Evolution and Phylogeny in Cyprideis (Ostracoda)

Stand-alone Project P21748-N21 of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
Runtime: 36 month (start: 01.09.2009, end: 30.11.2012)

Project assistants

M.Sc. Frank Gitter
Mag. Marco Caporaletti 

Project overview

Due to their longevity and limited biotic exchange with adjacent ecosystems ancient lakes are stages for radiation in various organisms resulting in extraordinary diverse, largely endemic and highly morphologically plastic biota. Thus, ancient lakes are a perfect setting to study evolutionary processes. This has been clearly demonstrated in several Recent ancient lakes (e.g., Lake Tanganyika, Lake Baikal) what has enormously influenced basic concepts in evolutionary biology. Among many other biota, within ostracods amazing species flocks developed in such lakes. These minute aquatic crustaceans with bivalved low-Mg calcite shells have an excellent fossilisation potential and reach high abundances in lake sediments. This makes them also attractive for studies in "deep time", however, limited to their hard parts and therefore to their phenotypes. In the Miocene period the Palaeo-ancient lakes Lake Pannon (Central Europe) and Lake Pebas (Western Amazonia) were centres of ostracod diversification with hundreds of endemic species. Most of these taxa are mainly based on qualitative descriptors following a strict morphotype concept, paying little attention to morphological plasticity. As a result robust phylogenies, conclusive biostratigraphic zonal schemes and sound palaeo(bio)geographic considerations are still missing. To overcome these problems we will analyse the dynamics of ostracod assemblages with high-resolution samples down to 5 mm vertical sampling distance, representing time intervals of hundreds to tens of years. These results will be combined with multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental analyses based on, e.g., grain size distribution, carbonate, carbon, and sulphur contents, stable isotope ratios (oxygen, carbon) as well as magnetic susceptibility and gamma ray emission. Concerning ostracods we will focus on morphological traits of the cytherideid genus Cyprideis by using an extensive combination of traditional and geometric morphometrics, not neglecting qualitative characters at all and including investigations on juveniles to explore their developmental trajectories. Cyprideis is chosen because it is the best-studied Recent ostracod clade, dominating in aberrant environments and exhibiting a considerable amount of intraspecific variability. Both in Lake Pannon and Lake Pebas dozens of species were described and used for biostratigraphic dating and palaeo(bio)geographic reconstructions. We aim to evaluate (even subtle) changes in valve morphology on high-resolution key sections spanning in total several millions of years, try to explore possible extrinsic/intrinsic triggers and reconstruct evolutionary pathways. Extremely challenging and promising is the examination of the capacity of these phylogenetic lineages to respond to environmental changes. To test such interrelationships ideal candidates are Central Europe's Lake Pannon and western Amazonia's Lake Pebas, located in two completely different geographic areas reflecting also different histories but somewhat comparable palaeoenvironmental settings. Our investigations might result in an improvement of species delineation, a better understanding of speciation and a well-constraint reconstruction of their phylogeny. Of particular interest is the resolution of evolutionary patterns in terms of parallel and iterative evolution versus convergence. Thus, we aim to contribute desperately needed basic data to general questions of evolutionary processes. 

Project related publications (*Abstracts)

*Caporaletti M., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2012): Late Miocene ostracods from the Solimões Formation (Western Amazonia): geochemical and palaeontological analyses. - In: Arbulla, D., Pugliese N. & Salvi G. (eds.): VI Convegno degli Ostracodologi Italiani, Trieste 20-21 aprile 2012, Programme & Abstracts, 21-23, Edizioni Università di Trieste. [pdf]

Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2012): Reply to the comment by J.P. Figueiredo & C. Hoorn. – Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 35: 76. [pdf]

Kern A., Harzhauser M., Soliman A., Piller W.E. & Gross M. (2012): Precipitation driven decadal scale decline and recovery of wetlands of Lake Pannon during the Tortonian. - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 317-318: 1-12. [pdf]

Gross M. (2012): 2011, The Summer Meetings and Workshops on Ostracods in Graz, Austria. – Newsletter of Micropalaeontology, 85: 40-41. [pdf] 

Linhares, A.P., Ramos M.I.F., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2011): Evidence for marine influx during the Miocene in southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. - Geologia Columbiana, 36/1: 91-103.

Caporaletti M. (2011): Ostracods and stable isotopes: proxies for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 345-359. [pdf] 

Danielopol D.L., Gross M., Harzhauser M., Minati K. & Piller W.E. (2011): How and why to achieve greater objectivity in taxonomy, exemplified by a fossil ostracod (Amplocypris abscissa) from the Miocene Lake Pannon. - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 273-326. [pdf] 

Gross M. & Danielopol D.L. (2011): Preface to the 7th European Ostracodologists’ Meeting (EOM 7) and the 2nd workshop “Methods in Ostracodology” (MIO 2). - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 5-6. [pdf]

Gross M., Piller W.E., Scholger R. & Gitter F. (2011): Biotic and abiotic response to palaeoenvironmental changes at Lake Pannons’ western margin (Central Europe, Late Miocene). - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 312: 181-193. [pdf] "supplementary material at: doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.10.010"

Gross M., Piller W.E., Ramos M.I. & Paz J.D. (2011): Late Miocene sedimentary environments in south-western Amazonia (Solimoes Formation; Brazil). - Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 32: 169-181. [pdf] 

*Caporaletti M., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2011): Hennersdorf section (Lake Pannon, Upper Miocene): use of stable isotopes on ostracods for a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 42-43. [pdf] 

*Danielopol D.L., Gross M., Namiotko T., Minati K., Piller W.E. & Harzhauser M. (2011): Comparative morphology of ostracod Leptocytheridae – A prospect for better understanding the origin and evolution of selected Amnicythere taxa in long-lived Lake Pannon (Late Miocene). - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 50-52. [pdf] 

*Gitter F., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2011): Does size matter? Variability of Cyprideis JONES, 1857 within a transgressive-regressive sequence (Lake Pannon: Early Late Miocene). - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 62-63. [pdf] 

*Gross, M., Ramos M.I.F., Caporaletti M., Gitter F. & Piller W.E. (2011): Ostracod assemblages of “Lake” Pebas (Western Amazonia; Late Miocene): Taxonomy, sedimentology and palaeoenvironments. - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 64-65. [pdf] 

*Namiotko T., Danielopol D.L., Belmecheri S., Gross M. & Grafenstein U.v. (2011): On Leptocytheridae ostracods of long-lived Lake Ohrid (Albania/ Macedonia). - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 151-153. [pdf] 

*Piller W.E., Kern A.K., Harzhauser M., Soliman A., Gross M. & Mandic O. (2011): Environmental changes on decadal to centennial scale of Late Miocene lake sediments (Tortonian, Lake Pannon, Central Europe) linked to solar cycles. - Abstracts, Sediment 2011 (Bornemann A., Brachert T.C. & Ehrmann W., eds.). 74-75. [pdf] 

*Ramos M.I.F., Linhares A.P.P., Fonseca M., Caporaletti M., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2011): Palaeoenvironmental evolution in South-western Amazonia (Brazil) in the Neogene. - Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie, 11: 164. [pdf] 

*Soliman A., Kern A., Harzhauser M., Piller W.E. & Gross M. (2011): Centennial-scale variability in paleo-productivity signals from the Early Tortonian (Mataschen, Austria): the dinoflagellate cyst perspective. - Abstracts Book, Joint RCMNS-RCANS Interim Colloquium (Sierro F.J. & González-Delgado J.A., eds.). 58-59, Salamanca. [pdf] 

*Kern A.K., Harzhauser M., Soliman A., Piller W.E. & Gross M. (2010): From taxonomy to deep time resolution: decadal scale Late Miocene vegetational dynamics deciphered from palynomorph assemblages. - Berichte des Institutes für Erdwissenschaften, KFU Graz, 15: 22, Graz. [pdf]

*Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2010): Linking high-resolution environmental analyses and taxonomy: A case study on ostracods in deep time. - Berichte des Institutes für Erdwissenschaften, KFU Graz, 15: 16, Graz. [pdf]

*Danielopol D.L., Gross M. & Minati K. (2010): How and why to achieve more objectivity in taxonomy, exemplified on a fossil ostracod from long-lived Lake Pannon. - Berichte des Institutes für Erdwissenschaften, KFU Graz, 15: 11, Graz. [pdf]

*Caporaletti M., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2010): Stable isotope analysis on ostracods as a proxy for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in long-lived lakes. - 10th Stable Isotope Network (SINA) Meeting: 2 p., Austrian Institute of Technology, Seibersdorf. [pdf]

*Caporaletti M., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2010): Stable isotope analysis of Palaeo-Lake ostracods (Lake Pannon/Central Europe & Lake Pebas/Western Amazonia; Middle-Late Miocene). - Journal of Austrian Geology, 52: 127-128, Leoben. [pdf]

*Gitter F., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2010): High-resolution analyses of an ostracod fauna in Late Miocene Lake Pannon (E-Styria/Austria). - Zitteliana, B, 29: 40-41, München. [pdf]

*Gitter F., Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2010): Changes in ostracod assemblages during the onset of Lake Pannon (Styrian Basin). - Journal of Austrian Geology, 52: 122-123, Leoben. [pdf]

*Gross M., Piller W.E., Ramos M.I. & Paz J.D. (2010): New insights to depositional environments of long-lived Lake Pebas (Middle/Late Miocene; Western Amazonia). - Journal of Austrian Geology, 52: 127-128, Leoben. [pdf]

*Gross M., Piller W.E., Ramos M.I. & Paz J.D.(2010): Fluvial environments at Lake Pebas’ southern margin (SE Solimoes Basin, Western Amazonia, Brazil; Middle/Late Miocene). - In: Abstracts Volumen, 18th International Sedimentological Congress (Schwarz E., Georgieff S., Piovano E. & Ariztegui D., eds.). 404, Mendoza. [pdf]

*Piller W.E., Kern A., Harzhauser M., Soliman A. & Gross M. (2010): Climate reconstruction on high-resolution palynological analyses of Lake Pannon sediments (Late Miocene, Central Europe). - In: Abstracts Volumen, 18th International Sedimentological Congress (Schwarz E., Georgieff S., Piovano E. & Ariztegui D., eds). 707, Mendoza. [pdf]

*Kern A., Harzhauser M., Soliman A., Piller W.E. & Gross M. (2010): Highresolution vegetation‐analysis at the shores of Lake Pannon with reference to climate. - 8th European Palaeobotany-Palynology Conference, Abstracts: 132, Budapest.

*Soliman A., Piller W.E. Harzhauser M., Kern A. & Gross M. (2010): New data on the taxonomy of dinoflagellates from Lake Pannon (Late Miocene, Austria). - 8th European Palaeobotany-Palynology Conference, Abstracts: 218, Budapest. 

*Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2009): High-resolution record of palaeoenvironmental changes in Lake Pannon (Late Miocene; Austria; Styria). - Acta Naturalia de “L’Ateneo Parmense”, 45/1-4: 65, Parma. [pdf]

*Piller W.E. & Gross M. (2009): A high-resolution record from outcrop- to mm-scale of Late Miocene Lake Pannon (Austria). - Portland, GSA Annual Meeting (18-21 October 2009), paper No. 198-15, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 41/7: 512, Portland. [pdf]

*Gross M. & Piller W.E. (2009): Evolution and Phylogeny in Cyprideis (Ostracoda) - Project Introduction. - Berichte der Geologischen Bundesanstalt, 81: 11-12, Wien.  [pdf]