Invasions, DNA barcodes, and rapid biodiversity assessment using ants of Mauritius.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Using an understudied taxon (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) found on a tropical island (Mauritius) where native flora and fauna have been threatened by 400 years of habitat modification and introduced species, we tested whether estimated incidences of diversity and complementarity were similar when measured by standard morphological alpha-taxonomy or phylogenetic diversity (PD) based on a standardized mitochondrial barcode and corroborating nuclear marker.

Results

We found that costs related to site loss (considered loss of evolutionary history measured as loss of barcode PD) were not significantly different from predictions made either a) using standard morphology-based taxonomy, or b) measured using a nuclear marker. Integrating morphology and barcode results permitte

SUBMITTER: Smith MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2804717 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature