A supertree analysis and literature review of the genus Drosophila and closely related genera (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

In the 17 years since the last familywide taxonomic analysis of the Drosophilidae, many studies dealing with a limited number of species or groups have been published. Most of these studies were based on molecular data, but morphological and chromosomal data also continue to be accumulated. Here, we review more than 120 recent studies and use many of those in a supertree analysis to construct a new phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus Drosophila and related genera. Our knowledge about the phylogeny of the genus Drosophila and related genera has greatly improved over the past two decades, and many clades are now firmly supported by many independent studies. The genus Drosophila is paraphyletic and comprises four major clades interspersed with at least five other genera, warranting a revision of the genus. Despite this progress, many relationships remain unresolved. Much phylogenetic work on this important family remains to be done.