Widespread intra-specific genetic homogeneity of coastal Antarctic benthic foraminifera

Wojciech Majewski,Samuel S. Bowser,Jan Pawlowski

doi:10.1007/s00300-015-1765-1

Wojciech Majewski, Samuel S. Bowser + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1765-1

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Abstract

Abstract Benthic foraminifera are a major component of the Antarctic biota. Coastal foraminiferal morphospecies are widely distributed in Antarctic waters. The question is whether these morphotypes are genetically identical or, rather, they represent a cohort of cryptic species. Here, we compared genetically nine benthic foraminiferal morphospecies from Admiralty Bay (South Shetlands) and the western Ross Sea (McMurdo Sound, Terra Nova Bay), separated by a distance of ~4500 km. Additionally, for three of these morphospecies, we included specimens from Rothera (Marguerite Bay), which is located between the two main areas of interest. Our study, based on SSU and ITS rDNA sequence data, shows that all examined morphospecies share the same genotypes despite the presence of considerable intra-individual genetic variability.

Highlights

Benthic foraminifera from Antarctic seas have been studied using morphological approach for more than a century. Chapman and Parr (1937), Heron-Allen and Earland (1922, 1932), Earland (1934, 1936), Parr (1950), and Wiesner (1931) are among the most substantial of early contributions; for a detailed review see Gooday et al (2014)
According to our comparison of benthic foraminiferal taxa reported from McMurdo Sound and Admiralty Bay (Online Resource 2), 29.6 % of allogromiid morphospecies are common between the two areas (Table 2)
41.6 % of benthic foraminiferal morphospecies are shared between McMurdo Sound and Admiralty Bay

Summary

Introduction

Benthic foraminifera from Antarctic seas have been studied using morphological approach for more than a century. Chapman and Parr (1937), Heron-Allen and Earland (1922, 1932), Earland (1934, 1936), Parr (1950), and Wiesner (1931) are among the most substantial of early contributions; for a detailed review see Gooday et al (2014). Benthic foraminifera from Antarctic seas have been studied using morphological approach for more than a century. The idea is based, exclusively on morphological studies, which have been shown to underestimate the true foraminiferal diversity revealed in many cases by genetic data (e.g., de Vargas et al 1999; Holzmann 2000; Pawlowski et al 2002b, 2008; Habura et al 2004). Over the last two decades, molecular approach was used to test hypotheses regarding the circum-continental distribution of various Antarctic organisms. Other organisms were confirmed to exhibit a circumpolar distribution, e.g., two species of shrimp (Chorismus anatrcticus and Nematocarcinus lanceopes) that recolonized Antarctic

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