A novel, combined approach to assessing species delimitation and biogeography within the well-known desmid species Micrasterias fimbriata and M. rotata (Desmidiales, Steptophyta)

Abstract

A novel, combined approach to assessing species delimitation and biogeography within the well-known desmid species Micrasterias fimbriata and M. rotata (Desmidiales, Steptophyta) Abstract Morphological species of freshwater microalgae often have broad geographic distribution. However, traditional species concepts have been challenged by the results of molecular phylogenetic analyses that mostly indicate higher diversity than was previously recognized by purely morphological approaches. A degree of phenotypic differentiation or different geographic distribution of species defined by molecular data remains largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed a pair of well-known and widely distributed desmid species (Micrasterias fimbriata and M. rotata) and tested for their phylogenetic and Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

New and remarkable desmids (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta) from Europe: taxonomical notes based on LM and SEM observations.

“…This trend has been convincingly demonstrated in several recent papers (e.g. neustupa et al 2010, 2011neMjová et al 2011). In our opinion, it can be assumed that the estimation of the overall global desmid species number by hoshaw et al (1990, 15000 spp.…”

“…Mccourt et al 2000;Gontcharov et al 2003;neustupa & ŠKaloud 2007;Gontcharov 2008;hall et al 2008;Gontcharov & MelKonian 2005. Only very recently molecular methods have also been used in the evaluation of taxonomic concepts of traditional, morphology-based taxa at the level of species and variety, resulting in remarkable taxonomic changes (neustupa et al 2010, 2011neMjová et al 2011).…”

DNA-based species delimitation in algae

“…Pröschold et al, 2001;Vanormelingen et al, 2007;Walker et al, 2009;Bendif et al, 2011;McManus & Lewis, 2011;Neustupa et al, 2011;Ni-Ni-Win et al, 2011;Lam et al, 2012;Milstein & Saunders, 2012;Škaloud & Rindi, 2013). Although comparisons of DNA-based species delimitation and species boundaries based on integrative taxonomy are useful in this respect, we argue that DNA sequence data serve as a reliable source of data for testing species boundaries even in the absence of additional phenotypic evidence.…”

Ecological variation within traditional diatom morphospecies: diversity of Frustulia rhomboides sensu lato (Bacillariophyceae) in European freshwater habitats

“…In addition, Créach et al (2006) andVanelslander et al (2009) also illustrated that the distribution frequencies of individual Navicula phyllepta Kü tzing sibling species reflected differences in their ecological preferences. Since molecular genetic analyses need an incomparably larger effort in comparison with studies based on morphological features, morphometric techniques has been used to assess the identity and variability of natural populations with respect to the morphology of the type specimens (Potapova & Hamilton 2007;Frá nková et al 2009) or the phylogeny of the species complexes (Vanelslander et al 2009;Neustupa et al 2011). It is likely that morphometric methods also could be used for the estimation of distribution and ecology of pseudocryptic Frustulia rhomboides lineages on the basis of natural assemblages because the mean morphological features differed between lineages.…”