How we study cryptic species and their biological implications: A case study from marine shelled gastropods.

ABSTRACT: Methodological and biological considerations are intertwined when studying cryptic species. A potentially large component of modern biodiversity, the frequency of cryptic species among taxonomic groups is not well documented. The term "cryptic species" is imprecisely used in scientific literature, causing ambiguity when interpreting their evolutionary and ecological significance. This study reviews how cryptic species have been defined, discussing implications for taxonomy and biology, and explores these implications with a case study based on recently published literature on extant shelled marine gastropods. Reviewed gastropods were recorded by species. Records of cryptic gastropods were presented by authors with variable levels of confidence but were difficult to disentangle from inheren

SUBMITTER: Shin CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10480071 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature