Cryptogenic species explained

A cryptogenic species ("cryptogenic" being derived from Greek "κρυπτός", meaning hidden, and "γένεσις", meaning origin) is a species whose origins are unknown. The cryptogenic species can be an animal or plant, including other kingdoms or domains, such as fungi, algae, bacteria, or even viruses.

In ecology, a cryptogenic species is one which may be either a native species or an introduced species, clear evidence for either origin being absent.^[1] An example is the Northern Pacific seastar (Asterias amurensis) in Alaska and Canada.^[2]

In palaeontology, a cryptogenic species is one which appears in the fossil record without clear affinities to an earlier species.

See also

• Cosmopolitan distribution
• Cryptozoology

Further reading

• James T. Carlton. 1996. Biological invasions and cryptogenic species. Ecology. 77. 6. 1653 - 1655. 10.2307/2265767. Ecological Society of America. 2265767.
• Book: Biological invasions in New Zealand. limited. Rob Allen. G. J. Inglis . B. J. Hayden . W. A. Nelson . amp . Are the Marine Biotas of Island Ecosystems More Vulnerable to Invasion?. 122 - 124. Springer. 2006. 9783540300229.

Notes and References

1. Book: 233. Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion. Alan Burdick. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2006. 9780374530433.
2. https://archive.today/20040827231047/http://www.marine.csiro.au/crimp/nimpis/ NIMPIS Database