AN ENDEMIC GROUNDWATER FAUNA IN UNGLACIATED EASTERN NORTH AMERICA

摘要: Invertebrates specialized for life in groundwater (stygobionts) are diverse and widely distributed Europe but poorly known North America. A survey of the invertebrate fauna at 14 sites eastern America shows that unglaciated ancient terrain contains a rich stygobionts. Several groups stygobionts (the polychaete Troglochaetus sp., an undescribed genus aphanoneuran annelid, possibly family oligochaetes, bathynellacean crustaceans, microcerberid isopods) reported first time from Stygobionts infrequent north glacial border, suggesting they have not yet been able to disperse into glaciated terrain. The extraordinarily slow dispersal rates implied by these distributions important ecological ramifications. few found border may survived glaciation subglacial refugia.