Integrative Taxonomy: A study on some of Victoria Land?s Antarctic mite species ...
The extremely inhospitable Antarctic ecosystems confine plants and invertebrates to sparse and restricted ice-free areas. These species survived for millions of years in isolated refugia where population divergence and differentiation can occur, potentially resulting in speciation. The limited dispe...
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Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
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Universit� di Siena
2021
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Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.25434/brunetti-claudia_phd2021 https://usiena-air.unisi.it//handle/11365/1144409 |
Summary: | The extremely inhospitable Antarctic ecosystems confine plants and invertebrates to sparse and restricted ice-free areas. These species survived for millions of years in isolated refugia where population divergence and differentiation can occur, potentially resulting in speciation. The limited dispersal abilities of invertebrate species combined with their specific habitat requirements and the substantial geographical barriers can drastically reduce the gene flow between different populations, resulting in high genetic differentiation between clusters of individuals. With more than 100 described species, mites are surely the most diverse invertebrate group of Continental Antarctica. Among them, the free-living genus Stereotydeus Berlese, 1901 (Acari: Prostigmata) is represented by 6 Antarctic species of which 5 occur along the coastal zones of Victoria Land and the Transantarctic Mountains. In order to examine the biodiversity and the phylogeographic distribution ranges of Stereotydeus spp. across Victoria ... |
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