Historical biogeography of Hexabathynella , a cosmopolitan genus of groundwater Syncarida (Crustacea, Bathynellacea, Parabathynellidae)

Abstract

Hexabathynella is the only cosmopolitan genus of the order Bathynellacea (Crustacea). The known species number 18, found in Europe (9), Africa (1), South America (2), North America (3) and Australia and New Zealand (3). Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the least derived species are those from South America and the most derived those from the Iberian Peninsula, North America and Australia. The five species with the most plesiomorphic characters occur in salt or brackish water, which supports a marine origin for the genus. Phylogenetic and biogeographical analyses suggest that the distribution of the genus can be explained by dispersion and a double vicariant biogeographical model based on plate tectonics and the evolution of the Tethys during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London . Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 78 , 457–466.

Global diversity of syncarids (Syncarida; Crustacea) in freshwater

“…However, the majority of the species has been found in just one locality or in localities of a limited area (Camacho, 2003a). The majority of genera live in very limited areas, although this can be, due to the temporaly and spatialy sporadic nature of the collecting.…”

A primitive representative of the Parabathynellidae (Bathynellacea, Syncarida) from the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia

“…Since no mechanism is known by which the species could have been dispersed beyond the interstitial, they are particularly interesting subjects for historical zoogeography (Schminke 1974;Camacho and Coineau 1989;Camacho 2003). There are two families in this order, the Bathynellidae and the Parabathynellidae.…”

An overview of the distribution of the Parabathynellidae (Crustacea, Syncarida Bathynellacea) on the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands

“…Data source derive from the literature (record appeared until 1980) and from our own surveys (Camacho 1986(Camacho , 1987a(Camacho & b, 1988(Camacho , 1989a(Camacho , b and c, 1998(Camacho , 2000(Camacho , 2003aCamacho & Coineau, 1989;Camacho et al, 1997 and2000;Camacho & Serban, 1998, 2000and personal observations). The paper by Guil & Camacho (2001) mentions the presence of the species I.…”