Linked Life Data

21537901

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/21537901

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
6
pubmed:dateCreated
2011-6-9
pubmed:abstractText
Correct species identification is a precondition for many ecological studies. Morphologically highly similar, i.e., cryptic, species are an important component of biodiversity but particularly difficult to discriminate and therefore understudied ecologically. To find new methods for their rapid identification, thus, is important. The cuticle's chemical signature of insects often is unique for species. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can capture such signatures. Imaging NIRS facilitates precise positioning of the measurement area on biological objects and high-resolution spatial capturing. Here, we tested the applicability of imaging NIRS to the discrimination of cryptic species by using the ants Tetramorium caespitum and T. impurum. The classification success of Partial Least Squares Regression was 98.8%. Principal Component Analysis grouped spectra of some T. impurum individuals with T. caespitum. Combined with molecular-genetic and morphological evidence, this result enabled us to pose testable hypotheses about the biology of these species. We conclude that discrimination of T. caespitum and T. impurum with imaging NIRS is possible, promising that imaging NIRS could become a time- and cost-efficient tool for the reliable discrimination of cryptic species. This and the direct facilitation of potential biological insight beyond species identification underscore the value of imaging NIRS to ecology.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jun
pubmed:issn
1573-1561
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
37
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
549-52
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2011
pubmed:articleTitle
Near-infrared imaging spectroscopy as a tool to discriminate two cryptic Tetramorium ant species.
pubmed:affiliation
Institute of Ecology, Molecular Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. jasmin.klarica@gmail.com
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Evaluation Studies