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Morphological diversity in the foraminiferal genus Marginopora
1Naturalis Biodiversity Center, RA Leiden, the Netherlands.
Plos One
|December 27, 2018
Summary
Large benthic foraminifera exhibit significant geographic variation, challenging previous assumptions. This study identifies three new species in the Coral Sea, suggesting the genus Marginopora is underestimated.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Paleontology
- Foraminifera research
Background:
- Benthic foraminifera, particularly large, symbiont-bearing species, are often characterized by wide geographic ranges and substantial ecomorphological variation.
- Recent advances in molecular phylogenetics and detailed morphology studies indicate a need to re-evaluate these assumptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the morphological variation within five Marginopora populations from the Coral Sea using microCT-scanning.
- To determine if ecomorphological and ontogenetic variations are greater than geographic variations in morphology.
- To describe new species within the Marginopora genus based on morphological distinctiveness.
Main Methods:
- Micro-computed tomography (microCT)-scanning of five Marginopora populations from the Coral Sea.
- Quantitative morphological analysis to assess variation.
- Comparative morphological studies to differentiate species.
Main Results:
- Ecomorphological and ontogenetic variation was found to be less significant than geographic variation in Marginopora morphology.
- Three new species are described: Marginopora santoensis nov. spec., Marginopora charlottensis nov. spec., and Marginopora orpheusensis nov. spec.
- Morphological variation between M. rossi, M. orpheusensis nov. spec., and M. charlottensis nov. spec. overlaps, but unique characters support their recognition as distinct species.
- Strong support exists for distinguishing deep-living (M. rossi, M. charlottensis nov. spec., M. orpheusensis nov. spec.) and shallow-living (M. vertebralis) Marginopora populations as separate species.
- Ecophenotypic variation in M. santoensis nov. spec. is unlikely to account for the observed morphological differences among the three new species.
Conclusions:
- The number of species within the Marginopora genus is likely underestimated.
- At least five Marginopora species are present in the Coral Sea area alone.
- Further molecular phylogenetic data are needed to test hypotheses regarding species divergence, such as the Great Barrier Reef hypothesis.
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