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Jordan Satler
Graduate student
San Diego State University
Biology
San Diego, CA USA
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| Inferring species trees from gene trees in a radiation of California trapdoor spiders (Araneae, Antrodiaetidae, Aliatypus) |
| Author(s) |
Jordan Satler, James Starrett, Cheryl Hayashi, Marshal Hedin |
| Info |
Talk category:
Systematics |
| Abstract |
The trapdoor spider genus Aliatypus (Mygalomorphae, Antrodiaetidae) encompasses twelve described species, eleven of which are endemic to California. Several Aliatypus species show disjunct distributional patterns in California (some are found on both sides of the vast Central Valley), and the genus as a whole occupies an impressive variety of habitats. DNA sequence data were collected from seven gene regions, including two newly developed for spider systematics. Bayesian inference (in individual gene tree and species tree approaches) recovered a general “3 clade” structure for the genus (A. gulosus, californicus group, erebus group), with three other phylogenetically isolated species differing slightly in position across different phylogenetic analyses. For multiple species spanning the Central Valley, explicit hypothesis testing suggests a lack of monophyly for regional populations (e.g., western Coast Range populations). In addition, phylogenetic evidence clearly shows that syntopy is restricted to distant phylogenetic relatives, consistent with ecological niche conservatism. Overall, this study provides fundamental insight into a radiation of trapdoor spiders found in the biodiversity hotspot of California. |
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