Publications by authors named "Herman H Wirshing"

Phylosymbiosis, the association between the phylogenetic relatedness of hosts and the composition of their microbial communities, is a widespread phenomenon in diverse animal taxa. However, the generality of the existence of such a pattern has been questioned in many animals across the tree of life, including small-sized aquatic invertebrates. This study aims to investigate the microbial communities associated with poorly known marine interstitial nemerteans to uncover their microbiota diversity and assess the occurrence of phylosymbiosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Clades A, B1, B2, and C show differences in color patterns and mating behaviors, indicating they should be recognized as separate species, while clades A and B1 show no preference for mating within their groups, suggesting they can interbreed.
  • * Clade diversity is highest in the Mariana Islands, and the distinct clade C is found in the northern regions of the Central and Western Pacific, highlighting the importance of geographic separation and ecological factors in speciation.
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Numerous genomic methods developed over the past two decades have enabled the discovery and extraction of orthologous loci to help resolve phylogenetic relationships across various taxa and scales. Genome skimming (or low-coverage genome sequencing) is a promising method to not only extract high-copy loci but also 100s to 1000s of phylogenetically informative nuclear loci (e.g.

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Whole mitochondrial genomes are often used in phylogenetic reconstruction. However, discordant patterns in species relationships between mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies are commonly observed. Within Anthozoa (Phylum Cnidaria), mitochondrial (mt)-nuclear discordance has not yet been examined using a large and comparable dataset.

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Accurate assessments of biodiversity are crucial to advising ecosystem-monitoring programs and understanding ecosystem function. Nevertheless, a standard operating procedure to assess biodiversity accurately and consistently has not been established. This is especially true for meiofauna, a diverse community (>20 phyla) of small benthic invertebrates that have fundamental ecological roles.

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Background: Previous phylogenetic analyses of primnoid octocorals utilizing morphological or molecular data have each recovered evolutionary relationships among genera that are largely incongruent with each other, with some exceptions. In an effort to reconcile molecular-based phylogenies with morphological characters, phylogenetic reconstructions were performed with 33 of 43 primnoid genera using four loci (mtMutS, COI, 28S and 18S), and ancestral state reconstructions were performed using 9 taxonomically relevant characters. In addition, an updated illustrated key to the current 48 genus-level (43 genera, 5 subgenera) primnoids is presented.

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  • The adaptive bleaching hypothesis (ABH) suggests that coral bleaching can positively influence coral survival by allowing corals to switch their algal symbionts based on environmental conditions.
  • Researchers employed quantitative PCR (qPCR) technology to analyze five coral species from Moorea, discovering each species had a primary algal clade but also associated with additional clades at low levels.
  • Notably, clade B was identified as a coral symbiont for the first time in the region, indicating a greater diversity of symbiotic relationships and suggesting that corals in French Polynesia may strategically maintain multiple clades for better environmental adaptability.
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  • The study reviews the relationships and origins of Cerion incanum, the sole native species of the Cerion genus in the Florida Keys, using genetic data from 18 populations.
  • Molecular findings indicate that C. incanum should not be divided into subspecies, as morphological traits do not reliably distinguish them, and highlight a Bahamian origin for Florida's Cerion species.
  • Analysis reveals that the northernmost populations are the oldest, showcasing an evolutionary expansion of C. incanum as the Florida Keys were formed, leading to distinct genetic clades in different areas of the archipelago.
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Most gorgonian octocoral species are described using diagnostic characteristics of their sclerites (microscopic skeletal components). Species in the genus Pterogorgia, however, are separated primarily by differences in their calyx and branch morphology. Specimens of a morphologically unusual Pterogorgia collected from Saba Bank in the NE Caribbean Sea were found with calyx morphology similar to P.

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Molecular phylogenies of scleractinian corals often fail to agree with traditional phylogenies derived from morphological characters. These discrepancies are generally attributed to non-homologous or morphologically plastic characters used in taxonomic descriptions. Consequently, morphological convergence of coral skeletons among phylogenetically unrelated groups is considered to be the major evolutionary process confounding molecular and morphological hypotheses.

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The ability of coral reefs to recover from natural and anthropogenic disturbance is difficult to predict, in part due to uncertainty regarding the dispersal capabilities and connectivity of their reef inhabitants. We developed microsatellite markers for the broadcast spawning gorgonian octocoral Eunicea (Plexaura) flexuosa (four markers) and its dinoflagellate symbiont, Symbiodinium B1 (five markers), and used them to assess genetic connectivity, specificity and directionality of gene flow among sites in Florida, Panama, Saba and the Dominican Republic. Bayesian analyses found that most E.

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Saba Bank is a large submerged platform (approximately 2200 km(2)), average depth 30 m, located 4 km southwest of Saba Island in Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean Sea. Ships traveling to and from oil terminals on nearby St. Eustatius routinely anchor on the Bank, damaging benthic megafauna.

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