| Title | Cryptic diversity with wide salinity tolerance in the putative euryhaline Testudinella clypeata (Rotifera, Monogononta) |
| Abstract | Aquatic faunas in fresh, brackish, and salt waters are usually well defined and differ amongst these three habitats. Nonetheless, some animals are known to be euryhaline, namely present across wide salinity ranges. The wide tolerance of putative euryhaline species has, however been refuted in some cases by DNA taxonomy, which has uncovered cryptic diversity with narrow ecological niches. We aim to improve knowledge on the putative euryhalinism of microinvertebrates and test whether it might actually be a real phenomenon or if euryhaline species are mostly a consequence of our previous inability to identify cryptic species with narrow salinity ranges, as discovered in Brachionus plicatilis. Using morphological analyses and DNA taxonomy, we investigated the species reality and distribution of a putative euryhaline rotifer species, Testudinella clypeata, and evaluated whether cryptic species are ecologically and/or geographically segregated. Different DNA taxonomy approaches concurred in revealing the presence of seven cryptic species within the T.clypeata morphospecies, which, in contrast to what has been previously detected, are actually euryhaline. Moreover, differences in analysed morphological traits were not significantly different amongst cryptic species. This suggests that DNA taxonomy improves our estimates of the actual diversity of microscopic species, in contrast to the morphological approach.(c) 2013 The Linnean Society of London |
| Source | Zoological journal of the Linnean Society 168 (1), pp. 17–28 |
| Keywords | DNA taxonomyecological distributionecological tolerancegeographical distributiongeneralized mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC) modelmicroscopic organismsmeiofaunasalt waterstraditional taxonomy |
| Journal | Zoological journal of the Linnean Society |
| Editor | Academic Press.., [London], Regno Unito |
| Year | 2013 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1111/zoj.12020 |
| Authors | Francesca Leasi; Cuong Q. Tang; Willem H. de Smet; Diego Fontaneto |
| Text | 281574 2013 10.1111/zoj.12020 ISI Web of Science WOS 000318231100002 DNA taxonomy ecological distribution ecological tolerance geographical distribution generalized mixed Yule coalescent GMYC model microscopic organisms meiofauna salt waters traditional taxonomy Cryptic diversity with wide salinity tolerance in the putative euryhaline Testudinella clypeata Rotifera, Monogononta Francesca Leasi; Cuong Q. Tang; Willem H. de Smet; Diego Fontaneto Leasi, Francesca Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA; Tang, Cuong Q. Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK; De Smet, Willem Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, B 2160 Wilrijk, Belgium; Fontaneto, Diego CNR ISE, Pallanza Verbania Aquatic faunas in fresh, brackish, and salt waters are usually well defined and differ amongst these three habitats. Nonetheless, some animals are known to be euryhaline, namely present across wide salinity ranges. The wide tolerance of putative euryhaline species has, however been refuted in some cases by DNA taxonomy, which has uncovered cryptic diversity with narrow ecological niches. We aim to improve knowledge on the putative euryhalinism of microinvertebrates and test whether it might actually be a real phenomenon or if euryhaline species are mostly a consequence of our previous inability to identify cryptic species with narrow salinity ranges, as discovered in Brachionus plicatilis. Using morphological analyses and DNA taxonomy, we investigated the species reality and distribution of a putative euryhaline rotifer species, Testudinella clypeata, and evaluated whether cryptic species are ecologically and/or geographically segregated. Different DNA taxonomy approaches concurred in revealing the presence of seven cryptic species within the T.clypeata morphospecies, which, in contrast to what has been previously detected, are actually euryhaline. Moreover, differences in analysed morphological traits were not significantly different amongst cryptic species. This suggests that DNA taxonomy improves our estimates of the actual diversity of microscopic species, in contrast to the morphological approach. c 2013 The Linnean Society of London 168 Published version http //onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zoj.12020/full Leasi et al 2013 2013_Zoological_Journal_LS_168_17_28.pdf Articolo in rivista Academic Press.. 0024 4082 Zoological journal of the Linnean Society Zoological journal of the Linnean Society Zool. j. Linn. Soc. Zoological journal of the Linnean Society. diego.fontaneto FONTANETO DIEGO TA.P04.016.004 Ecologia teorica e applicata degli ecosistemi acquatici |
