Phylogenetic relationships and diversification patterns of Trichomycteridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes) using DNA sequences

Author(s)

Luz Eneida Ochoa Orrego

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Botucatu. 2018-04-03.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Botucatu
• Defense date: 2018-03-02
• Advisor: Claudio de Oliveira

Abstract

Trichomycteridae is one of the most specious families in the superfamily Loricarioidea with approximately 300 valid species including 41 genera and eight subfamilies, widely distributed through the rivers in South and Central America. Trichomycteridae is characterized morphologically by the presence of a highly modified opercular system, involving the opercular and pre-opercular bones, as well as by variation in body size and coloration patterns. Trichomycterids also present a wide trophic diversity including omnivorous, insectivorous, lepidophagous and hematophagous species. The monophyly of the family and its subfamilies are well supported by morphological characters except Trichomycterinae, which includes Trichomycterus, a taxonomically complex non-monophyletic group with a high number of species and unknown diversity. Although, multiple studies have focused on suprageneric relationships with reduced species representativity, there are no studies using molecular characters with a large sample of Trichomycteridae. In this context, the main objective of this research is to study the phylogenetic relationships of Trichomycteridae through the analysis of DNA sequences using two approaches: multilocus analysis, including three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes, and the implementation of phylogenetic analyzes using 851 ultraconserved elements of the genome (ultraconserved elements, UCEs). Based on the phylogeny obtained, we analyzed patterns of origin and diversification, as well as their correlation with the evolution of body size. In addition, analyzes of parametric biogeography were carried out for the reconstruction of the ancestral areas. The results obtained by the two methodologies corroborate morphological hypotheses supporting the monophyly of the subfamilies, except Glanapteryginae and Sarcoglanidinae, and reveal new hypotheses of relationship within the clade Tridentinae-Stegophiliniae-Vandelliinae-Sarcoglanidinae-Glanapteryginae (TSVSG). The analysis of divergence indicated that the origin of Trichomyctreridae dates from the lower Cretaceous with multiple cladogenetic events occurring during the late Eocene and early Miocene. The family shows a high heterogeneity in the rates of diversification, with an evident shift in the origin of the subfamily Trichomycterinae, which is not correlated with the evolution of body size. The reconstruction of ancestral areas indicated that the most recent common ancestor of Trichomycteridae was widely distributed in the Amazon region and coastal drains of the South Atlantic of Brazil. Different geomorphological processes of dispersal and vicariance mainly associated with river capture events modeled the current distribution of Trichomycteridae species (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/06853-8 - Phylogenetic analysis of the relationships and diversification patterns of Trichomycteridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes) using DNA sequences
• Grantee: Luz Eneida Ochoa Orrego
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate