Abstract
Some 50 clones belonging to a rather homogeneous, presumably monophyletic, section of genus Euplotes proved to be distributed between two clear-cut subgroups on the basis of cell size and relative peristome length. These subgroups are referred to as vannus and minuta morphotypes.
Within vannus morphotype, the E. vannus complex of 5 sibling species was previously defined on the basis of interfertility criterion. Electrophoretical studies revealed clear-cut biochemical differences between the E. vannus complex and the minuta morphotype.
A multivariate analysis concerning 6 characters shows that the 5 species in the complex are closely similar. Nevertheless, the results of discriminant analysis suggest that a morphological discrimination could be possible.
The status of one peculiar clone remains somewhat obscure. It belongs undoubtedly to the vannus morphotype, but shows no mating reaction with any of the 5 species of E. vannus complex and is electrophoretically related to minuta morphotype.
The following interpretation is suggested. In this section of genus Euplotes, two stable adaptive zones are available, corresponding to the two morphotypes. Speciation and change of adaptive zone are more or less independent evolutionary events. For example, the 5 species of the vannus complex have been generated by speciation without change of adaptive zone. Conversely, the exceptional clone may be phyletically related to the minuta morphotype through a rather recent jump from one adaptive zone to the other.
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Machelon, V., Génermont, J., Dattée, Y. (1984). A Biometrical Analysis of Morphological Variation within a Section of Genus Euplotes (Ciliata, Hypotrichida), with Special Reference to the E. Vannus Complex of Sibling Species. In: Margulis, L., Soyer-Gobillard, MO., Corliss, J. (eds) Evolutionary Protistology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6398-6_9
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