Patterns of intraspecific morphological variability in soil mites reflect their dispersal ability.

ABSTRACT: The ability to disperse is one of the most important factors influencing the biogeography of species and speciation processes. Highly mobile species have been shown to lack geographic population structures, whereas less mobile species show genetically strongly subdivided populations which are expected to also display at least subtle phenotypic differences. Geometric morphometric methods (GMM) were now used to analyze morphological differences between European populations of a presumed non-phoretic, little mobile mite species in comparison to a highly mobile, phoretic species. The non-phoretic species Scutacarus carinthiacus showed a phenotypic population structure, whereas the phoretic species S. acarorum displayed homogeneity. These different patterns most probably can be explained by dif

SUBMITTER: Baumann J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7851010 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature