Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Sciences
Committee Chair
Matthew Niemiller
Committee Member
Paul Wolf
Committee Member
Aron Katz
Research Advisor
Matthew Niemiller
Subject(s)
Invertebrates--Adaptation--Appalachian region, Collembola--Geographical distribution, Biospeleology
Abstract
Caves offer a unique opportunity to study the ecology and evolution of life in extreme environments, particularly with respect to understanding patterns of diversity. Most cave-obligate species are dispersal limited and have restricted ranges, often endemic to a single or a few cave systems. However, a few species have particularly broad distributions suggesting that they either are not dispersal limited or perhaps represent a species complex of morphological similar but genetically distinct species. In this thesis, I explore morphological variation, phylogeography, and possibly cryptic diversity in Pseudosinella spinosa, a cave collembolan (springtail) that inhabits the Interior Low Plateau and Appalachian Valley & Ridge karst regions of the eastern United States. I conducted morphological and molecular analyses on over 50 individuals from 22 caves. I examined molecular diversity and conducted species delimitation analyses using two mitochondrial loci (16S and COI). I found support for two primary genetically distinct clades loosely breaking up their range into a northern and a southern clade. Various species delimitation approaches identified 3 to 28 potential unique lineages depending on the dataset (16S, COI, and concatenated 16S+COI). Moreover, morphological analysis revealed morphological variation in the species’ labial triangle supporting two morphologically distinct groups. In total, evidence suggests that P. spinosa is a species complex; however, species boundaries are still not well understood requiring additional sampling as well as morphological and molecular investigation.
Recommended Citation
Cramphorn, Brendan, "Phylogeography, speciation, and cryptic diversity in the cave springtail Pseudosinella spinosa (Entomobryomorpha: Entomobryidae) from the Interior Low Plateau and Appalachian Valley & Ridge karst regions" (2024). Theses. 684.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/684