title: Phylogenetic relationships of the Culicomorpha inferred from 18S and 5.8S ribosomal DNA sequences. (Diptera:Nematocera).
abstract: We investigated the evolutionary origins of the mosquito family Culicidae by examination of 18S and 5.8S ribosomal gene sequence divergence. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that within the infraorder Culicomorpha, taxa in the families Corethrellidae, Chaoboridae and Culicidae formed a monophyletic group; there was support for a sister relationship between this lineage and a representative of the Chironomidae. A chaoborid midge was the closest relative of the mosquitoes. Taxa from four genera of mosquitoes formed a monophyletic group; lack of a spacer in the 5.8S gene was unique to members of the Culicidae. A member of the genus Anopheles formed the most basal lineage among the mosquitoes analysed. Phylogenetic relationships were unresolved for representatives in the families Dixidae, Simuliidae and Ceratopogonidae.
authors.affiliation: Virus and Vector Molecular Biology Section, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Crabtree
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Savage
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D004175:Diptera / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S; D004247:DNA