Phylogenetic and morphological differences of Arctic and Antarctic choanoflagellates
Final Report Abstract
The analysis of biogeography of acanthoecid morphospecies using literature and own data revealed that some morphospecies seem to be ubiquitous. However, there is a high number of morphospecies which seem to be restricted for specific regions, specially within the well studied polar regions. We established clonal cultures of different Antarctic and Arctic choanoflagellates. To avoid problems of contamination and cultivation single cell PCR was successfully established in our lab. Choanoflagellate morphotypes were not always identical with genotypes, often very significant p-distances even within the SSU rDNA were recorded. Three new choanoflagellate species were discovered. The systematic of choanoflagellates needs revision especially regarding the position of the families Codonosigidae and Salpingoecidae. Within this project the available dataset from gene banks on SSU rRNA of choanoflagellates was more then doubled.
Publications
- (2007). Deep sea records of choanoflagellates with a description of two new species. Acta Protozool. 46, 99–106
Nitsche F., Scheckenbach F., Weitere M., Hausmann K., Wylezich C., Arndt H.
- (2007). Untersuchungen zur Biodiversität, biogeographischen Verbreitung und Phylogenie von Choanoflagellaten - unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der polaren Regionen. Dissertation, Universität zu Köln
Nitsche F.
- (2008). A new choanoflagellate species from Taiwan: Morphological and molecular biological studies of Diplotheca elongata nov. spec. and D. costata. Europ. J. Protist. 44, 220–226
Nitsche F., Arndt H.
