Panmixia in a Fragmented and Unstable Environment: The Hydrothermal Shrimp Rimicaris exoculata Disperses Extensively along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Dispersal plays a fundamental role in the evolution and persistence of species, and especially for species inhabiting extreme, ephemeral and highly fragmented habitats as hydrothermal vents. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge endemic shrimp species Rimicaris exoculata was studied using microsatellite markers to infer connectivity along the 7100-Km range encompassing the sampled sites. Astonishingly, no genetic differentiation was found between individuals from the different geographic origins, supporting a scenario of widespread large-scale dispersal despite the habitat distance and fragmentation. We hypothesize that delayed metamorphosis associated to temperature differences or even active directed migration dependent on physical and/or chemical stimuli could explain these results and warrant further studies on adaptation and dispersal mechanisms.

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Teixeira Sara, Serrao Ester A., Arnaud Sophie (2012). Panmixia in a Fragmented and Unstable Environment: The Hydrothermal Shrimp Rimicaris exoculata Disperses Extensively along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Plos One. 7 (6). -. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0038521, https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00087/19858/

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