Population Genetics of Bowfins (Amiidae) across the Laurentian Great Lakes
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Authors
Clark, Madeline J.
Issue Date
2015-04-10
Type
oral_presentation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Bowfin Phylogenetics , Amiiformes , Bowfin Taxonomy , Amiide Population Genetics , Laurentian Great Lakes
Alternative Title
Abstract
The Bowfin, Amia calva (Linneaus, 1766), is a common Eastern North American fish and the last extant member of the order Amiiformes. By 1870, thirteen species of bowfin had been described across North America. These species included Amia ocellicauda from Georgian Bay in Lake Huron (Todd, in Richardson, 1836), A.occidentalis from St. Mary’s River in Lake Huron (Dekay, 1842), A. canina from Lake Erie (Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1847) and the first-described bowfin, A. calva, from Charleston, South Carolina. This diversity was condensed down to a single species, A. calva, by Jordan and Evermann in 1896. Since then, this monotypy hypothesis has been generally accepted, but never scientifically validated. In 2014, this hypothesis was challenged when specimens from the Savanah River and Lake Ontario basins were compared morphometrically (Clifford, 2014). Results from this study concluded that there were in fact 2 distinct species. Fish from the Savanah River basin should be referred to as Amia calva and those from Lake Ontario as Amia species incertae sedis. Our study continues the testing of the monotypy hypothesis using molecular biology. Analysis of the barcoding gene Cythochrome Oxidase I is being used to phylogenetically compare specimens collected from Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and the Carolinas. Sanger sequencing of this gene has allowed us to properly align and genetically classify fish from each locality. As a result, we can then begin to delineate potential species and improve taxonomic classification. Data collected from our study is also being used to complement morphometric data and eventually shed light on a subject which has been untouched for almost 120 years.