"Nested" cryptic diversity in a widespread marine ecosystem engineer: a challenge for detecting biological invasions

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Research Article

Marc Rius¹  Christopher D McQuaid²  Kathy Walls³  Sam C Banks⁴  Maxine P Piggott⁴  Claudio Fuentes-Grünewald⁵  Saïd Benhissoune⁶  Catherine RM Attard⁷  Georgina M Cooke⁷  Luciano B Beheregaray⁸  Peter R Teske⁹  Nigel P Barker^1,10  Mike Page^1,11  Claire F McClusky^1,12  Craig A Styan^1,13 

[1] Centre for Invasion Biology, Zoology Department, University of Cape Town, 7701, Rondebosch, South Africa;Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, 95616, Davis, California, USA;Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, 6140, Grahamstown, South Africa;Environmental and Marine Response, Biosecurity Response

[2]  Post-Border, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Te Manatu Ahuwhenua, Ngaherehere, New Zealand;Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, 0200, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia;Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Maritím de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain;Laboratoire des Substances Naturelles, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Equipe d'Océanographie Biologique, BP.403, Agadir principale, 80.000, Agadir, Morocco;Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2109, Sydney, Australia;Molecular Ecology Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, 5001, Adelaide, SA, Australia;Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2109, Sydney, Australia;Molecular Ecology Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, 5001, Adelaide, SA, Australia;Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2109, Sydney, Australia;Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, 6140, Grahamstown, South Africa;Molecular Ecology and Systematics Group, Rhodes University, 6140, Grahamstown, South Africa;Molecular Ecology and Systematics Group, Rhodes University, 6140, Grahamstown, South Africa;National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), PO Box 893, 7040, Nelson, New Zealand;School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, PO Box 423, 3280, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia;School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, PO Box 423, 3280, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia;Centre for Ocean Studies, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Perth, Western Australia, Australia;

关键词: Ecosystem Engineer;    Incomplete Lineage Sorting;    Chilean Population;    Adenine Nucleotide Transporter;    Combine Sequence Data;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2148-11-176

 received in 2011-02-11, accepted in 2011-06-21,  发布年份 2011

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundEcosystem engineers facilitate habitat formation and enhance biodiversity, but when they become invasive, they present a critical threat to native communities because they can drastically alter the receiving habitat. Management of such species thus needs to be a priority, but the poorly resolved taxonomy of many ecosystem engineers represents a major obstacle to correctly identifying them as being either native or introduced. We address this dilemma by studying the sea squirt Pyura stolonifera, an important ecosystem engineer that dominates coastal communities particularly in the southern hemisphere. Using DNA sequence data from four independently evolving loci, we aimed to determine levels of cryptic diversity, the invasive or native status of each regional population, and the most appropriate sampling design for identifying the geographic ranges of each evolutionary unit.ResultsExtensive sampling in Africa, Australasia and South America revealed the existence of "nested" levels of cryptic diversity, in which at least five distinct species can be further subdivided into smaller-scale genetic lineages. The ranges of several evolutionary units are limited by well-documented biogeographic disjunctions. Evidence for both cryptic native diversity and the existence of invasive populations allows us to considerably refine our view of the native versus introduced status of the evolutionary units within Pyura stolonifera in the different coastal communities they dominate.ConclusionsThis study illustrates the degree of taxonomic complexity that can exist within widespread species for which there is little taxonomic expertise, and it highlights the challenges involved in distinguishing between indigenous and introduced populations. The fact that multiple genetic lineages can be native to a single geographic region indicates that it is imperative to obtain samples from as many different habitat types and biotic zones as possible when attempting to identify the source region of a putative invader. "Nested" cryptic diversity, and the difficulties in correctly identifying invasive species that arise from it, represent a major challenge for managing biodiversity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Teske et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011