Termite or cockroach?

[BugChick]

Some entomologists believe cockroaches are paraphyletic because of cryptocercids. There seems to be lots of molecular and some behavioral evidence to support their being more related to termites than to cockroaches.

Any thoughts or ideas on this?

[drachenjager]

Some entomologists believe cockroaches are paraphyletic because of cryptocercids. There seems to be lots of molecular and some behavioral evidence to support their being more related to termites than to cockroaches.

Any thoughts or ideas on this?

I suppose that is possible. the cryptocercids do seem to be very much like termites ...or vice versa. I am not a proponent of evolution. However from an evolutionary standpoint it appears quite probably termites and cockroaches did come from a common ancestor. I havent really studied this relationship however. but this site has a fairly interesting article about termites and the roaches.

http://www.answers.com/topic/isoptera-termites-biological-family?cat=biz-fin

[Megaloblatta]

Myself and two colleagues at the Natural History Museum, London recently published a paper in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, which we believe proves beyond reasonable doubt that termites are social cockroaches. The study examined the DNA/RNA of 107 species of cockroaches, termites and mantids and we concluded that termites are most closely related to the family Cryptocercidae and should be classified as a family (Termitidae) of cockroaches. In response to a comment by other termite and cockroach workers we have decided to reclassify termites as an epifamily (Termitoidae) of cockroaches since this minimises the disruption that would be caused to termite classification. Some press reports about our study are as follows http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2007/april/news_11364.html, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6553219.stm and http://www.livescience.com/animals/070420_termites_cockroaches.html. If anyone wants a pdf copy of our paper then please contact me at blaberus1@ntlworld.com

George Beccaloni

[BugChick]

Last year a professor told me he witnessed termites displaying a back-and-forth rocking motion as an alarm signal. A similar alarm signal has also been exhibited by cryptocercids, specifically when an intruder enters the colony. Pretty fascinating stuff! I am still undecided on my plans for graduate school since my first degree was not in biology, but if I did pursue biology, this is what I'd want to research.

[Leonidas]

what is very cool about Cryptocercus spp. apart from having a common ancestor with termites is that a molecular analysis placed them deep within the Polyphagidae, and they are even close relatives of Therea spp.!(Grandcolas, 1996 and later).
Also, since termites are paedomorphic, if you compare a first instar Cryptocercus nymph with a worker termite they look extremely similar!

[BugmanPrice]

what is very cool about Cryptocercus spp. apart from having a common ancestor with termites is that a molecular analysis placed them deep within the Polyphagidae, and they are even close relatives of Therea spp.!(Grandcolas, 1996 and later).


What publication is that?

[Leonidas]

i'm not sure. i read it in a book called evolution of the insects.
i did find somewhere the publication but i had to pay to get it so....
of some help you could read this article on pdf : http://www.mnhn.fr/oseb/Grandcolas/Grandcolas_fichiers/G99b.pdf