Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Major/Program
Biology
First Advisor's Name
Heather Bracken-Grissom
First Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Chair
Second Advisor's Name
Jose Eirin-Lopez
Second Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Third Advisor's Name
Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
Third Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Fourth Advisor's Name
Eric von Wettberg
Fourth Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Fifth Advisor's Name
Wensong Wu
Fifth Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Keywords
Crustacea, Decapoda, Evolution, Phylogeny, Population Genetics/Genomics, Farfantepenaeus, Shrimp, Giant Deep-Sea Isopod, Mesopelagic, Gulf of Mexico
Date of Defense
6-7-2018
Abstract
Evolution occurs and can be conceptualized along a spectrum, bounded on one extreme by the relationships between deep lineages – such as phyla, classes, and orders – and on the other by the molecular dynamics of operational taxonomic units within a species, defined as population genetics. The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand the evolutionary and population dynamics of crustaceans within the Gulf of Mexico. In the second chapter of my dissertation, I provide a guide to best phylogenetic practice while reviewing infraordinal relationships within Decapoda, including the promise held by next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches such as Anchored Hybrid Enrichment. Chapter III is a phylogenetic study of species relationships within the economically important shrimp genus, Farfantepenaeus, targeting three mitochondrial genes and uncovering an intriguing pattern of latitudinal speciation. As the first inclusive molecular phylogeny of the genus, we find support for the newly described species F. isabelae, but a lack of support for the species status of F. notialis. Additionally, our results suggest the existence of two distinct subspecies of F. brasiliensis. Chapter IV investigates the relative impacts of habitat heterogeneity and the presence of a possible glacial refugium in determining population dynamics of the Giant Deep-Sea Isopod, Bathynomus giganteus in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Through hybrid population genetics/genomics analyses and Bayesian testing of population models, we find strong evidence for habitat heterogeneity determining population dynamics for this charismatic deep-sea invertebrate. Chapter V further investigates the role of environment in determining and maintaining genetic diversity and population connectivity, specifically focused on establishing biological baselines with which we can diagnose health and resilience of the Gulf of Mexico. This was accomplished through a comparative NGS population genomics study of three species of mesopelagic crustaceans: Acanthephyra purpurea, Systellaspis debilis, and Robustosergia robusta. While diversity and connectivity differs in each species, the comparative results bespeak the importance of access to the Gulf Loop Current in determining and maintaining population dynamics. Overall, my work significantly contributes to our knowledge of Crustacea at the phylogenetic- and population genetic-level.
Identifier
FIDC006826
ORCID
0000-0002-7285-0261
Recommended Citation
Timm, Laura, "Evolutionary and Population Dynamics of Crustaceans in the Gulf of Mexico" (2018). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3807.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3807
Included in
Biology Commons, Evolution Commons, Genomics Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Molecular Genetics Commons, Population Biology Commons
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