Taumantis and Oxyopsis

[Mime454]

Are these guys closely related? I was looking up pictures of Oxys, and they look just like my Taumantis! Especially the male!

It's weird because Taumantis is from Kenya and Oxys are from South America. Is this convergent evolution or a case of rafting or something similar?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[hierodula]

Well, millions of years ago, south america and africa were connected, so its definitely possible the same species of mantis got separated over two different continents and evolved differently as time passed. It also could be a coincidence

 

[gripen]

Most likely a coincidence. You would have to ask an expert about this one as none of us can really tell you.

 

[Mime454]

Most likely a coincidence. You would have to ask an expert about this one as none of us can really tell you.

I wish I knew an expert in mantis phylogeny. We'd have so many great conversations. There are lots of people at my college with doctorates in Biology and they know nothing about it.

 

[Mime454]

Well, millions of years ago, south america and africa were connected, so its definitely possible the same species of mantis got separated over two different continents and evolved differently as time passed. It also could be a coincidence

I may be wrong, but I think I've read that the very first mantises started to appear at the beginning of the Cretaceous period. Africa and South America were separated by then, close, but still separated. And I doubt that either genus had appeared until they were even further apart. Rafting is the only explanation hat I can come to unless its a coincidence.

 

[gripen]

I wish I knew an expert in mantis phylogeny. We'd have so many great conversations. There are lots of people at my college with doctorates in Biology and they know nothing about it.

There a couple of people in Europe you may be able to contact.

 

[Rick]

Here you go. Phylogeny by Svenson and Whiting in 2009. This is just the tree.

http://mantodearesearch.com/phylogeny/

 

[Orin]

They are in different subfamilies but are both Mantidae.

 

[MantidLord]

Contact G Svenson, he does some work in mantis phylogeny.

 

[Orin]

To put it another way, Taumantis is related to Miomantis and Oxyopsis is related to Stagmatoptera.

 

[Crazy4mantis]

Here you go. Phylogeny by Svenson and Whiting in 2009. This is just the tree.

http://mantodearesearch.com/phylogeny/

that melted my 12 year old brain

 

[Rick]

that melted my 12 year old brain

It melts my 34 year old brain. And I'm supposed to know that stuff.

 

[hibiscusmile]

They so look very much alike, Orin was examining them while here and we went from one to the other, amazing their likeness.