By contrast, examining the history of extinct and extant supraspecific lineages within a phylogenetic context provides the opportunity to analyze actual clades and the effectiveness of key synapomorphies and associated ecological attributes during environmental crises. Currently such studies take two forms: first, the study of the effects of particular environmental and biological events on the history of modern lineages, principally confined to the Cenozoic; and second, the much less common examination of extinct, typically older lineages that have responded to various crises, often as opportunities for diversification. Both types of cladistically based phylogenetic examinations would be informative; but there are too few studies, especially for taxa with older fossil records. Such studies would have to increase considerably on a clade-by-clade basis, especially at important extinction events. These studies are particularly necessary if finely resolved insect occurrence data were available so that a detectible and resolved pattern can emerge that parallels the taxic approach. Given the paucity of insect body fossils at such crucial events as the P-T and K-P extinctions, it is highly likely that ecological proxy data and the timing of coevolved associations (the latter especially for the Neogene) will