Publication Date:
2023-03-07
Description:
The Southern Ocean is one of the most isolated marine ecosystems, characterized by high levels of endemism, diversity and biomass. Ascidians are among the dominant groups in the Antarctic benthic communities, thus recording the evolutionary patterns of this group is crucial to improve our current understanding on the assembly of this polar ocean. In this study, we studied the genetic variation within Cnemidocarpa verrucosa sensu lato, one of the most widely distributed and abundant ascidians in Antarctica. Using a mitochondrial and a nuclear gene (mtCOI and 18S), the phylogeography of fifteen populations distributed along the Antarctic Peninsula and South America (Burdwood Bank/MPA Namuncurá) was characterized, where the bimodal distribution of the genetic distance suggested the existence of two species within the nominal C. verrucosa. When re-evaluating morphological traits to distinguish between genetically defined species, the presence of basal disc in one of the genotypes allowed to differentiate the species.
Keywords:
Branchial formula; Carlini_Base; Cnemidocarpa verrucosa, height; Cnemidocarpa verrucosa, number of gonads; Cnemidocarpa verrucosa, number of stomach folds; Cnemidocarpa verrucosa, width; Color description; DEPTH, water; Number; Potter Peninsula, King George Island, Western Antarctica; Presence/absence; Research station; RS; Sample ID; Shape; Siphon, position; Species, genetic
Type:
Dataset
Format:
text/tab-separated-values, 288 data points
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