Phylogenetic Reconstructions of Ostracodes – A Molecular Approach

Abstract

Molecular work on ostracodes has thus far either used allozyme-based or DNA-based techniques. The application of allozyme-based methods has provided numerous data on population genetics and reproductive modes in ostracodes. With this technique, it has also been possible to construct phylogenies, although these have been restricted to distance-based methods. With the usage of DNA-based methods, a new era in ostracode research has begun. It is now possible to obtain accurate estimates for genetic diversities at very fine scales, even within individuals. The DNA-based approach is also very useful for reconstructing evolutionary histories at different taxonomic levels. Within species, for example, phylogenies reveal past episodes of dispersal and genetic exchange. Together with morphological data, DNA sequence data can test for congruence of molecular and morphological evolution and variability. At high taxonomic levels, DNA sequence data provide information on mechanisms of evolution and speciation. This allows for testing whether a certain, morphological feature has evolved once or several times independently. By applying the principle of the molecular clock, DNA sequence data provide relative age estimates that can be calibrated against fossil data and be linked to past climatic or geological events.