The ancient<scp>B</scp>ritons: groundwater fauna survived extreme climate change over tens of millions of years across<scp>NW E</scp>urope

McInerney, Caitríona E.; Maurice, Louise; Robertson, Anne L.; Knight, Lee R.F.D.; Arnscheidt, Joerg; Venditti, Chris; Dooley, James; Mathers, Thomas C.; Matthijs, Sandra; Eriksson, Karin; Proudlove, Graham S.; Hänfling, Bernd

doi:10.1111/mec.12664

Cited by 86 publications

(111 citation statements)

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“…Molecular data indicate that Niphargus colonized south-eastern Europe at the beginning of the Oligocene (~25 million years ago) (McInerney et al 2014). Although N. valachicus was not included in that study, its distribution reflects the extent of the Paratethys Sea during the Early Pliocene (~5 million years ago), when-as it has been hypothesized-it may have colonized available freshwater habitats through coastal lagoons (Sket 1981).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zoogeography of epigean freshwater Amphipoda (Crustacea) in Romania: <br />fragmented distributions and wide altitudinal variability

Copilaş‐Ciocianu

Grabowski

Pârvulescu

et al. 2014

Zootaxa

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Inland epigean freshwater amphipods of Romania are diverse and abundant for this region has a favourable geographical position between the Balkans and the Black Sea. Excluding Ponto-Caspian species originating in brackish waters and freshwater subterranean taxa, there are 11 formally recognized epigean freshwater species recorded from this country. They belong to 3 genera, each representing a different family: Gammarus (Gammaridae, 8 species or species complexes), Niphargus (Niphargidae, 2 epigean species) and Synurella (Crangonyctidae, one species). Their large-scale distribution patterns nevertheless remain obscure due to insufficient data, consequently limiting biogeographical interpretations. We provide extensive new data with high resolution distribution maps, thus improving the knowledge of the ranges of these taxa. Gammarus species display substantial altitudinal variability and patchy, fragmented distribution patterns. They occur abundantly, particularly in springs and streams, from lowlands to sub-mountainous and mountainous regions. In the light of recent molecular research, we hypothesize that the complex geomorphological dynamics of the Carpathian region during the Late Tertiary probably contributed to their allopatric distribution pattern. Contrasting with Gammarus, the genera Niphargus and Synurella exhibit low altitudinal variability, broad ecological valences and overlapping distributions, being widespread throughout the lowlands. The current distribution of N. hrabei and N. valachicus seems to be linked to the extent of the Paratethys during the Early Pliocene or Pleistocene. We further discuss the taxonomic validity of two synonymized and one apparently undescribed taxon, and provide an updated pictorial identification key that includes all taxa and forms discussed in our study. The mosaic distribution of epigean freshwater amphipod species in Romania shows that this region is particularly suitable for phylo-and biogeographical analyses of this group.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zoogeography of epigean freshwater Amphipoda (Crustacea) in Romania: <br />fragmented distributions and wide altitudinal variability

Copilaş‐Ciocianu

Grabowski

Pârvulescu

et al. 2014

Zootaxa

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“…On the one hand, most British cave-associated species can be considered as introduced, because subterranean habitats in the British Isles have been actively undergoing recolonization ever since the Pleistocene glaciations (but see McInerney et al, 2014). On the other hand, still little is known about the routes and processes involved in this recolonization process.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the future spread of native and alien congeneric species in subterranean habitats — the case of Meta cave-dwelling spiders in Great Britain

Mammola¹

2017

IJS

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Abstract:The threshold zones between the epigean and hypogean environments are generally characterized by less harsh ecological conditions than deep subterranean habitats, and usually support a greater abundance of organisms. Transitional habitats such as these should be more easily colonised by alien species, especially by those possessing exaptations suitable for subterranean life. In spite of this, few studies have been conducted to unravel the ecological dynamics between native and alien species in the habitats situated at the epigean/hypogean interface. A unique test case is offered by cave-dwelling Meta orb-weaver spiders in Great Britain (Araneae: Tetragnathidae). One species, M. menardi, is a widespread native, whilst M. bourneti is believed to be a recently introduced (1940s) species, that has since become established in the south-eastern part of the country. Species distribution models (SDM) were used to predict current and future habitat suitability for the two species, generating hypotheses regarding their distribution in different global warming scenarios.Model projections indicate that the two species respond to similar environmental variables. Seasonal temperature variations at the surface and elevation are the main factors explaining the distribution of both species, whereas annual precipitation, daily temperature range and limestone distribution contributed little to the model performance. It is predicted that due to climate change, there will be poleward shifts in the ranges of both species. However, the native species M. menardi will primarily be able to exploit suitable areas which will appear northward to their current distribution, and M. bourneti will colonise empty niches left available by its congeneric. The analytical framework employed in this paper may be easily adapted to other subterranean systems and species, stimulating future studies focusing on the distribution of native and alien species in extreme environments.global warming, species distribution models, cave, alien species, MaxEnt, subterranean biology Mammola S., 2017. Modelling the future spread of native and alien congeneric species in subterranean habitats -the case of Meta cave-dwelling spiders in Great Britain. International

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“…These groundwater communities are likely to be important for their role in biogeochemical cycling and pollutant attenuation (Mattison et al, 2002(Mattison et al, , 2005. Stygobites also make a unique contribution to biodiversity because they are not found in other habitats, and have high rates of endemism and ancient ancestral lineages (Finston & Johnson, 2004;Lefebure et al, 2007;McInerney et al, 2014). Understanding the processes shaping groundwater ecosystems is important because they may be impacted by anthropogenic stressors, such as water abstraction, changes in water flow patterns, and the leaching of agrochemicals (Klove et al, 2011;Foster et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining geo-habitats for groundwater ecosystem assessments: an example from England and Wales (UK)

et al. 2017

Self Cite

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Groundwater ecosystems comprising micro-organisms and metazoans provide an important contribution to global biodiversity. Their complexity depends on geology, which determines the physical habitat available, and the chemical conditions within it. Despite this, methods of classifying groundwater habitats using geological data are not well established, and researchers have called for higher resolution habitat frameworks. A novel habitat typology for England and Wales (UK) is proposed, which distinguishes 11 geological habitats (geohabitats) on hydrogeological principles and maps their distribution. Hydrogeological and hydrochemical data are used to determine the characteristics of each geo-habitat, and demonstrate their differences. Using these abiotic parameters, a new method to determine abiotic habitat quality is then developed. The geo-habitats had significantly different characteristics validating the classification system. Karstic and porous habitats were generally of higher quality than fractured habitats. All geo-habitats were highly heterogeneous, containing both high quality habitat patches that are likely to be suitable for fauna, and areas of low quality that may limit faunal distributions. Overall, 70 % of England and Wales are covered by lower quality fractured habitats, with only 13 % covered by higher quality habitats. The main areas of high quality habitats occur in central England as northsouth trending belts, possibly facilitating dispersal along this axis. They are separated by low quality geo-habitats that may prevent east-west dispersal of fauna. In south-west England and in Wales suitable geo-habitats occur as small isolated patches. Overall, this paper provides a new national-scale typology that is adaptable for studies in other geographic areas. Weitowitz et al., 2017. Hydrogeology Journal

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The ancientBritons: groundwater fauna survived extreme climate change over tens of millions of years acrossNW Europe

Cited by 86 publications

References 75 publications

Zoogeography of epigean freshwater Amphipoda (Crustacea) in Romania: <br />fragmented distributions and wide altitudinal variability

Zoogeography of epigean freshwater Amphipoda (Crustacea) in Romania: <br />fragmented distributions and wide altitudinal variability

Modelling the future spread of native and alien congeneric species in subterranean habitats — the case of Meta cave-dwelling spiders in Great Britain

Defining geo-habitats for groundwater ecosystem assessments: an example from England and Wales (UK)

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