02 May, 2017

A new phylogenetic study of the southernmost American buthids


Andrés A. Ojanguren-Affilastro and co-workers have recently published a dated molecular phylogeny of the southernmost American species of the family Buthidae. I refer to the abstract and the paper for details. The paper also discuss the colonization routes for the Buthidae into America in ancient time.

Abstract:
A dated molecular phylogeny of the southernmost American species of the family Buthidae, based on two nuclear and two mitochondrial genes, is presented. Based on this study, analyzed species of the subgenus Tityus (Archaeotityus) are neither sister to the remaining species of the genus Tityus, nor are they closely related to the New World microbuthids with decreasing neobothriotaxy. Analyzed species of the subgenus Tityus do not form a monophyletic group. Based on ancestral area estimation analyses, known geoclimatic events of the region and comparisons to the diversification processes of other epigean groups from the area, a generalized hypothesis about the patterns of historical colonization processes of the family Buthidae in southern South America is presented. Furthermore, for the first time, a Paleogene-African ingression route for the colonization of America by the family Buthidae is proposed as a plausible hypothesis.

Reference:
Ojanguren-Affilastro AA, Adilardi RS, Mattoni CI, Ramírez MJ, Sara Ceccarelli F. Dated phylogenetic studies of the southernmost American buthids (Scorpiones; Buthidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2017;110:39-49. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Dr. Ojanguren-Affilastro for sending me their article!

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