Journal Article
The role of allopatric speciation and ancient origins of Bathynellidae (Crustacea) in the Pilbara (Western Australia): two new genera from the De Grey River catchment
Perina, G., Camacho, A., Huey, J., Horwitz, P. and Koenders, A.
Record Number:
4412
Year:
2019
Journal:
Contributions to Zoology
Pages:
1-46
Abstract:
The stygofaunal family of Bathynellidae, is an excellent group to study the processes that shape diversity
and distribution, since they have unknown surface or marine relatives, high level of endemism, and limited
dispersal abilities. Recent research on Bathynellidae in Western Australia (Pilbara) has uncovered new
taxa with unexpected distributions and phylogenetic relationships, but the biogeographical processes that
drive their diversification on the continent are still unclear. By exploring the diversity, distribution, and divergence time of Bathynellidae in a setting such as the perched and isolated aquifers of the Cleaverville
Formation in the north of the De Grey River catchment (Pilbara), we aim to test the hypothesis that
vicariance has shaped the distribution of this family, specifically if one or multiple vicariant events were
involved. We analysed the specimens collected from perched water in different plateaus of the Cleaverville
Formation, combining morphological and molecular data from mitochondrial and nuclear genes. We described
two new species and genera (Anguillanella callawaensis gen. et sp. nov. and Muccanella cundalinensis
gen. et sp. nov.), and two additional taxa are recognised using morphology and/or Automatic Barcode
Gap Discovery and Poisson Tree Processes species delimitation methods. New genera and species result
restricted to isolate perched aquifers on single plateaus and their distributions, phylogenetic relationships,
and divergence time estimates support multiple vicariant events and ancient allopatric speciation
Times Cited:
3