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Conventional taxonomy obscures deep divergence between Pacific and Atlantic corals

Author

Listed:
  • Hironobu Fukami

    (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Naos Marine Laboratory
    University of California San Diego)

  • Ann F. Budd

    (University of Iowa)

  • Gustav Paulay

    (University of Florida)

  • Antonio Solé-Cava

    (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)

  • Chaolun Allen Chen

    (Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica)

  • Kenji Iwao

    (Akajima Marine Science Laboratory)

  • Nancy Knowlton

    (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Naos Marine Laboratory
    University of California San Diego)

Abstract

Only 17% of 111 reef-building coral genera and none of the 18 coral families with reef-builders are considered endemic to the Atlantic, whereas the corresponding percentages for the Indo-west Pacific are 76% and 39%1,2. These figures depend on the assumption that genera and families spanning the two provinces belong to the same lineages (that is, they are monophyletic). Here we show that this assumption is incorrect on the basis of analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Pervasive morphological convergence at the family level has obscured the evolutionary distinctiveness of Atlantic corals. Some Atlantic genera conventionally assigned to different families are more closely related to each other than they are to their respective Pacific ‘congeners’. Nine of the 27 genera of reef-building Atlantic corals belong to this previously unrecognized lineage, which probably diverged over 34 million years ago. Although Pacific reefs have larger numbers of more narrowly distributed species, and therefore rank higher in biodiversity hotspot analyses3, the deep evolutionary distinctiveness of many Atlantic corals should also be considered when setting conservation priorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Hironobu Fukami & Ann F. Budd & Gustav Paulay & Antonio Solé-Cava & Chaolun Allen Chen & Kenji Iwao & Nancy Knowlton, 2004. "Conventional taxonomy obscures deep divergence between Pacific and Atlantic corals," Nature, Nature, vol. 427(6977), pages 832-835, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:427:y:2004:i:6977:d:10.1038_nature02339
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02339
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    Cited by:

    1. Hironobu Fukami & Chaolun Allen Chen & Ann F Budd & Allen Collins & Carden Wallace & Yao-Yang Chuang & Chienhsun Chen & Chang-Feng Dai & Kenji Iwao & Charles Sheppard & Nancy Knowlton, 2008. "Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes Suggest that Stony Corals Are Monophyletic but Most Families of Stony Corals Are Not (Order Scleractinia, Class Anthozoa, Phylum Cnidaria)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(9), pages 1-9, September.

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