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Systematic Biology
Article . 2021 . Peer-reviewed
License: OUP Standard Publication Reuse
Data sources: Crossref
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Systematic Biology
Article
Data sources: UnpayWall
DI-fusion
Article . 2022 . Peer-reviewed
Data sources: DI-fusion
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Solving the Coral Species Delimitation Conundrum

Authors: Ramírez-Portilla, Catalina; Baird, Andrew H.; Cowman, Peter F.; Quattrini, Andrea M.; Harii, Saki; Sinniger, Frederic; Flot, Jean François;

Solving the Coral Species Delimitation Conundrum

Abstract

AbstractDistinguishing coral species is not only crucial for physiological, ecological, and evolutionary studies but also to enable effective management of threatened reef ecosystems. However, traditional hypotheses that delineate coral species based on morphological traits from the coral skeleton are frequently at odds with tree-based molecular approaches. Additionally, a dearth of species-level molecular markers has made species delimitation particularly challenging in species-rich coral genera, leading to the widespread assumption that interspecific hybridization might be responsible for this apparent conundrum. Here, we used three lines of evidence—morphology, breeding trials, and molecular approaches—to identify species boundaries in a group of ecologically important tabular Acropora corals. In contrast to previous studies, our morphological analysis yielded groups that were congruent with experimental crosses as well as with coalescent-based and allele sharing-based multilocus approaches to species delimitation. Our results suggest that species of the genus Acropora are reproductively isolated and independently evolving units that can be distinguished morphologically. These findings not only pave the way for a taxonomic revision of coral species but also outline an approach that can provide a solid basis to address species delimitation and provide conservation support to a wide variety of keystone organisms. [Acropora; coral reefs; hybridization; reproductive isolation; taxonomy.]

Countries
Belgium, Australia
Keywords

570, Coral Reefs, Biologie moléculaire, Evolution des espèces, Anthozoa, Biological Evolution, Génétique, cytogénétique, Systématique des espèces [zoologie], Animals, cytogénétique, Océanographie biologique, Génétique, Ecosystem, Phylogeny

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    selected citations
    These citations are derived from selected sources.
    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    45
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 1%
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Top 10%
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 10%
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
45
Top 1%
Top 10%
Top 10%
Green
hybrid