Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden.
BMC Evol Biol. 2010 Jun 10;10:172. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-10-172.
Butterflies of the subtribe Mycalesina (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) are important model organisms in ecology and evolution. This group has radiated spectacularly in the Old World tropics and presents an exciting opportunity to better understand processes of invertebrate rapid radiations. However, the generic-level taxonomy of the subtribe has been in a constant state of flux, and relationships among genera are unknown. There are six currently recognized genera in the group. Mycalesis, Lohora and Nirvanopsis are found in the Oriental region, the first of which is the most speciose genus among mycalesines, and extends into the Australasian region. Hallelesis and Bicyclus are found in mainland Africa, while Heteropsis is primarily Madagascan, with a few species in Africa. We infer the phylogeny of the group with data from three genes (total of 3139 bp) and use these data to reconstruct events in the biogeographic history of the group.
The results indicate that the group Mycalesina radiated rapidly around the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. Basal relationships are unresolved, but we recover six well-supported clades. Some species of Mycalesis are nested within a primarily Madagascan clade of Heteropsis, while Nirvanopsis is nested within Lohora. The phylogeny suggests that the group had its origin either in Asia or Africa, and diversified through dispersals between the two regions, during the late Oligocene and early Miocene. The current dataset tentatively suggests that the Madagascan fauna comprises two independent radiations. The Australasian radiation shares a common ancestor derived from Asia. We discuss factors that are likely to have played a key role in the diversification of the group.
We propose a significantly revised classification scheme for Mycalesina. We conclude that the group originated and radiated from an ancestor that was found either in Asia or Africa, with dispersals between the two regions and to Australasia. Our phylogeny paves the way for further comparative studies on this group that will help us understand the processes underlying diversification in rapid radiations of invertebrates.
Mycalesina 亚科（鳞翅目：弄蝶科）的蝴蝶是生态学和进化领域的重要模式生物。这个亚科在旧世界热带地区有惊人的辐射，为更好地理解无脊椎动物快速辐射的过程提供了一个令人兴奋的机会。然而，该亚科的属级分类学一直处于不断变化的状态，属与属之间的关系尚不清楚。该亚科目前有六个公认的属。Mycalesis、Lohora 和 Nirvanopsis 分布在东洋区，其中 Mycalesis 属是最具物种多样性的属，并且延伸到澳大区。Hallelesis 和 Bicyclus 分布在非洲大陆，而 Heteropsis 主要分布在马达加斯加，在非洲也有少数物种。我们利用来自三个基因（共 3139bp）的数据推断该组的系统发育，并利用这些数据重建该组生物地理历史中的事件。
结果表明，Mycalesina 组在渐新世-中新世之交迅速辐射。基础关系尚未解决，但我们恢复了六个支持度较高的分支。Mycalesis 的一些物种嵌套在主要是马达加斯加的 Heteropsis 分支中，而 Nirvanopsis 嵌套在 Lohora 属中。系统发育表明，该组起源于亚洲或非洲，在晚渐新世和早中新世期间，通过在两个地区之间的扩散而多样化。目前的数据集初步表明，马达加斯加动物群由两个独立的辐射组成。澳大区的辐射与来自亚洲的共同祖先共享。我们讨论了可能在该组多样化中发挥关键作用的因素。
我们提出了一个对 Mycalesina 进行重大修订的分类方案。我们的结论是，该组起源于亚洲或非洲的祖先，通过两个地区之间的扩散以及向澳大区的扩散而辐射。我们的系统发育为进一步研究该组铺平了道路，这将有助于我们理解无脊椎动物快速辐射中多样化的过程。
