Abstract
BackgroundMolecular taxonomy studies and barcoding projects can provide rapid means of detecting cryptic diversity. Nevertheless, the use of molecular data for species delimitation should be undertaken with caution. Especially the single-gene approaches are linked with certain pitfalls for taxonomical inference. In the present study, recent and historical species descriptions based upon morphology were used as primary species hypotheses, which were then evaluated with molecular data (including in type and historical museum material) to form secondary species hypotheses. As an example of cryptic diversity and taxonomic controversy, the European Phoxinus phoxinus species complex was used.ResultsThe results of the revision showed that of the fourteen primary species hypotheses, three were rejected, namely P. ketmaieri, P. likai, and P. apollonicus. For three species (P. strandjae, P. strymonicus, P. morella), further investigation with increased data sampling was suggested, while two primary hypotheses, P. bigerri and P. colchicus, were supported as secondary species hypotheses. Finally, six of the primary species hypotheses (P. phoxinus, P. lumaireul, P. karsticus, P. septimanae, P. marsilii and P. csikii) were well supported by mitochondrial but only limitedly corroborated by nuclear data analysis.ConclusionThe approach has proven useful for revision of species complexes, and the study can serve as an overview of the Phoxinus genus in Europe, as well as a solid basis for further work.
Highlights
Molecular taxonomy studies and barcoding projects can provide rapid means of detecting cryptic diversity
The cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) region is available for P. phoxinus sensu stricto, enabling the COI dataset to be used for phylogenetic reconstruction and species delimitation
Even though several museums were contacted in order to obtain this material, some of the investigated species are still missing from the cytb and nuclear dataset
Summary
Molecular taxonomy studies and barcoding projects can provide rapid means of detecting cryptic diversity. Biodiversity estimates are influenced strongly by the existence of cryptic species, which are—according to Bickford et al [1] in a definition adopted in the present study—two or more species classified as a single nominal species as they are (cursorily) morphologically indistinguishable. It has become clear from molecular data that cryptic species are common and found throughout all metazoan taxa [2, 3]. The barcoding method, which is a single-gene approach, is linked with certain pitfalls for taxonomical inference such as introgression and/or incomplete lineage sorting [7, 8]. Additional sampling of one or more unlinked genes, morphological characters, ecological factors and/or geographic distributions are to be used to complement the phylogeny of the barcoding gene in the species delimitation process [9]
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