Improved phylogenetic analyses corroborate a plausible position of Martialis heureka in the ant tree of life.

ABSTRACT: Martialinae are pale, eyeless and probably hypogaeic predatory ants. Morphological character sets suggest a close relationship to the ant subfamily Leptanillinae. Recent analyses based on molecular sequence data suggest that Martialinae are the sister group to all extant ants. However, by comparing molecular studies and different reconstruction methods, the position of Martialinae remains ambiguous. While this sister group relationship was well supported by Bayesian partitioned analyses, Maximum Likelihood approaches could not unequivocally resolve the position of Martialinae. By re-analysing a previous published molecular data set, we show that the Maximum Likelihood approach is highly appropriate to resolve deep ant relationships, especially between Leptanillinae, Martialinae and the rem

SUBMITTER: Kuck P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3123331 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature