Evolutionary innovations in Antarctic brittle stars linked to glacial refugia ...

• Main Authors: Lau, SCY, Strugnell, Jan, Sands, CJ, Silva, CNS, Wilson, NG
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: La Trobe 2022
• Subjects: Biological sciences; FOS Biological sciences; Ecology; Evolutionary biology; Genetics; Ecological applications; Antarc*; Antarctic; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26181/18516281; https://opal.latrobe.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Evolutionary_innovations_in_Antarctic_brittle_stars_linked_to_glacial_refugia/18516281

The drivers behind evolutionary innovations such as contrasting life histories and morphological change are central questions of evolutionary biology. However, the environmental and ecological contexts linked to evolutionary innovations are generally unclear. During the Pleistocene glacial cycles, grounded ice sheets expanded across the Southern Ocean continental shelf. Limited ice-free areas remained, and fauna were isolated from other refugial populations. Survival in Southern Ocean refugia could present opportunities for ecological adaptation and evolutionary innovation. Here, we reconstructed the phylogeographic patterns of circum-Antarctic brittle stars Ophionotus victoriae and O. hexactis with contrasting life histories (broadcasting vs brooding) and morphology (5 vs 6 arms). We examined the evolutionary relationship between the two species using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) data. COI data suggested that O. victoriae is a single species (rather than a species complex) and is closely related to ...