PHYLOGENY OF CARTERIA (CHLOROPHYCEAE) INFERRED FROM MOLECULAR AND ORGANISMAL DATA1

Comparative ultrastructural data have shown that at least two distinct groups exist within Carteria. Similarly, interpretations of variation in gross morphological features have led to the discovery of morphologically distinct groups within the genus. Partial sequences from the nuclear-encoded small- and large-subunit ribosomal RNA molecules of selected Carteria taxa were studied as a means of 1) testing hypotheses that distinct groups of species exist within the genus and 2) assessing monophyly of the genus. Parsimony analysis of the sequence data suggests that three Carteria species, C. lunzensis, C. crucifera, and C. olivieri, form a monophyletic group that is the basal sister group to all other ingroup flagellate taxa (including species of Chlamydomonas, Haematococcus, Stephanosphaera, Volvox, and Eudorina). Two other Carteria taxa, C. radiosa and Carteria sp. (UTEX isolate LB 762), form a clade that is the sister group to a clade that includes Haematococcus spp., Chlamydomonas spp., and Stephanosphaera. Thus, the sequence data support the interpretations of ultrastructural evidence that described two distinct Carteria lineages. Moreover, the sequence data suggest that these two Carteria groups do not form a monophyletic assemblage. Parsimony analysis of a suite of organismal (morphological, ultra-structural, life history, and biochemical) character data also suggest two distinct lineages among the five Carteria taxa; however, the organismal data are ambiguous regarding monophyly of these Carteria taxa. When the two independent data sets are pooled, monophyly of Carteria is not supported; therefore, the weight of available evidence, both molecular and organismal, fails to support the concept of Carteria as a natural genus.     

MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF TWO SIBLING SPECIES UNDER THE NAME GRACILARIA CHILENSIS (RHODOPHYTA,GRACILARIALES)1,3

Molecular markers belonging to three different genomes, mitochondrial (cox2‐3 spacer), plastid (RUBISCO spacer), and nuclear (internal transcribed spacer 1), were used to compare Gracilaria chilensis samples collected along the Chilean coast with samples ascribed to G. chilensis from the West Pacific Ocean (New Zealand and Australia). Our data are in agreement with previous studies suggesting two sibling species currently going under the name G. chilensis that co‐occur in New Zealand. One of these, a New Zealand sample previously examined by Bird and others in 1990, is conspecific with G. chilensis from Chile. Finally, our results demonstrate clearly that most of the sequences in GenBank reported as G. chilensis are based on misidentified material.     

利用RAPD标记构建木耳属种间关系的研究

摘 要: 利用RAPD标记以银耳属的2个种为外类群研究了木耳属8个种的分子系统发育关系。根据UPGMA 构建的树状图结果表明木耳属(Auricularia)和银耳属(Tremella)分别为单一的分类单元。木耳属的8个种被分成3个明显不同的组,第一组包括盾形木耳(A.peltata Lloyd)和角质木耳(A.cornea Spreng.),第二组包括所有供试的黑木耳(A.auricula Underw.),第三组包括皱木耳(A.delicata Henn.)、琥珀木耳(A.fuscosuccinea Farl.)、毛木耳(A.polytricha Sacc.)、大木耳(A.maxima Y. R. Guo)和网膜木耳(A.reticulata L. J. Li)五个形态种。种间发育关系表明角质木耳和毛木耳应是两个不同的种而非同种异名,子实体横切面中髓层的有无并不表明不同种间亲缘关系的远近。     

里白科植物的系统发育和分歧时间估计——基于叶绿体三个基因序列的证据

里白科(Gleicheniaceae)是古老的真蕨类植物,最早的化石记录可追溯到石炭纪。现存类群的属级分类和系统演化关系一直存在很大的分歧,为了进一步探讨该类群的起源演化,文中运用最大简约法和贝叶斯演绎方法对18种代表现存里白科植物全部6属(包括新测的12种)的叶绿体3个编码基因序列(atpB,rbcL和rps4)进行分析,探讨其主要分类群(属级)的系统演化关系。结果显示,里白科植物为一个单系群,由3个分支构成:里白属(Diplopterygium Nakai)和Gleichenia japonica构成一个分支;芒萁属(Dicranopteris Bernh.)和Gleichenella pec-tinata构成另一个分支;假芒萁属(Sticherus C.Presl)与单种属Stromatopteris Mettenius及Gleichenia dicarpa构成第三个分支。用宽松分子钟方法推测里白科主要类群的起源时间为:现代里白科植物起源于早白垩世(111—140Ma),其主要分支类群随后发生多样性分化,里白属和芒萁属的快速辐射演化均发生在古近纪(40—64Ma,36—50Ma)。起源时间的估算结果暗示化石种三叠里白Diplopterygium triassica不应归入现代里白属,其归属需要重新考虑。     

从12S rRNA基因序列探讨中国10种壁虎的系统关系

对肌肉样品采用SDS／蛋白酶K裂解,酚－氯仿抽提和乙醇沉淀提取总DNA,用线粒体12SrDNA通用引物扩增,用银染测序和ABI Prism 310型遗传分析仪测定了Gekko japonicus,G.swinhonis,G.hokouensis,G.gecko,Cyrtopodion elongatus,C.russowi,Teratoscincus roborowskii,Hemidactylus bowringii.,H.frenatus和Gehyra mutilata 10种壁虎的线粒体12SrRNA基因片段的序列,对位排列后的序列长421bp,含201个变异位点,属间核苷酸变异范围为0．228－0．282,属内是0．005－0．263。重建的分子系统树将10种壁虎聚为三支：第1支是大壁虎和截趾虎,第2支由壁虎属其余的3个种构成一个单系;第三支由基余3个属的5个种组成,研究结果表明：截趾虎与壁虎属4物种亲缘关系较近;吐鲁番沙虎和弯脚虎属2物种,晰虎属2物种之间的亲缘关系较近,支持Russell(1976)关于弯脚虎属与晰虎属间进化关系的研究结果而不支持Kluge(1987)将沙虎属另立亚科的系统发生假说;铅山壁虎与无蹼壁虎最先聚为姐妹群,再与多疣壁相聚组成一个单系。     

GENETIC VARIABILITY AND MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF DINOPHYSIS SPECIES (DINOPHYCEAE) FROM NORWEGIAN WATERS INFERRED FROM SINGLE CELL ANALYSES OF rDNA1

The objectives of this study were to determine rDNA sequences of the most common Dinophysis species in Scandinavian waters and to resolve their phylogenetic relationships within the genus and to other dinoflagellates. A third aim was to examine the intraspecific variation in D. acuminata and D. norvegica, because these two species are highly variable in both morphology and toxicity. We obtained nucleotide sequences of coding (small subunit [SSU], partial large subunit [LSU], 5.8S) and noncoding (internal transcribed spacer [ITS]1, ITS2) parts of the rRNA operon by PCR amplification of one or two Dinophysis cells isolated from natural water samples. The three photosynthetic species D. acuminata, D. acuta, and D. norvegica differed in only 5 to 8 of 1802 base pairs (bp) within the SSU rRNA gene. The nonphotosynthetic D. rotundata (synonym Phalacroma rotundatum[Claparède et Lachmann] Kofoid et Michener), however, differed in approximately 55 bp compared with the three photosynthetic species. In the D1 and D2 domains of LSU rDNA, the phototrophic species differed among themselves by 3 to 12 of 733 bp, whereas they differed from D. rotundata by more than 100 bp. This supports the distinction between Dinophysis and Phalacroma. In the phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA, all Dinophysis species were grouped into a common clade in which D. rotundata diverged first. The results indicate an early divergence of Dinophysis within the Dinophyta. The LSU phylogenetic analyses, including 4 new and 11 Dinophysis sequences from EMBL, identified two major clades within the phototrophic species. Little or no intraspecific genetic variation was found in the ITS1–ITS2 region of single cells of D. norvegica and D. acuminata from Norway, but the delineation between these two species was not always clear.     

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF THE GENUS CAULERPA (CAULERPALES,CHLOROPHYTA) INFERRED FROM CHLOROPLAST tufA GENE1

The genus Caulerpa consists of about 75 species of tropical to subtropical siphonous green algae. To better understand the evolutionary history of the genus, a molecular phylogeny was inferred from chloroplast tufA sequences of 23 taxa. A sequence of Caulerpella ambigua was included as a potential outgroup. Results reveal that the latter taxon is, indeed, sister to all ingroup sequences. Caulerpa itself consists of a series of relatively ancient and species‐poor lineages and a relatively modern and rapidly diversifying clade, containing most of the diversity. The molecular phylogeny conflicts with the intrageneric sectional classification based on morphological characters and an evolutionary scheme based on chloroplast ultrastructure. High bootstrap values support monophyly of C. mexicana, C. sertularioides, C. taxifolia, C. webbiana, and C. prolifera, whereas most other Caulerpa species show para‐ or polyphyly.     

PHYLOGENY OF THE EUGLENALES INFERRED FROM PLASTID LSU rDNA SEQUENCES1

To gain insights into the phylogeny of the Euglenales, we analyzed the plastid LSU rDNA sequences from 101 strains of the photosynthetic euglenoids belonging to nine ingroup genera (Euglena, Trachelomonas, Strombomonas, Monomorphina, Cryptoglena, Colacium, Discoplastis, Phacus, and Lepocinclis) and two outgroup genera (Eutreptia and Eutreptiella). Bayesian and maximum‐likelihood (ML) analyses resulted in trees of similar topologies and four major clades: a Phacus and Lepocinclis clade; a Colacium clade; a Trachelomonas, Strombomonas, Monomorphina, and Cryptoglena clade; and a Euglena clade. The Phacus and Lepocinclis clade was the sister group of all other euglenalian genera, followed by Discoplastis spathirhyncha (Skuja) Triemer and the Colacium clade, respectively, which was inconsistent with their placement based on nuclear rDNA genes. The Trachelomonas, Strombomonas, Monomorphina, and Cryptoglena clade was sister to the Euglena clade. The loricate genera, Trachelomonas and Strombomonas, were closely related to each other, while Monomorphina and Cryptoglena also grouped together. The Euglena clade formed a monophyletic lineage comprising most species from taxa formerly allocated to the subgenera Calliglena and Euglena. However, within this genus, none of the subgenera was monophyletic.     

EVOLUTION OF ALLORECOGNITION IN BOTRYLLID ASCIDIANS INFERRED FROM A MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY

Despite the functional and phyletic ubiquity of highly polymorphic genetic recognition systems, the evolution and maintenance of these remarkable loci remain an empirical and theoretical puzzle. Many clonal invertebrates use polymorphic genetic recognition systems to discriminate kin from unrelated individuals during behavioral interactions that mediate competition for space. Space competition may have been a selective force promoting the evolution of highly polymorphic recognition systems, or preexisting polymorphic loci may have been coopted for the purpose of mediating space competition. Ascidian species in the family Botryllidae have an allorecognition system in which fusion or rejection between neighboring colonies is controlled by allele-sharing at a single, highly polymorphic locus. The behavioral sequence involved in allorecognition varies in a species-specific fashion with some species requiring extensive intercolony tissue integration prior to the allorecognition response, while other species contact opposing colonies at only a few points on the outer surface before resolving space conflicts. Due to an apparent species-specific continuum of behavioral variation in the degree of intercolony tissue integration required for allorecognition, this system lends itself to a phylogenetic analysis of the evolution of an allorecognition system. We constructed a molecular phylogeny of the botryllids based on 18S rDNA sequence and mapped allorecognition behavioral variation onto the phylogeny. Our phylogeny shows the basal allorecognition condition for the group is the most internal form of the recognition reaction. More derived species show progressively more external allorecognition responses, and in some cases loss of some features of internal function. We suggest that external allorecognition appears to be a secondary function of a polymorphic discriminatory system that was already in place due to other selective pressures such as gamete, pathogen, or developmental cell lineage recognition.     

MOLECULAR DELINEATION OF SPECIES AND SPECIES RELATIONSHIPS IN THE RED ALGAL AGAROPHYTES GRACILARIOPSIS AND GRACILARIA (GRACILARIALES)1

Delineation of species in the economically important agarophyte genera Gracilaria and Gracilariopsis has proven extremely difficult using available morphological characteristics. In this study, we examine the usefulness of two transcribed spacers for molecular systematic studies of these genera. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) and the intervening 5.8S ribosomal DNA of the nuclear ribosomal repeat region. In addition, a plastid spacer region and flanking regions of coding genes were amplified from the RUBISCO operon. Both regions were sequenced for individuals and populations of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Bory) Dawson, Acleto, et Foldvik to determine the usefulness of these spacers in delimiting populations. These studies reveal that there is as much variation among individuals of a population as there is between individuals of geographically separate populations. In addition, the ITS spacer regions were compared between different species of Gracilariopsis and Gracilaria. The nuclear ITS spacer region is conserved at a species level in both genera and provides phylogenetically informative characters that can be used to examine species interrelationships among relatively closely related taxa. However, because of the difficulties of aligning this entire region among species from the two genera, the ITS region is not useful for examining intergenera relationships. ITS interspecies sequence comparisons indicate that Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis from California is significantly different from G. lemaneiformis from China and that a species of Gracilariopsis from Peru is more closely related to G. lemaneiformis from North Carolina than it is to the other Gracilariopsis species examined. In addition, these studies indicate that Gracilaria chilensis Bird, McLachlan, et Oliveira from New Zealand and Gracilaria tenuistipitata Chang et Xia from southeast Asia are as closely related as are Gracilaria verrucosa (Hudson) Papenfuss, G. pacifica Abbott, and Gracilaria robusta Kylin. Phylogenetic analysis of aligned plastid spacer sequences from Gracilaria and Gracilariopsis taxa provide similar conclusions about species relationships.     

PHYLOGENY OF GRACILARIA LEMANEIFORMIS (RHODOPHYTA) BASED ON SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF ITS SMALL SUBUNIT RIBOSOMAL RNA CODING REGION1

The small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence of Gracilaria lemaneiformis Bory Weber-van Bosse was inferred from analysis of rRNA coding regions that were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction method. Comparison of the G. lemaneiformis small subunit rRNA to homologous genes of diverse eukaryotes demonstrated that the red algal divergence was nearly simultaneous with the separation of plants, fungi, animals and many other protist lineages. This result conflicts with those of 5S rRNA sequence and plastid based phytogenies which suggest that red algae represent an early divergence in the eukaryotic line of descent. Further, algae appear to be of polyphyletic origin and red algae are unrelated to higher fungi.     

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF THE HETEROTROPHIC DINOFLAGELLATES,PROTOPERIDINIUM, DIPLOPSALIS AND PREPERIDINIUM (DINOPHYCEAE), INFERRED FROM LARGE SUBUNIT rDNA1

The genera Protoperidinium Bergh, Diplopsalis Bergh, and Preperidinium Mangin, comprised of species of marine, thecate, heterotrophic dinoflagellates in the family Protoperidinaceae Balech, have had a confused taxonomic history. To elucidate the validity of morphological groupings within the Protoperidinium and diplopsalids, and to determine the evolutionary relationships between these and other dinoflagellates, we undertook a study of molecular phylogeny using the D1–D3 domains of the large subunit (LSU) of the rDNA. Based on morphology, the 10 Protoperidinium species examined belonged to three subgenera and five morphological sections. Two diplopsalid species were also included. Single‐cell PCR, cloning, and sequencing revealed a high degree of intraindividual sequence variability in the LSU rDNA. The genus Protoperidinium appeared to be recently divergent in all phylogenetic analyses. In maximum parsimony and neighbor joining analyses, Protoperidinium formed a monophyletic group, evolving from diplopsalid dinoflagellates. In maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses, however, Protoperidinium was polyphyletic, as the lenticular, diplopsalid heterotroph, Diplopsalis lenticula Bergh, was inserted within the Protoperidinium clade as basal to Protoperidinium excentricum (Paulsen) Balech, and Preperidinium meunieri (Pavillard) Elbrächter fell within a separate clade as a sister to the Oceanica and Protoperidinium steidingerae Balech. In all analyses, the Protoperidinium were divided into two major clades, with members in the Oceanica group and subgenus Testeria in one clade, and the Excentrica, Conica, Pellucida, Pyriforme and Divergens sections in the other clade. The LSU rDNA molecular phylogeny supported the historical morphologically determined sections, but not a simple morphology based model of evolution based on thecal plate shape.     

MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF ECTOCARPUS AND KUCKUCKIA (ECTOCARPALES, PHAEOPHYCEAE) INFERRED FROM PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF NUCLEAR- AND PIASTTD-ENCODED DNA SEQUENCES

The phylogeny of Ectocarpus and Kuckuckia strains representing widely separated populations from both hemispheres was inferred from sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacers of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS 1—5.8S-ITS 2) and the spacer region in the plastid-encoded ribulose- bis -phosphate-carboxylase (RUBISCO) cistron (partial rbc L-spacer-partial rbc S ). Both sequences resulted in matching phylogenies, with the RUBISCO spacer region being most informative at the level of genera and species and the internal transcribed spacer sequences at the level of species and populations. Three major clades were formed by strains previously described by morphology and physiology as Kuckuckia, E. fasciculatus, and E. siliculosus, confirming the validity of these taxa . Ectocarpus and Kuckuckia are regarded as sibling taxa with respect to the outgroup species Feldmannia simplex, Hincksia mitchelliae, and Pilayella littoralis. The clade formed by sexual E. siliculosus strains and most asexual Ectocarpus strains was subdivided into several clades that are consistent with geographical races within E. siliculosus. The inferred phylogeny of Ectocarpus corresponds generally with results from cross-fertilization experiments, morphology, and lipid analysis. A hypothesis on the origin and dispersal of E. siliculosus suggests several natural dispersal events during periods of global cooling as well as recent and possibly anthropogenic dispersal events .     

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF THE HAPTOPHYTA BASED ON THE rbcL GENE AND SEQUENCE VARIATION IN THE SPACER REGION OF THE RUBISCO OPERON

A phylogeny of 21 haptophyte algae was inferred by maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, and maximum likelihood analyses of sequences of the plastid-encoded gene, rbcL. Sequence variation in the spacer region of the RUBISCO operon was also investigated. In all the rbcL trees constructed, the haptophytes form two distinct clades: one includes the Pavlovales and the other includes the Prymnesiales, Coccosphaerales, and Isochrysidales (all sensu Parke and Green 1976 . This relationship coincides with the recent taxonomic treatment splitting the division into two subclasses, the Prymnesidae and Pavlovidae ( Cavalier-Smith 1989 ) or the Prymnesiophycidae and the Pavlovophycidae using botanical suffixes ( Jordan and Green 1994 ), or into two classes, the Patelliferea and the Pavlovea ( Cavalier-Smith 1993 ). In the Prymnesiophycidae, all the coccolithophorids examined are placed in a single clade, which suggests a single origin of the coccolithophorids and the ability of coccolith formation in the haptophytes. The genus Chrysochromulina is polyphyletic. Species of Chrysochromulina with a very long haptonema and a compressed cell body (typical of species including the type C. parva Lackey) form a clade, including Imantonia, that is often classified in the Isochrysidales in the neighbor-joining tree, whereas some species possessing a nontypical cell body and cell covering form a clade with Prymnesium and Platychrysis in all trees. It is suggested that loss of the haptonema in Imantonia and the reduction in Prymnesium and Platychrysis occurred secondarily and independently in two different lineages. Within the coccolithophorids, four clades are recognized: Pleurochrysis, Calyptrosphaera-Cruciplacolithus-Calcidiscus-Umbilicosphaera, Helicosphaera, and Emiliania-Gephyrocapsa. A non-coccolith-bearing haptophyte, Isochrysis, is an ingroup of the Emiliania-Gephyrocapsa clade, suggesting its secondary loss of the ability to form a coccolith. Sequence comparison of the spacer region of RUBISCO operon supports most results obtained in the analysis of rbcL sequences. Monophyly of the Prymnesiales sensu Parke and Green is still unclear because of low (<50%) bootstrap support for this group.     

苔藓动物18S rRNA基因的分子系统发生初探

本文对我国沿海较为常见的8种唇口目苔藓动物的18SrRNA基因进行了PCR扩增和序列测定。结合已知的其它苔藓动物（包括内肛动物和外肛动物）以及腕足动物和帚虫的相应序列,运用分子系统学方法,研究苔藓动物门的系统发生关系,结果表明,外肛动物和内肛动物构成苔藓动物分子系统树中的二大平行支;本文测定的大室膜孔苔虫与Giribet等测定的膜孔苔虫在系统树中的位置间隔较远。结果也支持外肛动物包含被唇纲和裸唇纲两大类群的形态划分,而关于裸唇纲特别是唇口目内部的系统发生关系。分子数据的分析结果和形态分类之间的分歧有待于进一步研究。     

MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF RIVER DOLPHINS INFERRED FROM COMPLETE MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME-B GENE SEQUENCES

1,140 bp of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome- b gene sequences of baiji ( Lipotes vexillifer ), franciscana ( Pontoporia blainvillei ), and Ganges river dolphin ( Platanista gangetica gangetica ) were determined to address the systematic position and phylogeny of extant river dolphins with combination of homologous sequences of other cetaceans. The neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analyses all identified the river dolphins into three lineages, i. e., Platanista, Lipotes , and Inia + Pontoporia . The Lipotes did not have sister relationship with either Platanista or Inia + Pontoporia , which strongly supported the referral of Lipotes to a separate family, i. e. , Lipotidae. There were very high sequence divergences between all river dolphin genera, suggesting a relatively longer period of separation time than those among other odontocete families.     

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ISOLATES OF EUDORINA SPECIES (VOLVOCALES, CHLOROPHYTA) INFERRED FROM MOLECULAR AND BIOCHEMICAL DATA

Phylogenetic analyses of 19 strains representing five species of Eudorina, one strain of Pleodorina indica, and seven strains of Yamagishiella unicocca were carried out by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS 1 and ITS 2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats. The sequence data resolved five phylogenetic groups, one consisting of Y. unicocca and the other four encompassing all the Eudorina species. Two isolates, Eudorina sp. (ASW 05157) and Pleodorina indica (ASW 05153), were of uncertain affiliation. Whereas one monophyletic group included strains of E. elegans only, the other strains of E. elegans appeared alongside E. cylindrica, E. illinoisensis, and E. unicocca var. unicocca in the other Eudorina clades. The distribution pattern of the carotenoid loroxanthin ([3R,3'R,6'R]-β,ε-carotene-3,19,3'-triol), a systematically useful biochemical marker within chlorophycean flagellates, was shown to match the evaluated molecular data. Whereas it was either totally absent or universally present in six of the deduced phylogenetic lines, it occurred randomly in the E. elegans clade containing only E. elegans isolates. The results substantiated the current hypothesis that the unique vegetative morphology of E. elegans has independently arisen at various times during evolution and that it is not a marker of a monophyletic group.     

PHYLOGENY OF THE GENUS PYRAMIMONAS (PRASINOPHYCEAE,CHLOROPHYTA) INFERRED FROM THE rbcL GENE1

A 1089-basepair fragment (approx. 75%) of the large subunit of the chloroplast-encoded gene, ribulose-1,5-bis-phosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL), was sequenced from 16 species of the genus Pyramimonas Schmarda. Electron microscopic and biochemical studies of Pyramimonas, one of the most morphologically diverse genera within the potential sister groups to the chlorophyll a- and b-containing plants, suggest that this genus consists of at least four separate subgenera. Using the homologous sequence of rbcL from Cymbomonas tetramitiformis Schiller (Halosphaeraceae) as an outgroup and applying the maximum likelihood method, we show that the inferred topology is congruent with traditional delimitations of the taxa based on observations of periplast, internal ultrastructure, and biochemical features. A bootstrap analysis also supports division at the subgeneric level; however, the low bootstrap support associated with the deep nodes precludes resolution of these branches. A maximum likelihood relative rate test revealed that the rbcL gene in these single-celled green flagellates has a heterogeneous rate of substitution. The rbcL gene in species of the subgenus Pyramimonas has evolved at an accelerated rate relative to that of congenerics.     

TAXONOMIC REVISION OF SARGASSUM SPECIES (FUCALES,PHAEOPHYCEAE) FROM NEW CALEDONIA BASED ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES1

Sargassum C. Agardh (1820) is a taxonomically difficult genus distributed worldwide and reported as the most species‐rich genus of the Fucales. It is especially abundant in the Pacific where decreasing species richness is reported to occur from west to east. New Caledonia has been recognized as one of the hotspots of Sargassum diversity; however, species lists available for this region are old and incomplete and have not yet been updated with regard to the latest taxonomic revisions published. This study aimed at revising Sargassum diversity in New Caledonia and to assess its geographic affinities with neighboring Pacific regions. We used combined morphological and DNA analyses on new collections and examined numerous type specimens. Although 45 taxa have been listed in the literature, most of them have been either transferred to synonymy since or misidentified, and in this study, only 12 taxa were recognized as occurring in New Caledonia. They belong to the subgenus Sargassum sect. Binderianae (Grunow) Mattio et Payri (2), sect. Ilicifoliae (J. Agardh) Mattio et Payri (2), sect. Polycystae Mattio et Payri. (1), sect. Sargassum (4), sect. Zygocarpicae (J. Agardh) Setch. (2), and subgenus Phyllotrichia (Aresh.) J. Agardh (1). New Caledonian Sargassum flora appeared as the second richest in the region after the Pacific coast of Australia, with which it has shown high similarity, and shared species with all neighboring regions. One species, S. turbinarioides Grunow, is considered as endemic to New Caledonia. The low genetic diversity detected among several polymorphic species belonging to sect. Sargassum is also discussed.