Category
Poster - Basic
Description
Baraminology is the study of God’s created kinds as described in Genesis 1. Holobaramins are scientific approximations of these kinds, identified by building up monobaramins (smaller, continuous groups of organisms) and dividing apobaramins (larger, discontinuous groups of organisms). The lungless salamander family (Caudata: Plethodontidae), composed of over 500 species in 29 genera, have been grouped together by herpetologists for almost 200 years. Our previous research indicates that lungless salamander holobaramin(s) are found somewhere between the genus and family levels. The goal of this study is to further investigate the baraminology of these organisms by reanalyzing a prominent study of lungless salamander phylogeny using molecular baraminology techniques. DNA sequences from two mitochondrial (CYTB, ND4) and one nuclear gene (RAG-1) were gathered from the GenBank database and aligned using MEGA. Sequences from each gene (plus a concatenated dataset of all genes combined) were analyzed using hierarchical clustering and classic multidimensional scaling in RStudio as well as distance correlation analysis in BARCLAY. These analyses indicate that all lungless salamanders cluster into one large group, separate from the outgroups, and are therefore an apobaramin. The data also suggest the presence of at least five major groups of genera, clustering in two subgroups that correspond to modern subfamilies (Plethodontinae and Hemidactyliinae). Hemidactylium (Tribe Hemidactyliini) clusters separately from members of Tribe Spelerpini. Batrachoseps (Tribe Batrachosepini) also seems to cluster separately from members of Tribe Bolitoglossini. Desmognathus and Phaeognathus (Tribe Desmognathini), on the other hand, cluster with other members of Subfamily Plethodontinae. These five groups represent monobaramins, possibly holobaramins according to DCA analyses, and indicate that lungless salamander holobaramin(s) lie between the tribe and subfamily levels. Morphological, hybridization, and historical taxonomic research by our team are consistent with these results. We will continue to identify holobaramins by increasing the number of species we include in our analyses and using genetic distance data to expand our hybridization analysis. Despite the preliminary nature of our conclusions, we are the first to conduct baraminological analyses in this family of salamanders.
Using Molecular Data to Identify Lungless Salamander Kinds
Poster - Basic
Baraminology is the study of God’s created kinds as described in Genesis 1. Holobaramins are scientific approximations of these kinds, identified by building up monobaramins (smaller, continuous groups of organisms) and dividing apobaramins (larger, discontinuous groups of organisms). The lungless salamander family (Caudata: Plethodontidae), composed of over 500 species in 29 genera, have been grouped together by herpetologists for almost 200 years. Our previous research indicates that lungless salamander holobaramin(s) are found somewhere between the genus and family levels. The goal of this study is to further investigate the baraminology of these organisms by reanalyzing a prominent study of lungless salamander phylogeny using molecular baraminology techniques. DNA sequences from two mitochondrial (CYTB, ND4) and one nuclear gene (RAG-1) were gathered from the GenBank database and aligned using MEGA. Sequences from each gene (plus a concatenated dataset of all genes combined) were analyzed using hierarchical clustering and classic multidimensional scaling in RStudio as well as distance correlation analysis in BARCLAY. These analyses indicate that all lungless salamanders cluster into one large group, separate from the outgroups, and are therefore an apobaramin. The data also suggest the presence of at least five major groups of genera, clustering in two subgroups that correspond to modern subfamilies (Plethodontinae and Hemidactyliinae). Hemidactylium (Tribe Hemidactyliini) clusters separately from members of Tribe Spelerpini. Batrachoseps (Tribe Batrachosepini) also seems to cluster separately from members of Tribe Bolitoglossini. Desmognathus and Phaeognathus (Tribe Desmognathini), on the other hand, cluster with other members of Subfamily Plethodontinae. These five groups represent monobaramins, possibly holobaramins according to DCA analyses, and indicate that lungless salamander holobaramin(s) lie between the tribe and subfamily levels. Morphological, hybridization, and historical taxonomic research by our team are consistent with these results. We will continue to identify holobaramins by increasing the number of species we include in our analyses and using genetic distance data to expand our hybridization analysis. Despite the preliminary nature of our conclusions, we are the first to conduct baraminological analyses in this family of salamanders.
Comments
Undergraduate