Journal
JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 60, Issue 4, Pages 350-362Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12040
Keywords
Algae; cryptic diversity; ecotype; speciation; species concept
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Funding
- Czech Science Foundation [206/09/P291, P506/12/0955]
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Taxa of microbial eukaryotes defined on morphological basis display a large degree of genetic diversity, implying the existence of numerous cryptic species. However, it has been postulated that genetic diversity merely mirrors accumulation of neutral mutations. As a case taxon to study cryptic diversity in protists, we used a widely distributed filamentous genus, Klebsormidium, specifically the lineage E (K. flaccidum/K. nitens complex) containing a number of morphologically similar strains. Fourteen clades were recognized in the phylogenetic analysis based on a concatenated ITS rDNA + rbcL data set of more than 70 strains. The results of inferred character evolution indicated the existence of phylogenetic signal in at least two phenotypic characters (production of hydro-repellent filaments and morphology of zoosporangia). Moreover, the lineages recovered exhibited strong ecological preferences to one of the three habitat types: natural subaerial substrata, artificial subaerial substrata, and aquatic habitats. We interpret these results as evidence of existence of a high number of cryptic species within the single morphospecies. We consider that the permanent existence of genetically and ecologically well-defined cryptic species is enabled by the mechanism of selective sweep.
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