Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
Department of Environmental Science, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2023 Dec;189:107937. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107937. Epub 2023 Oct 4.
Most of the world's biodiversity is described primarily or exclusively using morphological traits that may not always reflect the true evolutionary units. Accurate taxonomy is critical for conservation efforts and re-evaluation of traditional taxonomy may often be warranted since species and subspecies are frequently the focus of conservation and faunistic studies. Here, we test comprehensive taxonomic hypotheses of morphologically defined subspecies in the tiger beetle, Eunota togata (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1841). The four recognized subspecies were delineated based mainly on the dorsal coloration and extent of white markings termed maculations. We combine inferences from mtDNA genealogies and genome-wide multilocus data to elucidate the evolutionary relationships within the group and assess the taxonomic implications. Three of the four subspecific taxa delineated by morphology were not supported by the genomic or mtDNA data. In fact, the species-level diversity in this group was underestimated, as E. togata was found to represent three well-supported distinct species in all genetic analyses. Emerging from these analyses, we also document an intriguing example of convergent evolution in lighter colored E. togata adapting to similar white saline backgrounds. Our collective work underscores the importance of using molecular methods to reevaluate morphological based taxonomy for species and subspecies delimitation and conservation.
世界上大多数生物多样性主要或专门通过形态特征来描述，而这些形态特征并不总是反映真实的进化单位。准确的分类学对于保护工作至关重要，因此重新评估传统的分类学通常是有必要的，因为物种和亚种通常是保护和动物区系研究的焦点。在这里，我们检验了 Eunota togata (LaFerté-Senectère, 1841) 虎甲属形态定义亚种的全面分类学假设。这四个公认的亚种主要是根据背部颜色和白色斑纹（称为斑）的程度来划分的。我们结合 mtDNA 系统发育和全基因组多位点数据的推断来阐明该组内的进化关系，并评估分类学意义。形态学划分的四个亚种中有三个亚种在基因组或 mtDNA 数据中没有得到支持。事实上，该组的种内多样性被低估了，因为在所有的遗传分析中，E. togata 都被发现代表三个支持良好的不同物种。从这些分析中，我们还记录了一个有趣的例子，即颜色较浅的 E. togata 为适应类似的白色盐渍背景而发生趋同进化。我们的集体工作强调了使用分子方法重新评估基于形态的分类学对于物种和亚种划分和保护的重要性。
