Punjabi University researchers study dragonflies of the Libellulidae family

Researchers at Punjabi University, Patiala, studied dragonflies from the Libellulidae family, which are colourful insects often seen near lakes and ponds.

The research work carried out by Hardeep Singh and supervised by Prof Gurinder Kaur Walia, at the Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, looked at the dragonflies’ chromosomes (structures that carry genetic information) and their DNA to understand how different species are related to each other.

Hardeep Singh said that they collected dragonflies from various parts of North and South India and examined the chromosomes of these dragonflies to identify unique features and check for any changes in their structure. He said that they also studied a specific gene (mitochondrial COI gene) in the dragonflies’ DNA, which acts like a 'barcode' to tell species apart and show how they’re related. By combining the chromosome and DNA data, they confirmed how these dragonfly species evolved and are connected.

He further stated that the findings were published in 4 research papers in well-known international journals.

Prof Walia said that the study added five new dragonfly species to the global list of 258 species studied for their chromosomes. They submitted DNA data for 28 sequences from 21 species to a global database (NCBI) and analysed 112 DNA sequences from 80 species to map out how these dragonflies are related evolutionarily. She said that dragonflies are ancient insects, around for about 220 million years, and are related to some of the earliest winged insects. They are important for studying freshwater environments (like lakes and rivers) because different species need different habitats and they have complex life cycles (partly in water, partly on land). This makes them great for understanding ecology that how living things interact with their environment and about evolution.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Jagdeep Singh, while appreciating the research, congratulated the researcher and the supervisor. He said that such researches are a testament to the quality of research being done in the university which enhances the prestige of the institution.