TY - JOUR

T1 - A collaborative backbone resource for comparative studies of subterranean evolution

T2 - The World Asellidae database

AU - Saclier, Nathanaelle

AU - Duchemin, Louis

AU - Konecny-Dupré, Lara

AU - Grison, Philippe

AU - Eme, David

AU - Martin, Chloé

AU - Callou, Cécile

AU - Lefébure, Tristan

AU - François, Clémentine

AU - Issartel, Colin

AU - Lewis, Julian J.

AU - Stoch, Fabio

AU - Sket, Boris

AU - Gottstein, Sanja

AU - Delić, Teo

AU - Zagmajster, Maja

AU - Grabowski, Michal

AU - Weber, Dieter

AU - Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S.

AU - Palatov, Dmitry

AU - Paragamian, Kaloust

AU - Knight, Lee R. F. D.

AU - Michel, Georges

AU - Lefebvre, Francois

AU - Hosseini, Mohammad Javad Malek

AU - Camacho, Ana I.

AU - De Bikuña, Begoña Gartzia

AU - Taleb, Amina

AU - Belaidi, Nouria

AU - Tuekam Kayo, Raoul P.

AU - Galassi, Diana Maria Paola

AU - Moldovan, Oana Teodora

AU - Douady, Christophe J.

AU - Malard, Florian

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Transition to novel environments, such as groundwater colonization by surface organisms, provides an excellent research ground to study phenotypic evolution. However, interspecific comparative studies on evolution to groundwater life are few because of the challenge in assembling large ecological and molecular resources for species-rich taxa comprised of surface and subterranean species. Here, we make available to the scientific community an operational set of working tools and resources for the Asellidae, a family of freshwater isopods containing hundreds of surface and subterranean species. First, we release the World Asellidae database (WAD) and its web application, a sustainable and FAIR solution to producing and sharing data and biological material. WAD provides access to thousands of species occurrences, specimens, DNA extracts and DNA sequences with rich metadata ensuring full scientific traceability. Second, we perform a large-scale dated phylogenetic reconstruction of Asellidae to support phylogenetic comparative analyses. Of 424 terminal branches, we identify 34 pairs of surface and subterranean species representing independent replicates of the transition from surface water to groundwater. Third, we exemplify the usefulness of WAD for documenting phenotypic shifts associated with colonization of subterranean habitats. We provide the first phylogenetically controlled evidence that body size of males decreases relative to that of females upon groundwater colonization, suggesting competition for rare receptive females selects for smaller, more agile males in groundwater. By making these tools and resources widely accessible, we open up new opportunities for exploring how phenotypic traits evolve in response to changes in selective pressures and trade-offs during groundwater colonization.

AB - Transition to novel environments, such as groundwater colonization by surface organisms, provides an excellent research ground to study phenotypic evolution. However, interspecific comparative studies on evolution to groundwater life are few because of the challenge in assembling large ecological and molecular resources for species-rich taxa comprised of surface and subterranean species. Here, we make available to the scientific community an operational set of working tools and resources for the Asellidae, a family of freshwater isopods containing hundreds of surface and subterranean species. First, we release the World Asellidae database (WAD) and its web application, a sustainable and FAIR solution to producing and sharing data and biological material. WAD provides access to thousands of species occurrences, specimens, DNA extracts and DNA sequences with rich metadata ensuring full scientific traceability. Second, we perform a large-scale dated phylogenetic reconstruction of Asellidae to support phylogenetic comparative analyses. Of 424 terminal branches, we identify 34 pairs of surface and subterranean species representing independent replicates of the transition from surface water to groundwater. Third, we exemplify the usefulness of WAD for documenting phenotypic shifts associated with colonization of subterranean habitats. We provide the first phylogenetically controlled evidence that body size of males decreases relative to that of females upon groundwater colonization, suggesting competition for rare receptive females selects for smaller, more agile males in groundwater. By making these tools and resources widely accessible, we open up new opportunities for exploring how phenotypic traits evolve in response to changes in selective pressures and trade-offs during groundwater colonization.

KW - collaborative database

KW - comparative analysis

KW - molecular resources

KW - phenotypic evolution

KW - phylogeny

KW - subterranean biodiversity

U2 - 10.1111/1755-0998.13882

DO - 10.1111/1755-0998.13882

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37864541

AN - SCOPUS:85174493087

VL - 24

JO - Molecular Ecology

JF - Molecular Ecology

SN - 0962-1083

IS - 1

M1 - e13882

ER -