Phylogenetic relationships among the Epiperipatus lineages (Onychophora: Peripatidae) from the Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The taxonomy and phylogeny of Onychophora (velvet worms), in particular of the neotropical Peripatidae, are understudied, due to a low number of useful morphological characters. In this paper, we use mitochondrial DNA markers to investigate the evolutionary relationships among the Epiperipatus lineages from the Minas Gerais State of Brazil. Our phylogenetic analyses of two fragments of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and small ribosomal subunit RNA genes (12S rRNA) provide evidence of three major monophyletic clades and indicate cryptic speciation among specimens from different geographic localities. Our findings highlight the utility of molecular methods for studies of cryptic speciation, phylogeography, and evolutionary history of Onychophora.