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A molecular phylogeny of antarctic chironomidae and its implications for biogeographical history

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Abstract

The chironomid midges Belgica antarctica, Eretmoptera murphyi (subfamily Orthocladiinae) and Parochlus steinenii (subfamily Podonominae), are the only Diptera species currently found in Antarctica. The relationships between these species and a range of further taxa of Chironomidae were examined by sequencing domains 1 and 3–5 of 28S ribosomal RNA. The resulting molecular relationships between B. antarctica and E. murphyi, within Orthocladiinae, were highly supported by validation analyses, confirming their position within Chironomidae, as generated by classical taxonomy. Within Podonominae, P. steinenii from the Maritime Antarctic was more closely related to material from sub-Antarctic South Georgia than to material from Patagonia. Taking advantage of the availability of a molecular substitution rate calculated for this gene in Diptera, a dating of divergence between our study taxa was tentatively established. The divergence dates obtained were 49 million years (Myr), between B. antarctica and E. murphyi, and 68.5 Myr between these species and the closest Orthocladiinae taxon tested from Patagonia, suggesting that B. antarctica and E. murphyi were representatives of an ancient lineage. As both are endemic to their respective tectonic microplates, their contemporary distribution is, therefore, likely to have been shaped by vicariance rather than dispersal.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Annalia Paggi for determining most of the taxa of Patagonian origin, Dr. Mateo Martinic Beros, Director of the Instituto de Magallanes, for supplying formal and practical facilities and Col. Luciano Corti for his invaluable help (and patience) during G. Carchini’s sampling trip in Chilean Patagonia. We also thank Dr. Mike Curtis (BAS) for advice on palaeogeographic interpretations, and Dr. Gabriele Gentile for discussion of some genetic aspects of the paper. Dr. Bruno Rossaro gave us additional taxa from Italy and provided useful criticisms on a previous version of the paper. This research was financially supported by PNRA (the Italian Program of Antarctic Research) and by CNR (the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) grants to G. Carchini, and BAS provided logistical and technical support allowing the collection of material and access to preserved collections. This paper also contributes to the BAS BIRESA and SCAR RiSCC Programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata” via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Roma, Italy

    Giuliana Allegrucci, Gianmaria Carchini, Valentina Todisco & Valerio Sbordoni

  2. British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, UK

    Peter Convey

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  1. Giuliana Allegrucci
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  2. Gianmaria Carchini
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  3. Valentina Todisco
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  4. Peter Convey
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  5. Valerio Sbordoni
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Correspondence to Giuliana Allegrucci.

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G. Allegrucci

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Allegrucci, G., Carchini, G., Todisco, V. et al. A molecular phylogeny of antarctic chironomidae and its implications for biogeographical history. Polar Biol 29, 320–326 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0056-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0056-7

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