Data from: Evolution of flexible biting in hyperdiverse parasitoid wasps
Authors/Creators
- 1. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
- 2. University of New Hampshire
- 3. Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart
- 4. University of Tübingen
- 5. Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
- 6. Charles University
Description
One key event in insect evolution was the development of mandibles with two joints, which allowed powerful biting, but restricted their movement to a single degree of freedom. These mandibles define the Dicondylia, which constitute over 99 percent of all extant insect species. It was common doctrine that the dicondylic articulation of chewing mandibles remained unaltered for more than 400 million years. We report highly modified mandibles overcoming the restrictions of a single degree of freedom and hypothesize their major role in insect diversification. These mandibles are defining features of parasitoid chalcid wasps, one of the most species-rich lineages of insects. The shift from powerful chewing to precise cutting likely facilitated adaptations to parasitize hosts hidden in hard substrates, which pose challenges to the emerging wasps. We reveal a crucial step in insect evolution and highlight the importance of comprehensive studies even of putatively well-known systems.
Notes
Funding provided by: Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013699
Award Number: 05K2012
Funding provided by: Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013699
Award Number: 05K2014
Funding provided by: Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013699
Award Number: 05K2019
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