11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

Oral Mini-Symposium 26: Biodiversity and Diversification of Reef Organisms
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Phylogeny of Faviidae Corals Based on Molecular and Morphological Data
Danwei HUANG* 1 , Rudolf MEIER 2 , Peter A. TODD 2 , Hironobu FUKAMI 3 , Loke Ming
CHOU 2
1 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, 2 National University of Singapore,
Singapore, Singapore, 3 Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, Wakayama, Japan
Corals in the family Faviidae constitute one of the most important taxa of hermatypic
corals in Indo-Pacific reefs. Several genera in this group are taxonomically difficult and
little is known about the phylogenetic relationships at the species level. In order to
reconstruct the evolutionary relationships within this family, 42 faviid species were
sequenced for two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase subunit I and a
mitochondrial non-coding region). Based on these genes and 18 morphological
characters, including morphometric measurements, we present the first species-level
phylogeny of the family. Maximum parsimony analysis was carried out separately on the
molecular and morphological data using both dynamic (optimization alignment) and
static homology (ClustalX). The datasets were also combined and analyzed under
parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian likelihood. Analyses based on both data
types did not recover traditional taxonomic classification. Of the eight genera with more
than one species examined using molecular data, only two are monophyletic (i.e.
Cyphastrea and Platygyra). Furthermore, the outgroup Scapophyllia cylindrica
(Family Merulinidae) is deeply nested within the Faviidae, while the Indo-Pacific
Montastraea spp. are clearly distinct from the Atlantic M. annularis complex. Our
data support the hypothesis that some congeneric species that span both marine provinces
are less closely related to one another than to taxa from other families. Reconstructions
based on DNA sequence data and morphological characters are also incongruent. We
discuss the implications of our results for the evolution of Scleractinia and highlight the
significance of our findings for biodiversity estimates and reef management.
26-34
Reconciling Morphologic And Molecular Data: Corallite Wall And Microstructures
Of Radial Elements In The Scleractinian Coral Family Faviidae
Ann BUDD* 1 , Jaroslaw STOLARSKI 2
1 University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2 Instytut Paleobiologii PAN, Warszawa, Poland
Recent molecular-based phylogenies conflict with traditional scleractinian classsification
at ranks ranging from suborder to genus, challenging morphologists to discover new
characters that better agree with molecular data. Such characters are essential for
including fossils in analyses and tracing evolutionary patterns through geologic time. We
examine the internal structure of the corallite wall and associated costosepta, focusing on
arrangements of calcification centers and fibers in transverse thin section. The taxa are a
molecular (cytB, COI) clade consisting of: (a) Pacific members of 12 genera
(Barabattoia, Caulastraea, Cyphastrea, Echinopora, Favia, Favites, Goniastrea,
Leptoria, Montastraea, Oulophyllia, Platygyra, Scapophyllia) and one Atlantic taxon (M.
annularis complex) in the traditional family Faviidae; (b) five genera (Hydnophora,
Merulina; Pectinia, Mycedium; Trachyphyllia) in three allied families. For comparison,
we treat two Pacific (Diploastrea, Plesiastrea) and three Atlantic (Colpophyllia,
Diploria, Manicina) genera that have traditionally been assigned to the Faviidae but do
not belong to the clade. Our observations reveal that members of the clade possess two
commonly recognized wall types: parathecal (formed by dissepiments) and septothecal
(formed by septal thickening). They also possess a third wall type, trabeculothecal
(formed by trabecular elements), as well as combinations of wall types. Costosepta
consist of: (a) distinct vertical units with central calcification centers, (b) fibers radiating
from a well-defined medial septal line, lacking well-defined centers, (c) fibers radiating
from a poorly-defined mid-septum line, with well-defined centers. The effectiveness of
the new microstructural characters as phylogenetic markers is evaluated by mapping their
states onto the molecular tree using parsimony, and calculating tree statistics. Although
maps of traditional macromorphological characters have low consistency indices, maps
of the new characters have higher consistency indices, reveal less homoplasy, and are
diagnostic of subclades within the group. Phylogenetic trees constructed using the new
characters have relatively high bootstrap support, and are congruent with molecular trees.
26-35
Resolving The Taxonomy Of Favia Corals From Thai Waters Using Morphological And
Molecular Data
Narinratana KONGJANDTRE* 1 , Mauricio RODRIGUEZ-LANETTY RODRIGUEZ-
LANETTY 1 , Tyrone RIDGWAY 1 , Ove HOEGH-GULDBERG 1
1 Centre for Marine Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Traditional taxonomy and systematics is central to our understanding of the biodiversity of
ecosystems such as coral reefs. This role has become more important as coral reefs worldwide
have begun to be influenced by the activities of humans such that, despite their persistence in
geological time, coral reefs have begun an unprecedented decline in abundance and community
composition. Given the potential losses to coral reefs due to disturbance and climate change, the
need for knowing what is being lost (i.e. via effective taxonomy) cannot be underestimated. The
Faviidae are one of the most prominent coral families inhabiting tropical reefs, yet despite their
prominence, their taxonomy still remains largely unresolved. Thailand, being within the coral
biodiversity hot spot, and its association with both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, makes it an
ideal location to unravel the potentially complex taxonomy and systematic relationships within
the Faviidae. Using a unique multi-disciplinary approach to taxonomy whereby morphological
and genetic techniques are integrated, we unravel the diversity currently represented by the
genus Favia in Thailand. Multi-character measurements and 3-D Cartesian coordinate analysis
were used to delineate species boundaries based on skeletal characters. This morphological
approach was extended using sequence analysis of the mtDNA and the complete Internal
Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region to detect taxon boundaries in 114 samples of Favia from
Thailand. In addition, the molecular diversity of symbiotic dinoflagellates associated with Favia
samples were also examined as a possible additional character state to the taxonomic resolution.
Preliminary results support this multi-disciplinary approach as being very robust for
scleractinian coral taxonomy.
26-36
From Molecular “markers” To Molecular “drivers”: Coral Systematics Using
Biomineralization Genes As Determinants Of Skeletal Morphology
Herman WIRSHING* 1 , Andrew BAKER 1
1 Marine Biology and Fisheries, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science,
University of Miami, Miami, FL
Molecular systematics assumes that variation in DNA sequences at one or more genetic loci can
serve as useful indicators of evolutionary change. These molecular “markers” serve as proxies
for estimating relationships within and between taxonomic groups, and are usually compared
with classical systematic relationships that are based on morphological differences among taxa.
Often, molecular and morphological datasets do not agree, because one dataset (or both) fails to
accurately reflect true phylogenetic relationships. One way of resolving the disagreement
between these datasets is to identify and analyze genes directly responsible for generating
morphology. For most taxonomic groups this is not currently possible. However, in corals,
where taxonomy is currently determined almost exclusively by skeletal morphology, this
problem may be tractable, and may also help identify cases of convergent morphological
evolution. To test this approach, we used the cDNA sequence of a protein isolated from the
organic matrix (a consortium of proteins that forms the scaffolding for biomineralized
structures) of Galaxea fascicularis, to amplify a 210bp DNA fragment from eight
scleractinian species. Phylogenetic reconstruction of the translated amino acid sequences
grouped these species according to corallite morphology. Three genera that resemble each other
in calyx morphology formed a well-supported clade - Galaxea, Euphyllia (which contain
phaceloid calyces), and Gyrosmillia (meandroid calyces). The other two genera exhibit calyx
morphologies not shared by the other taxa and formed individual lineages - Siderastrea
(cerioid calyces) and Montipora (plocoid calyces). This novel approach may provide an
opportunity to refine our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of conventional
morphological taxonomy, and may help resolve some persistent problems in coral systematics.
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