DNA barcoding of stygofauna uncovers cryptic amphipod diversity in a calcrete aquifer in Western Australia's arid zone

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorBradford, T.
dc.contributor.authorAdams, M.
dc.contributor.authorHumphreys, W.
dc.contributor.authorAustin, A.
dc.contributor.authorCooper, J.
dc.date.issued2010
dc.description.abstractThe arid Yilgarn region of Western Australia contains numerous subterranean calcrete aquifers with unique assemblages of obligate groundwater invertebrates (stygofauna). We aimed to establish a DNA barcoding framework for the macro-invertebrates present in a single calcrete, as a basis for future assessment of biodiversity of the Yilgarn calcretes and for investigating food webs. Intense sampling of a bore field grid in the Sturt Meadows calcrete was undertaken to obtain representatives of the entire macro-invertebrate ecosystem. A 623-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene was used to provide DNA barcodes for stygobiont macro-invertebrates plus terrestrial organisms that are found in the calcrete. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the existence of 12 divergent monophyletic groups of haplotypes. Subterranean amphipods (Chiltoniidae) showed three groups of COI haplotypes with sequence divergences between them of >11%. Allozyme analyses found a large number of fixed allelic differences between these three amphipod groups, indicating that there are three morphologically cryptic species within the Sturt Meadows calcrete. Unlike the sister triplet of dytiscid beetles present, the amphipods are not sister clades and are more closely related to other Yilgarn and non-Yilgarn amphipods than to each other. Our results show that the aquifer contains at least 12 macro-invertebrate species and DNA barcoding provides a useful means for discriminating species in this system.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityT. Bradford, M. Adams, W. F. Humphreys, A. D. Austin and S. J. B. Cooper
dc.identifier.citationMolecular Ecology Resources, 2010; 10(1):41-50
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02706.x
dc.identifier.issn1755-098X
dc.identifier.issn1755-0998
dc.identifier.orcidBradford, T. [0000-0003-0607-1398]
dc.identifier.orcidAdams, M. [0000-0002-6010-7382]
dc.identifier.orcidAustin, A. [0000-0002-9602-2276]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/61784
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing Ltd
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP0663675
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP0663675
dc.rights© 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02706.x
dc.subjectallozymes
dc.subjectamphipods
dc.subjectCOI mitochondrial DNA
dc.subjectcryptic species
dc.subjectDNA barcoding
dc.subjectstygofauna
dc.titleDNA barcoding of stygofauna uncovers cryptic amphipod diversity in a calcrete aquifer in Western Australia's arid zone
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Collections

Earth and Environmental Sciences publications
Environment Institute Leaders publications
Environment Institute publications