2018/10/24 by Lorenza Béati, Hans Klompen · 2 citations
Immunology and Microbiology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Vector-borne infectious diseases #Study of Mite Species #Plant Parasitism and Resistance
paper · doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-020117-043027
openalex publication_date 2018/10/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
Improved understanding of tick phylogeny has allowed testing of some biogeographical patterns. On the basis of both literature data and a meta-analysis of available sequence data, there is strong support for a Gondwanan origin of Ixodidae, and probably Ixodida. A particularly strong pattern is observed for the genus Amblyomma, which appears to have originated in Antarctica/southern South America, with subsequent dispersal to Australia. The endemic Australian lineages of Ixodidae (no other continent has such a pattern) appear to result from separate dispersal events, probably from Antarctica. Minimum ages for a number of divergences are determined as part of an updated temporal framework for tick evolution. Alternative hypotheses for tick evolution, such as a very old Pangean group, a Northern hemisphere origin, or an Australian origin, fit less well with observed phylogeographic patterns.