Morphological and genetic variation in Leggadina (Thomas, 1910) with special reference to Western Australian populations

N.K. Cooper, M. Adams, C. Anthony, Linc Schmitt

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Recent collections of specimens from the Pilbara attributed toLeggadina lakedownensis stimulated an investigation of genetic andmorphometric variation in L. lakedownensis and L. forresti to confirm thetaxonomic status of these species, determine the extent of intraspecificvariation, and develop useful markers for classification. Extensive analyses ofboth morphology and allozymes confirm the clear taxonomic separation ofthese two species. Leggadina lakedownensis shows considerably moreintraspecific morphological variation than L. forresti, reflecting the former'smuch greater geographic range and ecological diversity. The mean body sizeof Thevenard Island L. lakedownensis is markedly larger than the otherpopulations examined. Despite this morphological diversity, populations ofL. lakedownensis, including those from mainland Pilbara and ThevenardIsland, are genetically similar across their range. An individual fromQueensland is genetically the most divergent but we have been unable toassess the morphological relationship of the topotypical population.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)333-351
    JournalRecords of the Western Australian Museum: Supplement
    Volume21
    Publication statusPublished - 2003

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