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On the geographic distribution of Loxodes rex (Protozoa, Ciliophora) and other alleged endemic species of ciliates
Author(s) -
Esteban Genoveva F.,
Finlay Bland J.,
Charubhun Nuntaporn,
Charubhun Bawpit
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1017/s0952836901001200
Subject(s) - biology , ciliate , protist , biological dispersal , abundance (ecology) , ecology , protozoa , endemism , zoology , population , biochemistry , genetics , demography , sociology , gene
There is no consensus on the question of whether or not free‐living protist species have biogeographies, with the strongest disagreement coming from advocates of the hypothesis that the extraordinary abundance of protists drives their ubiquitous dispersal. If the probability of a species being ubiquitous is a function of its absolute global abundance, then the species that are least likely to be ubiquitous are those with relatively small global populations, i.e. the largest species. Among the free‐living ciliated protozoa, a prime candidate for such an organism must be the large (∼1200 μm long), unmistakable, fragile, non‐encysting karyorelictid Loxodes rex . This ciliate was known only from fresh waters in tropical Africa and it was long considered to be a rare example of an endemic ciliate. Here it is reported that Loxodes rex is thriving in a pond in Thailand. The status of other alleged endemic ciliate species is discussed.