Although numerous articles have been published on insect phylogeny using a great variety of techniques, there is no consensus on the nature of the first winged insects, the ancestors of holometabolous insects or the causes for the origin of metamorphosis. This discord has resulted in the lack of secure foundations within entomological theory. However, several recent articles provide key information which may help to resolve some of the long-standing disputes. Some biologists have argued that the first winged insects might have been amphibiotic rather than terrestrial and that metamorphosis might have originated as an adaptation to amphibiotic life. Thus entomological theory may now be passing through a paradigm shift where, for the first time, the phylogenetic tree for all insects may be firmly rooted.

To cite this paper: Toms, R.B. 2007. Rooting the phylogenetic tree for winged insects: independent adaptations to terrestrial life. In: Brothers, D.J. & Mostovski, M.B., eds, Congress Proceedings Fossils X 3, Pretoria, South Africa, 7-11 February 2005. Pietermaritzburg: Natal Museum, pp. 203-211.
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Toms, R.B. 2007. Rooting the phylogenetic tree for winged insects: independent adaptations to terrestrial life. African Invertebrates 48 (1): 203-211.