Phylogenetic relations of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium baicalense from Lake Baikal
Freshwater dinoflagellates still remain poorly studied by modern biological methods. This lack of knowledge prevents us from understanding the evolution and colonization patterns of these ecologically important protists. Gymnodinium baicalense is the most abundant, and possibly endemic, planktonic d...
| Published in: | Open Life Sciences |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
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Versita
2013
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| Online Access: | https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3576907 https://doi.org/10.2478/s11535-013-0144-y |
| Summary: | Freshwater dinoflagellates still remain poorly studied by modern biological methods. This lack of knowledge prevents us from understanding the evolution and colonization patterns of these ecologically important protists. Gymnodinium baicalense is the most abundant, and possibly endemic, planktonic dinoflagellate from the ancient Lake Baikal. This dinoflagellate species blooms in the spring under the ice. This study analyzed the origin of this Baikalian dinoflagellate using three markers (two ribosomal and one mitochondrial DNA). It was found that this species is a true member of the order Gymnodiniales and has close relatives in the glacial melt waters of the Arctic Ocean. It seems that G. baicalense has diversified relatively recently from the arctic marine gymnodinioids. These results shed light on dinoflagellate biogeography and their colonizations in Lake Baikala biodiversity hotspot. |
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