Molecular diversity of benthic foraminifera from tropical and subtropical coastal settings- a concise review

Abstract

Benthic foraminiferal diversity in coastal environments representing tropical and sub-tropical latitudes is important from the context of community development under an ecotonal setting. Even after two decades since the introduction of molecular techniques in marine biology, investigations delineating diversity and biogeography of benthic foraminifer communities are highly dependent on morpho-taxonomy. Nevertheless, application of molecular techniques in benthic foraminiferal research is starting to yield vital information on aspects ranging from diversity to ecophysiology. Coastal environments from tropical and subtropical regions are known to harbor rich marine biodiversity and the same stands for benthic foraminifer. In this review an effort has been made to provide an overview on the evolutionary origin, diversity and hidden biodiversity of benthic foraminifer communities from tropical and subtropical coastal settings based on published studies which have incorporated molecular based approaches.