Phylogeny, phylogeography and taxonomy of selected members of the family Bosminidae

Abstract

Phylogeography, taxonomy, and systematics of chosen members of family Bosminidae Abstract of Ph.D. Thesis MSc Markéta Faustová Supervisors: RNDr. Veronika Sacherová, Ph.D. - Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic Dr. Derek J. Taylor, Ph.D. - New York State University at Buffalo, U.S.A. For their life cycles, phenotypic plasticity, presence of sibling species and worldwide distribution, cladocerans are useful organisms for evolutionary studies with the aim to understand mechanisms of speciation, adaptive radiation, and polymorphism. While members of the genus Daphnia (family Daphniidae) became an iconic model in such studies, members of the family Bosminidae posses comparably interesting set of characteristics that could help to elucidate speciation mechanisms. In particular, members of the genus Eubosmina are known for extreme levels of phenotypic plasticity, especially in the Circumbaltic region, which puzzled the taxonomy and confused relationships of all described morphotypes since the first Eubosmina was described in 1857. The presented thesis explores genetic and morphometrical relationships with the aim to clarify how closely related all the described morphospecies are, to find out if there are some reproductive barriers and how strong these barriers are, how is the present-day structure of...

Phylogeography, taxonomy, and systematics of chosen members of family Bosminidae Abstract of Ph.D. Thesis MSc Markéta Faustová Supervisors: RNDr. Veronika Sacherová, Ph.D. - Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic Dr. Derek J. Taylor, Ph.D. - New York State University at Buffalo, U.S.A. For their life cycles, phenotypic plasticity, presence of sibling species and worldwide distribution, cladocerans are useful organisms for evolutionary studies with the aim to understand mechanisms of speciation, adaptive radiation, and polymorphism. While members of the genus Daphnia (family Daphniidae) became an iconic model in such studies, members of the family Bosminidae posses comparably interesting set of characteristics that could help to elucidate speciation mechanisms. In particular, members of the genus Eubosmina are known for extreme levels of phenotypic plasticity, especially in the Circumbaltic region, which puzzled the taxonomy and confused relationships of all described morphotypes since the first Eubosmina was described in 1857. The presented thesis explores genetic and morphometrical relationships with the aim to clarify how closely related all the described morphospecies are, to find out if there are some reproductive barriers and how strong these barriers are, how is the present-day structure of...