New insights into the evolution of Australasian endemic dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

The Australasian endemic genera (AEG) are a group of closely-related dung beetles found mainly in Australia but also across several South Pacific land masses (i.e., New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Guinea). This clade represents an ecologically important, and evolutionary fascinating group. Most species are confined to coastal rainforests and often have disjunct ranges due to arid gaps between these habitats. Due to this, it is believed that these species represent evolutionary relicts of lineages that existed when mesic zone rainforests were dominant in Australia. Here, we provide an updated phylogenetic hypothesis for the group and discuss what these relationships tell us about their diversity, distribution, and unique evolutionary history.