Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2014
Publication Title
BioEssays
Abstract
Microscopy has revealed tremendous diversity of bacterial and eukaryotic forms. Recent molecular analyses show discordance in estimates of biodiversity between morphological and molecular analyses. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses of the diversity of microbial forms reveal evidence of convergence at scales as deep as interdomain: morphologies shared between bacteria and eukaryotes. Here, we highlight examples of such discordance, focusing on exemplary lineages such as testate amoebae, ciliates, and cyanobacteria. These have long histories of morphological study, enabling deeper analyses on both the molecular and morphological sides. We discuss examples in two main categories: (i) morphologically identical (or highly similar) individuals that are genetically distinct and (ii) morphologically distinct individuals that are genetically the same. We argue that hypotheses about discordance can be tested using the concept of neutral morphologies, or more broadly neutral phenotypes, as a null hypothesis.
Keywords
Microbial evolution, Molecular data, Morphology, Neutral evolution
Volume
36
Issue
10
First Page
950
Last Page
959
DOI
10.1002/bies.201400056
ISSN
02659247
Rights
© the authors
Recommended Citation
Lahr, Daniel J.G.; Laughinghouse, Haywood Dail; Oliverio, Angela M.; Gao, Feng; and Katz, Laura A., "How Discordant Morphological and Molecular Evolution Among Microorganisms Can Revise our Notions of Biodiversity on Earth" (2014). Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/bio_facpubs/102
Comments
Peer reviewed accepted manuscript.