Phylogeny of cave-dwelling atyid shrimp Troglocaris in the Dinaric Karst based on sequences of three mitochondrial genes

Background and Purpose: The main purposes of this study was to revise the current taxonomy of the genus Troglocaris in the Dinarids in the light of molecular phylogenetic results from three major areas of disjunct distribution (Southern France, West Dinarids, and West Caucasus), and additionally to test the subfamily relationships between Paratyinae and Typhlatyinae in the Dinarids.
Materials and Methods: This study was performed on populations of the cave-dwelling shrimp Troglocaris from three disjunct areas of distribution: Southern France, Dinaric Karst and Western Caucasus using mitochondrial genes for 16S rRNA, cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome oxidase II subunits. We combined mitochondrial data from shrimp populations to clarify the evolutionary relationship inside (within) the genus Troglocaris.
Results: Our results, based on phylogenetic analysis of three mitochondrial genes from 14 populations of the closely related atyid taxa, do not support
the monophyly of the genus Troglocaris. Moreover, new insights were introduced in the Atyidae subfamily status. At subfamily level, a difference in current taxonomy was observed which excluded the genus Spelaeocaris from Typhlatyinae and placed it inside Paratyinae. Additionally the closest relative to the French species Troglocaris inermis appears to be the surface-dwelling shrimp Atyaephyra desmaresti.
Conclusions: The separation of the oldest Western Troglocaris lineage from the Dinaro-Caucasian lineages is estimated to have occurred in the
Late Miocene. Also DNA sequence data suggest that Troglocaris hercegovinensis from South Herzegovina and Troglocaris kutaissiana complex from Western Caucasus are sister species.