Résumé
The convergent evolution of analogous features is an evolutionary process
occurring independently across the tree of life. From the evolution of
echolocation, prehensile tail, viviparity or winged flight, environmental
factors often drive this astonishing phenomenon. However, convergent
evolution is not always conspicuous or easily identified. Giant
damselflies count among the largest flying insects on Earth, and have
astonishing ecologies including orb-web spider plucking and oviposition in
phytotelmata. One species occurs in the Afrotropics and 18 species are
found in the Neotropics. Convergent evolution was historically
hypothesized based on the ecological and morphological affinities of these
two geographically distant lineages, but was not supported by earlier
phylogenetic inferences supporting their monophyly. Using a molecular
supermatrix approach and a large selection of outgroups, we revisit and
reject the monophyly of Afrotropical and Neotropical giant damselflies
that is otherwise supported by a morphological phylogeny. Molecular
divergence time estimation suggests an origin of Afrotropical giant
damselflies in the late Paleogene, and of Neotropical ones at the
Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary, thereby rejecting a long-standing West
Gondwana vicariance hypothesis. The strong ecological and morphological
resemblances between these two independent lineages represents an
astonishing case of Amphi-Atlantic tropical convergent evolution.