A Molecular Phylogeny of the Calypterate Diptera

89 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1987.A region of the large subunit rRNA (28s) was developed as a tool for eukaryotic family level phylogeny. This region was sequenced for 20 Diptera and analyzed using the computer package PAUP (Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony), created by David Swofford. The trees were compared to previous analyses based on morphological characters and add to our understanding of the phylogeny of the calypterate Diptera. According to the analysis, the gasterophilids are definitely calypterates and are probably related to the Tachinidae. The fanniids do not cluster with the muscids or the anthomyiids but have diverged earlier than these two families. In addition, although the calliphorids and sarcophagids show few morphological and sequence character differences, the calliphorids appear to be the sister group to the tachinids while the sarcophagids may be the sister group to both the tachinids and calliphorids. The analysis also shows that the calypterates are more closely related to the drosophiloids than the tephritoids, and that the syrphids (Aschiza) are representatives of the sister group to the cyclorrhaphous Schizophora.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD