The Paleoptera problem revisited

Paleoptera refers to the putative grouping of Ephemeroptera (mayflies), and Odonata (dragonflies) as a monophyletic group sister to the remaining winged insects. Determining their relationship with regard to Neoptera (remaining winged insects) is a critical step toward understanding insect diversification and the evolution of flight. Three hypotheses are evaluated so as to determine the phylogenetic placement of these three orders of insects: 1) Ephemeroptera sister to Odonata + Neoptera; 2) Monophyletic Paleoptera (Ephemeroptera + Odonata); and 3) Odonata sister to Ephemeroptera + Neoptera. Data from more than 300 taxa has been collected and assembled. The data was then aligned and phylogenetic analyses performed in a number of different methods including Bayesian, maximum likelihood, and parsimony frameworks in order to elucidate the relationships of these insect groups. The large number of taxa proved to be a daunting task, but provides a much more robust phylogenetic analysis.