New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Molecular diversity of Dunedin peripatus (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae)
S. A. TREWICK
Department of Zoology
University of Otago
P. O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand
email: steve.trewick@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Abstract Onychophora tend to be morphologically conservative.
Several studies using molecular techniques have revealed the existence of
cryptic species and population structuring. The application of allozyme
electrophoresis to New Zealand peripatus that were thought to belong to a
single widespread species (
Peripatoides novaezealandiae) has revealed
several undetected species, including a taxon specific to Dunedin (southern
South Island, New Zealand). However, almost nothing is known about the
geographic range and variability of this species, nor indeed whether it
comprises one or more cryptic taxa. I used analysis of cytochrome oxidase I
mtDNA sequences to explore these aspects of peripatus found in the vicinity of
Dunedin. Eighteen different haplotypes were detected in 47 individuals from 21
locations. The sequence of a 540 bp COI fragment contained 64 parsimony
informative sites and nucleotide diversity of up to 11% among ingroup taxa.
Phylogenetic analyses, and genetic distance by geographic distance correlation,
indicated probable species-level divisions within the sample. Two principal
groups with a boundary on the east coast of New Zealand near the mouth of the
Taieri River can be defined, and these are denoted "Dunedin" and "Catlins"
peripatus. There is a third, possibly distinct lineage at Piano Flat. A
rearrangement of the mitochondrial genome, relating to the position of the tLEU
rna gene, was detected in these and other New Zealand peripatus and may be
present in all Onychophora.
Keywords New Zealand; mtDNA; Peripatoides;
invertebrate; population structure; habitat; genetics; PCR primers;
mitochondrial rearrangement; cytochrome oxidase; COI; SSCP
Z99006
Received 3 March 1999; accepted 4 June 1999
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (838K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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