Classic problems in historical biogeography are where did penguins originate, and why are such mobile birds restricted to the Southern Hemisphere? Competing hypotheses posit they arose in tropical–warm temperate waters, species-diverse cool temperate regions, or in Gondwanaland less than 100 mya when it was further north. To test these hypotheses we constructed a strongly supported … Continue reading New Dataset: Penguins of Antarctica

The phylogenetic relationships of 14 species of the Antarctic amphipod families Epimeriidae and Iphimediidae were investigated using 553 bp of the gene for the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 98 morphological characters. Both families are dominant members of the Antarctic benthic amphipod community. In contrast to previous studies, our molecular and morphological data … Continue reading New Dataset: Antarctic Isopods

Colossendeis megalonyx Hoek, 1881 is a widespread and abundant pycnogonid in the Southern Ocean which has also been reported from the South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans. Its strictly benthic lifestyle is expected to promote genetic differentiation among populations and ultimately facilitate speciation. On the other hand, the reported eurybathy and unknown larval stages of … Continue reading New Dataset: Antarctic Pycnogonids II

Linse,K., Cope,T., Lorz,A.-N. and Sands,C. Is the Scotia Sea a center of Antarctic marine diversification? Evidence of cryptic speciation in the circum-Antarctic bivalve Lissarca notorcadensis (Arcoidea: Philobryidae) Polar Biology 30( 8): 1059-106, 2006

The Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, is an abundant and key species found in the Southern Ocean that forms dense, discrete swarms. Despite over three decades of research on Antarctic krill, the genetics of individual swarms is yet to be specifically investigated. In this study, we address the genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history of … Continue reading New Dataset: Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba