MODERN MORPHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES AND THE EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF SEPSIDAE (DIPTERA)

ANG YUCHEN

Publication

MODERN MORPHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES AND THE EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF SEPSIDAE (DIPTERA)

ANG YUCHEN

Abstract

In my thesis, I pursue my research interests in morphology by conducting a series of studies on the evolutionary biology and taxonomy of Sepsidae (Diptera), using various bioimaging techniques such as microcomputered-tomography, photomicrography and scanning electron-microscopy. First, I document how de-novo appendages evolved from male sternites and that it evolved twice in sepsids. Second, I demonstrate that sexual selection highly increases morphological divergence by quantifying and comparing the rates of evolution between sexually dimorphic structures that are likely to be under sexual selection and monomorphic structures that are mostly under viability selection. Third, I explore the benefits of coupling taxonomy with information technology by creating a digital reference collection featuring 140 sepsid species and publishing species descriptions simultaneously featured as entries in a wiki-based platform. Lastly, I show how morphological data-richness and iterative taxonomy can address inadequately diagnostic species descriptions and resolve 'cryptic' species and disjunctive distributions in species.