Su Z H, Imura Y, Osawa S
JT Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1125, Japan.
J Mol Evol. 2001 Oct-Nov;53(4-5):517-29. doi: 10.1007/s002390010242.
The Carabine ground beetles are mostly hind wing-less and cannot fly, so that there is more chance of diversification by geographic isolation compared with winged insects. The relationships between morphological diversification and phylogeny of the ground beetles of the world have been inferred mainly by comparisons of mitochondrial ND5 gene sequences. Based on dating by a mitochondrial DNA "clock," it has been deduced that an explosive radiation of the major carabine groups took place 50-40 MYA. This was followed by occasional radiations on various scales, sometimes accompanied by parallel morphological changes. There are also a good number of examples showing that the fundamental morphology has remained unchanged for a long time among geographically isolated populations within the same species. Thus, carabid evolution would have proceeded discontinuously, with phases of rapid morphological change alternating with silent phases.
步甲大多无后翅，无法飞行，因此与有翅昆虫相比，通过地理隔离实现多样化的机会更多。世界步甲形态多样化与系统发育之间的关系主要通过线粒体ND5基因序列的比较来推断。基于线粒体DNA“时钟”的年代测定，推断出主要步甲类群在5000万至4000万年前发生了爆发性辐射。随后是各种规模的偶尔辐射，有时伴随着平行的形态变化。也有大量例子表明，同一物种内地理隔离的种群之间，基本形态在很长一段时间内保持不变。因此，步甲的进化可能是不连续的，形态快速变化的阶段与静止阶段交替出现。
