Understanding processes at the origin of species flocks with a focus on the marine Antarctic fauna
Species flocks (SFs) fascinate evolutionary biologists who wonder whether such striking diversification can be driven by normal evolutionary processes. Multiple definitions of SFs have hindered the study of their origins. Previous studies identified a monophyletic taxon as a SF if it displays high speciosity in an area in which it is endemic (criterion 1), high ecological diversity among species (criterion 2), and if it dominates the habitat in terms of biomass (criterion 3); we used these criteria in our analyses. Our starting hypothesis is that normal evolutionary processes may provide a sufficient explanation for most SFs. We thus clearly separate each criterion and identify which biolog…
Éco-régionalisation et conservation des communautés benthiques de la zone économique exclusive française des îles Kerguelen
The deep-sea benthic ecosystems of the French Kerguelen exclusive economic zone remain poorly understood. To address benthic conservation issues, the authors recently contributed expert knowledge to guide the recent extension of the Marine Reserve of the ‘Terres australes françaises’. In this new study, we propose a benthic ecoregionalisation of the northern Kerguelen Plateau based on a measurable and repeatable methodology that relies on the generalised dissimilarity modelling technique. Data of macro-epibenthic invertebrate species from the POKER 2 (2010) fish stock assessment survey have been used to compute the models. Our results allow us (i) to characterise and map benthic landscape u…
Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Asteroidea database
The present dataset is a compilation of georeferenced occurrences of asteroids (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the Southern Ocean. Occurrence data south of 45°S latitude were mined from various sources together with information regarding the taxonomy, the sampling source and sampling sites when available. Records from 1872 to 2016 were thoroughly checked to ensure the quality of a dataset that reaches a total of 13,840 occurrences from 4,580 unique sampling events. Information regarding the reproductive strategy (brooders vs. broadcasters) of 63 species is also made available. This dataset represents the most exhaustive occurrence database on Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic asteroids.
Revision of the pentacrinid stalked crinoids of the genus Endoxocrinus (Echinodermata, Crinoidea), with a study of environmental control of characters and its consequences for taxonomy
A revision of the stalked crinoid species attributed to the genus Endoxocrinus A.H. Clark, 1908 (Diplocrininae, Pentacrinitidae, Crinoidea, Echinodermata) is conducted using studies on phenotype variation and its relation with environment. Specimens collected via submersible at five sites in the Bahamas exhibit distinct phenotypes that correlate with different apparent ecological niches and serve as references for interpreting specimens dredged in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where detailed information on their benthic environment is unknown. Documentation of ecophenotypic convergences or divergences allows us to distinguish between adaptive characters and those revealing genetic affinities,…