title: Evolution of the carabid ground beetles.
abstract: The phylogenetic relationships of the carabid ground beetles have been estimated by analysing a large part of the ND5 gene sequences of more than 1,000 specimens consisting of the representative species and geographic races covering most of the genera and subgenera known in the world. From the phylogenetic analyses in conjunction with the mtDNA-based dating, a scenario of the establishment of the present habitats of the respective Japanese carabids has been constructed. The carabid diversification took place ca. 40 MYA as an explosive radiation of the major genera. During evolution, occasional small or single bangs also took place, sometimes accompanied by parallel morphological evolution in phylogenetically remote as well as close lineages. The existence of silent periods, in which few morphological changes took place, has been recognized during evolution. Thus, the carabid evolution is discontinuous, alternatively having a phase of rapid morphological change and a silent phase.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Animal Sciences, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osawa
authors.forename: Z H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial