Phylogenomics confirms Palaeoptera monophyly and illuminates the origin of winged insects.

Phylogenomics confirms Palaeoptera monophyly and dates the origin of crown-Pterygota to the Early Devonian in winged insects.

• Why it matters: Understanding the evolutionary relationships and origins of winged insects is crucial for comprehending terrestrial evolution, yet their early phylogeny remains debated.
• What they did: Analyzing genomic and transcriptomic data from 101 species with 1,367 orthologs, the study used multiple phylogenetic frameworks to test relationships among basal insect lineages.
• The result: Findings support a monophyletic Palaeoptera, with molecular dating indicating its emergence in the Late Devonian, and highlight the neopteran wing-folding mechanism as a key evolutionary innovation.