Journal Article
On the evolutionary origin of Neotropical cavefish Ancistrus cryptophthalmus (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) based on the mitogenome and genetic structure of cave and surface populations
Mendes, I.S., Prosdocimi, F., Schomaker-Bastos, A., Furtado, C., Ferreira, R.L., .Pompeu, P.S. and Carvalho, D.C.
Record Number:
4404
Year:
2019
Journal:
Hydrobiologia
Pages:
157-171
Volume:
842
Notes:
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-019-04033-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized
users.
Abstract:
Abstract The evolutionary process of adaptation to
the cave environment leads to extreme genetic,
morphological, and physiological modifications commonly
known as stygomorphism. The cave-dwelling
armored catfish Ancistrus cryptophthalmus is a good
model to understand the evolutionary processes of
stygomorphism in the Neotropics as its ecology and
morphology have been studied in detail. Interestingly,
it has been found a non-stygomorphic epigean population
named Ancistrus sp. This population is
morphologically distinct to the hypogean population
of A. cryptophthalmus as they present better-developed
ocular structures and intense pigmentation. Here
we used Illumina sequencing technology to produce
partial genome sequences for specimens of Ancistrus
sp. and A. cryptophthalmus; we also genotyped
molecular markers from individuals of both species.
Based on the high level of mitogenome similarity and
metapopulation connectivity between the surface and
cave populations, we suggest that the evolution of
stygomorphisms observed in A. cryptophthalmus may
be the result of morphologic modification, by natural
selection, of Ancistrus sp. surface population to
colonize the harsh cave environment.
Times Cited:
4