IS25029Phylogeny and evolution of male genitalia in Withiidae (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)





Pseudoscorpions show great promise for studying the evolution of genitalia because of their many unique sexually related features. We estimated a dated phylogeny based on morphology and genes for Withiidae to understand how quickly certain body parts changed. Sensory organs were found to change faster than genitalia, suggesting that environmental adaptation might exert stronger selective pressures than sexual selection in shaping their morphology. Our study also highlights the importance of considering both morphological features and genes when examining evolution. (Image credit: Catalina Romero-Ortiz.)