Pågående prosjekter

Relationships and phylogeography of polyploid species complexes in Sphagnum (peat mosses)
Kjell Ivar Flatberg, Jon Shaw, Duke University, U.S.A.

Allopolyploidy (hybridisation and subsequent chromosome doubling) represents an effective escape from hybrid sterility. Moreover it makes an organism reproductively isolated from its progenitors. Although being a significant mode of speciation in vascular plants, allopolyploids were thought to be rare or absent in bryophytes, but have recently been found in a number of occasions including Sphagnum. Interspecific hybridisation and polyploidy have frequently given rise to problems of taxonomic delimitation among species both in vascular plants and mosses. This project aims at understanding the contribution of reticulate evolution and chromosome doubling for the vexing problems of taxonomic delimitation in a number of species complexes within Sphagnum.

Sphagnum taxonomy
Kjell Ivar Flatberg, Jon Shaw, Duke University, U.S.A.

The research focuses on peat mosses (genus Sphagnum) in the northern hemisphere with particular attention to Norway. This country houses the highest biodiversity and the largest intact European populations of this mire ecosystem key genus, and has a particular international responsibility of maintenance of viable populations of many species. Several groups and taxa of peat mosses have been revised and 12 new species/subspecies have been described from boreal and arctic Norway the last 15 years, and five species from the Beringian area, mainly using alpha-taxonomic, morphological methods. The more recent approaches include assessment of taxonomic merit, species boundaries and relationships by means of molecular, cultivation and transplantation methods. Currently a new Nordic Sphagnum flora is under preparation.

Origin and phylogeography of Norwegian bryophytes
Kjell Ivar Flatberg, Kristian Hassel, Tommy Prestø, Christian Brochmann, NCB, University of Oslo.

Ongoing research focuses on the co-operative project headed under the title SURVICE, which considers so-called 'west arctic' species in the Scandinavian mountain flora. A number of bryophytes and vascular plants with a northern amphiatlantic distribution are investigated with use of DNA methods in order to elucidate their glacial and post-glacial history in Scandinavia.

Systematics and biogeography of Zavrelia and Stempellinella (Diptera: Chironomidae)
Torbjørn Ekrem.
This project focuses on the taxonomy, systematics and zoogeography of the chironomid genera Zavrelia Kieffer and Stempellinella Brundin (Diptera). Through taxonomic revisions, and description of new species and immature stages, identification keys for all life stages will be erected, and morphological as well as molecular characters will be used to infer the phylogenetic relationship of the species in the two genera. The results will either support or refute the hypothesis that the genera Zavrelia and Stempellinella should be synonymized, and provide a solid background for a revision of the current classification. Based on the resulting phylogeny, zoogeographical analyses will be performed and provide the most probable biogeographical history and area of origin for the two genera. A taxonomic revision of the genus Stempellinella was published in 2007: doi:10.1080/00222930701437360

DNA-barcoding of non-biting midges
Torbjørn Ekrem, Endre Willassen, Bergen Museum, Elisabeth Stur, Paul Hebert, University of Guelph, Canada .

This project explores the usefulness of partial COI gene sequences in the identification of non-biting midges and utilises molecular data to associate of life stages. In cooperation with The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, we are currently building a COI library of Chironomidae in the Barcode of Life Data Systems. In a pilot project, we concentrated on species of the genera Micropsectra, Parapsectra and Patatanytarsus, and showed that DNA barcodes were very useful to identify and delimit chironomidae species. These results are published in MPE: doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.11.021

Phylogeny of Nereididae (Annelida, Polychaeta) Torkild Bakken.

The polychaete family Nereididae is a large group with about 550 described species, in 45 genera. The phylogeny is unresolved, and research deals with relationships between species as well as deeper phylogeny. Character homology between different groups is studied. This is a project in collaboration with Robin Wilson and Chris Glasby, Australia, and Cinthya Santos, Brazil.

Diversity and biogeography of Norwegian nudibranchs (Gastropoda, Nudibranchia)
Torkild Bakken.

Sea slugs or nudibranchs had not been studied systematically in Norway the past 60 years. Jussi Evertsen and I have studied diversity and abundance in Central Norway in particular, and diversity and biogeography of all 81 species in Norwegian waters. Taxonomic problems and peculiarities have been lined out. Species identity and phylogeographic questions are among specified projects we are working on. Read more about our projects in nudibranchia.no.

Polychaete diversity in Norwegian waters
Torkild Bakken.

The Norwegian Polychaete Forum is working on different projects to gain more knowledge in polychaete diversity in Norwegian and adjacent Arctic waters. Several aspects of diversity and systematics of polychaetes are in focus.

_{(Sist oppdatert desember 2007)}