Meeting Abstract

81.2  Sunday, Jan. 6  Systematics, evolution, and biogeography of the freshwater crabs (Potamoidea, Gecarcinucoidea, Pseudothelphusoidea, and Trichodactylidae) CUMBERLIDGE, Neil*; NG, P. K. L.; Northern Michigan University ncumberl@nmu.edu

Freshwater crabs form a vast group of aquatic animals with over 1,300 described species worldwide that are found in freshwater ecosystems throughout the warmer parts of the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Palaearctic, Oriental, and Australasian zoogeographical regions. We report here on the changes in the understanding of the higher systematics of these decapods over the past 20 years associated with attempts to put freshwater crab taxonomy into a phylogenetic framework. The distributional patterns of the freshwater crabs on continents and islands are interpreted in terms of their dispersal abilities and barriers to their distribution. We suggest areas where future efforts might profitably be concentrated in order to move towards a global freshwater crab phylogeny and a systematic revision of the group.