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The Meristogram: a neglected tool for acanthocephalan systematics.

Matthew Thomas Wayland1

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Biodiversity Data Journal
|March 2, 2016
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Meristogram tool, now available in R, helps differentiate Echinorhynchus species by analyzing proboscis hook morphology. This method shows promise for acanthocephalan taxonomy and reveals potential cryptic species.

Keywords:
AcanthocephalaEchinorhynchus bothniensisEchinorhynchus brayiEchinorhynchus gadiEchinorhynchus salmonisEchinorhynchus truttaeMeristogramhookmeristicmorphometricopen-sourcephylogenyproboscissoftwaresystematicstaxonomy

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Area of Science:

  • Parasitology
  • Systematic Zoology
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Acanthocephalan proboscis hooks vary in size and shape.
  • The Meristogram graphically represents hook morphology variation.
  • Previous studies showed Meristogram's potential for species discrimination, but reliability was questioned due to intra-specific variation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To implement the Meristogram algorithm in user-friendly software.
  • To assess the Meristogram's utility in differentiating Echinorhynchus species.
  • To investigate potential cryptic species within Echinorhynchus.

Main Methods:

  • Implemented the Meristogram algorithm in R with a graphical user interface.
  • Validated the algorithm's hook cross-sectional area calculation using a digitizing tablet.
  • Generated Meristograms for eight Echinorhynchus taxa using public data.

Main Results:

  • The Meristogram successfully differentiated several Echinorhynchus taxa, including E. bothniensis, E. brayi, E. gadi sp. B, E. salmonis, and E. truttae.
  • Small sample sizes limited definitive conclusions for E. 'bothniensis' and E. gadi spp. A and I.
  • Meristogram data showed concordance with DNA-based phylogenetic relationships, suggesting a strong phylogenetic signal.

Conclusions:

  • The Meristogram is a valuable tool for Echinorhynchus taxonomy, potentially identifying cryptic species.
  • The software implementation facilitates wider adoption by acanthocephalan systematists.
  • Further independent data are needed to validate the observed taxonomic distinctions.