Sophophora
Encyclopedia
The paraphyletic subgenus
Sophophora of the genus
Drosophila
was first described by Alfred Sturtevant
in 1939. It contains the best known drosophilid species, Drosophila melanogaster
. Sophophora translates as carrier (phora
) of wisdom (sophos
). The subgenus is paraphyletic
because the genus Lordiphosa and the species Hirtodrosophila duncani
are also placed within this subgenus.
s are recognized, in two main groups, the New World
and the Old World
Old World:
New World:
Unknown:
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Sophophora of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Drosophila
Drosophila
Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...
was first described by Alfred Sturtevant
Alfred Sturtevant
Alfred Henry Sturtevant was an American geneticist. Sturtevant constructed the first genetic map of a chromosome in 1913. Throughout his career he worked on the organism Drosophila melanogaster with Thomas Hunt Morgan...
in 1939. It contains the best known drosophilid species, Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
. Sophophora translates as carrier (phora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
) of wisdom (sophos
Sophism
Sophism in the modern definition is a specious argument used for deceiving someone. In ancient Greece, sophists were a category of teachers who specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric for the purpose of teaching aretê — excellence, or virtue — predominantly to young statesmen and...
). The subgenus is paraphyletic
Paraphyly
A group of taxa is said to be paraphyletic if the group consists of all the descendants of a hypothetical closest common ancestor minus one or more monophyletic groups of descendants...
because the genus Lordiphosa and the species Hirtodrosophila duncani
Hirtodrosophila duncani
Hirtodrosophila duncani is a North American fruit fly, a member of the fungus-breeding genus Hirtodrosophila. Its taxonomic position has been unclear for a long time due to its unique male genitalia, but recent molecular studies indicate that it is closely related to the New World Sophophora....
are also placed within this subgenus.
Phylogeny
Currently, ten species groupSpecies group
A species group is an informal taxonomic rank into which an assemblage of closely related species within a genus are grouped because of their morphological similarities and their identity as a biological unit with a single monophyletic origin.-Use:...
s are recognized, in two main groups, the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
and the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
Old World:
- melanogaster species groupDrosophila melanogaster species groupThe Drosophila melanogaster species group belongs to the subgenus Sophophora and contains 10 subgroups. The phylogeny in this species group is poorly known despite many studies covering many of the species subgroups. The most likely explanation is that the various subgroups diverted from each other...
(65 species, including D. melanogasterDrosophila melanogasterDrosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
and D. simulansDrosophila simulansDrosophila simulans is a species of fly closely related to D. melanogaster and which belongs to the same melanogaster species subgroup. Its closest relatives are D. mauritiana and D. sechellia...
) - montium species group (88)
- ananassae species group (24)
- obscura species groupDrosophila obscura species groupThe Drosophila obscura species group belongs to the subgenus Sophophora and contains 6 subgroups:affinis, microlabis, obscura, pseudoobscura, subobscura, and sinobscura.-Species:affinis species subgroup...
(44) - dentissima species group (17)
- fima species group (23)
- dispar species group (2)
- settifemur species group (2)
New World:
- saltans species group (21)
- willistoni species group (23)
Unknown:
- populi species groupDrosophila populi species groupThe Holarctic Drosophila populi species group belongs to the subgenus Sophophora and contains two species, Drosophila ingrica and Drosophila populi. D. ingrica is found in the Palearctic, while D. populi is found in the Nearctic. Both species are found in the northernmost subarctic forest zone, and...
(2)