We present a phylogenetic analysis of spiders using a dataset of 932 spider species, representing 115 families (only the family Synaphridae is unrepresented), 700 known genera, and additional representatives of 26 unidentified or undescribed genera. Eleven genera of the orders Amblypygi, Palpigradi, Schizomida and Uropygi are included as outgroups. The dataset includes six markers from the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI) and nuclear (histone H3, 18S, 28S) genomes, and was analysed by multiple methods, including constrained analyses using a highly supported backbone tree from transcriptomic data. We recover most of the higher‐level structure of the spider tree with good support, including Mesothelae, Opisthothelae, Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae. Several of our analyses recover Hypochilidae and Filistatidae as sister groups, as suggested by previous transcriptomic analyses. The Synspermiata are robustly supported, and the families Trogloraptoridae and Caponiidae are found as sister to the Dysderoidea. Our results support the Lost Tracheae clade, including Pholcidae, Tetrablemmidae, Diguetidae, Plectreuridae and the family Pacullidae (restored status) separate from Tetrablemmidae. The Scytodoidea include Ochyroceratidae along with Sicariidae, Scytodidae, Drymusidae and Periegopidae; our results are inconclusive about the separation of these last two families. We did not recover monophyletic Austrochiloidea and Leptonetidae, but our data suggest that both groups are more closely related to the Cylindrical Gland Spigot clade rather than to Synspermiata. Palpimanoidea is not recovered by our analyses, but also not strongly contradicted. We find support for Entelegynae and Oecobioidea (Oecobiidae plus Hersiliidae), and ambiguous placement of cribellate orb‐weavers, compatible with their non‐monophyly. Nicodamoidea (Nicodamidae plus Megadictynidae) and Araneoidea composition and relationships are consistent with recent analyses. We did not obtain resolution for the titanoecoids (Titanoecidae and Phyxelididae), but the Retrolateral Tibial Apophysis clade is well supported. Penestomidae, and probably Homalonychidae, are part of Zodarioidea, although the latter family was set apart by recent transcriptomic analyses. Our data support a large group that we call the marronoid clade (including the families Amaurobiidae, Desidae, Dictynidae, Hahniidae, Stiphidiidae, Agelenidae and Toxopidae). The circumscription of most marronoid families is redefined here. Amaurobiidae include the Amaurobiinae and provisionally Macrobuninae. We transfer Malenellinae (Malenella, from Anyphaenidae), Chummidae (Chumma) (new syn.) and Tasmarubriinae (Tasmarubrius, Tasmabrochus and Teeatta, from Amphinectidae) to Macrobuninae. Cybaeidae are redefined to include Calymmaria, Cryphoeca, Ethobuella and Willisius (transferred from Hahniidae), and Blabomma and Yorima (transferred from Dictynidae). Cycloctenidae are redefined to include Orepukia (transferred from Agelenidae) and Pakeha and Paravoca (transferred from Amaurobiidae). Desidae are rede...

S. A. Stockwell (1989, "Revision of the Phylogeny and multistate characters, yielded the scheme of relationships: (Bothriuridae ((Heteroscorpionidae Urodacinae) Higher Classification of Scorpions (Chelicerata)." Univ. ((Hemiscorpiinae Ischnuridae) (Diplocentridae Scorpiof California, Berkeley) proposed a cladogram and oninae)))). On the basis of these results, revisions are revised classification for the superfamily Scorpionoidea proposed to the existing suprageneric classification of Latreille 1802 (comprising the families Bothriuridae, the Scorpionoidea, including new diagnoses, new Diplocentridae, Heteroscorpionidae, Ischnuridae, and descriptions, and an illustrated key to the families and Scorpionidae), based on 47 morphological characters and subfamilies. Familial status is provided for the scorpi-35 supraspecific terminal taxa, representing genera onid subfamilies Hemiscorpiinae and Urodacinae. ᭧ 2000 whose monophyly was implicitly assumed. Given the The Willi Hennig Society widespread practice of defining scorpion genera on the basis of plesiomorphic character states, the assumption of monophyly implicit in supraspecific terminal taxa

Soleglad and Fet's (2003a) attempt to reconstruct the phylogeny of Recent (including extant) scorpions, the revised classification derived from it, and recent emendations, mostly published in their self-edited online journal, Euscorpius, are deficient. Separate analyses of three independent matrices (morphology, 16S rDNA, 18S rDNA) were presented. In the morphological matrix, 52 binary and 10 tristate trichobothrial characters were replaced with one character comprising six ordered states representing trichobothrial ''types''. The remaining matrix of 105 characters was further reduced to 33 ''fundamental'' characters (20% of the morphological dataset), the analysis of which appears to be the basis for the revised classification presented. The taxon sample for the morphological analysis included 14 supraspecific terminal taxa representing genera, the monophyly of only 7 (12.5%) of which has been confirmed. A composite terminal, assembled from the fragments of fossils that may not be confamilial let alone monophyletic, was created for the Palaeopisthacanthidae, employed as the primary outgroup for the analysis. Other important outgroup taxa, notably eurypterids, xiphosurans and other arachnids, were omitted entirely. The morphological characters presented contained numerous unjustifiable assumptions of character polarity and phylogenetic relationship. An approach to character coding, deliberately adopted to reduce ''homoplasy'', biased the analysis towards a preconceived result. Structurally and topographically similar features in different taxa were explicitly assigned separate (often autapomorphic) states according to presumed phylogenetic relationships among the taxa in which they were observed. Putative ''reversals'' were coded as separate characters or states. Character transformation was forced by ordering, additive coding or Sankoff optimization through allegedly intermediate states for which there is no empirical evidence. Many characters were defined in a manner that demonstrates either a lack of understanding of, or disregard for, established methods and standards of morphological character coding. Some states display overlapping variation whereas others subsume variation that is not structurally or topographically similar. Polymorphic ''states'' were created for terminals with interspecific variation and unknown ''states'' for terminals that should have been scored unknown. Many characters were not evaluated for particular terminal taxa, but merely scored inapplicable although the structures and, consequently, the characters in question are present and therefore applicable to them. In view of the significant theoretical and empirical problems with the approach to cladistics taken by Soleglad and Fet, we find no justification for accepting either the results of their analyses or the revised classification derived from them. Pending the outcome of a rigorous phylogenetic analysis, published according to acceptable standards of scholarship in a peer-reviewed journal, we revert to the suprageneric classific...

No abstract

A cladistic analysis of relationships among the genera of Scorpionidae Latreille, 1802—Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828; Opistophthalmus C. L. Koch, 1837; Pandinus Thorell, 1876; and Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758—based on morphology and DNA sequence data from loci of three genes in the mitochondrial genome (12S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase I) and one gene in the nuclear genome (28S rDNA) is presented. The analysis makes use of exemplar species, specifically selected to test the monophyly of the genera, rather than supraspecific terminal taxa. Other methods used in the analysis are justified in the context of a discussion of current methods for phylogenetic reconstruction. Relationships among the scorpionid genera are demonstrated to be as follows: (Opistophthalmus (Scorpio (Heterometrus + Pandinus))). This reconstruction identifies Opistophthalmus as the basal lineage of the Scorpionidae, rather than the sister-group of Scorpio. Revised descriptions, diagnoses and a key to identification of the four scorpionid genera are provided, together with a summary of what is known about their ecology, distribution and conservation status.