ABSTRACT
Most attempts to understand the evolution of Apidae, from the generic level to familial, have been based on the assessment of comparative morphology or behavior. Recently, molecular characters have become available for the study of evolution in numerous taxa. One subset of these characters includes ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences used for phylogeny estimation in insects. Alignment of ribosomal RNA sequence data was performed with the alignment algorithm available in the Intelligenetics computer package. Each sequence was aligned separately to Bombus terricola sequence. Hypotheses about evolution and systematics of the Apoidea and Apidae are based largely on information accumulated from the study of the morphology and behavior. An eventual synthesis of information from both molecular and non-molecular methodologies may be the best hope to significantly improve understanding of bee evolution.
