Biochemical systematics and evolutionary relationships in the Trichoniscus pusillus complex (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

In order to clarify taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships among Trichoniscus pusillus (Isopoda, Oniscidea) populations, allozyme variation was studied by means of starch gel electrophoresis. The genetic structure of several populations belonging to different subspecies (diploid bisexual, triploid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Heredity 1997-11, Vol.79 (5), p.463-472
Main Authors: Cobolli Sbordoni, M, Ketmaier, V, De Matthaeis, E, Taiti, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
allozymes
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
caves
chemotaxonomy
Cytogenetics
Ecology
enzyme polymorphism
epigean populations
Evolutionary Biology
gene flow
genetic distance
heterozygosity
Human Genetics
hypogean populations
loci
original-article
phylogeny
Plant Genetics and Genomics
population
trichoniscus pusillus
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Summary:In order to clarify taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships among Trichoniscus pusillus (Isopoda, Oniscidea) populations, allozyme variation was studied by means of starch gel electrophoresis. The genetic structure of several populations belonging to different subspecies (diploid bisexual, triploid parthenogenetic; epigean, troglophilic and troglobitic) was assessed by investigating 10 enzymatic systems corresponding to 15 putative loci. F-statistics and clustering analysis indicated a high degree of genetic differentiation, corresponding to low levels of gene flow among populations, both epigean and hypogean, still considered to be conspecific. Estimates of divergence times calculated from genetic distance data suggest that the pattern of differentiation and the colonization of cave environments may be related to the palaeoclimatic change of the Messinian and Plio-Pleistocene glaciations.
ISSN:0018-067X
1365-2540
DOI:10.1038/hdy.1997.185