BIOGEOGRAPHY OF A WIDESPREAD FRESHWATER CRUSTACEAN: PSEUDOCONGRUENCE AND CRYPTIC ENDEMISM IN THE NORTH AMERICAN DAPHNIA LAEVIS COMPLEX

Abstract

The lack of morphological variation in many freshwater invertebrates over vast distances has been cited as evidence for their frequent, long-distance dispersal. This scenario implies that vicariance will be an insignificant determinant of species distributions or diversity. We carried out a phylogeographic and population genetics study of one widespread crustacean group, the North American Daphnia laevis complex. Allozyme and sequence variation of two mtDNA genes (12S and 16S rRNA) clearly indicates the existence of five morphologically cryptic, largely allopatric groups (Daphnia dubia, D. laevis laevis, D. laevis gessneri, D. magniceps magniceps, and D. magniceps pacifica ssp. n.). Within each of these groups, there is weak or no genetic differentiation over large geographic areas suggesting their recent long-distance dispersal. The present-day distributions and phylogeography of the regional groups suggests the occurrence of both deep and shallow vicariance events. Although divergence times from mtDNA sequences do indicate both deep and shallow divergences, these estimates are incongruent with their proposed vicariance times. The results show that even within closely related freshwater invertebrates, a complex biogeography exists, whose analysis is made difficult by long-distance dispersal, cryptic endemism, and pseudocongruence.

Keywords: Allozymes; Crustacea; Daphnia; biogeography; dispersal; mtDNA.