Transcriptome based phylogenetics of schizophoran flies

The Schizophoran radiation is a period in the evolutionary history of flies characterized by conflict and uncertainty that has persisted in spite of studies that include robust sampling of genes and taxa. Studies with broad taxon sampling have low support and studies with taxon sampling focused on Schizophora subgroups conflict with one another. For instance, the three taxon statement of Ceratitis, Drosophila, and Musca has had every possible topology in published phylogenies. Statistical support values are low among most family level relationships in the Schizophora. This study seeks to provide a framework for some headway into an evidence-based, robustly supported phylogeny of the Schizophora. By synthesizing previous phylogenetic hypotheses and offering a new one with unprecedented gene coverage from transcriptome data, this study will provide a well supported and compelling phylogeny of the Schizophora.