A genetic dimension to deep-sea biodiversity

Our knowledge of deep-sea biodiversity is based almost entirely on morphological distinctions at the species level. Here, we use haplotype variations in the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal gene to assess biodiversity at the genome level in four deep-sea molluscan morphospecies. Genetic divergence levels...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Deep-sea research. Part I, Oceanographic research papers Oceanographic research papers, 1999-06, Vol.46 (6), p.1095-1099
Main Authors: Etter, Ron J., Rex, Michael A., Chase, Michael C., Quattro, Joseph M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal populations
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biological diversity
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetics
Marine
Marine biology
Mollusca
Mollusks
Particular ecosystems
Physical and chemical properties of sea water
Physics of the oceans
Synecology
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Summary:Our knowledge of deep-sea biodiversity is based almost entirely on morphological distinctions at the species level. Here, we use haplotype variations in the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal gene to assess biodiversity at the genome level in four deep-sea molluscan morphospecies. Genetic divergence levels among populations of the morphospecies fall within the range of interspecific divergence found in coastal marine and aquatic molluscan genera. Results indicate a rich population structure at the genetic level in deep-sea mollusks, and suggest the possibility that some seemingly coherent morphospecies are composed of cryptic species.
ISSN:0967-0637
1879-0119
DOI:10.1016/S0967-0637(98)00100-9