Morphological and genetic variability in cosmopolitan tardigrade species-Paramacrobiotus fairbanksi Schill, Förster, Dandekar & Wolf, 2010.

Paramacrobiotus fairbanksi was described from Alaska (USA) based on integrative taxonomy and later reported from various geographical localities making it a true cosmopolitan species. The 'Everything is Everywhere' (EiE) hypothesis assumes that the geographic distribution of microscopic organisms is not limited by dispersal but by local environmental conditions, making them potentially cosmopolitan. In the present work we report four new populations of P.

Contrasting Marine Microbial Communities of the Fram Strait with the First Confirmed Record of Cyanobacteria in the Arctic Region.

The seawater microbiome is crucial in marine ecosystems because of its role in food chains and biogeochemical cycles; thus, we studied the composition of the pelagic marine microbiome collected in the upper 50 m on the opposite sides of Fram Strait: Spitsbergen and Greenland shelves. We found out that it differed significantly, with salinity being the main environmental variable responsible for these differences. The Spitsbergen shelf was dominated by Atlantic Waters, with a rather homogenous water column in terms of salinity and temperature down to 300 m; hence, the marine microbial community was also homogenous at all sampled depths (0, 25, 50 m).

Morphological and genetic variability in cosmopolitan tardigrade species - Schill, Förster, Dandekar & Wolf, 2010.

was described from Alaska (USA) based on integrative taxonomy and later reported from various geographical locations making it a true cosmopolitan species. The 'Everything is Everywhere' (EiE) hypothesis assumes that microscopic organisms have unique features that help them to inhabit many different environments, meaning they can be considered cosmopolitan. In the present work we report four new populations of from the Northern Hemisphere which suggests that the 'EiE' hypothesis is true, at least for some tardigrade species.

Playing Peekaboo with a Master Manipulator: Metagenetic Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Supergroups in Freshwater Invertebrates.

The infamous "master manipulators"-intracellular bacteria of the genus -infect a broad range of phylogenetically diverse invertebrate hosts in terrestrial ecosystems. has an important impact on the ecology and evolution of their host with documented effects including induced parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nonetheless, data on infections in non-terrestrial invertebrates are scarce.

Integrative taxonomy reveals new, widely distributed tardigrade species of the genus Paramacrobiotus (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae).

In a moss sample collected in Ribeiro Frio, Madeira, Paramacrobiotus gadabouti sp. nov. was found and described using the integrative taxonomy approach.

Pleistocene allopatric differentiation followed by recent range expansion explains the distribution and molecular diversity of two congeneric crustacean species in the Palaearctic.

Pleistocene glaciations had a tremendous impact on the biota across the Palaearctic, resulting in strong phylogeographic signals of range contraction and rapid postglacial recolonization of the deglaciated areas. Here, we explore the diversity patterns and history of two sibling species of passively dispersing taxa typical of temporary ponds, fairy shrimps (Anostraca). We combine mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (ITS2 and 18S) markers to conduct a range-wide phylogeographic study including 56 populations of Branchinecta ferox and Branchinecta orientalis in the Palaearctic.

Taxonomic classification of the bacterial endosymbiont based on next-generation sequencing: is there molecular evidence for its presence in tardigrades?

We used high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA to test whether tardigrade species are infected with parasites. We applied SILVA and Greengenes databases that allowed taxonomic classification of bacterial sequences to OTUs. The results obtained from both databases differed considerably in the number of OTUs, and only the Greengenes database allowed identification of (infection was also supported by comparison of sequences to NCBI database).

An integrative description of Diploechiniscus oihonnae/ (Richters, 1903) population from near the original type locality in Merok (Norway).

In the present study, we used integrative taxonomy to describe a population of Diploechiniscus oihonnae (Richters, 1903) from the neotype locality in Merok (Norway). We found no differences in the chaetotaxy formula between the life stages and sex of Dpl. oihonnae.

The Patterns and Puzzles of Genetic Diversity of Endangered Freshwater Mussel Philipsson, 1788 Populations from Vistula and Neman Drainages (Eastern Central Europe).

Mussels of the family Unionidae are important components of freshwater ecosystems. Alarmingly, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species identifies almost 200 unionid species as extinct, endangered, or threatened. Their decline is the result of human impact on freshwater habitats, and the decrease of host fish populations.

Integrative description of bisexual Paramacrobiotus experimentalis sp. nov. (Macrobiotidae) from republic of Madagascar (Africa) with microbiome analysis.

In a moss samples collected on Madagascar two populations of Paramacrobiotus experimentalis sp. nov. were found.

Detection of bacterial endosymbionts in freshwater crustaceans: the applicability of non-degenerate primers to amplify the bacterial 16S rRNA gene.

Bacterial endosymbionts of aquatic invertebrates remain poorly studied. This is at least partly due to a lack of suitable techniques and primers for their identification. We designed a pair of non-degenerate primers which enabled us to amplify a fragment of ca.

Instances of erroneous DNA barcoding of metazoan invertebrates: Are universal cox1 gene primers too "universal"?

The cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene is the main mitochondrial molecular marker playing a pivotal role in phylogenetic research and is a crucial barcode sequence. Folmer's "universal" primers designed to amplify this gene in metazoan invertebrates allowed quick and easy barcode and phylogenetic analysis. On the other hand, the increase in the number of studies on barcoding leads to more frequent publishing of incorrect sequences, due to amplification of non-target taxa, and insufficient analysis of the obtained sequences.

Gender-Associated Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy in Somatic Tissues of the Endangered Freshwater Mussel Unio crassus (Bivalvia: Unionidae): Implications for Sex Identification and Phylogeographical Studies.

Some bivalve species possess two independent mitochondrial DNA lineages: maternally (F-type) and paternally (M-type) inherited. This phenomenon is called doubly uniparental inheritance. It is generally agreed that F-type mtDNA is typically present in female somatic and gonadal tissues as well as in male somatic tissues, whereas the M-type mtDNA occurs only in male germ line and gonadal tissue.

The complete maternal and paternal mitochondrial genomes of Unio crassus: Mitochondrial molecular clock and the overconfidence of molecular dating.

The availability of a rapidly growing number of complete mitochondrial genome sequences provokes high confidence dating approaches. However, even if the congruence between mitochondrial and nuclear markers is reasonable, the resulting topologies are frequently questionable. The unique opportunity to study the evolutionary history of two independent mitochondrial genomes in one phylogenetic context exists in the freshwater mussels family Unionidae.

Identification and characterization of the first microsatellite loci for the thick-shelled river mussel Unio crassus (Bivalvia: Unionidae).

The thick-shelled river mussel Unio crassus is critically endangered throughout its range as a result of increasing human activity and habitat loss. Next generation DNA sequencing was used to develop a set of microsatellite markers that can be used for future ecological and population genetics studies of U. crassus.