Crustacean biodiversity in ancient lakes:: A review

Several crustacean groups have produced extensive species flocks in ancient lakes. However, except for the Amphipoda in Lake Baikal, crustacean diversity per se is not significantly higher in ancient lakes than in non-marine aquatic habitats in general. Yet the degree of endemicity in such long-lived habitats is certainly higher in these crustacean groups than in the average of non-crustacean groups. Causality must thus be sought in the evolutionary biology, rather than in the ecology of the groups at issue. Several potential, intrinsic factors, possibly promoting speciation, have been cited, but thus far no singular cause for high crustacean endemicity in ancient lakes could be demonstrated.