Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

5-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Kathryn E. Perez

Second Advisor

Dr. Christopher Vitek

Third Advisor

Dr. Erin Schuenzel

Abstract

The Succineid genus Oxyloma found throughout Canada and United States contains approximately 15 described species whose criterion for differentiation is considered unreliable. As a first step towards understanding the evolutionary history and revising the taxonomy of North American Oxyloma, we have sampled four species found in eastern North America (O. salleana, O. subeffusa, O. effusa, and O. retusa) from their type localities. We used mitochondrial COI, and nuclear LSU sequences with samples found across their range and members of the family to produce a phylogenetic hypothesis of evolutionary relationships and test species boundaries. Molecular phylogeny and species delimitation analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear data finds three monophyletic groups among the four nominal Oxyloma species, confirming doubts concerning the validity of these species.

Comments

Copyright 2018 Marco A. Martinez Cruz. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/species-delimitation-among-southeastern-us/docview/2103938363/se-2?accountid=7119

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