Aspects of the evolution and origin of the deep-sea isopod crustaceans
Secondary Title
Sarsia
Secondary Authors
Tertiary Title
Tertiary Authors
Volume
4
Issue
Pages
77–83
Place published
Published
Date
URL
Abstract
A study of the morphology of some isopod taxa suggests that Protallocoxoidea
(Asellota) and Plakarthriidae (Flabellifera) represent the most ancient groups of
extant isopods. The main reason is the presence of free coxae of the first pair of
peraeopods. The Stenetrioidea (Asellota) probably evolved from ancestors like
Protallocoxa. The present distribution of the three taxa does not reveal the center of
their evolution.
Studies of cave-living oniscoids in the New World and Europe combined with our
knowledge of the development of the Atlantic suggest a time-scale of 150 million years
for the evolution of taxa to the subfamily level. Whether or not this time-scale is
applicable also for marine isopods is unknown. The evolution of the isopods as well as
the origin of deep-sea species is still poorly understood.
