New fossil dating method reveals much older origins for wasps and bees
In short: Researchers studying the early evolution of Hymenoptera, the group including wasps, bees, and ants, found that these insects likely diversified much earlier than previously believed. By using a total-evidence approach that integrates fossils directly into evolutionary trees, the study suggests the group's crown lineage dates back to the Carboniferous period, approximately 309 million years ago.
The study compared traditional node dating against a method that includes fossils and morphological characters alongside living species. While the researchers found that this integrated approach provides more precise divergence dates and identifies errors in previous fossil placements, the model relied on a simplified uniform prior for tree growth, which may not fully capture the complexities of extinction and preservation.
Why it matters: Integrating fossils directly into evolutionary models can correct historical errors in the timing of life's diversification.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Ronquist et al. (2012). A Total-Evidence Approach to Dating with Fossils, Applied to the Early Radiation of the Hymenoptera. Systematic Biology. · cc-by-nc
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