Museomics unveil systematics, diversity and evolution of Australian cycad-pollinating weevils.

ABSTRACT: Weevils have been shown to play significant roles in the obligate pollination of Australian cycads. In this study, we apply museomics to produce a first molecular phylogeny estimate of the Australian cycad weevils, allowing an assessment of their monophyly, placement and relationships. Divergence dating suggests that the Australian cycad weevils originated from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene and that the main radiation of the cycad-pollinating groups occurred from the Middle to the Late Miocene, which is congruent with the diversification of the Australian cycads, thus refuting any notion of an ancient ciophilous system in Australia. Taxonomic studies reveal the existence of 19 Australian cycad weevil species and that their associations with their hosts are mostly non-species-spe

SUBMITTER: Hsiao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10547556 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature