Abstract
The stygofaunal family of Bathynellidae, is an excellent group to study the processes that shape diversity and distribution, since they have unknown surface or marine relatives, high level of endemism, and limited dispersal abilities. Recent research on Bathynellidae in Western Australia (Pilbara) has uncovered new taxa with unexpected distributions and phylogenetic relationships, but the biogeographical processes that drive their diversification on the continent are still unclear. By exploring the diversity, distribution, and divergence time of Bathynellidae in a setting such as the perched and isolated aquifers of the Cleaverville Formation in the north of the De Grey River catchment (Pilbara), we aim to test the hypothesis that vicariance has shaped the distribution of this family, specifically if one or multiple vicariant events were involved. We analysed the specimens collected from perched water in different plateaus of the Cleaverville Formation, combining morphological and molecular data from mitochondrial and nuclear genes. We described two new species and genera (Anguillanella callawaensis gen. et sp. nov. and Muccanella cundalinensis gen. et sp. nov.), and two additional taxa are recognised using morphology and/or Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery and Poisson Tree Processes species delimitation methods. New genera and species result restricted to isolate perched aquifers on single plateaus and their distributions, phylogenetic relationships, and divergence time estimates support multiple vicariant events and ancient allopatric speciation.
Highlights
Subterranean species distributions are often restricted, and confined to particular geologies, for example isolated karst systems, limestone, fractured banded iron formations (BIFs), and porous hyporheic systems (Culver & Pipan, 2008; Harvey, 2002; Humphreys, 2017; Trontelj et al, 2009)
The results revealed the presence of two new genera and four new species
The type species of the two new genera are described in Appendix 1 (Anguillanella callawaensis gen. et sp. nov. and Muccanella cundalinensis gen. et sp. nov.) and for ease of communication, these names are used from this point forward
Summary
Subterranean species distributions are often restricted, and confined to particular geologies, for example isolated karst systems, limestone, fractured banded iron formations (BIFs), and porous hyporheic systems (Culver & Pipan, 2008; Harvey, 2002; Humphreys, 2017; Trontelj et al, 2009). For this reason many subterranean taxa are considered short-range endemics (SREs; sensu Harvey, 2002). Calcrete aquifers in ancient palaeochannels of the Yilgarn region, in the arid zone of Western Australia, are considered “islands under tDhoewndloeadseedrftro”maBnrildl.cohmo11s/0t8/d20i2f1fe1r1e:4n7:0t1AM via free access stygofauna communities (Cooper et al, 2002, 2008; Guzik et al, 2008; Humphreys et al, 2009; Karanovic & Cooper, 2011)
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