Publications by authors named "Jan-Johan Ter Poorten"
The unique aquatic Pontocaspian (PC) biota of the Black Sea Basin (BSB) is in decline. The lack of detailed knowledge on the status and trends of species, populations, and communities hampers a thorough risk assessment and precludes effective conservation. This paper reviews PC biodiversity trends in the BSB (Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia) using endemic mollusks as a model group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDefining and recording the loss of species diversity is a daunting task, especially if identities of species under threat are not fully resolved. An example is the Pontocaspian biota. The mostly endemic invertebrate faunas that evolved in the Black Sea - Caspian Sea - Aral Sea region and live under variable salinity conditions are undergoing strong change, yet within several groups species boundaries are not well established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Reconstructing historical biogeography of marine invertebrates is complex due to indistinct barriers and changes from plate tectonics, leading to a detailed study of the bivalve family Cardiidae, using advanced phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses.
- This research involved analyzing 110 species from 37 genera, revealing that many previous classifications were incorrect and identifying the origins and diversification in the tropical Indo-Pacific from the Late Triassic.
- The study found better alignment between phylogeny and geography than earlier morphology-based studies, and employing a time-stratified model improved biogeographic reconstructions, aligning well with paleo-ocean currents and fossil records.