Comparative phylogeography of ground dwelling invertebrates on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand

Abstract

Recent research on Banks Peninsula of several invertebrate species shows that populations in different parts of the peninsula are genetically distinct from one another. This suggests vicariance, a continued evolutionary divergence, may be the driving process and offers a model system to test ideas regarding the origins of new species and their phylogeography. In this research, invertebrate taxon composition was used to investigate a differentiation of multiple co-distributed ground-dwelling invertebrates between east and west locations on Banks Peninsula. Genetic analysis was also used to investigate invertebrate biodiversity, with particular interest in answering questions regarding an east-west phylogeographic split among taxa (interspecific) and within tax (intraspecific) on Banks Peninsula. Results showed that a phylogeographic split across the east-west split was observed at both among- and within-species levels. More detailed intraspecific analyses of two spider species, N. janus and P. antipodiana, revealed highly divergent, genealogically exclusive clusters between east and west regions suggestive of cryptic species complexes. The findings of this research ultimately provide better understanding and crucial insight into the origins, maintenance and changes of invertebrate biodiversity on Banks Peninsula. This could serve future biodiversity research projects and be implemented into conservation management by distinguishing areas for invertebrate protection and identifying key sources of invertebrate genetic diversity.