Molecular taxonomy often uncovers cryptic species, reminding us that taxonomic incompleteness is even more severe than previous thought. The importance of species for conservation poorly understood. Although some may be seriously threatened or otherwise important, they are rarely included in programs as most them remain undescribed. We analysed the by scrutinizing South European complex subterranean amphipod Niphargus stygius sensu lato. Using uni- and multilocus delineation methods we show...

Summary 1. Various groundwater habitats have exceptionally high levels of endemism caused by strong hydrographical isolation and low dispersal abilities their inhabitants. More than 10% macro‐stygobiotic species nevertheless occupy relatively large ranges, measuring from some hundred to over 2000 km in length. These represent a challenge because distributions disregard boundaries, means disperse maintain long‐term gene flow are unknown. 2. Based on mitochondrial nuclear sequences, we...

The world's obligate cave‐dwelling fauna holds considerable promise for biogeographic analysis because it represents a large number of independent evolutionary experiments in isolation caves and adaptation to subterranean life. We focus on seven north temperate regions at least 2000 km 2 , utilizing more than 4300 records terrestrial invertebrates. In North America, highest diversity was found northeast Alabama while Europe Ariège, France, southeast Slovenia. Based these as well qualitative...

The European medicinal leech is one of vanishingly few animal species with direct application in modern medicine. In addition to the therapeutic potential held by many protease inhibitors purified from saliva, and notwithstanding historical association quackery, Hirudo medicinalis has been approved United States Food Drug Administration as a prescription medical device. Accurate annotation bioactive compounds relies on precise determination. Interpretations developmental neurophysiological...

Extreme selective environments are commonly believed to funnel evolution toward a few predictable outcomes. Caves well‐known extreme with characteristically adapted faunas that similar in appearance, physiology, and behavior all over the world, even if not closely related. Morphological diversity between related cave species has been explained by difference time since colonization different ecological influence from surface. Here, we tested more classical hypothesis: morphological is...

Abstract Europe’s obligate cave-dwelling amphibian Proteus anguinus inhabits subterranean waters of the north-western Balkan Peninsula. Because only fragments its habitat are accessible to humans, this endangered salamander’s exact distribution has been difficult establish. Here we introduce a quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction-based environmental DNA (eDNA) approach detect presence using water samples collected from karst springs, wells or caves. In survey conducted along...

Abstract Adaptive radiations are bursts of evolutionary species diversification that have contributed to much the diversity on Earth. An exception is modern Europe, where descendants ancient adaptive went extinct, and extant small, recent narrowly confined. However, not all legacy old has been lost. Subterranean environments, which dark food-deprived, yet buffered from climate change, preserved lineages. Here we provide evidence an entirely subterranean radiation amphipod genus Niphargus ,...

Recent continental-scale phylogeographic studies have demonstrated that not all freshwater fauna colonized Europe from the classic Mediterranean peninsular refugia, and northern or central parts of continent were occupied before, remained inhabited throughout Pleistocene. The colonization history ubiquitous aquatic isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticus was assessed using mitochondrial COI a variable part nuclear 28S rDNA sequences. Phylogeographic analysis former suggested dispersion proceeded...

Abstract Cryptic diversity, defined as two or more distinct species that were classified a single one due to morphological similarity, is believed be potentially important factor influencing future conservation decisions. A recent meta‐analysis allegedly demonstrated the proportion of cryptic almost evenly distributed among major metazoan taxa and biogeographical regions ‐ conclusion profound impact on biodiversity assessment conservation. We argue this result consequence methodological...

Understanding the process of evolution is one great challenges in biology. Cave animals are group with immense potential to address mechanisms evolutionary change. Amazingly, similar morphological alterations, such as enhancement sensory systems and loss eyes pigmentation, have evolved multiple times a diverse assemblage cave animals. Our goal develop an invertebrate model study so that, combination previously established vertebrate system, we can genetic questions concerning parallelism...

Abstract The effective population size ( N e ) could be the ideal parameter for monitoring populations of conservation concern as it conveniently summarizes both evolutionary potential and its sensitivity to genetic stochasticity. However, tracing change through time is difficult in natural populations. We applied four new methods estimating from a single sample genotypes trace temporal bears Northern Dinaric Mountains. genotyped 510 using 20 microsatellite loci determined their age. samples...

Abstract The water louse Asellus aquaticus is a widespread, euryoecious species, mostly uniform throughout its range. However, six subspecies are known from the Dinaric karst in northwestern Balkans. They include some specialized subterranean populations. pattern of genetic variation among and surface populations this hydrographically highly fragmented region was investigated using 653 bp fragment mitochondrial gene (COI). Sequencing 168 individuals 25 localities revealed 72 haplotypes....

Niphargus is the largest genus of freshwater amphipods. Its systematics from species to family level has always been problematic. This study first comprehensive phylogenetic treatment chiefly subterranean group in 160 years its taxonomic history. It includes 103 niphargid plus outgroups, representing about one‐third all nominal species. The samples originated mainly type localities or adjacent sites and covered most morphological variability genus. Character sampling included nuclear 28S...

Recent studies have revealed high local diversity and endemism in groundwaters, showed that species with large ranges are extremely rare. One of such is the cave shrimp Troglocaris anophthalmus from Dinaric Karst on western Balkan Peninsula, apparently uniform across a range more than 500 kilometers. As it contradicts paradigm subterranean organisms form localized, long-term stable populations cannot disperse over long distances. We tested for possible cryptic and/or unexpected evolutionary...