuses on the interplay between dispersal and vicariance, specifically asking whether the spider family Orsolobidae has Gondwanan origins on New Zealand.

   The spider family Orsolobidae was sampled from all continents where they occur (Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South America), comprising a total of 66 specimens representing the phylogenetic diversity of the family.

   DNAsequences were obtained from six fragments that were subsequently aligned and analysed withMrBayes3.2 andbeast1.8. The phylogeny was calibrated with fossils used as node calibrations, as well as with the substitution rate of Histone H3.

   The orsolobid fauna of each land mass except Australia forms a monophyletic group in our analyses. The divergence dating analysis suggests that diversification of Orsolobidae started at a minimum of 80 Ma, while the New Zealand clade dates from a minimum of 40 Ma.

   Thus, while many taxa have colonized the islands by dispersal, certain lineages, including the Orsolobidae, have clearly been capable of persisting through times of reduced land area.

    

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5. Phylogenetic resolution of the fly superfamily Ephydroidea–Molecular systematics of the enigmatic and diverse relatives of Drosophilidae

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274292  

   Winkler, Isaac S. ; Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H. ; Bayless, Keith M. ; Soghigian, John ; Meier, Rudolf ; Pape, Thomas ; Yeates, David K. ; Carvalho, A. Bernardo ; Copeland, Robert S. ; Wiegmann, Brian M. ( October 2022 , PLOS ONE)

   Cerretti, Pierfilippo (Ed.)

   The schizophoran superfamily Ephydroidea (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha) includes eight families, ranging from the well-known vinegar flies (Drosophilidae) and shore flies (Ephydridae), to several small, relatively unusual groups, the phylogenetic placement of which has been particularly challenging for systematists. An extraordinary diversity in life histories, feeding habits and morphology are a hallmark of fly biology, and the Ephydroidea are no exception. Extreme specialization can lead to “orphaned” taxa with no clear evidence for their phylogenetic position. To resolve relationships among a diverse sample of Ephydroidea, including the highly modified flies in the families Braulidae and Mormotomyiidae, we conducted phylogenomic sampling. Using exon capture from Anchored Hybrid Enrichment and transcriptomics to obtain 320 orthologous nuclear genes sampled for 32 species of Ephydroidea and 11 outgroups, we evaluate a new phylogenetic hypothesis for representatives of the superfamily. These data strongly support monophyly of Ephydroidea with Ephydridae as an early branching radiation and the placement of Mormotomyiidae as a family-level lineage sister to all remaining families. We confirm placement of Cryptochetidae as sister taxon to a large clade containing both Drosophilidae and Braulidae–the latter a family of honeybee ectoparasites. Our results reaffirm that sampling of both taxa and characters is critical in hyperdiverse clades and that these factors have a major influence on phylogenomic reconstruction of the history of the schizophoran fly radiation. 

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