The Liochelidae Fet & Bechly, 2001 (Scorpiones) of the Indo-Pacific Region Systematics and biogeography
Item
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Title
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The Liochelidae Fet & Bechly, 2001 (Scorpiones) of the Indo-Pacific Region Systematics and biogeography
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:9d13c8cc3121:11080
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identifier
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11359
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Creator
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Monod, Lionel,
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Contributor
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Lorenzo Prendini
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Date
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2011
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Systematic biology | Zoology | biogeography | Indo-Pacific region | Liochelidae | Scorpiones | systematics
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Abstract
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The aim of the present project was to reassess the systematics, phylogeny and biogeography of the Indo-Pacific taxa of the scorpion family Liochelidae Fet & Bechly, 2001 based on morphology and molecules. The morphological matrix comprised of 85 terminal taxa and 263 characters was compiled based on the examination of more than 4000 specimens including most of the types and fresh material collected during several field surveys in Australia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Thailand. 101 DNA samples representing 42 taxa, half of the known diversity, were obtained for the molecular analysis. Three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes (approximately 4180 base-pairs) were sequenced from each sample. Cladistic analyses were then performed on the morphological, the molecular and the combined datasets respectively. Finally, dates of cladogenesis events estimated using molecular clocks were used to infer a plausible biogeographical hypothesis.;Results of the taxonomic revision lead to the following emendations: (1) the elevation of the subfamily Hormurinae Laurie, 1896 to family level, (2) the revalidation of Hormiops Fage, 1933 and Hormurus Thorell, 1876 that were placed into synonymy with Liocheles Sundevall, 1883, (3) the revalidation of 10 species placed into synonymy (eight Hormurus spp., two Liocheles spp.), (4) the discovery of 51 new species (1 Hormiops, 48 Hormurus, 1 Liocheles, 1 Opisthacanthus Peters, 1861 (Monodopisthacanthus Lourenco, 2001)), (6) the elevation of two subspecies to species rank, and (5) the synonymy of one genus (Tibetiomachus Lourenco & Qi, 2006), three species and one subspecies.;The biogeographical analysis indicates that vicariance, dispersal and vicariance are not mutually exclusive and that all three mechanisms played a significant role in the development of the Indo-Pacific liochelids. The phylogeny and dating do not corroborate the "out-of-India" origin for the Southeast Asian taxa, but rather suggest that they may be part of an ancient Laurasian lineage. On the other hand, the colonisation of the Australo-Papuan Archipelago from Sundaland by liochelids is confirmed. However, the age estimate of divergence between Melanesian Hormurus and Asian Liocheles in the Paleocene contradicts the current geological model and suggests the existence of land connections between the two provinces well before the Eocene.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Biology
