DNA barcoding of marine copepods: assessment of analytical approaches to species identification.

ABSTRACT: More than 2,500 species of copepods (Class Maxillopoda; Subclass Copepoda) occur in the marine planktonic environment. The exceptional morphological conservation of the group, with numerous sibling species groups, makes the identification of species challenging, even for expert taxonomists. Molecular approaches to species identification have allowed rapid detection, discrimination, and identification of species based on DNA sequencing of single specimens and environmental samples. Despite the recent development of diverse genetic and genomic markers, the barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene remains a useful and - in some cases - unequaled diagnostic character for species-level identification of copepods. This study reports 800 new barcode sequences

SUBMITTER: Blanco-Bercial L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4073882 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature