Prashant P. Sharma
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    • Phylogenomics >
      • Chelicerate phylogenomics
      • Scorpion phylogenomics
      • Sea spider phylogenomics
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      • Systematics >
        • Arthropod systematics >
          • Cyphophthalmi
          • Zalmoxidae
          • Basal Opiliones phylogeny
        • Laniatores
        • Bivalve systematics >
          • Basal bivalve phylogeny
          • Protobranch phylogeny
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        • Sandokanidae
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        • Harvestman Hox genes
        • Scorpion Hox genes
        • Evolution of the chelicera
        • RNAi in Phalangium opilio
        • Deutocerebral appendages
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Laniatores systematics

Laniatores is the largest suborder of Opiliones (harvestmen), with over 4000 described species. This group is mostly distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with a small number of temperate lineages. 

Subsequent to systematic revision, Laniatores is organized into 27 families (kindly refer to Adriano Kury's classification of Opiliones). Phylogenetic analysis based on 10 genes favors laniatorid relationships as shown below.
Systematic validity and phylogenetic placement of Synthetonychiidae, a relictual lineage endemic to New Zealand, is a matter of ongoing investigation.
Picture
Sharma & Giribet (2011) Invertebr. Syst. 25: 106-142.
On the basis of these results, three new families were described to restore the monophyly of previously recognized groups. Pyramidopidae is endemic to the Afrotropics; and Tithaeidae and Petrobunidae are endemic to Southeast Asia. An exemplar of Petrobunidae is shown below:
Picture
Sharma & Giribet (2011) Invertebr. Syst. 25: 106-142.
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