Data are inadequate to test whale falls as chemosynthetic stepping-stones using network analysis: faunal overlaps do support a stepping-stone role

Abstract

are inadequate to test whale falls as chemosynthetic stepping-stones using network analysis: faunal overlaps do support a stepping-stone role.

Gastropod fauna on organic falls at the Southwest Atlantic deep-sea

“…Faunal overlap among whale bones, wood parcels and other chemosynthetic environments were reinforced by the presence of Hyalogyrina rissoella and the genus Cordesia, both found previously on the Northeast Pacific Ocean and at hydrocarbon seeps off the Southeast Atlantic, concurring the ecological "stepping stones" hypothesis (Smith et al, 1989;Distel et al, 2000;Smith and Baco, 2003;Samadi et al, 2007;Smith, 2015;Smith et al 2017). This organic fall could play an ecological role helping organisms to disperse or could imply in evolutionary novelties in long periods of time.…”

“…The idea that deep-sea snails started to colonize food falls, then through speciation started to inhabit more reduced environments (i.e. hydrothermal vents) (Smith et al, 1989;Distel et al, 2000;Smith and Baco, 2003;Fujiwara et al, 2007;Samadi et al, 2007;Smith, 2015;Sumida et al, 2016;Smith et al 2017) seems inverted in this case.…”

“…The second time Lusitanops cingulatus was found on this basin (see Sumida et al, 2016), with the first time a gastropod of the family Abyssochrysoidae was found on whale carcass and summed with the findings of Hyalogyrina rissoela and Cordesia for the first time dwelling on food falls and on the Southwest Atlantic contribute to the ecological role of whale and wood falls as "stepping stones" for organism dispersal, suggesting that dispersal plays a major role on diversification on organic falls (Smith et al, 1989;Distel et al, 2000;Smith and Baco., 2003;Samadi et al, 2007;Smith, 2015;Smith et al, 2017).…”

“…Discussions about possible intersections among the fauna found on hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and organic falls, also known as the "stepping stones" hypothesis, were first conceived by Smith et al (1989) and reinforced over the years (Distel et al, 2000;Smith and Baco, 2003;Smith, 2015;Smith et al 2017).These large food falls work as organic islands in the deep sea helping organisms to disperse along large distances, playing ecological and evolutionary roles. The specialization on the feeding resources and the interaction among the fauna lead to speciation and the appearance of evolutionary novelties, such as some bivalves and polychaeta worms that have chemosymbiotic bacteria (Smith et al, 1989;Distel et al, 2000;Smith and Baco, 2003;Fujiwara et al, 2007;Lundsten et al, 2010).…”

“…Gastropods of the superfamily Abyssochrysoidea are known for inhabiting the deep-sea and chemosynthetic habitats, such as hydrothermal vents, hydrocarbon seeps, organic falls such as wood and whale bones. Some of them may have used bone and wood as ecological and evolutionary "stepping stones" (Smith et al, 1989;Distel et al, 2000;Smith and Baco, 2003;Fujiwara et al, 2007;Samadi et al, 2007;Smith, 2015;Sumida et al, 2016;Smith et al 2017).…”