Comparative Phylogenetic Perspectives on the Evolutionary Relationships in the Brine Shrimp Artemia Leach, 1819 (Crustacea: Anostraca) Based on Secondary Structure of ITS1 Gene

Abstract

This is the first study on phylogenetic relationships in the genus <em>Artemia</em> Leach, 1819 using the pattern and sequence of secondary structures of internal transcribed spacer 1 (<em>ITS1</em>). Significant intraspecific variation in the secondary structure of <em>ITS1</em> rRNA was found in <em>Artemia tibetiana</em>. In the phylogenetic tree based on joined primary and secondary structure sequences, <em>Artemia urmiana </em>and parthenogenetic populations displayed new lineages, and two New World species (<em>Artemia franciscana </em>and <em>Artemia</em> <em>persimilis</em>) were located in a basal clade that was not detected in previous studies. The close evolutionary relationship between <em>A. franciscana </em>and <em>A.</em> <em>persimilis</em> are expressively supported by the previous empirical and experimental investigation on the ability of hybridization (in natural habitats and lab conditions) and analysis on allozyme markers.<br /> <strong> </strong>