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GRACILARIA FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON GRACILARIA TIKVAHIAE BASED ON TWO MOLECULAR DATASETS
Author(s) -
Gurgel C.F.,
Fredericq S.,
Norris J.N.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1046/j.1529-8817.1999.00001-81.x
Subject(s) - biology , gracilaria , taxon , internal transcribed spacer , ribosomal dna , taxonomy (biology) , phylogenetics , peninsula , evolutionary biology , ecology , zoology , botany , algae , ribosomal rna , gene , biochemistry
Despite a recent body of literature, the species of Gracilaria recognized for the Gulf of Mexico are still incompletely characterized, misidentified, and species limits not well defined due to huge morphological plasticity and overlapping habits. To better characterize these taxa and evaluate their taxonomic relationships, we provide a chloroplast‐encoded rbcL phylogeny encompassing primarily Gulf, western Atlantic, and Caribbean species. Our results indicate the need to resurrect older, validly published names currently placed in synonymy under other species of Gracilaria , and to describe new species. For Gracilaria tikvahia , in particular, a combination of DNA sequences [ rbcL , and internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA] from specimens collected across a wide biogeographic area (Nova Scotia, Canada, to Las Coloradas, Yucatan Peninsula) successfully promotes the integration and correlation of molecular phylogenies and morphology with biogeographic hypotheses.