Molecular Phylogenetics of Stomatopod Crustaceans
Summary
Stomatopods, commonly known as mantis shrimps, comprise a diverse order of marine crustaceans distinguished by specialised raptorial appendages and highly complex compound eyes. Traditional classifications based on morphology have been increasingly complemented and in some cases revised by molecular phylogenetic approaches. Sequencing of mitochondrial and nuclear markers, complemented by complete mitogenomes, has clarified relationships among the seven recognised superfamilies, revealing instances of both monophyly and unexpected polyphyly. Phylogenetic trees calibrated with relaxed molecular clocks suggest that crown‐group stomatopods diverged in the mid‐Palaeozoic, with the evolution of smashing appendages arising tens of millions of years after the ancestral spearing form. Mitogenomic studies have uncovered novel features in control regions and gene order, while ancestral state reconstructions have illuminated the stepwise acquisition of eyestalk midband rows and variations in claw morphology. These insights inform taxonomy, biogeography and our understanding of convergent evolution in sensory and predatory adaptations, with implications for biodiversity assessment and the monitoring of invasive species.
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Molecular Phylogenetics of Stomatopod Crustaceans publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular phylogenetics of stomatopod crustaceans across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mitochondrial genome: The complete set of mitochondrial DNA, often used in phylogenetic analyses for its conserved gene content and rapid evolutionary rate.
Monophyletic: A group of organisms that form a clade, meaning they consist of an ancestor and all its descendants.
Polyphyletic: A taxonomic grouping composed of unrelated organisms descended from more than one ancestor, indicating convergent features rather than shared ancestry.
Mitogenomics: The study of mitochondrial genomes at the genomic level, typically involving sequencing and comparative analysis to infer evolutionary relationships.
Relaxed molecular clock: A method that allows evolutionary rates to vary across branches of a phylogenetic tree when estimating divergence times.
Ancestral state reconstruction: A technique used to infer characteristics of hypothetical common ancestors based on traits observed in extant species.
References
- The mitochondrial genome of Faughnia haani (Stomatopoda): novel organization of the control region and phylogenetic position of the superfamily Parasquilloidea. BMC Genomics (2021).
- The evolutionary history of Stomatopoda (Crustacea: Malacostraca) inferred from molecular data. PeerJ (2017).
- Mitogenomics and the Phylogeny of Mantis Shrimps (Crustacea: Stomatopoda). Diversity (2021).
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