New species of invertebrates discovered in Skadar Lake through the DNA-ECO project




New species of invertebrates discovered in Skadar Lake through the DNA-ECO project

Within the recently completed national scientific research project "DNA-Eco" at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences the DNA barcoding method was used in order to obtain a reliable assessment of the diversity and endemism of selected groups of freshwater organisms in the Skadar Lake basin. 

"Through this project, by means of an integrative method that includes morphological and molecular genetic analyses, new species of invertebrates have been discovered in the fauna of Montenegro and the Balkan Peninsula, and several new species have been described," said Milica Jovanovic, PhD student and teaching associate at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. She had the opportunity to carry out a part of her doctoral research within this project, under the name: DNA barcode reference library as a tool for sustainable management of endangered freshwater ecosystems in the Skadar Lake basin. 

The project was approved by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro, and project activities were implemented from 2019 to 2021 under the coordination of prof. Dr. Vladimir Pesic.

 "DNA barcoding is a universal method for determining biological material and identifying species using short DNA fragments. This method is in the focus of the international initiative "Barcode of Life" (iBOL - International Barcode of Life), which aims to create a global tool for biodiversity assessment using DNA barcodes, "explains Jovanović. Jovanovic points out that DNA barcoding successfully resolves dilemmas which arise when it is not possible to determine the species based on the morphological characters of the individual, due to phenotypic plasticity (the ability of genotypes to produce different phenotypes under the influence of the environment) or the appearance of cryptic species (two or more species under the same name). "In order for such methods to be fully used, each type should have its own reliable barcode located in the so-called reference base of barcodes. Based on the preserved and available DNA barcodes of the species already described, it is possible to determine an unknown pattern by molecular genetic methods, regardless of the sex, developmental stage or part of the body that is available to us. "These methods have a number of advantages over the standard system of environmental monitoring based on taxonomy, which is often limited by the taxonomic expertise of those who conduct it," says Jovanović. Finally, she concludes, the obtained DNA sequences and data from Montenegro completed the world database BOLD (the Barcode of Life Data System), which created a good basis for future research and barcoding of the fauna of Montenegro.

 

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