Supplementary material for: the phylogeny and evolution of the flashiest of the armored harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Gonyleptoidea, largely restricted to the Neotropics, constitutes the most diverse superfamily of Opiliones and includes the largest and flashiest representatives of this arachnid order. However, the relationships among its main lineages (families and superfamilies) and the timing of their origin are not sufficiently understood to explain how this tropical clade has been able to colonize the temperate zone. Here we used transcriptomics and divergence time dating to investigate the phylogeny of Gonyleptoidea. Our results support the monophyly of Gonyleptoidea and all of its families with more than one species represented. Resolution within Gonyleptidae s.s. is achieved for many clades, but some subfamilies are not monophyletic (Gonyleptinae, Mitobatinae, and Pachylinae), requiring taxonomic revision. Our data show evidence for one colonization of today’s temperate zone early in the history of Gonyleptidae, during the Paleogene, at a time when the Neotropical area extended poleward into re...强肢盲蛛总科（Gonyleptoidea）主要分布于新热带区，是盲蛛目（Opiliones）中物种多样性最高的总科，包含该蛛形纲类群中体型最大、形态最艳丽的代表类群。然而，其主要演化支（科与总科）之间的系统发育关系以及起源时间尚未得到充分阐明，无法解释这一热带演化支如何得以扩散至温带地区。本研究利用转录组学与分化时间定年技术，对强肢盲蛛总科的系统发育关系展开探究。研究结果支持强肢盲蛛总科及其所有包含不止一个物种的科均为单系群。狭义强肢盲蛛科（Gonyleptidae s.s.）内部的多数演化支已得到较好解析，但部分亚科（强肢盲蛛亚科Gonyleptinae、米托盲蛛亚科Mitobatinae以及厚盲蛛亚科Pachylinae）并非单系群，亟需进行分类学修订。本研究数据显示，在古近纪时期，当新热带区向极地延伸时，强肢盲蛛科曾在演化早期发生过一次向现今温带地区的扩散事件。