Cryptic speciation in a biodiversity hotspot: multilocus molecular data reveal new velvet worm species from Western Australia (Onychophora : Peripatopsidae : Kumbadjena)

Abstract

There is a yet uncovered multitude of species to be found among Western Australian Onychophora. Kumbadjena, one of the two genera that reside in this region, has been previously suggested to house an extensive species complex. Morphology alone has not been able to elucidate the diversity in this genus and has instead muddled species delineations. Topologies and species delimitation analyses resulting from the sequences of two mitochondrial ribosomal markers (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA), one nuclear ribosomal marker (18S rRNA), and one mitochondrial protein-coding gene (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) are indicative of several undescribed species. Fixed diagnostic nucleotide changes in the highly conserved sequences of 18S rRNA warrant distinction of three new species of Kumbadjena: K. toolbrunupensis, sp. nov., K. karricola, sp. nov., and K. extrema, sp. nov. The geographic distributions of the proposed species suggest that Kumbadjena is another example of short-range endemism, a common occurrence in the flora and fauna of the region. The extensive biodiversity and endemism in the region necessitates conservation to preserve the species and processes that promote speciation harboured by Western Australia.

A new giant velvet worm from Costa Rica suggests absence of the genus Peripatus (Onychophora: Peripatidae) in Central America

“…It is important to point out that Macroperipatus and Epiperipatus are problematic genera (Oliveira & Wieloch, 2005, Oliveira et al, 2010, 2012a: considering the general onychophoran biology, they exhibit an unlikely broad distribution (Oliveira et al, 2011;Daniels et al, 2016;Cunha et al, 2017;Sato et al, 2018;Barnes & Daniels, 2019), which causes an overlap in characters with those of other genera. This is especially true in Epiperipatus (Sampaio-Costa et al, 2018), as its diagnostic characters are present in most species.…”

“…Except for the pioneer works of Trewick (1998Trewick ( , 1999Trewick ( , 2000, none other onychophoran's taxonomist has recognized that molecular genetics is the best tool available to identify taxa within this phylum (see Gleeson & Ruhberg, 2010). Particularly, for cryptic species, this is possibly the only way (Briscoe, & Tait, 1995;Daniels et al, 2016;Cunha et al, 2017;Sato et al, 2018). Certainly, morphology and biogeography should be used as auxiliary tools.…”

“…Our final matrix had 47 species sequences for COI, 47 species for 12S, 41 species for 16S and 37 species for 18S (Table 1). Alignments were made with MAFFT web server (Katoh, Kuma, Toh, & Miyata, 2005;Kuraku, Zmasek, Nishimura, & Katoh, 2013), G-INS-i strategy was used for COI, 12S and 16S genes; and E-INS-i strategy was used for 18S gene (Sato et al, 2018). Each gene alignment was trimmed using the Gblocks web server (Castresana, 2000).…”

“…Additionally, some of those characteristics -like interpedal structures, pre-ventral and ventral organs -depend on the contraction of preserved specimens. Moreover, the discovery of cryptic species in both families (Briscoe, & Tait, 1995;Trewick, 1998Trewick, , 1999Trewick, , 2000Ruhberg, & Hamer, 2005;Daniels, Picker, Cowlin, & Hamer, 2009;Daniels, & Ruhberg, 2010;Oliveira et al, 2010;Daniels, 2011;Oliveira, Lacorte, Fonseca, Wieloch, & Mayer, 2011;Daniels, McDonald, & Picker, 2013;Ruhberg, & Daniels, 2013;Myburgh, & Daniels, 2015;Daniels, Dambire, Klaus, & Sharma, 2016;Cunha et al, 2017;Sato, Buckman-Young, Harvey, & Giribet, 2018) has complicated taxonomic distinctions.…”

Panamanian velvet worms in the genus Epiperipatus, with notes on their taxonomy and distribution and the description of a new species (Onychophora, Peripatidae)

“…Recent evolutionary work on velvet worms has focused on aspects of continental-scale biogeography and systematics (Allwood et al, 2010;Costa et al, 2021;Giribet et al, 2018;Murienne et al, 2014;Oliveira et al, 2013Oliveira et al, , 2016 and in understanding smallscale biogeographic patterns in relation to cryptic speciation, by a combination of phylogenetic and population genetics (e.g. Barnes & Daniels, 2019;Daniels et al, 2009Daniels et al, , 2016Daniels & Ruhberg, 2010;Oliveira et al, 2011Oliveira et al, , 2018Sato et al, 2018). Phylogenetic research has shown a main difference between the two families of Onychophora.…”