A family of termites has been traversing the world's oceans for millions of years

Around 150 million years ago, a type of insect called the Termites split from other insects and evolved to live in colonies. There are many different types of termites. Large colonies with millions of individuals tend to live in connected tunnels in the soil. Most species of drywood termites live primarily in wood and form colonies of less than 5,000 individuals.

A group of researchers from the Evolutionary Genomics Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have mapped out the natural history of the second largest family of termites. The research sheds light on where the termites originated and how they spread across the globe. It confirms that some species have hitched a ride with humans to reach far flung islands.

Drywood termites, or Kalotermitidae, are often thought of as primitive because they split from other termites quite early, around 100 million years ago, and because they appear to form smaller colonies.

Before this study, there was little information on the family and the relationships between different species based on their appearance. Common pest species are often found within houses and were the focus of previous research.

The researchers collected hundreds of drywood samples from around the world to gain overarching knowledge. Some of the species they selected were represented by multiple samples collected in different locations. Over 25% of Kalotermitidae diversity was represented by this. Most of the samples were taken to OIST where they were isolated and analyzed.

The researchers compared the genetic sequence from different species to create an extensive family tree.

They found that the drywood termites have made more voyages than any other family. Over the past 50 million years, they have traveled as far as South America to Africa, which resulted in the emergence of new drywood species in the newly colonized places.

They are good at getting across oceans.

Most of the genera came from southern America. It takes millions of years for one species to split into several. The research shows that dispersals have mostly been done by humans.

The study casts doubt on the common assumption that drywood termites have a primitive lifestyle. Some of the oldest species in the family do not have a primitive lifestyle. They can form large colonies across multiple pieces of wood that are connected by tunnels underground.

Prof. Tom Bourguignon, Principal Investigator of OIST's Evolutionary Genomics Unit and senior author of the study, stated that the study only highlights how little we know about termites, the diversity of their lifestyles, and the scale of their social lives.

More information: Aleš Buček et al, Molecular Phylogeny Reveals the Past Transoceanic Voyages of Drywood Termites (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae), Molecular Biology and Evolution (2022). DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac093 Journal information: Molecular Biology and Evolution Citation: A family of termites has been traversing the world's oceans for millions of years (2022, May 23) retrieved 23 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-family-termites-traversing-world-oceans.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.