Meeting Abstract
Cave-obligate organisms have captured the imagination and interest of scientists and citizens for centuries, yet their complex evolutionary histories and modes of subterranean adaptation are still poorly understood. The North American endemic Amblyopsidae are one of very few ray-finned fish families to contain both surface-dwelling and cave-dwelling members; thus, this group is especially attractive for comparative studies examining subterranean adaptation. Morphological and molecular datasets have presented conflicting evolutionary relationships within the Amblyopsidae, particularly with respect to the placement of eyed genera in relation to the eyeless, cave-obligate taxa. Molecular phylogenies suggest a possible subterranean ancestor for at least one of the eyed genera, implying the re-evolution of eyes and re-colonization of surface habitats. Morphological topologies recover a continuum of forms, progressing from surface to cave-dwelling without re-evolution. To investigate relationships within the Amblyopsidae, we collected genomic data from nearly 2,000 ultraconserved element (UCE) loci. Each of the three states of troglomorphy (surface, cave-facultative, and cave-obligate forms) was included for this study. This work will provide insight into the patterns and modes of cave adaptation.
