Phylogeography and diversity of the terrestrial isopod Spherillo grossus (Oniscidea: Armadillidae) on the Australian East Coast. (23rd December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Timothy R. C.; Ho, Simon Y. W.; Wilson, George D. F.; Lo, Nathan
• Is Part Of: Zoological journal of the Linnean Society. Volume 170:Number 2(2014:Feb.)
• Page Start: 297
• Page End: 309
• Publication Date: 2013-12-23
• Subjects: Zoology -- Periodicals; 590
• DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12105
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0024-4082

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Recent work on terrestrial isopods has shown that morphospecies can have a high degree of genetic diversity. We conducted a molecular phylogenetic study of <italic>Spherillo grossus</italic> (Budde‐Lund, 1885), a terrestrial isopod endemic to the east coast of Australia. We sequenced the mitochondrial <italic>16S</italic> rDNA gene of 63 specimens from 12 collection localities. From a subset of these specimens, we also sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome <italic>c</italic> oxidase subunit I (<italic>COI</italic>) and nuclear <italic>18S</italic> rDNA genes. Deep mitochondrial divergences were found among groups of individuals (with p‐distances up to 15, 14, and 0.7% for <italic>16S</italic>, <italic>COI</italic>, and <italic>18S</italic> respectively), a pattern consistent with the hypothesis that gene flow between populations has been influenced by the fragmentation of Australia's mesic environment since the Miocene. We also found evidence of human‐mediated dispersal of <italic>S. grossus</italic>. Scanning electron and light microscopy of a subset of samples provide preliminary evidence that <italic>S. grossus</italic> is morphologically homogeneous. Our results mirror those found in studies of oniscid isopods from the Northern Hemisphere. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London</p> </abstract>