Decapod Crustacean Phylogenetics

Decapod crustaceans are of tremendous interest and importance evolutionarily, ecologically, and economically. There is no shortage of publications reflecting the wide variety of ideas and hypotheses concerning decapod phylogeny, but until recently, the world’s leading decapodologists had never assembled to elucidate and discuss relationships among the major decapod lineages and between decapods and other crustaceans. Based on the findings presented by an international group of scientists at a symposium supported by the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, The Crustacean Society, and several other societies, and with major funding from the National Science Foundation, Decapod Crustacean Phylogenetics provides a comprehensive synopsis of the current knowledge of this vast and important group of animals.

This volume contains state-of-the-art reviews of literature and methodologies for elucidating decapod phylogeny. The contributions include studies on the fossil origin of decapods, morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses, the evolution of mating and its bearing on phylogeny, decapod "evo-devo" studies, decapod spermiocladistics, and phylogenetic inference. The experts also present research on preliminary attempts to construct the first known phylogenetic tree for various groups of decapods. Several contributions offer the most comprehensive analyses to date on major clades of decapods, and others introduce data or approaches that could be used in the future to help resolve the phylogeny of the Decapoda.

Currently, the Decapoda contain an estimated 15,000 species, some of which support seafood and marine industries worth billions of dollars each year to the world’s economy. This volume is a fascinating overview of where we are currently in our understanding of these important creatures and their phylogeny and also provides a window into the future of decapod research. This work will be of great interest to researchers, instructors, and students in marine biology, evolutionary biology, crustacean biology, resource management, and biodiversity database management.

Overviews of Decapod Phylogeny On the Origin of Decapoda, F. R. Schram Decapod Phylogenetics and Molecular Evolution, A. Toon, M. Finley, J. Staples, and K. A. Crandall Development, Genes, and Decapod Evolution, G. Scholtz, A. Abzhanov, F. Alwes, C. Biffis, and J. Pint Mitochondrial DNA and Decapod Phylogenies: The Importance of Pseudogenes and Primer Optimization, C. D. Schubart Phylogenetic Inference Using Molecular Data, F. Palero and K. A. Crandall Decapod Phylogeny: What Can Protein-Coding Genes Tell Us?, K. H. Chu, L. M. Tsang, K. Y. Ma1, T.-Y. Chan, and P. K. L. Ng Spermatozoal Morphology and its Bearing On Decapod Phylogeny, C. Tudge Evolution of Mating Systems in Decapod Crustaceans, A. Asakura A Shrimp’s Eye View of Evolution: How Useful are Visual Characters in Decapod Phylogenetics?, M. L. Porter and T. W. Cronin Crustacean Parasites as Phylogenetic Indicators in Decapod Evolution, C. C. Boyko and J. D. Williams The Bearing of Larval Morphology on Brachyuran Phylogeny, P. F. Clark Advances in our Knowledge of Shrimp-like Decapods Evolution and Radiation of Shrimp-like Decapods: an Overview, C. H. J. M. Fransen and S. De Grave A Preliminary Phylogenetic Analysis of the Dendrobranchiata based on Morphological Characters, C. Tavares, C. Serejo and J. W. Martin Phylogeny of the Infraorder Caridea based on Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes (Crustacea: Decapoda), H. D. Bracken, S. De Grave, and D. L. Felder Advances in our Knowledge of Thalassinoid and Lobsterlike Groups Molecular Phylogeny of the Thalassinidea based on Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genes, R. Robles, C. C. Tudge, P. C. Dworschak, G. C. B. Poore, and D. L. Felder Molecular Phylogeny of the Family Callianassidae based on Preliminary Analyses of Two Mitochondrial Genes, D. L. Felder and R. Robles The Timing of the Diversification of the Freshwater Crayfishes, J. Breinholt, M. Pérez-Losada, and K. A. Crandall Phylogeny of Marine Clawed Lobster Families Nephropidae Dana, 1852, and Thaumastochelidae Bate, 1888, based on Mitochondrial Genes, D. Tshudy, R. Robles, T.-Y. Chan, K. C. Ho, K. H. Chu, S. T. Ahyong, and D. L. Felder The Polychelidan Lobsters: Phylogeny and Systematics (Polychelida: Polychelidae), S. T. Ahyong Advances in our Knowledge of the Anomura Anomuran Phylogeny: New Insights from Molecular Data, S. T. Ahyong, K. E. Schnabel, and E. W. Maas Advances in our Knowledge of the Brachyura Is the Brachyura Podotremata a Monophyletic Group?, G. Scholtz and C. L. Mclay Assessing the Contribution of Molecular and Larval Morphological Characters in a Combined Phylogenetic Analysis of the Superfamily Majoidea, K. M. Hultgren, G. Guerao, F. P. L. Marques, and F. P. Palero Molecular Genetic Re-examination of Subfamilies and Polyphyly in the Family Pinnotheridae (Crustacea: Decapoda), E. Palacios-Theil, J. A. Cuesta, E. Campos, and D. L. Felder Evolutionary Origin of the Gall Crabs (Family Cryptochiridae) based on 16S rDNA Sequence Data, R. Wetzer, J. W. Martin, and S. L. Boyce Systematics, Evolution, and Biogeography of Freshwater Crabs, N. Cumberlidge and P. K. L. Ng Phylogeny and Biogeography of Asian Freshwater Crabs of the Family Gecarcinucidae (Brachyura: Potamoidea), S. Klaus, D. Brandis, P. K. L. Ng, D. C. J. Yeo, and C. D. Schubart A Proposal for a New Classification of Portunoidea and Cancroidea (Brachyura: Heterotremata) based on Two Independent Molecular Phylogenies, C. D. Schubart and S. Reuschel Molecular Phylogeny of Western Atlantic Representatives of the Genus Hexapanopeus (Decapoda: Brachyura: Panopeidae), B. P. Thoma, C. D. Schubart, and D. L. Felder Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus Cronius Stimpson, 1860, with Reassignment of C. tumidulus and Several American Species of Portunus to the Genus Achelous De Haan, 1833 (Brachyura: Portunidae), F. L. Mantelatto, R. Robles, C. D. Schubart, and D. L. Felder Index Color Insert