Project 648: L. Prendini, P. Weygoldt, W. C. Wheeler. 2005. Systematics of the Damon variegatus group of African whip spiders (Chelicerata: Amblypygi): Evidence from behaviour, morphology and DNA. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 5 (3):203-236.
Abstract
The African whip spider, Damon variegatus, exhibits a broad, discontinuous distribution from the Congo, through western Tanzania and Zimbabwe, to South Africa and Namibia. Variation in size, number of antenniform leg segments, and colouration, taken together with a discontinuous distribution, suggest that allopatric populations of D. variegatus may be reproductively isolated, and more than one species may be involved. Furthermore, many morphological characters of D. variegatus appear to be plesiomorphic if compared to closely related species, suggesting that D. variegatus might be paraphyletic, regardless of whether it is a single panmictic species or a group of partly or entirely reproductively isolated populations. This contribution attempts to determine whether D. variegatus is monophyletic and comprises more than one species, by investigating three sources of evidence: behaviour, morphology and DNA. Mating behaviour is observed and mate-recognition trials conducted between males and females from several populations of D. variegatus and related species of Damon. The morphology of spermatophores obtained during these matings is studied and a matrix of somatic and genitalic characters produced. These morphological data are analysed separately and in combination with DNA sequences from loci of three genes in the nuclear genome (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA and Histone H3) and three genes in the mitochondrial genome (12S rDNA, 16S rDNA and Cytochrome Oxidase I). Neither the comparative behavioural evidence gathered nor the spermatophore morphology conclusively suggest that D. variegatus comprises more than one species. However, the molecular data, analysed separately and in combination with the morphological data, reveal that D. variegatus is monophyletic and that the population of D. variegatus to the west of the Kalahari sand system (Namibia and southern Angola) is specifically distinct from those to the east. This new species is described as Damon sylviae, the diagnosis of D. variegatus s. str. is revised, and a key to the species of the D. variegatus group is provided.Read the article »
Project DOI: 10.7934/P648, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P648
This project contains | Matrices |
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Download Project SDD File | Total scored cells: 397 Total media associated with cells: 0 Total labels associated with cell media: 0 |
Characters | |
Total characters: 19 Total characters with associated media: 0 Total characters with media with labels: 0 Total character states: 48 Total character states with associated media: 0 Total character states with media with labels:0 Total unordered/ordered characters:19/0 |
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MorphoBank Project 648
MorphoBank Project 648
- Creation Date:
04 December 2011 - Publication Date:
02 March 2012 - Project views: 27863
- Matrix downloads: 11
Authors' Institutions
- American Museum of Natural History
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität (University of Freiburg)
Members
member name | taxa | specimens | media | chars | character
| cell scorings (scored, NPA, "-") | cell
| rules | ||||||
MorphoBank Curator Project Administrator | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Maureen Admin Full membership | 22 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 397 (396, 0, 1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Lorenzo Prendini Full membership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M1523' (21 Taxa)
taxon | unscored cells |
scored cells |
no cell support |
NPA cells |
"-" cells | cell images | labels on cell images |
member access |
[1] Xerophynus machadoi Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[2] Euphrynichus bacillifer Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[3] Phrynichus scaber Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[4] Phrynichodamon scullyi Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[5] Musicodamon atlanteus Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[6] Damon medius Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[7] Damon diadema 1 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[8] Damon diadema 2 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[9] Damon annulatipes 1 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[10] Damon annulatipes 2 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[11] Damon annulatipes 3 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[12] Damon gracilis 1 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[13] Damon gracilis 2 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[14] Damon sylviae 1 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[15] Damon sylviae 2 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[16] Damon variegatus 1 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[17] Damon variegatus 2 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[18] Damon variegatus 3 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[19] Damon variegatus 4 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[20] Damon variegatus 5 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
[21] Damon variegatus 6 Last Modified in 12/05/13 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Project views
type | number of views | Individual items viewed (where applicable) |
Total project views | 27863 | |
Project overview | 3601 | |
Matrix views | 2562 | Matrix landing page (2245 views); Matrix (317 views); |
Media views | 6926 | Media search (5456 views); M102242 (1470 views); |
Specimen list | 3764 | |
Taxon list | 8911 | |
Bibliography | 2092 | |
Documents list | 5 | |
Views for media list | 2 |
Project downloads
type | number of downloads | Individual items downloaded (where applicable) |
Total downloads from project | 418 | |
Matrix downloads | 11 | Matrix (11 downloads); |
Project downloads | 407 |