HR: 14:30h
AN: NB13C-05    [Abstracts]
TI: Evolutionary History and Conservation Status of Cave Crayfishes Along the Cumberland Plateau
AU: * Buhay, J E
EM: crayfish@byu.edu
AF: Brigham Young University Integrative Biology Department, 401 Widtsoe Building, Provo, UT 84602 United States
AU: Crandall, K A
EM: kac@email.byu.edu
AF: Brigham Young University Departments of Molecular Biology and Integrative Biology, 401 Widtsoe Building, Provo, UT 84602 United States
AB: Obligate cave-dwelling crayfish species are found only in southeastern United States, Mexico, and Cuba. Most species are considered to be endangered because of surface pollution threats to groundwater and small geographic distributions. There are currently three subterranean species of the genus Orconectes found along the Cumberland Plateau, a worldwide hotspot of cave biodiversity. The objectives of my dissertation research are to: 1) delineate species' boundaries using molecular genetic data in a phylogenetic framework, 2) examine evolutionary history of each species using Nested Clade Analysis, and 3) assess conservation status of each species using measures of effective population size and genetic diversity. This research project has uncovered a new species of cave crayfish along the border of Tennessee and Kentucky, an area previously thought to have "intergrades" between two subspecies of O. australis. It appears that Cambarus gentryi, a surface-dwelling burrowing species, is the closest living ancestor to the cave Orconectes assemblage on the Plateau. The origin appears to be Eastern Kentucky, with range expansions occuring southward down the Plateau. Although controversial, these cave species exhibit high levels of genetic diversity, especially in comparison to surface-dwellers. Conservation efforts should focus on protecting `high-traffic' areas to maintain gene flow and prevent isolation.
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly