Euglenophyta Pigmentadas de la Argentina [Pigmented Euglenophytes of Argentina]

About this book

Language: Spanish wit bilingual introduction in English and Spanish

From the introduction:

"Among the minute life forms that inhabit the lentic aquatic environments, specially those characterized by a high contents of organic matter and slow water movenents, the euglenophytes represent a numerically and ecologically important group.

Its members include pigmented and non pigmented organisms, and within the latter genera with or without capsule; although structurally they are closely related these algae comprise a group that is very heterogenous in appearance. The limits between species or infraspecific taxa, belonging to closely related entities are sometimes so vague that conventional methods (morphology, ultrastructure and more seldom, physiology and ecology), often fail to pin point the exact boundaries that define the taxa involved. In some cases, this has led to many different interpretations of the same materials that the lists of synonyms have become unmanageable.

As it has been previously mentioned electron microscope and physiological studies performed on some entities, have not only contributed to a better understanding of different aspects of the entire group, but also to clarify, with increased objectivity, several taxonomical problems. There is no doubt that the taxonomy of the Euglenophyta will benefit greatly from contributions in genetics and populational studies performed in the laboratory and in the field.

As far as South America is concerned, despite the interest that these organisms represent few studies are available. Most of them have originated in Argentina. The presence of specialists in this group of algae, and the consequent availability of bibliography accumulated for this country led us to gather in this volume all the registered taxa. Thus, we present, together with a detailed critical analysis, all the genera, species and infraspecific taxa cited for the Argentine Republic. As a complement to this phycoflora, we give a historical reference of the group, its general characteristics, and the basic characters that have to be considered in each genus when determining species and infraspecific entities.

Keys for the identification of all the taxa mentioned are included, and for each of them descriptions, world-wide distributions and distributions in Argentina are furnished. Whenever posible, additional bibliography related to the physiology, ultrastructure, and ecology of each of the organisms studied is also included.

The dimensions reported in this work do not always coincide with previous references found in classical books on Euglenophyta: measurement based on Argentine specimens have broadened or modified many of the earlier ranges.

All the species and infraspecific entities are ilustrated, and all the illustrations reported for Argentine materials are given, even when they correspond to different authors. Drawings that do not correspond to specimens of this country are not included. Thus, this book constitutes an iconographic record of the Argentine Euglenophyta. We feel that the incorporation of original illustrations by various authors for Argentina is of great importance since, up to now, most of the available information on this subject was based on figures and descriptions of North European, and more rarely, North American materials.

The descriptions and illustrations provided in this book will facilitate comparison with taxa known from other geographic regions, thus helping in the analysis of polymorphism and adaptative forms to the extreme south of South America. Critical analyses of the Euglenophyta of other South American regions, with original drawings such as those included here, will prove to be of invaluable help in rouding off the panorama for this continent, and eventually allowing to compare it with the one already known for Europe."

Contents

Introducción 1
Introduction 3
Breve reseña histórica 5
Posición taxonoómico y clasificación de las Euglenophyceae 9
Caracteres esenciales de los Euglenofitos 10
Principales caracteres utilizados en la taxonomía de los Euglenofitos 12
Caracteres taxonómicos en Euglena 13
Caracteres taxonómicos en Lepocinclis 16
Caracteres taxonómicos en Pracus 16
Caracteres taxonoómicos en Trachelomonas 18
Caracteres taxonómicos en Strombomonas 19
Caracteres taxonómicos en Colacium 20
Claves y descripción de las especies estudiadas 21
I. Euglena 23
II. Lepocinclis 59
III. Pracus 69
IV. Cryptoglena 102
V. Trachelomonas 103
VI. Strombomonas 163
Colacium 181
Bibliografía 184
Ilustraciones 202
Indice 294

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