DNA barcoding uncovers cryptic diversity in 50% of deep-sea Antarctic polychaetes.

ABSTRACT: The Antarctic marine environment is a diverse ecosystem currently experiencing some of the fastest rates of climatic change. The documentation and management of these changes requires accurate estimates of species diversity. Recently, there has been an increased recognition of the abundance and importance of cryptic species, i.e. those that are morphologically identical but genetically distinct. This article presents the largest genetic investigation into the prevalence of cryptic polychaete species within the deep Antarctic benthos to date. We uncover cryptic diversity in 50% of the 15 morphospecies targeted through the comparison of mitochondrial DNA sequences, as well as 10 previously overlooked morphospecies, increasing the total species richness in the sample by 233%. Our ability to d

SUBMITTER: Brasier MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5180122 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature