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Harvard Forest Symposium Abstract 2013

  • Title: Cryptic diversity within morphospecies of testate (shelled) amoebae in New England bogs and fens
  • Primary Author: Angela Oliverio (Smith College)
  • Abstract:

    Testate (shelled) amoebae are abundant and diverse in Sphagnum rich areas of bogs and fens. Test composition and morphology are standardly used to identify morphospecies as tests have varying shapes and compositions (e.g. siliceous, proteinaceous, agglutinated, or even calcareous). The recent application of molecular tools has revealed a greater complexity than morphology suggests, including multiple cryptic species. Here, we assess the biodiversity and relationships among eight morphospecies: Hyalosphenia elegans, Hyalosphenia papilio, Nebela carinata, Nebela flabellulum, Nebela militaris, Nebela tincta, Nebela tubulosa, and Quadrulella symmetrica using small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU-rDNA). We collected testate amoeba from four sites in New England, including Hawley Bog, Ashfield, MA; Bear Swamp, Charlemont, MA; Tom Swamp, Harvard Forest, MA; and Big Heath, Acadia National Park, ME.



    An SSU-rDNA phylogeny including 20 individuals from GenBank and 63 from this study reveals diversity within and among morphospecies. Previous work on a limited sample of some of these species showed non-monophyly in the genus Hyalosphenia. Our analyses confirm this pattern and further suggest that Nebela genera and morphospecies are not monophyletic. Moreover, inclusion of up to 24 individuals per species indicates non-monophyly of the morphospecies Hyalosphenia papilio and Hyalosphenia elegans. Our results highlight the morphological plasticity of testate amoebae and suggest that a combination of morphology and molecular analyses are needed to understand the biodiversity of these taxa.

  • Research Category: Biodiversity Studies