The olm (Proteus anguinus), a flagship groundwater species

Kostanjšek, Rok; Zakšek, Valerija; Bizjak-Mali, Lilijana; Trontelj, Peter

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-819119-4.15006-1

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 58 publications

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“…The scientific scope of surface-subterranean comparative studies ultimately depends on the acquisition of ecological and molecular resources-from biological trait data to phylogenetic and genomic resources-in model organisms. These resources are increasingly becoming available at the intraspecific level in species comprised of surface and subterranean populations such as the teleost Astyanax mexicanus (Gross et al, 2023;Kowalko et al, 2020), the isopod Asellus aquaticus (Konec et al, 2015;Protas et al, 2023), the amphipod Gammarus minus (Fong & Carlini, 2023) and the urodele amphibian Proteus anguinus (Kostanjsek et al, 2023). However, comparative studies at the interspecific level remain scarce essentially because of the difficulty in assembling large-scale phylogenetic and species trait data sets in clades comprised of multiple surface and subterranean species (Langille et al, 2022;Lefébure et al, 2017;Mammola et al, 2019;Saclier et al, 2018;Stern et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A collaborative backbone resource for comparative studies of subterranean evolution: The World Asellidae database

Saclier,

Duchemin,

Konecny‐Dupré

et al. 2023

Molecular Ecology Resources

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Transition to novel environments, such as groundwater colonization by surface organisms, provides an excellent research ground to study phenotypic evolution. However, interspecific comparative studies on evolution to groundwater life are few because of the challenge in assembling large ecological and molecular resources for species‐rich taxa comprised of surface and subterranean species. Here, we make available to the scientific community an operational set of working tools and resources for the Asellidae, a family of freshwater isopods containing hundreds of surface and subterranean species. First, we release the World Asellidae database (WAD) and its web application, a sustainable and FAIR solution to producing and sharing data and biological material. WAD provides access to thousands of species occurrences, specimens, DNA extracts and DNA sequences with rich metadata ensuring full scientific traceability. Second, we perform a large‐scale dated phylogenetic reconstruction of Asellidae to support phylogenetic comparative analyses. Of 424 terminal branches, we identify 34 pairs of surface and subterranean species representing independent replicates of the transition from surface water to groundwater. Third, we exemplify the usefulness of WAD for documenting phenotypic shifts associated with colonization of subterranean habitats. We provide the first phylogenetically controlled evidence that body size of males decreases relative to that of females upon groundwater colonization, suggesting competition for rare receptive females selects for smaller, more agile males in groundwater. By making these tools and resources widely accessible, we open up new opportunities for exploring how phenotypic traits evolve in response to changes in selective pressures and trade‐offs during groundwater colonization.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A collaborative backbone resource for comparative studies of subterranean evolution: The World Asellidae database

Saclier,

Duchemin,

Konecny‐Dupré

et al. 2023

Molecular Ecology Resources

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Behavioural alterations in surface and cave populations of isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticus by Acanthocephalus anguillae

Benko,

Fišer,

Kostanjšek

2024

J. Helminthol.

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Acanthocephalans are obligatory endoparasites that often alter the phenotype of their invertebrate intermediate host to facilitate trophic transmission to their final vertebrate host. Acanthocephalus anguillae, a widespread parasite of European freshwater fishes and isopod Asellus aquaticus, was recently discovered also in Postojna-Planina Cave System (Slovenia) parasitising olms (Proteus anguinus) and cave populations of A. aquaticus. This setting offers a unique opportunity to investigate potential fine-tuning of parasitic manipulations to the specifics of the highly divergent subterranean environment where some common phenotypic alterations lose functionality, but others might gain it. We measured three behavioural traits: movement activity, shelter-seeking, and response to light of infested and uninfested isopods from surface and cave populations. All behaviours were quantified from 1-h video-recordings via video-tracking isopod’s movement in empty or custom modified (half-sheltered/half-illuminated) Petri dishes. Infested isopods of both populations spent significantly less time sheltering and were significantly less photophobic than uninfested ones, whereas the activity of isopods was not altered. However, we observed almost no cave-specific responses upon infestation in the two altered behaviours. It seems phenotypic alterations are not particularly fine-tuned to the subterranean environment and its hosts, and likely still reflect the parasite’s surface origin.

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The olm (Proteus anguinus), a flagship groundwater species

Cited by 2 publications

References 58 publications

A collaborative backbone resource for comparative studies of subterranean evolution: The World Asellidae database

A collaborative backbone resource for comparative studies of subterranean evolution: The World Asellidae database

Behavioural alterations in surface and cave populations of isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticus by Acanthocephalus anguillae

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