Phylogeny of the genus Pseudosinella (Hexapoda, Collembola) from the Western Carpathians caves reveals Miocene diversification

A groundbreaking study reveals that the Western Carpathians, part of Europe's northernmost region with obligate cave fauna, served as a key speciation center for collembolan species. Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Pseudosinella indicates that two distinct lineages diverged approximately 9.54 million years ago during the Miocene epoch, followed by further diversification in P. paclti (8.36 mya) and P. aggtelekiensis (6.99 mya). Unlike P. aggtelekiensis, which lacks related surface species, P. paclti exhibits a broader distribution across caves, subterranean habitats, and soil environments. The research combines morphological and molecular traits to reconstruct evolutionary relationships, suggesting that allopatric speciation driven by geographic isolation played a pivotal role in the diversification of cave-dwelling Pseudosinella species.

Kováč, Ľ., Žurovcová, M., Raschmanová, N., Parimuchová, A., Jureková, N., & Papáč, V. (2018). Phylogeny of the genus Pseudosinella (Hexapoda, Collembola) from the Western Carpathians caves reveals Miocene diversification. ARPHA Conference Abstracts, 1. https://doi.org/10.3897/aca.1.e30489