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Pfingstl, T.; Schäffer, S.; Bardel-Kahr, I.; Baumann, J. (2022). A closer look reveals hidden diversity in the intertidal Caribbean Fortuyniidae (Acari, Oribatida). PLOS ONE. 17(6): e0268964.
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10.1371/journal.pone.0268964 [view]
Pfingstl, T.; Schäffer, S.; Bardel-Kahr, I.; Baumann, J.
2022
A closer look reveals hidden diversity in the intertidal Caribbean Fortuyniidae (Acari, Oribatida)
PLOS ONE
17(6): e0268964
Publication
A molecular genetic and morphometric investigation revealed the supposedly widespread
Caribbean and Western Atlantic intertidal oribatid mite species Fortuynia atlantica to comprise
at least two different species. Although there are no distinct morphological differences
separating these taxa, COI and 18S sequence divergence data, as well as different species
delimitation analyses, clearly identify the two species. Fortuynia atlantica is distributed in
the northern Caribbean and the Western Atlantic and the new Fortuynia antillea sp. nov. is
presently endemic to Barbados. Vicariance is supposed to be responsible for their genetic
diversification and stabilizing selection caused by the extreme intertidal environment is suggested
to be the reason for the found morphological stasis. The genetic structure of Fortuynia
atlantica indicates that Bermudian populations are derived from the northern Caribbean
and thus support the theory of dispersal by drifting on the Gulf Stream. Haplotype network
data suggest that Bermudian and Bahamian populations were largely shaped by colonization,
expansion and extinction events caused by dramatic sea level changes during the
Pleistocene. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on 18S gene sequences indicates
that the globally distributed genus Fortuynia may be a monophyletic group, whereas Caribbean
and Western Atlantic members are distinctly separated from the Indo-Pacific and
Western Pacific species.
Caribbean region
Date
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Fortuynia antillea Pfingstl, Schäffer, Bardel-Kahr & Baumann, 2022 (original description)