A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Sabellidae (Annelida) using a targeted gene capture approach and implications for the evolution of life history strategies
Evolution, Anthropology
Final Report Abstract
Sabellidae display a plethora of life-history strategies and a wide range of body sizes making their biology fascinating to study in a phylogenetic context. However, up until now the phylogeny of Sabellidae remained poorly understood, with the little available molecular sequence data conflicting with previous morphology-based studies. As part of the DFG funded project I was able to generate a transcriptome based, well-supported phylogeny of Sabellida. Seventeen new transcriptomes were sequenced and analyzed together with available data. The results of the transcriptome phylogeny not only resolves the relationships of family-ranked taxa within Sabellida; Serpulidae, Fabriciidae, and Sabellidae but also the phylogenetic relationship of genera within Sabellidae. As part of this study, a thorough methodological analysis comparing species tree reconstruction from gene trees (ASTRAL) and concatenated analyses was conducted. Having a well-supported and fully resolved phylogeny of Sabellida means that the evolution of larval development and other aspects of reproductive mechanisms within this clade can now be addressed with more confidence. Furthermore, a targeted exon capture analysis of over 500 exons for ca. 100 additional sabellid species were conducted, which resulted in a larger and robust sabellid phylogeny, that will not only allow the necessary taxonomic revision of this group, but also provides a tool to explore the evolution of the diverse life-history strategies, body size and morphology within Sabellidae.
Publications
- (2019) Two new species of Amphiglena (Sabellidae, Annelida), with an assessment of hidden diversity in the Mediterranean. Zootaxa 4648(2)
Tilic, E., Feerst, K. and Rouse, G.W.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4648.2.8)
