[Speaker]

Dr. Fernando Ángel Fernández-Álvarez, Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), CSIC, Spain

[Title]

The enigmatic evolutionary relationships among decapodiform cephalopod lineages

[Zoom]

https://oist.zoom.us/j/94168489828?pwd=ME5lZklkRW9BTy9OS2ZRcWZXbXFpZz09

ABSTRACT

The superorder Decapodiformes Young, Vecchione & Donovan 1998 is the most diverse group of extant cephalopods, with 542 currently accepted species and seven different orders. Decapodiforms are ecologically important species as they are important links between low and high trophic levels in pelagic and benthic marine environments. Moreover, many species within this superorder possess significant economic value, including cuttlefish, flying squids, and diamondback squids. Throughout the history of cephalopod molecular systematics, the classification of decapodiforms based on certain morphological traits, such as the internal shell or the egg capsule, has faced challenges. Despite recent advancements in understanding the relationships among lineages within certain decapodiform orders, the overall relationship among these orders is still unclear. The exact branching pattern at the earliest stage of Decapodiformes remains unresolved. Different phylogenomic studies have presented conflicting results regarding whether cuttlefishes or pygmy squids are the sister group to the rest of the Decapodiformes. This discrepancy further complicates our understanding of the evolutionary relationships within this superorder. The forthcoming high-quality genome sequencing of key decapodiform species holds great potential to resolve this longstanding evolutionary conundrum and significantly advance evolutionary research in these animals.