Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial Genomes
As one of the four primary evolutionary groups within myriapods, centipedes (Chilopoda) comprise approximately 3150 valid species. Recent molecular studies have begun to elucidate the phylogeny and time to divergence in Chilopoda; yet, identifying scutigeromorphs at the species level remains a notor...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Jie-Hong Ji Hui-Yuan Wu Yi-Xin Gao Chen-Yang Shen Zi-Wen Yang Kenneth B. Storey Dan-Na Yu Jia-Yong Zhang |
| author_facet | Jie-Hong Ji Hui-Yuan Wu Yi-Xin Gao Chen-Yang Shen Zi-Wen Yang Kenneth B. Storey Dan-Na Yu Jia-Yong Zhang |
| author_sort | Jie-Hong Ji |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As one of the four primary evolutionary groups within myriapods, centipedes (Chilopoda) comprise approximately 3150 valid species. Recent molecular studies have begun to elucidate the phylogeny and time to divergence in Chilopoda; yet, identifying scutigeromorphs at the species level remains a notoriously challenging task. In this study, we obtained seven new complete mitogenomes of <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) to investigate the phylogeny and divergence times of Chilopoda. Both maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses recovered the relationship of (Scutigeromorpha + (Scolopendromorpha + (Lithobiomorpha + Geophilomorpha))). For Scutigeromorpha, seven newly sequenced mitogenomes of <i>T. clunifera</i> were divided into four distinct clades. Divergence time estimates suggest that the basal split of Chilopoda occurred during the Middle Ordovician period, with the origins of Scolopendromorpha, Lithobiomorpha, and Geophilomorpha dating to the Devonian period. Factors such as warm climates, coevolution between predator and prey, and the rifting of the Hainan Island may have driven the diversification of Scutigeromorpha. Based on genetic distance, the delimitation of molecular species, phylogenetic relationships, and divergence time analyses, we identified three cryptic species that existed within <i>T. clunifera</i>. This exceptionally high degree of hidden diversity can be ascribed to the morphological stasis that has occurred since the Paleozoic era and taxonomic impediment. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-b73e87391d7e462ea419c1815493ec992025-08-20T01:56:16ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-05-0116548610.3390/insects16050486Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial GenomesJie-Hong Ji0Hui-Yuan Wu1Yi-Xin Gao2Chen-Yang Shen3Zi-Wen Yang4Kenneth B. Storey5Dan-Na Yu6Jia-Yong Zhang7College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, CanadaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaAs one of the four primary evolutionary groups within myriapods, centipedes (Chilopoda) comprise approximately 3150 valid species. Recent molecular studies have begun to elucidate the phylogeny and time to divergence in Chilopoda; yet, identifying scutigeromorphs at the species level remains a notoriously challenging task. In this study, we obtained seven new complete mitogenomes of <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) to investigate the phylogeny and divergence times of Chilopoda. Both maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses recovered the relationship of (Scutigeromorpha + (Scolopendromorpha + (Lithobiomorpha + Geophilomorpha))). For Scutigeromorpha, seven newly sequenced mitogenomes of <i>T. clunifera</i> were divided into four distinct clades. Divergence time estimates suggest that the basal split of Chilopoda occurred during the Middle Ordovician period, with the origins of Scolopendromorpha, Lithobiomorpha, and Geophilomorpha dating to the Devonian period. Factors such as warm climates, coevolution between predator and prey, and the rifting of the Hainan Island may have driven the diversification of Scutigeromorpha. Based on genetic distance, the delimitation of molecular species, phylogenetic relationships, and divergence time analyses, we identified three cryptic species that existed within <i>T. clunifera</i>. This exceptionally high degree of hidden diversity can be ascribed to the morphological stasis that has occurred since the Paleozoic era and taxonomic impediment.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/486mitogenomesChilopodacryptic speciesphylogenydivergence time |
| spellingShingle | Jie-Hong Ji Hui-Yuan Wu Yi-Xin Gao Chen-Yang Shen Zi-Wen Yang Kenneth B. Storey Dan-Na Yu Jia-Yong Zhang Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial Genomes Insects mitogenomes Chilopoda cryptic species phylogeny divergence time |
| title | Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial Genomes |
| title_full | Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial Genomes |
| title_fullStr | Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial Genomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial Genomes |
| title_short | Unusual Genetic Diversity Within <i>Thereuopoda clunifera</i> (Wood, 1862) (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha) Revealed by Phylogeny and Divergence Times Using Mitochondrial Genomes |
| title_sort | unusual genetic diversity within i thereuopoda clunifera i wood 1862 chilopoda scutigeromorpha revealed by phylogeny and divergence times using mitochondrial genomes |
| topic | mitogenomes Chilopoda cryptic species phylogeny divergence time |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/486 |
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