77 results on '"Wipfler B"'
Search Results
2. Complex sexually dimorphic traits shape the parallel evolution of a novel reproductive strategy in Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae) (project)
- Author
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Spanke, T, primary, Hilgers, L, additional, Wipfler, B, additional, Flury, J, additional, Nolte, A, additional, Utama, I, additional, Misof, B, additional, Herder, F, additional, and Schwarzer, J, additional
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Description of a new Moridilla species from North Sulawesi, Indonesia (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Aeolidioidea) - based on MicroCT, histological and molecular analyses
- Author
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Schillo, D., Wipfler, B., Undap, N., Papu, A., Böhringer, N., Eisenbarth, J.-H., Kaligis, F., Bara, R., Schäberle, T.F., König, G.M., Wägele, H., and Publica
- Subjects
Mollusca ,Gastropoda ,Facelinidae ,Animalia ,Nudibranchia ,Biodiversity ,Taxonomy - Abstract
We describe a new species, Moridilla jobeli sp. nov., belonging to the marine heterobranch group Aeolidioidea. Up to now, it is only recorded from Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. A combination of histological, computer tomographic and scanning electron microscopic methods was applied in order to describe and illustrate the anatomy of Moridilla jobeli sp. nov. in detail. Furthermore, we conducted molecular analyses which include available partial COI and 16S rRNA sequences, as well as the nuclear gene Histone 3 (H3) of Facelinidae and Aeolidiidae. NeighborNet analyses, species delimitation tests and phylogenetic reconstruction methods show the distinctiveness of the new species from the type species Moridilla brockii Bergh, 1888 and the two recently described species Moridilla fifo Carmona & Wilson, 2018 and Moridilla hermanita Carmona & Wilson, 2018, as well as the monophyly of the genus. A phylogenetic analysis of the Facelinidae and Aeolidiidae does not result in a resolved tree, therefore relationship of former assumed closely related genera, Noumeaella Risbec, 1937 and Palisa Edmunds, 1964, cannot be discussed in detail.
- Published
- 2019
4. Multifunctional cellulase enzymes are ancestral in Polyneoptera
- Author
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Shelomi, M., primary, Wipfler, B., additional, Zhou, X., additional, and Pauchet, Y., additional
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Wood decomposition is more strongly controlled by temperature than by tree species and decomposer diversity in highly species rich subtropical forests
- Author
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Pietsch, K.A., Eichenberg, D., Nadrowski, K., Bauhus, J., Buscot, Francois, Purahong, Witoon, Wipfler, B., Wubet, Tesfaye, Yu, M., Wirth, C., Pietsch, K.A., Eichenberg, D., Nadrowski, K., Bauhus, J., Buscot, Francois, Purahong, Witoon, Wipfler, B., Wubet, Tesfaye, Yu, M., and Wirth, C.
- Abstract
While the number of studies on the role of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning is steadily increasing, a key component of biogeochemical cycling in forests, dead wood decay, has been largely neglected. It remains widely unknown whether and how dead wood decay is affected by diversity loss in forests. We studied the hierarchical effects of tree species diversity on wood decay rates in a subtropical forest landscape in southeast China via its influence on fungal OTU richness and invertebrate diversity using piecewise structural equation models. The experiment was conducted in natural forest plots that span a wide gradient of tree species diversity embedded in a heterogeneous topography. To account for interactions between macro‐invertebrates and fungi, that potentially modify the influence of tree biodiversity and climate on dead wood decay, we compared a macro‐invertebrate exclusion treatment with a control treatment that allowed access to all types of decomposers. Diversity effects of trees on wood decay rates were mostly negative and mediated by the diversity of macro‐invertebrates. However, the effects of tree species diversity or fungal OTU richness and macro‐invertebrate diversity on wood decay rates were comparatively weak. Temperature affected decay rates positively and had the strongest influence in all treatments. While the exclusion of macro‐invertebrates did not lead to a reduction of wood decay rates, our results suggest that they may however have a mediating role in the process. In the presence of invertebrates the predictability of wood decay rates was higher and we observed a tendency of a stronger temperature control. Our results suggest that there is evidence for diversity effects on wood decomposition, but the temperature control is still more important. Thus, an increase in mean annual temperature will increase carbon and nutrient turnover through wood decomposition in subtropical forest irrespective of biotic composition.
- Published
- 2018
6. The female cephalothorax of Xenos vesparum Rossi, 1793 (Strepsiptera: Xenidae)
- Author
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Adrian Richter, Wipfler, B., Beutel, R. G., and Pohl, H.
- Subjects
female ,morphology ,Xenos vesparum ,Strepsiptera ,cephalothorax - Abstract
The female cephalothorax of Xenos vesparum (Strepsiptera, Xenidae) is described and documented in detail. The female is enclosed by exuvia of the secondary and tertiary larval stages and forms a functional unit with them. Only the cephalothorax is protruding from the host’s abdomen. The cephalothorax comprises the head and thorax, and the anterior half of the first abdominal segment. Adult females and the exuvia of the secondary larva display mandibles, vestigial antennae, a labral field, and a mouth opening. Vestiges of maxillae are also recognizable on the exuvia but almost completely reduced in the adult female. A birth opening is located between the head and prosternum of the exuvia of the secondary larva. A pair of spiracles is present in the posterolateral region of the cephalothorax. The musculature of the female cephalothorax is strongly reduced. Only muscles of the mandibles, foregut and a pair of longitudinal muscles are present. The nervous system is strongly flattened dorsoventrally. The brain is shifted to the prothoracic region together with the frontal ganglion. Well-developed optic nerves are present and vestiges of stemmata. The suboesophageal ganglion is fused with the thoracic and abdominal ganglia thus forming a compact undivided ganglionic mass. The dorsal vessel forms a ring-shaped structure around the brain. A valvula cardiaca is present between the posterior foregut and midgut. The midgut is strongly bloated and probably involved in inflating the cephalothorax during pheromone release of the female. The Nassonov’s glands are located on the ventral side of the cephalothorax. Structural features of the females of X. vesparum are compared to conditions found in the head and thorax of the free-living females of Mengenillidae and cephalothoracic characters of Stylops ovinae (Stylopidae). The highly modified morphology of female Stylopidia is dicussed with respect to their permanent endoparasitism and also with their neotenous development.
- Published
- 2017
7. The head of Heterogyrus milloti (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) and its phylogenetic implications
- Author
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Beutel, R. G., Yan, E., Adrian Richter, Büsse, S., Miller, K. B., Yavorskaya, M., and Wipfler, B.
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Gyrinidae ,Heterogyrus ,musculature ,3D reconstruction ,mouthparts ,Head - Abstract
Head structures of Heterogyrus milloti Legros, 1953 are described in detail and documented with different morphological techniques, including μ-computed tomography and computer-based 3D reconstructions. The results are compared with cephalic conditions found in other gyrinid taxa and the observed characters are interpreted and analysed phylogenetically. Nine unambiguous cephalic apomorphies support the monophyly of Gyrinidae. In addition to well-known characters like the subdivided compound eyes and highly modified antennae, this includes the very tight connection of the dorsal surface of the head with the anterior pronotal margin, the presence of a clypeofrontal gland, the separation of a lateral portion from the clypeus, and the loss of the dorsal tentorial arm. Unambiguous synapomorphies of Heterogyrus and Gyrininae sensu Miller and Bergsten (2012) are the relatively widely separated dorsal and ventral ocular subunits, the absence of tactile setae on the head capsule, the shortened mesal mandibular edge, widely separated mandibular incisivi, three rows of setae on the labrum, the enlargement of the lateral mental lobes, and the loss of the stipital muscle attached to the galea. The monophyly of Gyrininae (excl. Heterogyrus) is supported by the widened bridge between the dorsal and ventral ocular subunits, the reduced size and dorsal shift of the dorsal eye, its distinct separation from the anterior pronotal margin, the detachment of the lateral frontal ridge from the supraocular bead, the almost completely reduced setation of the antennal flagellum, and a one-segmented galea. The steep frontal side of the head, a transverse regular field of setae on the frontal region, and the fused laminatentoria are autapomorphies of Spanglerogyrus Folkerts, 1979. A field of sensilla on the interocular antennal groove is a potential cephalic autapomorphy of Heterogyrus. The cephalic characters we analysed remain ambiguous about the interrelationships among the three tribes currently recognized in Gyrininae.
- Published
- 2017
8. Multifunctional cellulase enzymes are ancestral in Polyneoptera.
- Author
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Shelomi, M., Wipfler, B., Zhou, X., and Pauchet, Y.
- Subjects
- *
ENZYME specificity , *CELLULASE , *ENZYMES , *INSECT evolution , *PHASMIDA , *COCKROACHES - Abstract
Many hemimetabolous insects produce their own cellulase enzymes from the glycoside hydrolase family 9, first observed in termites and cockroaches. Phasmatodea have multiple cellulases, some of which are multifunctional and can degrade xylan or xyloglucan. To discover when these abilities evolved, we identified cellulases from the Polyneoptera sampled by the 1000 Insect Transcriptome and Evolution (1KITE) project, including all cockroach and termite transcriptomes. We hoped to identify what role enzyme substrate specificities had in the evolution of dietary specification, such as leaf‐feeding or wood‐feeding. Putative cellulases were identified from the transcriptomes and analysed phylogenetically. All cellulases were amplified from an exemplar set of Polyneoptera species using rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR and heterologously expressed in an insect cell line, then tested against different polysaccharides for their digestive abilities. We identified several multifunctional xyloglucanolytic enzymes across Polyneoptera, plus a large group of cellulase‐like enzymes found in nearly all insect orders with no discernible digestive ability. Multifunctional xylanolytic cellulases remain unique to Phasmatodea. The presence or absence of multifunctional enzymes does not impact dietary specification, but rather having multiple, multifunctional cellulase genes is an ancestral state for Polyneoptera and possibly Insecta. The prevalence of multifunctional cellulases in other animals demands further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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9. Functional morphology of the mandibular apparatus in the cockroach Periplaneta americana (Blattodea: Blattidae) - a model species for omnivore insects
- Author
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Tom Weihmann, Kleinteich, T., Gorb, S. N., and Wipfler, B.
- Subjects
mouth parts ,skeleton ,Comparative morphology ,insect ,muscles ,head ,chewing ,mandibles ,biting - Abstract
We examine the functional morphology of the mandibular apparatus, including its driving muscles, of the generalist insect Periplaneta americana using a combination of μ-computed tomography and geometrical modelling. Geometrical modelling was used to determine the changes of the mean fibre angle and length in the mandibular adductor muscle over the physiological range of mandible opening. The roughly scissor-like mandibles are aligned along the dorso-ventral axis of the head and are characterised by sharp interdigitating distal teeth, as well as a small proximal molar region. The mechanical advantage of the mandibles, i.e. the ratio between inner and outer levers, ranges between 0.37 to 0.47 depending on the considered incisivus. The mandibular abductor muscle is comprised of eight muscle fibre bundles, which are defined by distinct attachment positions on the sail-like apodeme protruding from the medio-lateral basis of the mandibles into the head lumen. Compared to carnivorous, herbivorous, or xylophagous insects, the relative volumes of the mandibular abductor and adductor muscle are small. Dependent on the mandible opening angle, the mean fibre angle of the adductor muscle ranges from 34° to 21°, while mean fibre length changes from 1.24 mm (closed mandible) to 1.93 mm at maximum mandible opening. Many of the specific morphological features found in the chewing apparatus of P. americana, such as the presence of a mola in combination with distal incisivi, small relative muscle size and the intermediate fibre angle can be understood as adaptations to its omnivorous life style.
- Published
- 2015
10. 100 years Zoraptera : a phantom in insect evolution and the history of its investigation
- Author
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Mashimo, Y., Matsumura, Y., Machida, R., Dallai, R., Gottardo, M., Yoshizawa, K., Friedrich, F., Wipfler, B., and Beutel, R. G.
- Subjects
Zoraptera ,morphology ,review ,history ,phylogeny ,development - Abstract
Zoraptera are a cryptic and enigmatic group of insects. The species diversity is lower than in almost all other groups of Hexapoda, but may be distinctly higher than presently known. Several new species were described from different regions recently. The systematic placement was discussed controversially since the group was discovered 100 years ago. Affinities with Isoptera and Psocoptera were discussed in earlier studies. A sister group relationship with Acercaria (Psocodea, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera) was proposed by W. Hennig, for the first time based on a strictly phylogenetic argumentation. More recent studies consistently suggest a placement among the “lower neopteran orders” (Polyneoptera). Close affinities to Dictyoptera were proposed and alternatively a sister group relationship with Embioptera or with Embioptera + Phasmatodea (Eukinolabia), respectively. The precise placement is still controversial and the intraordinal relationships are largely unclear. Recent transcriptome analyses tentatively suggest a clade Zoraptera + Dermaptera as sister group of all other polyneopteran orders. The oldest fossils are from Cretaceous amber. An extinct genus from this era may be the sister group of all the remaining zorapterans. The knowledge of the morphology, development and features related to the reproductive system greatly increased in recent years. The general body morphology is very uniform, whereas the genitalia differ strongly between species. This is likely due to different kinds of selection, i.e. sexual selection in the case of the genital organs. The mating pattern also differs profoundly within the order. A unique external sperm transfer occurs in Zorotypus impolitus. A species-level phylogeny and more investigations of the reproductive system should have high priority.
- Published
- 2014
11. Ein Vergleich zweier vorderer Kreuzbandersatzplastiken mit Patellarsehne oder Semitendinosus- und Gracilis-Sehnen 8 Jahre nach Operation - eine prospektive, kontrollierte, randomisierte Studie
- Author
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Wipfler, B, Donner, S, Springer, J, and Pässler, HH
- Subjects
ddc: 610 - Published
- 2008
12. 100 years Zoraptera—a phantom in insect evolution and the history of its investigation
- Author
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Mashimo, Y., primary, Matsumura, Y., additional, Machida, R., additional, Dallai, R., additional, Gottardo, M., additional, Yoshizawa, K., additional, Friedrich, F., additional, Wipfler, B., additional, and Beutel, R.G., additional
- Published
- 2014
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13. Cephalic morphology of Hymenopus coronatus (Insecta: Mantodea) and its phylogenetic implications
- Author
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Wipfler, B., primary, Wieland, F., additional, DeCarlo, F., additional, and Hörnschemeyer, T., additional
- Published
- 2012
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14. Intra-operative hamstring tendon graft contamination in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
- Author
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Gavriilidis I, Pakos EE, Wipfler B, Benetos IS, Paessler HH, Gavriilidis, Iosif, Pakos, Emilios E, Wipfler, Benjamin, Benetos, Ioannis S, and Paessler, Hans H
- Abstract
We aimed to evaluate the possibility of hamstring tendon contamination, the correlation with clinical infection and its association with C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values in 89 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions. Two tissue samples were obtained for culture from each graft: immediately after harvesting the graft and before implantation. The ESR and the CRP were evaluated preoperatively and on the 4th and 20th postoperative days. Nine patients (10%) had positive cultures but no patient had signs of postoperative infection. All patients had ESR and CRP values elevated at the 4th postoperative day. ESR and CRP values returned to normal levels at the 20th postoperative day. Higher mean values of CRP levels at the 4th day were observed in patients with contaminated grafts compared to those with uncontaminated. Both values reached normal levels at the 20th postoperative day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
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15. The cephalic morphology of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana (Blattodea)
- Author
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Wipfler, B., Weissing, K., Klass, K. -D, and Tom Weihmann
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head ,Polyneoptera ,Anatomy ,Dictyoptera ,phylogeny - Abstract
The skeleto-muscular system of the head of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana is described in detail. The results are compared with previous partial descriptions of the cephalic morphology of this species and other dictyopterans. The head of Periplaneta is, as in other cockroaches, mostly characterized by plesiomorphies such as the typical orthopteroid mouthparts, the lateral position of the compound eyes, 5-segmented maxillary palps and 3-segmented labial palps, as well as long antennae. Periplaneta shows sexual dimorphism with the compound eyes of the males reaching further ventrally. The epistomal ridge is medially interrupted so that the frons and the clypeus are confluent. The cephalic musculature is typical for a polyneopteran insect and includes 59 muscles. Potential apomorphies for Blattodea in the cephalic area include the absence of the median ocellus, the bipartite condition of M. verticopharyngealis (0ph1) and of M. hypopharyngosalivaris (0hy12), and the presence of oesotendons. The lacinula, a subapical lobelet on the lacinia, is present in almost all studied blattodeans but its potential homology to the dentisetae of Palaeoptera or the lamellae of apterygotes cannot be addressed at the moment. A “perforate” tentorium, a membranous postmola, and a lacinia that fits into the concave mesal wall of the galea are confirmed as autapomorphies of Dictyoptera.
16. A winged relative of ice-crawlers in amber bridges the cryptic extant Xenonomia and a rich fossil record.
- Author
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Cui Y, Bardin J, Wipfler B, Demers-Potvin A, Bai M, Tong YJ, Chen GN, Chen H, Zhao ZY, Ren D, and Béthoux O
- Abstract
Until the advent of phylogenomics, the atypical morphology of extant representatives of the insect orders Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) and Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) had confounding effects on efforts to resolve their placement within Polyneoptera. This recent research has unequivocally shown that these species-poor groups are closely related and form the clade Xenonomia. Nonetheless, divergence dates of these groups remain poorly constrained, and their evolutionary history debated, as the few well-identified fossils, characterized by a suite of morphological features similar to that of extant forms, are comparatively young. Notably, the extant forms of both groups are wingless, whereas most of the pre-Cretaceous insect fossil record is composed of winged insects, which represents a major shortcoming of the taxonomy. Here, we present new specimens embedded in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar and belonging to the recently described species Aristovia daniili. The abundant material and pristine preservation allowed a detailed documentation of the morphology of the species, including critical head features. Combined with a morphological data set encompassing all Polyneoptera, these new data unequivocally demonstrate that A. daniili is a winged stem Grylloblattodea. This discovery demonstrates that winglessness was acquired independently in Grylloblattodea and Mantophasmatodea. Concurrently, wing apomorphic traits shared by the new fossil and earlier fossils demonstrate that a large subset of the former "Protorthoptera" assemblage, representing a third of all known insect species in some Permian localities, are genuine representatives of Xenonomia. Data from the fossil record depict a distinctive evolutionary trajectory, with the group being both highly diverse and abundant during the Permian but experiencing a severe decline from the Triassic onwards., (© 2024 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)
- Published
- 2024
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17. Small wasps, big muscles: Fore and hind leg modifications in chalcidoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea).
- Author
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Gilgenbach C, Vehof J, Wipfler B, and Peters RS
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- Humans, Male, Female, Animals, Leg, X-Ray Microtomography, Biological Evolution, Muscles, Wasps anatomy & histology, Hymenoptera
- Abstract
A particularly conspicuous morphological feature in chalcidoid wasps are strikingly modified legs present in both males and females. It evolved convergently multiple times on either fore or hind legs implying strong evolutionary pressure and a prominent function in the wasps' life history. We investigate the external and internal morphology of the modified legs of five species of chalcidoid wasps representing four families (Ooderidae, Heydeniidae, Chalcididae, and Leucospidae), using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and micro computed tomography. We aimed to identify shared characteristics as well as differences between genera/species, leg pairs and sexes and to draw first conclusions about the shared or different functions. All species and sexes share the same general leg morphology, with enlarged femur, curved tibia and a huge flexor tibiae muscle. However, there are also genus/species-specific differences such as distinctive spine-like setae on the femur of Oodera spp., or leg pair-specific differences in the position of the extensor tibiae muscle. Shared characteristics imply a common primary function in which strong forces are required to pull the tibia against the femur while differences imply different secondary functions. Both primary and secondary functions have yet to be revealed beyond informed speculations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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18. Understanding the ant's unique biting system can improve surgical needle holders.
- Author
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Wipfler B, Hoepfner O, Viebahn F, Weihmann T, Rieg F, and Engelmann C
- Subjects
- Animals, Needles, Biomechanical Phenomena, Mandible anatomy & histology, Ants physiology
- Abstract
Mechanical grasping and holding devices depend upon a firm and controlled grip. The possibility to improve this gripping performance is severely limited by the need for miniaturization in many applications, such as robotics, microassembly, or surgery. In this paper, we show how this gripping can be improved in one application (the endoscopic needle holder) by understanding and imitating the design principles that evolution has selected to make the mandibles of an ant a powerful natural gripping device. State-of-the-art kinematic, morphological, and engineering approaches show that the ant, in contrast to other insects, has considerable movement within the articulation and the jaw´s rotational axis. We derived three major evolutionary design principles from the ant's biting apparatus: 1) a mobile joint axis, 2) a tilted orientation of the mandibular axis, and 3) force transmission of the adductor muscle to the tip of the mandible. Application of these three principles to a commercially available endoscopic needle holder resulted in calculated force amplification up to 296% and an experimentally measured one up to 433%. This reduced the amount of translations and rotations of the needle, compared to the needle's original design, while retaining its size or outer shape. This study serves as just one example showing how bioengineers might find elegant solutions to their design problems by closely observing the natural world., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.
- Published
- 2024
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19. A landmark-free analysis of the pelvic girdle in Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae): How 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics can complement each other in the analysis of a complex structure.
- Author
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Spanke T, Gabelaia M, Flury JM, Hilgers L, Wantania LL, Misof B, Wipfler B, Wowor D, Mokodongan DF, Herder F, and Schwarzer J
- Abstract
Geometric morphometrics (GM) enable the quantification of morphological variation on various scales. Recent technical advances allow analyzing complex three-dimensional shapes also in cases where landmark-based approaches are not appropriate. Pelvic girdle bones (basipterygia) of Sulawesi ricefishes are 3D structures that challenge traditional morphometrics. We hypothesize that the pelvic girdle of ricefishes experienced sex-biased selection pressures in species where females provide brood care by carrying fertilized eggs supported by elongated pelvic fins ("pelvic brooding"). We test this by comparing pelvic bone shapes of both sexes in species exhibiting pelvic brooding and the more common reproductive strategy "transfer brooding," by using landmark-free 2D and 3D GM, as well as qualitative shape descriptions. Both landmark-free approaches revealed significant interspecific pelvic bone variation in the lateral process, medial facing side of the pelvic bone, and overall external and internal wing shape. Within pelvic brooders, the three analyzed species are clearly distinct, while pelvic bones of the genus Adrianichthys are more similar to transfer brooding Oryzias . Female pelvic brooding Oryzias exhibit prominent, medially pointing tips extending from the internal wing and basipterygial plate that are reduced or absent in conspecific males, Adrianichthys and transfer brooding Oryzias , supporting our hypothesis that selection pressures affecting pelvic girdle shape are sex-biased in Sulawesi ricefishes. Furthermore, both sexes of pelvic brooding Oryzias have overall larger pelvic bones than other investigated ricefishes. Based on these differences, we characterized two reproductive strategy- and sex-dependent pelvic girdle types for Sulawesi ricefishes. Morphological differences between the investigated pelvic brooding genera Adrianichthys and Oryzias provide additional evidence for two independent origins of pelvic brooding. Overall, our findings add to a better understanding on traits related to pelvic brooding in ricefishes and provide a basis for upcoming studies on pelvic girdle function and morphology., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Published
- 2023
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20. How to stay attached-Formation of the ricefish plug and changes of internal reproductive structures in the pelvic brooding ricefish, Oryzias eversi Herder et al. (2012) (Beloniformes: Adrianichthyidae).
- Author
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Schüller A, Vehof J, Hilgers L, Spanke T, Wipfler B, Wowor D, Mokodongan DF, Wantania LL, Herder F, Parenti LR, Iwamatsu T, and Schwarzer J
- Subjects
- Female, Animals, Reproduction, Ovary anatomy & histology, Collagen, Oryzias, Beloniformes
- Abstract
Teleost fishes show an enormous diversity of parental care, ranging from no care to viviparity with maternal provisioning of embryos. External brooders carry their developing eggs attached to their bodies. This requires the formation of novel morphological structures to support attachment. The pelvic brooding ricefish Oryzias eversi evolved such a structure, called the "plug." The plug anchors attaching filaments from the fertilized eggs inside the female reproductive system, allowing the female to carry the embryos until hatching. Using histological sections and µ-computed tomography scanning, we show that the plug is formed by several types of interstitial cells, blood capillaries, and collagen fibrils that encapsulate the end of the attaching filaments in the anterior part of the gonoduct. Even 15 days after the loss of the protruding attaching filaments, the plug remains. In addition, the developed plug contains multinucleated giant cells that are derived from fusing macrophages. We thus hypothesize that the ricefish plug, which is vital for egg attachment in O. eversi, evolved due to an inflammatory reaction. We assume that it forms similar to a foreign body granuloma, as a reaction to irritation or injury of the gonoduct epithelium by the attaching filaments. Our study further corroborates that pelvic brooding entails a complex set of adaptations to prolonged egg-carrying in the female reproductive system. During brooding, for instance, ovulation in the ovary is suppressed and the anterior part of the gonoduct is characterized by an intricate, recessed folding., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Morphology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
- Published
- 2022
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21. Postembryonic development of the tracheal system of beetles in the context of aptery and adaptations towards an arid environment.
- Author
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Raś M, Wipfler B, Dannenfeld T, and Iwan D
- Subjects
- Animals, Trachea, Respiration, Insecta, Acclimatization, Coleoptera
- Abstract
The tracheal system comprises one of the major adaptations of insects towards a terrestrial lifestyle. Many aspects such as the modifications towards wing reduction or a life in an arid climate are still poorly understood. To address these issues, we performed the first three-dimensional morphometric analyses of the tracheal system of a wingless insect, the desert beetle Gonopus tibialis and compared it with a flying beetle ( Tenebrio molitor ). Our results clearly show that the reduction of the flight apparatus has severe consequences for the tracheal system. This includes the reduction of the tracheal density, the relative volume of the trachea, the volume of the respective spiracles and the complete loss of individual tracheae. At the same time, the reduction of wings in the desert beetle allows modifications of the tracheal system that would be impossible in an animal with a functional flight apparatus such as the formation of a subelytral cavity as a part of the tracheal system, the strong elongation of the digestive tract including its tracheal system or the respiration through a single spiracle. Finally, we addressed when these modifications of the tracheal system take place during the development of the studied beetles. We can clearly show that they develop during pupation while the larvae of both species are almost identical in their tracheal system and body shape., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Raś et al.)
- Published
- 2022
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22. Morphological, functional, and phylogenetic aspects of the head capsule of the cockroach Ergaula capucina (Insecta/Blattodea).
- Author
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Wipfler B, Triesch F, Evangelista D, and Weihmann T
- Subjects
- Animals, Phylogeny, Insecta, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Blattellidae
- Abstract
Background: Cockroaches are usually typical omnivorous detritivores and their cephalic morphology is considered to be ancestral in various aspects. Thus, several studies addressed the morphology and function of the blattodean head, and the cockroach usually serves as a model for standard mouthparts in text books. However, so far only two of the three major lineages of Blattodea have been studied and no detailed information for the head of any Corydioidea was available. The present study closes this gap by providing a detailed morphological description of the head of Ergaula capucina , studying some important functional parameters of the mandible and discussing it in a phylogenetic framework., Methods: The cephalic morphology of Ergaula studied in detail using a broad set of different techniques including digital microscopy, µ-computed tomography, and 3-dimensional reconstructions. Concerning the functional morphology of the mandible, we compared the volume and effective cross sections of the eight compartments of the primary mandibular adductor muscle for Ergaula , Blattella germanica , and Salganea rossi and measured the mechanical advantage, i.e. , the force transmission ratio for all teeth of the mandible of Ergaula ., Results: The head capsule of Ergaula is characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism and typical orthopteran mouthparts. It resembles the head capsule of other roaches in several respects and confirms oesotendons, the reduction of the mesal occelus, and bipartite M. verticopharyngealis and M. hypopharyngosalivaris as blattodean apomorphies. But it also shows some unique adaptations. It is the first described cockroach that lacks the dorsal tentorial arms which has various consequences for the cephalic musculature. On the maxillary lacinia, Ergaula is the first described blattodean to show strong and blunt setae instead of a lacinula, which might be homologues to the dentisetae of dragonflies and mayflies. Like other corydiid roaches that inhabit xeric areas, Ergaula has an atmospheric water-vapor absorption mechanism that includes a gland and a ductus on the epipharnyx and bladders on the hypopharynx. The mandibular adductor is in cockroaches asymmetric, a pattern not found in termites, mantids, or other closely related insects., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2022 Wipfler et al.)
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- 2022
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23. Sexual dimorphism in an adaptive radiation: Does intersexual niche differentiation result in ecological character displacement?
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Wasiljew BD, Pfaender J, Wipfler B, Gabelaia M, Utama IV, Wantania LL, and Herder F
- Abstract
Evolutionary radiations are one plausible explanation for the rich biodiversity on Earth. Adaptive radiations are the most studied form of evolutionary radiations, and ecological opportunity has been identified as one factor permitting them. Competition among individuals is supposedly highest in populations of conspecifics. Divergent modes of resource use might minimize trophic overlap, and thus intersexual competition, resulting in ecological character displacement between sexes. However, the role of intersexual differentiation in speciation processes is insufficiently studied. The few studies available suggest that intersexual niche differentiation exists in adaptive radiations, but their role within the radiation, and the extent of differentiation within the organism itself, remains largely unexplored. Here, we test the hypothesis that multiple morphological structures are affected by intersexual niche differentiation in "roundfin" Telmatherina , the first case where intersexual niche differentiation was demonstrated in an adaptive fish radiation. We show that sexes of two of the three morphospecies differ in several structural components of the head, all of these are likely adaptive. Sexual dimorphism is linked to the respective morphospecies-specific ecology and affects several axes of variation. Trait variation translates into different feeding modes, processing types, and habitat usages that add to interspecific variation in all three morphospecies. Intrasexual selection, that is, male-male competition, may contribute to variation in some of the traits, but appears unlikely in internal structures, which are invisible to other individuals. We conclude that intersexual variation adds to the adaptive diversity of roundfins and might play a key role in minimizing intersexual competition in emerging radiations., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© 2021 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Published
- 2021
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24. Author Correction: Horizontal Gene Transfer of Pectinases from Bacteria Preceded the Diversification of Stick and Leaf Insects.
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Shelomi M, Danchin EGJ, Heckel D, Wipfler B, Bradler S, Zhou X, and Pauchet Y
- Published
- 2021
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25. A review of the hexapod tracheal system with a focus on the apterygote groups.
- Author
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Dittrich K and Wipfler B
- Subjects
- Animals, Biological Evolution, Phylogeny, Arthropods, Insecta
- Abstract
Respiratory systems are key innovations for the radiation of terrestrial arthropods. It is therefore surprising that there is still a considerable lack of knowledge. In this review of the available information on tracheal systems of hexapods (with a focus on the apterygote lineages Protura, Collembola, Diplura, Archaeognatha and Zygentoma), we summarize available data on the spiracles (number, position and morphology), the shape and variability of tracheal branching patterns including anastomoses, the tracheal fine structure and the respiratory proteins. The available data are strongly fragmented, and information for most subgroups is missing. In various cases, individual observations for one species account for the knowledge of the entire order. The available data show that there are strong differences between but also within apterygote orders. We conclude that the available data are insufficient to derive detailed conclusions on the hexapod ground plan and outline the possible evolutionary scenarios for the tracheal system in this group., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2021
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26. Complex sexually dimorphic traits shape the parallel evolution of a novel reproductive strategy in Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae).
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Spanke T, Hilgers L, Wipfler B, Flury JM, Nolte AW, Utama IV, Misof B, Herder F, and Schwarzer J
- Subjects
- Animals, Female, Indonesia, Male, Phenotype, Reproduction, Oryzias, Sex Characteristics
- Abstract
Background: Pelvic brooding is a form of uni-parental care, and likely evolved in parallel in two lineages of Sulawesi ricefishes. Contrary to all other ricefishes, females of pelvic brooding species do not deposit eggs at a substrate (transfer brooding), but carry them until the fry hatches. We assume that modifications reducing the costs of egg carrying are beneficial for pelvic brooding females, but likely disadvantageous in conspecific males, which might be resolved by the evolution of sexual dimorphism via sexual antagonistic selection. Thus we hypothesize that the evolution of pelvic brooding gave rise to female-specific skeletal adaptations that are shared by both pelvic brooding lineages, but are absent in conspecific males and transfer brooding species. To tackle this, we combine 3D-imaging and morphometrics to analyze skeletal adaptations to pelvic brooding., Results: The morphology of skeletal traits correlated with sex and brooding strategy across seven ricefish species. Pelvic brooding females have short ribs caudal of the pelvic girdle forming a ventral concavity and clearly elongated and thickened pelvic fins compared to both sexes of transfer brooding species. The ventral concavity limits the body cavity volume in female pelvic brooders. Thus body volumes are smaller compared to males in pelvic brooding species, a pattern sharply contrasted by transfer brooding species., Conclusions: We showed in a comparative framework that highly similar, sexually dimorphic traits evolved in parallel in both lineages of pelvic brooding ricefish species. Key traits, present in all pelvic brooding females, were absent or much less pronounced in conspecific males and both sexes of transfer brooding species, indicating that they are non-beneficial or even maladaptive for ricefishes not providing extended care. We assume that the combination of ventral concavity and robust, elongated fins reduces drag of brooding females and provides protection and stability to the egg cluster. Thus ricefishes are one of the rare examples where environmental factors rather than sexual selection shaped the evolution of sexually dimorphic skeletal adaptations.
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- 2021
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27. On the value of Burmese amber for understanding insect evolution: Insights from †Heterobathmilla - an exceptional stem group genus of Strepsiptera (Insecta).
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Pohl H, Wipfler B, Boudinot B, and Georg Beutel R
- Subjects
- Amber, Animals, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Holometabola classification, Myanmar, Phylogeny, Holometabola anatomy & histology
- Abstract
Burmese amber and amber from other periods and regions became a rich source of new extinct insect species and yielded important insights in insect evolution in the dimension of time. Amber fossils have contributed to the understanding of the phylogeny, biology, and biogeography of insects and other groups, and have also gained great importance for dating molecular trees. Another major potential is the documentation of faunal, floral and climatic shifts. Evolutionary transitions can be well-documented in amber fossils and can reveal anatomical transformations and the age of appearance of structural features. Here, using a new stem group species of Strepsiptera from Burmite, we evaluate this potential of amber insect fossils to assess the current phylogeny of Strepsiptera, with the main emphasis on the early splitting events in the stem group. Amber fossils have greatly contributed to the understanding of the evolution of Strepsiptera in the late Mesozoic and the Cenozoic. †Heterobathmilla kakopoios Pohl and Beutel gen. et sp. n. described here is placed in the stem group of the order, in a clade with †Kinzelbachilla (†Kinzelbachillidae) and †Phthanoxenos (†Phthanoxenidae). †Phthanoxenidae has priority over †Kinzelbachillidae, and the latter is synonymised. The superb details available from this new fossil allowed us to explore unique features of the antennae, mouthparts, and male copulatory apparatus, and to provide a phylogenetic hypothesis for the order. The younger †Protoxenos from Eocene Baltic amber was confirmed as sister to all remaining extinct and extant groups of Strepsiptera, whereas the position of the Cretaceous †Cretostylops in the stem group remains ambivalent. While the value of Burmite and amber from other periods has a recognized impact on our knowledge of the evolution in various lineages, this new fossil does not fundamentally change our picture of the phylogeny and evolution of early Strepsiptera. However, it offers new insights into the morphological diversity in the early evolution of the group., (© 2020 The Authors. Cladistics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Willi Hennig Society.)
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- 2021
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28. Author Correction: Phylogenomic analysis sheds light on the evolutionary pathways towards acoustic communication in Orthoptera.
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Song H, Béthoux O, Shin S, Donath A, Letsch H, Liu S, McKenna DD, Meng G, Misof B, Podsiadlowski L, Zhou X, Wipfler B, and Simon S
- Abstract
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
- Published
- 2020
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29. Phylogenomic analysis sheds light on the evolutionary pathways towards acoustic communication in Orthoptera.
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Song H, Béthoux O, Shin S, Donath A, Letsch H, Liu S, McKenna DD, Meng G, Misof B, Podsiadlowski L, Zhou X, Wipfler B, and Simon S
- Subjects
- Animals, Bayes Theorem, Genome, Mitochondrial, Grasshoppers anatomy & histology, Hearing physiology, Models, Biological, Sound, Time Factors, Transcriptome genetics, Acoustics, Biological Evolution, Grasshoppers classification, Grasshoppers genetics, Phylogeny, Vocalization, Animal
- Abstract
Acoustic communication is enabled by the evolution of specialised hearing and sound producing organs. In this study, we performed a large-scale macroevolutionary study to understand how both hearing and sound production evolved and affected diversification in the insect order Orthoptera, which includes many familiar singing insects, such as crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers. Using phylogenomic data, we firmly establish phylogenetic relationships among the major lineages and divergence time estimates within Orthoptera, as well as the lineage-specific and dynamic patterns of evolution for hearing and sound producing organs. In the suborder Ensifera, we infer that forewing-based stridulation and tibial tympanal ears co-evolved, but in the suborder Caelifera, abdominal tympanal ears first evolved in a non-sexual context, and later co-opted for sexual signalling when sound producing organs evolved. However, we find little evidence that the evolution of hearing and sound producing organs increased diversification rates in those lineages with known acoustic communication.
- Published
- 2020
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30. Comparative transcriptomics of ice-crawlers demonstrates cold specialization constrains niche evolution in a relict lineage.
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Schoville SD, Simon S, Bai M, Beethem Z, Dudko RY, Eberhard MJB, Frandsen PB, Küpper SC, Machida R, Verheij M, Willadsen PC, Zhou X, and Wipfler B
- Abstract
Key changes in ecological niche space are often critical to understanding how lineages diversify during adaptive radiations. However, the converse, or understanding why some lineages are depauperate and relictual, is more challenging, as many factors may constrain niche evolution. In the case of the insect order Grylloblattodea, highly conserved thermal breadth is assumed to be closely tied to their relictual status, but has not been formerly tested. Here, we investigate whether evolutionary constraints in the physiological tolerance of temperature can help explain relictualism in this lineage. Using a comparative transcriptomics approach, we investigate gene expression following acute heat and cold stress across members of Grylloblattodea and their sister group, Mantophasmatodea. We additionally examine patterns of protein evolution, to identify candidate genes of positive selection. We demonstrate that cold specialization in Grylloblattodea has been accompanied by the loss of the inducible heat shock response under both acute heat and cold stress. Additionally, there is widespread evidence of selection on protein-coding genes consistent with evolutionary constraints due to cold specialization. This includes positive selection on genes involved in trehalose transport, metabolic function, mitochondrial function, oxygen reduction, oxidative stress, and protein synthesis. These patterns of molecular adaptation suggest that Grylloblattodea have undergone evolutionary trade-offs to survive in cold habitats and should be considered highly vulnerable to climate change. Finally, our transcriptomic data provide a robust backbone phylogeny for generic relationships within Grylloblattodea and Mantophasmatodea. Major phylogenetic splits in each group relate to arid conditions driving biogeographical patterns, with support for a sister-group relationship between North American Grylloblatta and Altai-Sayan Grylloblattella , and a range disjunction in Namibia splitting major clades within Mantophasmatodea., (© 2020 The Authors. Evolutionary Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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- 2020
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31. Ear asymmetry in Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus): Two phases of asymmetrical development of the squamoso-occipital wing.
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Krings M, Castanhinha R, Müller-Limberger E, Wipfler B, and Wagner H
- Subjects
- Animals, Strigiformes anatomy & histology, Ear embryology, Strigiformes embryology
- Abstract
Ear asymmetry is an adaptive characteristic present in the order of owls (Strigiformes). It developed independently up to seven times in this taxon and is accompanied by morphological adaptations in bones or soft tissues around or at the ear openings. Within all strigiform species, the Boreal or Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) possesses a particularly complex bilateral ear asymmetry that results from modifications of the neurocranium and some cartilaginous elements. While the ear asymmetry in adult birds has been described in detail, data on its development is scarce. Here we describe the development of the asymmetric squamoso-occipital wing of A. funereus from its embryonic origin up to adulthood. The asymmetry of the squamoso-occipital wing develops in two phases. Firstly, it originates as a cartilaginous structure in the last ten days before hatching. Its frontal margin shows a bilateral asymmetry from the beginning of its development while the rostro-ventral process stays symmetrical up to post-hatching day 35. Secondly, when the fledglings have already left the nest, the squamoso-occipital wing ossifies. Moreover, the rostro-ventral process on the right side grows towards the eyeball, while there is no relative displacement on the left side. Thus, the developmental process in A. funereus differs from that in the barn owl that develops its soft tissue asymmetry in one phase and completes the asymmetry before hatching. The new data presented here extend our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the asymmetric skull development in owls., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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32. Do we need the third dimension? Quantifying the effect of the z-axis in 3D geometric morphometrics based on sailfin silversides (Telmatherinidae).
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Wasiljew BD, Pfaender J, Wipfler B, Utama IV, and Herder F
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, Indonesia, Models, Anatomic, Species Specificity, Fishes anatomy & histology, Imaging, Three-Dimensional veterinary
- Abstract
This study investigated the impact of the third dimension in geometric morphometrics (GM) using sailfin silversides (Telmatherinidae) from the Malili Lakes of Sulawesi (Indonesia). The three morphospecies of the monophyletic "roundfin" radiation are laterally compressed and vary in shape traits. The results of 2D and 3D GM were compared and quantified to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both methods for closely related species and their sexes. This approach focused on the head because it is far more complex and three-dimensionally structured than the trunk or the caudal region. The results revealed no significant benefit concerning repeatability and measurement error in 3D GM compared to 2D GM. The z-axis contributed substantially to the variance of the 3D data set but was irrelevant for discrimination of species and sexes in the approach. Limited gain in information was contrasted by substantially higher effort for 3D compared to the 2D analyses. The study concluded that 2D GM is the more efficient shape analysis approach for discriminating roundfins. Broader studies are needed to test which of the two methods is more efficient in distinguishing laterally compressed fishes in general. For future studies, due to the high investment required, this study recommends carefully evaluating the necessity of 3D GM. If in doubt, this study suggests testing for congruence between 2D and 3D GM with a subsample and consequently applying 2D GM in the case of high congruence., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.)
- Published
- 2020
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33. Description of a new Moridilla species from North Sulawesi, Indonesia (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Aeolidioidea)-based on MicroCT, histological and molecular analyses.
- Author
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Schillo D, Wipfler B, Undap N, Papu A, Böhringer N, Eisenbarth JH, Kaligis F, Bara R, Schäberle TF, König GM, and Wägele H
- Subjects
- Animals, Indonesia, Phylogeny, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S, X-Ray Microtomography, Gastropoda
- Abstract
We describe a new species, Moridilla jobeli sp. nov., belonging to the marine heterobranch group Aeolidioidea. Up to now, it is only recorded from Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. A combination of histological, computer tomographic and scanning electron microscopic methods was applied in order to describe and illustrate the anatomy of Moridilla jobeli sp. nov. in detail. Furthermore, we conducted molecular analyses which include available partial COI and 16S rRNA sequences, as well as the nuclear gene Histone 3 (H3) of Facelinidae and Aeolidiidae. NeighborNet analyses, species delimitation tests and phylogenetic reconstruction methods show the distinctiveness of the new species from the type species Moridilla brockii Bergh, 1888 and the two recently described species Moridilla fifo Carmona Wilson, 2018 and Moridilla hermanita Carmona Wilson, 2018, as well as the monophyly of the genus. A phylogenetic analysis of the Facelinidae and Aeolidiidae does not result in a resolved tree, therefore relationship of former assumed closely related genera, Noumeaella Risbec, 1937 and Palisa Edmunds, 1964, cannot be discussed in detail.
- Published
- 2019
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34. The cephalic morphology of the troglobiontic cholevine species Troglocharinus ferreri (Coleoptera, Leiodidae).
- Author
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Luo XZ, Antunes-Carvalho C, Wipfler B, Ribera I, and Beutel RG
- Subjects
- Animals, Bone and Bones anatomy & histology, Bone and Bones ultrastructure, Caves, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Phylogeny, Coleoptera anatomy & histology, Head anatomy & histology
- Abstract
Leiodidae are the second largest subterranean radiation of beetles at family rank. To explore morphological trends linked with troglobiontic habits and characters with potential phylogenetic significance, the head of the cave-dwelling species Troglocharinus ferreri (Cholevinae, Leptodirini) was examined in detail. Overall, the general pattern is similar to what is found in Catops ventricosus (Cholevini). Shared apomorphic features include a fully exposed anterolateral concavity containing the antennal socket, a distinct bead above this depression, a bilobed lip-like structure anterad the labrum, a flat elevated portion of the ventral mandibular surface, and a ventral process at the proximomesal edge of this mandibular area. The tentorial structures are well-developed as in C. ventricosus, with a large laminatentorium and somewhat shortened dorsal arms. The mouthparts are largely unmodified, with the exception of unusually well-developed extrinsic maxillary muscles. Features of T. ferreri obviously linked with subterranean habits are the complete lack of compound eyes, circumocular ridges, and optic lobes. A series of characters is similar to conditions found in other genera of Leptodirini: the head capsule completely lacks a protruding ocular region, a distinct neck is missing, the transverse occipital crest is indistinct, and the antennae are elongate and lack a distinct club. Two different trends of cephalic transformations occur in troglobiontic Leptodirini, with some genera like Troglocharinus and Leptodirus having elongated head capsules and antennae, and others having broadened, more transverse heads. In contrast, the modifications are more uniform in the closely related Ptomaphagini, with a pattern distinctly differing from Leptodirini: the head is transverse, with a distinctly protruding ocular region, a distinct transverse occipital crest, and a very narrow neck region., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
- Published
- 2019
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35. Evolutionary history of Polyneoptera and its implications for our understanding of early winged insects.
- Author
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Wipfler B, Letsch H, Frandsen PB, Kapli P, Mayer C, Bartel D, Buckley TR, Donath A, Edgerly-Rooks JS, Fujita M, Liu S, Machida R, Mashimo Y, Misof B, Niehuis O, Peters RS, Petersen M, Podsiadlowski L, Schütte K, Shimizu S, Uchifune T, Wilbrandt J, Yan E, Zhou X, and Simon S
- Subjects
- Animals, Insecta genetics, Neoptera genetics, Phylogeny, Biological Evolution, Insecta physiology, Neoptera physiology, Wings, Animal physiology
- Abstract
Polyneoptera represents one of the major lineages of winged insects, comprising around 40,000 extant species in 10 traditional orders, including grasshoppers, roaches, and stoneflies. Many important aspects of polyneopteran evolution, such as their phylogenetic relationships, changes in their external appearance, their habitat preferences, and social behavior, are unresolved and are a major enigma in entomology. These ambiguities also have direct consequences for our understanding of the evolution of winged insects in general; for example, with respect to the ancestral habitats of adults and juveniles. We addressed these issues with a large-scale phylogenomic analysis and used the reconstructed phylogenetic relationships to trace the evolution of 112 characters associated with the external appearance and the lifestyle of winged insects. Our inferences suggest that the last common ancestors of Polyneoptera and of the winged insects were terrestrial throughout their lives, implying that wings did not evolve in an aquatic environment. The appearance of the first polyneopteran insect was mainly characterized by ancestral traits such as long segmented abdominal appendages and biting mouthparts held below the head capsule. This ancestor lived in association with the ground, which led to various specializations including hardened forewings and unique tarsal attachment structures. However, within Polyneoptera, several groups switched separately to a life on plants. In contrast to a previous hypothesis, we found that social behavior was not part of the polyneopteran ground plan. In other traits, such as the biting mouthparts, Polyneoptera shows a high degree of evolutionary conservatism unique among the major lineages of winged insects., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2019
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36. An integrative phylogenomic approach illuminates the evolutionary history of cockroaches and termites (Blattodea).
- Author
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Evangelista DA, Wipfler B, Béthoux O, Donath A, Fujita M, Kohli MK, Legendre F, Liu S, Machida R, Misof B, Peters RS, Podsiadlowski L, Rust J, Schuette K, Tollenaar W, Ware JL, Wappler T, Zhou X, Meusemann K, and Simon S
- Subjects
- Animals, Biological Evolution, Cockroaches genetics, Isoptera genetics, Cockroaches classification, Isoptera classification, Phylogeny
- Abstract
Phylogenetic relationships among subgroups of cockroaches and termites are still matters of debate. Their divergence times and major phenotypic transitions during evolution are also not yet settled. We addressed these points by combining the first nuclear phylogenomic study of termites and cockroaches with a thorough approach to divergence time analysis, identification of endosymbionts, and reconstruction of ancestral morphological traits and behaviour. Analyses of the phylogenetic relationships within Blattodea robustly confirm previously uncertain hypotheses such as the sister-group relationship between Blaberoidea and remaining Blattodea, and Lamproblatta being the closest relative to the social and wood-feeding Cryptocercus and termites. Consequently, we propose new names for various clades in Blattodea: Cryptocercus + termites = Tutricablattae; Lamproblattidae + Tutricablattae = Kittrickea; and Blattoidea + Corydioidea = Solumblattodea. Our inferred divergence times contradict previous studies by showing that most subgroups of Blattodea evolved in the Cretaceous, reducing the gap between molecular estimates of divergence times and the fossil record. On a phenotypic level, the blattodean ground-plan is for egg packages to be laid directly in a hole while other forms of oviposition, including ovovivipary and vivipary, arose later. Finally, other changes in egg care strategy may have allowed for the adaptation of nest building and other novelties.
- Published
- 2019
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37. Phylogenomics and the evolution of hemipteroid insects.
- Author
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Johnson KP, Dietrich CH, Friedrich F, Beutel RG, Wipfler B, Peters RS, Allen JM, Petersen M, Donath A, Walden KKO, Kozlov AM, Podsiadlowski L, Mayer C, Meusemann K, Vasilikopoulos A, Waterhouse RM, Cameron SL, Weirauch C, Swanson DR, Percy DM, Hardy NB, Terry I, Liu S, Zhou X, Misof B, Robertson HM, and Yoshizawa K
- Subjects
- Animals, Calibration, Ecosystem, Fossils, Genome, Mitochondrial genetics, Phylogeny, Insecta genetics
- Abstract
Hemipteroid insects (Paraneoptera), with over 10% of all known insect diversity, are a major component of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Previous phylogenetic analyses have not consistently resolved the relationships among major hemipteroid lineages. We provide maximum likelihood-based phylogenomic analyses of a taxonomically comprehensive dataset comprising sequences of 2,395 single-copy, protein-coding genes for 193 samples of hemipteroid insects and outgroups. These analyses yield a well-supported phylogeny for hemipteroid insects. Monophyly of each of the three hemipteroid orders (Psocodea, Thysanoptera, and Hemiptera) is strongly supported, as are most relationships among suborders and families. Thysanoptera (thrips) is strongly supported as sister to Hemiptera. However, as in a recent large-scale analysis sampling all insect orders, trees from our data matrices support Psocodea (bark lice and parasitic lice) as the sister group to the holometabolous insects (those with complete metamorphosis). In contrast, four-cluster likelihood mapping of these data does not support this result. A molecular dating analysis using 23 fossil calibration points suggests hemipteroid insects began diversifying before the Carboniferous, over 365 million years ago. We also explore implications for understanding the timing of diversification, the evolution of morphological traits, and the evolution of mitochondrial genome organization. These results provide a phylogenetic framework for future studies of the group., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2018
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38. The thoracic morphology of cave-dwelling and free-living ground beetles from China (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae).
- Author
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Luo XZ, Wipfler B, Ribera I, Liang HB, Tian MY, Ge SQ, and Beutel RG
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- Animals, Caves, China, Coleoptera physiology, Coleoptera ultrastructure, Female, Male, Microscopy, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Thorax anatomy & histology, Thorax ultrastructure, Coleoptera anatomy & histology, Ecosystem, Life History Traits
- Abstract
External and internal thoracic structures of two carabid species (Trechini) were examined and documented with different techniques. The study has a main focus on the eyeless cave-dwelling specialist Sinaphaenops wangorum, but detailed information is also provided for a species occurring in cave entrances. The phylogenetic background of the structural features of the thoracic skeletomuscular system was addressed. The thoracic morphology of the examined species was compared to conditions observed in previously studied carabids and non-related subterranean leiodids (Staphylinoidea) in order to identify cave adaptations. Main thoracic character complexes linked with cavernicolous habits in Trechini are elongation of the pro- and mesothorax and the legs, and a complete and irreversible reduction of the flight apparatus. The lost flight capacity is linked with a far reaching modification of skeletal elements of the metathorax including a strongly shortened and simplified metanotum, a shortened metaventrite, and completely reduced wings and sclerites of the wing base. The elongate prothorax together with the long and slender head and elongated legs distinctly increases the activity range in the subterranean lightless environment, which likely facilitates foraging of the carnivorous beetles. Some of the observed features like wing loss and elongation of the anterior thorax and legs are also found in some cave-dwelling Leiodidae (Leptodirini), whereas some other subterranean members of the staphylinoid family have a compact body and legs of normal length. In contrast to the predaceous Trechini, Leptodirini are scavengers., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
- Published
- 2018
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39. Mantophasmatodea from the Richtersveld in South Africa with description of two new genera and species.
- Author
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Wipfler B, Theska T, and Predel R
- Abstract
Two new species and two new genera ( Kuboesphasma , Minutophasma ) of Mantophasmatodea that occur in the Richtersveld region of South Africa are described. Kuboesphasma compactum gen. n., sp. n. was found only in a small area near the village of Kuboes, while Minutophasma richtersveldense gen. n., sp. n. apparently inhabits a larger area in the Richtersveld. With these two new species, a total of four different mantophasmatodeans are known to live in this area. This is a remarkable exception to the remaining representatives of this order, where even a common occurrence of only two species is rare. We discuss this sympatry in the context of the phylogeny of the group. Additionally, we provide a map of the known distributions and a table with the most important taxonomic features of the mantophasmatodeans in the Richtersveld.
- Published
- 2018
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40. A New Cretaceous Insect with a Unique Cephalo-thoracic Scissor Device.
- Author
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Bai M, Beutel RG, Zhang W, Wang S, Hörnig M, Gröhn C, Yan E, Yang X, and Wipfler B
- Subjects
- Amber, Animals, Biological Evolution, Female, Insecta anatomy & histology, Insecta growth & development, Myanmar, Nymph anatomy & histology, Nymph classification, Nymph growth & development, Fossils anatomy & histology, Insecta classification, Life History Traits
- Abstract
Insects use different parts of their body to cling to mating partners, to catch prey, or to defend themselves, in most cases the mouthparts or the legs. However, in 400 million years of evolution [1, 2], specialized devices were independently acquired in several groups to adopt these tasks, as for instance modified legs in mantids, assassin bugs or stick insects [3-5], or clasping antennae of the globular springtails [6]. So far, no known species used the neck region between the head and thorax in one of these functional contexts. Here we describe females of †Caputoraptor elegans, a very unusual, presumably predacious insect discovered in approximately 100-million-year-old [7] Burmese amber. Based on several morphological features, we conclude that this species lived in the foliage of trees or bushes. A unique feature of the new taxon is a scissor-like mechanism formed by wing-like extensions on the posterior head and corresponding serrated edges of the dorsal sclerite of the first thoracic segment. Based on the specific structure of the apparatus, we conclude that it was probably used by females to hold on to males during copulation. A defensive or prey-catching function appears less likely. A similar mechanism did not evolve in any other known known group of extant or extinct insects., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2018
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41. The thoracic morphology of the wingless dune cricket Comicus calcaris (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae): Novel apomorphic characters for the group and adaptations to sand desert environments.
- Author
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Leubner F, Bradler S, and Wipfler B
- Subjects
- Animals, Wings, Animal anatomy & histology, Adaptation, Physiological physiology, Desert Climate, Gryllidae anatomy & histology, Gryllidae classification
- Abstract
Schizodactylidae, splay-footed or dune crickets, represents a distinct lineage among the highly diverse orthopteran subgroup Ensifera (crickets, katydids and allies). Only two extant genera belong to the Schizodactylidae: the winged Eurasian genus Schizodactylus, whose ecology and morphology is well documented, and the wingless South African Comicus, for which hardly any studies providing morphological descriptions have been conducted since its taxonomic description in 1888. Based on the first in-depth study of the skeletomuscular system of the thorax of Comicus calcaris Irish 1986, we provide information on some unique characteristics of this character complex in Schizodactylidae. They include a rigid connection of prospinasternite and mesosternum, a T-shaped mesospina, and a fused meso- and metasternum. Although Schizodactylidae is mainly characterized by group-specific anatomical traits of the thorax, its bifurcated profuca supports a closer relationship to the tettigonioid ensiferans, like katydids, wetas, and hump-winged crickets. Some specific features of the thoracic musculature of Comicus seem to be correlated to the skeletal morphology, e.g., due to the rigid connection of the tergites and pleurites in the pterothorax not a single direct flight muscle is developed. We show that many of the thoracic adaptations in these insects are directly related to their psammophilous way of life. These include a characteristic setation of thoracic sclerites that prevent sand grains from intrusion into vulnerable membranous areas, the striking decrease in size of the thoracic spiracles that reduces the respirational water loss, and a general trend towards a fusion of sclerites in the thorax., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2017
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42. A review of methods for analysing insect structures - the role of morphology in the age of phylogenomics.
- Author
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Wipfler B, Pohl H, Yavorskaya MI, and Beutel RG
- Subjects
- Animals, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Insecta ultrastructure, Microscopy, Confocal, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Microscopy, Fluorescence, X-Ray Microtomography, Entomology trends, Insecta anatomy & histology, Phylogeny
- Abstract
Techniques currently used in insect morphology are outlined briefly. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microphotography are used mainly for documenting external features, the former providing more information on tiny surface structures and the latter on coloration, transparency and degree of sclerotization. A broad spectrum of methods is now available for anatomical studies: histological serial sections, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM), serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM), dual beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), and μ-computed tomography (micro-CT). The use of SBFSEM and FIB-SEM is restricted to extremely small samples. NMRI is used mainly in in vivo studies. Micro-computed tomography, in combination with computer-based reconstruction, has greatly accelerated the acquisition of high quality data in a phylogenetic context. Morphology will continue to play a vital role in phylogenetic and evolutionary investigations. It provides independent data for checking the plausibility of molecular phylogenies and is the only source of information for placing extinct taxa. It is the necessary basis for reconstructing character evolution on the phenotypic level and for developing complex evolutionary scenarios. Computer-based anatomical ontologies are an additional future perspective of morphological work., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2016
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43. Horizontal Gene Transfer of Pectinases from Bacteria Preceded the Diversification of Stick and Leaf Insects.
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Shelomi M, Danchin EG, Heckel D, Wipfler B, Bradler S, Zhou X, and Pauchet Y
- Subjects
- Animals, Bacteria enzymology, Evolution, Molecular, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Insect Proteins genetics, Neoptera genetics, Phylogeny, Sequence Analysis, RNA, Bacteria genetics, Gene Transfer, Horizontal, Neoptera enzymology, Polygalacturonase genetics
- Abstract
Genes acquired by horizontal transfer are increasingly being found in animal genomes. Understanding their origin and evolution requires knowledge about the phylogenetic relationships from both source and recipient organisms. We used RNASeq data and respective assembled transcript libraries to trace the evolutionary history of polygalacturonase (pectinase) genes in stick insects (Phasmatodea). By mapping the distribution of pectinase genes on a Polyneoptera phylogeny, we identified the transfer of pectinase genes from known phasmatodean gut microbes into the genome of an early euphasmatodean ancestor that took place between 60 and 100 million years ago. This transfer preceded the rapid diversification of the suborder, enabling symbiont-free pectinase production that would increase the insects' digestive efficiency and reduce dependence on microbes. Bacteria-to-insect gene transfer was thought to be uncommon, however the increasing availability of large-scale genomic data may change this prevailing notion.
- Published
- 2016
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44. Traumatic insemination and female counter-adaptation in Strepsiptera (Insecta).
- Author
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Peinert M, Wipfler B, Jetschke G, Kleinteich T, Gorb SN, Beutel RG, and Pohl H
- Subjects
- Animals, Female, Genitalia, Female ultrastructure, Genitalia, Male ultrastructure, Insemination, Male, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, X-Ray Microtomography, Adaptation, Physiological, Copulation, Insecta physiology
- Abstract
In a few insect groups, males pierce the female's integument with their penis during copulation to transfer sperm. This so-called traumatic insemination was previously confirmed for Strepsiptera but only in species with free-living females. The more derived endoparasitic groups (Stylopidia) were suggested to exhibit brood canal mating. Further, it was assumed that females mate once and that pheromone production ceases immediately thereafter. Here we examined Stylops ovinae to provide details of the mating behaviour within Stylopidia. By using μCT imaging of Stylops in copula, we observed traumatic insemination and not, as previously suggested, brood canal mating. The penis is inserted in an invagination of the female cephalothorax and perforates its cuticle. Further we show that female Stylops are polyandrous and that males detect the mating status of the females. Compared to other strepsipterans the copulation is distinctly prolonged. This may reduce the competition between sperm of the first mating male with sperm from others. We describe a novel paragenital organ of Stylops females, the cephalothoracic invagination, which we suggest to reduce the cost of injuries. In contrast to previous interpretations we postulate that the original mode of traumatic insemination was maintained after the transition from free-living to endoparasitic strepsipteran females.
- Published
- 2016
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45. Fast and Powerful: Biomechanics and Bite Forces of the Mandibles in the American Cockroach Periplaneta americana.
- Author
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Weihmann T, Reinhardt L, Weißing K, Siebert T, and Wipfler B
- Subjects
- Animals, Biomechanical Phenomena, Finite Element Analysis, Mandible anatomy & histology, Mastication physiology, Models, Biological, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal physiology, Muscle Strength physiology, Muscle, Skeletal anatomy & histology, Periplaneta anatomy & histology, Videotape Recording, Bite Force, Mandible physiology, Muscle, Skeletal physiology, Periplaneta physiology
- Abstract
Knowing the functionality and capabilities of masticatory apparatuses is essential for the ecological classification of jawed organisms. Nevertheless insects, especially with their outstanding high species number providing an overwhelming morphological diversity, are notoriously underexplored with respect to maximum bite forces and their dependency on the mandible opening angles. Aiming for a general understanding of insect biting, we examined the generalist feeding cockroach Periplaneta americana, characterized by its primitive chewing mouth parts. We measured active isometric bite forces and passive forces caused by joint resistance over the entire mandibular range with a custom-built 2D force transducer. The opening angle of the mandibles was quantified by using a video system. With respect to the effective mechanical advantage of the mandibles and the cross-section areas, we calculated the forces exerted by the mandible closer muscles and the corresponding muscle stress values. Comparisons with the scarce data available revealed close similarities of the cockroaches' mandible closer stress values (58 N/cm2) to that of smaller specialist carnivorous ground beetles, but strikingly higher values than in larger stag beetles. In contrast to available datasets our results imply the activity of faster and slower muscle fibres, with the latter becoming active only when the animals chew on tough material which requires repetitive, hard biting. Under such circumstances the coactivity of fast and slow fibres provides a force boost which is not available during short-term activities, since long latencies prevent a specific effective employment of the slow fibres in this case.
- Published
- 2015
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46. The unique sound production of the Death's-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758)) revisited.
- Author
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Brehm G, Fischer M, Gorb S, Kleinteich T, Kühn B, Neubert D, Pohl H, Wipfler B, and Wurdinger S
- Subjects
- Animals, Manduca anatomy & histology, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Video Recording, Animal Communication, Moths anatomy & histology
- Abstract
When disturbed, adults of the Death's-head hawkmoth (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae: Acherontia atropos) produce short squeaks by drawing in and deflating air into and out of the pharynx as a defence mechanism. We took a new look at Prell's hypothesis of a two-phase mechanism by providing new insights into the functional morphology behind the pharyngeal sound production of this species. First, we compared the head anatomy of A. atropos with another sphingid species, Manduca sexta, by using micro-computed tomography (CT) and 3D reconstruction methods. Despite differences in feeding behaviour and capability of sound production in the two species, the musculature in the head is surprisingly similar. However, A. atropos has a much shorter proboscis and a modified epipharynx with a distinct sclerotised lobe projecting into the opening of the pharynx. Second, we observed the sound production in vivo with X-ray videography, mammography CT and high-speed videography. Third, we analysed acoustic pressure over time and spectral frequency composition of six A. atropos specimens, both intact and with a removed proboscis. Single squeaks of A. atropos last for ca. 200 ms and consist of an inflation phase, a short pause and a deflation phase. The inflation phase is characterised by a burst of ca. 50 pulses with decreasing pulse frequency and a major frequency peak at ca. 8 kHz, followed by harmonics ranging up to more than 60 kHz. The deflation phase is characterised by a less clear acoustic pattern, a lower amplitude and more pronounced peaks in the same frequency range. The removal of the proboscis resulted in a significantly shortened squeak, a lower acoustic pressure level and a slightly more limited frequency spectrum. We hypothesise that the uptake of viscous honey facilitated the evolution of an efficient valve at the opening of the pharynx (i.e. a modified epipharynx), and that sound production could relatively easily have evolved based on this morphological pre-adaptation.
- Published
- 2015
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47. The thorax of Mantophasmatodea, the morphology of flightlessness, and the evolution of the neopteran insects.
- Author
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Wipfler B, Klug R, Ge SQ, Bai M, Göbbels J, Yang XK, and Hörnschemeyer T
- Abstract
Mantophasmatodea was described as a new insect order in 2002. Since then, this small group of wingless insects has developed into one of the best investigated insect taxa. Nevertheless, many aspects of mantophasmatodean morphology as well as their evolutionary relationships remain ambiguous. To determine the phylogenetic relationships of Mantophasmatodea based on an extended character set and to elucidate possible morphological adaptions towards flightlessness, we investigated the thoracic morphology of two species, Austrophasma caledonensis and Mantophasma sp. The morphological similarity between these two species is striking and no differences in musculature were found. The mantophasmatodean thorax strongly resembles that of ice crawlers (Grylloblattodea), especially with respect to the presence of pleural processes in the meso- and metathorax, branched furcae in all segments, and similar muscle equipment. In a cladistic analysis containing all major lineages of Neoptera, the monophyly of Polyneoptera is supported by the presence of an anal fan and several modifications of the wing joint. Within Polyneoptera, a sister-group relationship between stoneflies and the remaining Polyneoptera is supported. A clade comprising Mantophasmatodea and the Grylloblattodea gains strong support from thoracic morphology and can be considered assured. Potential thoracic apomorphies include prothoracic paracoxal invaginations, pterothoracic pleural arms that originate from the epimeron, and a unique metathoracic sterno-coxal musculature. The monophyly of Orthoptera and Dictyoptera is further supported while the deeper polyneopteran nodes remain unresolved. Among the wingless taxa investigated we found few general morphological adaptations whereas, in other aspects, especially in the musculature, strong differences could be observed. However, much more research on the strongly neglected topic of flightlessness is required to make reliable statements., (© The Willi Hennig Society 2014.)
- Published
- 2015
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48. Phylogenomics resolves the timing and pattern of insect evolution.
- Author
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Misof B, Liu S, Meusemann K, Peters RS, Donath A, Mayer C, Frandsen PB, Ware J, Flouri T, Beutel RG, Niehuis O, Petersen M, Izquierdo-Carrasco F, Wappler T, Rust J, Aberer AJ, Aspöck U, Aspöck H, Bartel D, Blanke A, Berger S, Böhm A, Buckley TR, Calcott B, Chen J, Friedrich F, Fukui M, Fujita M, Greve C, Grobe P, Gu S, Huang Y, Jermiin LS, Kawahara AY, Krogmann L, Kubiak M, Lanfear R, Letsch H, Li Y, Li Z, Li J, Lu H, Machida R, Mashimo Y, Kapli P, McKenna DD, Meng G, Nakagaki Y, Navarrete-Heredia JL, Ott M, Ou Y, Pass G, Podsiadlowski L, Pohl H, von Reumont BM, Schütte K, Sekiya K, Shimizu S, Slipinski A, Stamatakis A, Song W, Su X, Szucsich NU, Tan M, Tan X, Tang M, Tang J, Timelthaler G, Tomizuka S, Trautwein M, Tong X, Uchifune T, Walzl MG, Wiegmann BM, Wilbrandt J, Wipfler B, Wong TK, Wu Q, Wu G, Xie Y, Yang S, Yang Q, Yeates DK, Yoshizawa K, Zhang Q, Zhang R, Zhang W, Zhang Y, Zhao J, Zhou C, Zhou L, Ziesmann T, Zou S, Li Y, Xu X, Zhang Y, Yang H, Wang J, Wang J, Kjer KM, and Zhou X
- Subjects
- Animals, Genetic Code, Genome, Insect, Genomics, Insect Proteins genetics, Insecta genetics, Time Factors, Insect Proteins classification, Insecta classification, Phylogeny
- Abstract
Insects are the most speciose group of animals, but the phylogenetic relationships of many major lineages remain unresolved. We inferred the phylogeny of insects from 1478 protein-coding genes. Phylogenomic analyses of nucleotide and amino acid sequences, with site-specific nucleotide or domain-specific amino acid substitution models, produced statistically robust and congruent results resolving previously controversial phylogenetic relations hips. We dated the origin of insects to the Early Ordovician [~479 million years ago (Ma)], of insect flight to the Early Devonian (~406 Ma), of major extant lineages to the Mississippian (~345 Ma), and the major diversification of holometabolous insects to the Early Cretaceous. Our phylogenomic study provides a comprehensive reliable scaffold for future comparative analyses of evolutionary innovations among insects., (Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genomes of Callitettixini Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) confirms the overall high evolutionary speed of the AT-rich region but reveals the presence of short conservative elements at the tribal level.
- Author
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Liu J, Bu C, Wipfler B, and Liang A
- Subjects
- Animals, Base Composition genetics, Base Sequence, Bayes Theorem, DNA, Intergenic genetics, Models, Genetic, Molecular Sequence Data, Nucleic Acid Conformation, Nucleotides genetics, Open Reading Frames genetics, Phylogeny, RNA, Ribosomal genetics, RNA, Transfer genetics, Reproducibility of Results, Tandem Repeat Sequences genetics, AT Rich Sequence genetics, Conserved Sequence genetics, Evolution, Molecular, Genome, Mitochondrial genetics, Hemiptera genetics
- Abstract
The present study compares the mitochondrial genomes of five species of the spittlebug tribe Callitettixini (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Cercopidae) from eastern Asia. All genomes of the five species sequenced are circular double-stranded DNA molecules and range from 15,222 to 15,637 bp in length. They contain 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein coding genes (PCGs) and 2 rRNA genes and share the putative ancestral gene arrangement of insects. The PCGs show an extreme bias of nucleotide and amino acid composition. Significant differences of the substitution rates among the different genes as well as the different codon position of each PCG are revealed by the comparative evolutionary analyses. The substitution speeds of the first and second codon position of different PCGs are negatively correlated with their GC content. Among the five species, the AT-rich region features great differences in length and pattern and generally shows a 2-5 times higher substitution rate than the fastest PCG in the mitochondrial genome, atp8. Despite the significant variability in length, short conservative segments were identified in the AT-rich region within Callitettixini, although absent from the other groups of the spittlebug superfamily Cercopoidea.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
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50. Head morphology of Tricholepidion gertschi indicates monophyletic Zygentoma.
- Author
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Blanke A, Koch M, Wipfler B, Wilde F, and Misof B
- Abstract
The relic silverfish Tricholepidion gertschi is the sole extant representative of the family Lepidotrichidae. Its phylogenetic position is of special interest, since it may provide crucial insights into the early phenotypic evolution of the dicondylian insects. However, the phylogenetic position of T. gertschi is unclear. Originally, it was classified among silverfish (Zygentoma), but various alternative relationships within Zygentoma as well as a sistergroup relationship to all remaining Zygentoma + Pterygota are discussed, the latter implying a paraphyly of Zygentoma with respect to Pterygota. Since characters of the head anatomy play a major role in this discussion, we here present the so far most detailed description of the head of T. gertschi based on anatomical studies by synchrotron micro-computer tomography and scanning electron microscopy. A strong focus is put on the documentation of mouthparts and the anatomy of the endoskeleton as well as the muscle equipment. In contrast to former studies we could confirm the presence of a Musculus hypopharyngomandibularis (0md4). The ligamentous connection between the mandibles composed of Musculus tentoriomandibularis inferior (0md6) is also in contact with the anterior tentorium. Phylogenetic analysis of cephalic data results in monophyletic Zygentoma including T. gertschi. Zygentoma are supported by the presence of a set of labial muscles originating at the postocciput, presence of an additional intralabral muscle, and four labial palpomeres. Character systems like the genitalic system, the mating behaviour, the segmentation of the tarsi, the overall body form, and the presence of ocelli which were proposed in other studies as potentially useful for phylogenetic reconstruction are evaluated.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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