Kawahara and team create “Tree of Lepidoptera”

In the first study of its kind, a team of University of Florida scientists used large-scale, next generation DNA sequencing to trace nearly 3,000 genes to the earliest common ancestor of butterflies and moths.

Led by UF Genetics institute member and assistant curator of Lepidoptera at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Akito Kawahara, the team created a “Tree of Lepidoptera,” revealing monumental discoveries that change scientists’ understanding of butterfly evolution.

“This project advances biodiversity research by providing an evolutionary foundation for a very diverse group of insects, with nearly 160,000 described species,” said Kawahara. “With a tree, we can now understand how the majority of butterfly and moth species evolved.”

One surprising finding was that butterflies are more closely related to small moths than larger moths, as previously believed. Additionally, some insects once classified as moths were found to actually be butterflies, increasing the number of butterfly species.

Through advanced DNA sequencing methods, an initial sample of 46 species was developed, representing many of the most bio-diverse groups of moths and butterflies. The team also combined 22 new transcriptomes, a set of RNA molecules, with 13 genomes, resulting in the 2,696 genes that were identified by breaking down and rebuilding the DNA.

Results can be used to conclusively pinpoint where butterflies belong in evolutionary history, a question that has long troubled researchers.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences August 2014 edition.

Kawahara Lab – http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/mcguire/kawahara/

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