The mayfly Cloeon dipterum: a new platform to study insect evolution and morphological novelties

Abstract

The great capability of insects to adapt to new environments promoted their extraordinary diversification. The key phylogenetic position of mayflies within Paleoptera, as the sister group of the rest of winged insects together with their life history traits make them an essential order to understand insect evolution. Moreover, the mayfly species Cloeon dipterum is a privileged model to study evolutionary innovations as Cloeon males develop, in addition to the compound eyes, an extra pair of dorsal, turban-shaped eyes. To answer these questions, we have successfully established C. dipterum as a model species with a continuous culture in the lab. We have sequenced and assembled a high quality reference genome and we provide the first analyses of the genomic bases underlying the evolution of the turbanate eyes and the origin of insect wings, paving the way for a better understanding of how insects colonized the sky and explored a huge variety of new ecological niches.