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Alvarado-Cerón V, Muñiz-Castillo AI, León-Pech MG, Prada C, Arias-González JE. A decade of population genetics studies of scleractinian corals: A systematic review. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 183:105781. [PMID: 36371949 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems. However, coral cover has decreased worldwide due to natural disturbances, climate change, and local anthropogenic drivers. In recent decades, various genetic methods and molecular markers have been developed to assess genetic diversity, structure, and connectivity in different coral species to determine the vulnerability of their populations. This review aims to identify population genetic studies of scleractinian corals in the last decade (2010-2020), and the techniques and molecular markers used. Bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify journals and authors working in this field. We then calculated the number of genetic studies by species and ecoregion based on data obtained from 178 studies found in Scopus and Web of Science. Coral Reefs and Molecular Ecology were the main journals published population genetics studies, and microsatellites are the most widely used molecular markers. The Caribbean, Australian Barrier Reef, and South Kuroshio in Japan are among the ecoregions with the most population genetics data. In contrast, we found limited information about the Coral Triangle, a region with the highest biodiversity and key to coral reef conservation. Notably, only 117 (out of 1500 described) scleractinian coral species have genetic studies. This review emphasizes which coral species have been studied and highlights remaining gaps and locations where such data is critical for coral conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viridiana Alvarado-Cerón
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua carretera a Progreso, Cordemex, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
| | - Aarón Israel Muñiz-Castillo
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua carretera a Progreso, Cordemex, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
| | - María Geovana León-Pech
- Department of Biological Science, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flag Road, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA.
| | - Carlos Prada
- Department of Biological Science, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flag Road, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA.
| | - Jesús Ernesto Arias-González
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua carretera a Progreso, Cordemex, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
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Percopo I, Ruggiero MV, Sarno D, Longobardi L, Rossi R, Piredda R, Zingone A. Phenological segregation suggests speciation by time in the planktonic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia allochrona sp. nov. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9155. [PMID: 35949533 PMCID: PMC9352866 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The processes leading to the emergence of new species are poorly understood in marine plankton, where weak physical barriers and homogeneous environmental conditions limit spatial and ecological segregation. Here, we combine molecular and ecological information from a long-term time series and propose Pseudo-nitzschia allochrona, a new cryptic planktonic diatom, as a possible case of speciation by temporal segregation. The new species differs in several genetic markers (18S, 28S and ITS rDNA fragments and rbcL) from its closest relatives, which are morphologically very similar or identical, and is reproductively isolated from its sibling species P. arenysensis. Data from a long-term plankton time series show P. allochrona invariably occurring in summer-autumn in the Gulf of Naples, where its closely related species P. arenysensis, P. delicatissima, and P. dolorosa are instead found in winter-spring. Temperature and nutrients are the main factors associated with the occurrence of P. allochrona, which could have evolved in sympatry by switching its phenology and occupying a new ecological niche. This case of possible speciation by time shows the relevance of combining ecological time series with molecular information to shed light on the eco-evolutionary dynamics of marine microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Percopo
- Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources DepartmentStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
| | | | - Diana Sarno
- Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources DepartmentStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
| | - Lorenzo Longobardi
- Integrative Marine Ecology DepartmentStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
| | - Rachele Rossi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del MezzogiornoPorticiItaly
| | - Roberta Piredda
- Integrative Marine Ecology DepartmentStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
- Present address:
Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Bari Aldo MoroValenzano, BariItaly
| | - Adriana Zingone
- Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources DepartmentStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
- Integrative Marine Ecology DepartmentStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
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Clark V, Mello-Athayde MA, Dove S. Colonies of Acropora formosa with greater survival potential have reduced calcification rates. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269526. [PMID: 35679252 PMCID: PMC9182694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are facing increasingly devasting impacts from ocean warming and acidification due to anthropogenic climate change. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, potential solutions have focused either on reducing light stress during heating, or on the potential for identifying or engineering “super corals”. A large subset of these studies, however, have tended to focus primarily on the bleaching response of corals, and assume erroneously that corals that bleach earlier in a thermal event die first. Here, we explore how survival, observable bleaching, coral skeletal growth (as branch extension and densification), and coral tissue growth (protein and lipid concentrations) varies for conspecifics collected from distinctive reef zones at Heron Island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. A reciprocal transplantation experiment was undertaken using the dominant reef building coral (Acropora formosa) between the highly variable reef flat and the less variable reef slope environments. Coral colonies originating from the reef flat had higher rates of survival and amassed greater protein densities but calcified at reduced rates compared to conspecifics originating from the reef slope. The energetics of both populations however potentially benefited from greater light intensity present in the shallows. Reef flat origin corals moved to the lower light intensity of the reef slope reduced protein density and calcification rates. For A. formosa, genetic differences, or long-term entrainment to a highly variable environment, appeared to promote coral survival at the expense of calcification. The response decouples coral survival from carbonate coral reef resilience, a response that was further exacerbated by reductions in irradiance. As we begin to discuss interventions necessitated by the CO2 that has already been released into the atmosphere, we need to prioritise our focus on the properties that maintain valuable carbonate ecosystems. Rapid and dense calcification by corals such as branching Acropora is essential to the ability of carbonate coral reefs to rebound following disturbance events and maintain 3D structure but may be the first property that is sacrificed to enable coral genet survival under stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Clark
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Matheus A. Mello-Athayde
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sophie Dove
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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4
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Underwood JN, Richards Z, Berry O, Oades D, Howard A, Gilmour JP. Extreme seascape drives local recruitment and genetic divergence in brooding and spawning corals in remote north-west Australia. Evol Appl 2020; 13:2404-2421. [PMID: 33005230 PMCID: PMC7513722 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Management strategies designed to conserve coral reefs threatened by climate change need to incorporate knowledge of the spatial distribution of inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity. We characterized patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two reef-building corals to explore the eco-evolutionary processes that sustain populations in north-west Australia. Our sampling focused on the unique reefs of the Kimberley; we collected the broadcast spawning coral Acropora aspera (n = 534) and the brooding coral Isopora brueggemanni (n = 612) across inter-archipelago (tens to hundreds of kilometres), inter-reef (kilometres to tens of kilometres) and within-reef (tens of metres to a few kilometres) scales. Initial analysis of A. aspera identified four highly divergent lineages that were co-occurring but morphologically similar. Subsequent population analyses focused on the most abundant and widespread lineage, Acropora asp-c. Although the overall level of geographic subdivision was greater in the brooder than in the spawner, fundamental similarities in patterns of genetic structure were evident. Most notably, limits to gene flow were observed at scales <35 kilometres. Further, we observed four discrete clusters and a semi-permeable barrier to dispersal that were geographically consistent between species. Finally, sites experiencing bigger tides were more connected to the metapopulation and had greater gene diversity than those experiencing smaller tides. Our data indicate that the inshore reefs of the Kimberley are genetically isolated from neighbouring oceanic bioregions, but occasional dispersal between inshore archipelagos is important for the redistribution of evolutionarily important genetic diversity. Additionally, these results suggest that networks of marine reserves that effectively protect reefs from local pressures should be spaced within a few tens of kilometres to conserve the existing patterns of demographic and genetic connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim N Underwood
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley Perth WA Australia
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
| | - Zoe Richards
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley WA Australia
- Department of Aquatic Zoology Western Australian Museum Welshpool WA Australia
| | - Oliver Berry
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley Perth WA Australia
| | - Daniel Oades
- Bardi Jawi Rangers Kimberley Land Council Broome WA Australia
| | - Azton Howard
- Bardi Jawi Rangers Kimberley Land Council Broome WA Australia
| | - James P Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley Perth WA Australia
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
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5
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Underwood JN, Travers MJ, Snow M, Puotinen M, Gouws G. Cryptic lineages in the Wolf Cardinalfish living in sympatry on remote coral atolls. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 132:183-193. [PMID: 30528081 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Coral reef health and biodiversity is under threat worldwide due to rapid climate change. However, much of the inter- and intra-specific diversity of coral reefs are undescribed even in well studied taxa such as fish. Delimiting previously unrecognised diversity is important for understanding the processes that generate and sustain biodiversity in coral reef ecosystems and informing strategies for their conservation and management. Many taxa that inhabit geographically isolated coral reefs rely on self-recruitment for population persistence, providing the opportunity for the evolution of unique genetic lineages through divergent selection and reproductive isolation. Many such lineages in corals and fish are morphologically similar or indistinguishable. Here, we report the discovery and characterisation of cryptic lineages of the Wolf Cardinalfish, Cheilodipterus artus, from the coral atolls of northwest Australia using multiple molecular markers from mitochondrial (CO1 and D-loop) and nuclear (microsatellites) DNA. Concordant results from all markers identified two highly divergent lineages that are morphologically cryptic and reproductively isolated. These lineages co-occurred at daytime resting sites, but the relative abundance of each lineage was strongly correlated with wave exposure. It appears, therefore, that fish from each lineage are better adapted to different microhabitats. Such cryptic and ecologically based diversity appears to be common in these atolls and may well aid resilience of these systems. Our results also highlight that underwater surveys based on visual identification clearly underestimate biodiversity, and that a taxonomic revision of the Cheilodipterus genus is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim N Underwood
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Michael J Travers
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Government of Western Australia, PO Box 20, North Beach, Western Australia 6920, Australia
| | - Michael Snow
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Government of Western Australia, PO Box 20, North Beach, Western Australia 6920, Australia
| | - Marji Puotinen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Gavin Gouws
- National Research Foundation - South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Private Bag 1015, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
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6
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Richards ZT, Yasuda N, Kikuchi T, Foster T, Mitsuyuki C, Stat M, Suyama Y, Wilson NG. Integrated evidence reveals a new species in the ancient blue coral genus Heliopora (Octocorallia). Sci Rep 2018; 8:15875. [PMID: 30367122 PMCID: PMC6203795 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32969-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining the accretion potential and three dimensional structure of coral reefs is a priority but reef-building scleractinian corals are highly threatened and retreating. Hence future reefs are predicted to be dominated by non-constructional taxa. Since the Late Triassic however, other non-scleractinian anthozoans such as Heliopora have contributed to tropical and subtropical reef-building. Heliopora is an ancient and highly conserved reef building octocoral genus within the monospecific Family Helioporidae, represented by a single extant species - H. coerulea, Pallas, 1766. Here we show integrated morphological, genomic and reproductive evidence to substantiate the existence of a second species within the genus Heliopora. Importantly, some individuals of the new species herein described as Heliopora hiberniana sp. nov. feature a white skeleton indicating that the most diagnostic and conserved Heliopora character (the blue skeleton) can be displaced. The new species is currently known only from offshore areas in north Western Australia, which is a part of the world where coral bleaching events have severely impacted the scleractinian community over the last two decades. Field observations indicate individuals of both H. coerulea and H. hiberniana sp. nov. were intact after the 2016 Scott Reef thermal stress event, and we discuss the possibility that bleaching resistant non-scleractinian reef builders such as Heliopora could provide new ecological opportunities for the reconfiguration of future reefs by filling empty niches and functional roles left open by the regression of scleractinian corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe T Richards
- Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, WA, 6106, Australia.
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6845, Australia.
| | - Nina Yasuda
- Organization for Promotion of Tenure Track, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan
| | - Taisei Kikuchi
- Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan
| | - Taryn Foster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Chika Mitsuyuki
- Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Michael Stat
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6845, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Nerida G Wilson
- Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, WA, 6106, Australia
- University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
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7
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Underwood JN, Richards ZT, Miller KJ, Puotinen ML, Gilmour JP. Genetic signatures through space, time and multiple disturbances in a ubiquitous brooding coral. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1586-1602. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jim N. Underwood
- Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre Australian Institute of Marine Science Crawley WA Australia
| | - Zoe T. Richards
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley WA Australia
- Department of Aquatic Zoology Western Australian Museum Perth WA Australia
| | - Karen J. Miller
- Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre Australian Institute of Marine Science Crawley WA Australia
| | - Marji L. Puotinen
- Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre Australian Institute of Marine Science Crawley WA Australia
| | - James P. Gilmour
- Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre Australian Institute of Marine Science Crawley WA Australia
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Leblois R, Gautier M, Rohfritsch A, Foucaud J, Burban C, Galan M, Loiseau A, Sauné L, Branco M, Gharbi K, Vitalis R, Kerdelhué C. Deciphering the demographic history of allochronic differentiation in the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa. Mol Ecol 2017; 27:264-278. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Leblois
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle (IBC); Université de Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - M. Gautier
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle (IBC); Université de Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - A. Rohfritsch
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
| | - J. Foucaud
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
| | - C. Burban
- INRA, UMR1202 BIOGECO (INRA - Université de Bordeaux); Cestas Cedex France
| | - M. Galan
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
| | - A. Loiseau
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
| | - L. Sauné
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
| | - M. Branco
- Centro de Estudos Florestais (CEF); Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA); University of Lisbon; Lisbon Portugal
| | - K. Gharbi
- Edinburgh Genomics; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - R. Vitalis
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle (IBC); Université de Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - C. Kerdelhué
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier; Montferrier sur Lez Cedex France
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9
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Taylor RS, Friesen VL. The role of allochrony in speciation. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3330-3342. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Rosser NL, Thomas L, Stankowski S, Richards ZT, Kennington WJ, Johnson MS. Phylogenomics provides new insight into evolutionary relationships and genealogical discordance in the reef-building coral genus Acropora. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20162182. [PMID: 28077772 PMCID: PMC5247495 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the genetic basis of reproductive isolation is a long-standing goal of speciation research. In recently diverged populations, genealogical discordance may reveal genes and genomic regions that contribute to the speciation process. Previous work has shown that conspecific colonies of Acropora that spawn in different seasons (spring and autumn) are associated with highly diverged lineages of the phylogenetic marker PaxC Here, we used 10 034 single-nucleotide polymorphisms to generate a genome-wide phylogeny and compared it with gene genealogies from the PaxC intron and the mtDNA Control Region in 20 species of Acropora, including three species with spring- and autumn-spawning cohorts. The PaxC phylogeny separated conspecific autumn and spring spawners into different genetic clusters in all three species; however, this pattern was not supported in two of the three species at the genome level, suggesting a selective connection between PaxC and reproductive timing in Acropora corals. This genome-wide phylogeny provides an improved foundation for resolving phylogenetic relationships in Acropora and, combined with PaxC, provides a fascinating platform for future research into regions of the genome that influence reproductive isolation and speciation in corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie L Rosser
- School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Luke Thomas
- School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Sean Stankowski
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Zoe T Richards
- Department of Aquatic Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia
| | - W Jason Kennington
- School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Michael S Johnson
- School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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Recent origin and semi-permeable species boundaries in the scleractinian coral genus Stylophora from the Red Sea. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34612. [PMID: 27713475 PMCID: PMC5054360 DOI: 10.1038/srep34612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Reticulate evolution, introgressive hybridisation, and phenotypic plasticity have been documented in scleractinian corals and have challenged our ability to interpret speciation processes. Stylophora is a key model system in coral biology and physiology, but genetic analyses have revealed that cryptic lineages concealed by morphological stasis exist in the Stylophora pistillata species complex. The Red Sea represents a hotspot for Stylophora biodiversity with six morphospecies described, two of which are regionally endemic. We investigated Stylophora species boundaries from the Red Sea and the associated Symbiodinium by sequencing seven DNA loci. Stylophora morphospecies from the Red Sea were not resolved based on mitochondrial phylogenies and showed nuclear allele sharing. Low genetic differentiation, weak isolation, and strong gene flow were found among morphospecies although no signals of genetic recombination were evident among them. Stylophora mamillata harboured Symbiodinium clade C whereas the other two Stylophora morphospecies hosted either Symbiodinium clade A or C. These evolutionary patterns suggest that either gene exchange occurs through reticulate evolution or that multiple ecomorphs of a phenotypically plastic species occur in the Red Sea. The recent origin of the lineage leading to the Red Sea Stylophora may indicate an ongoing speciation driven by environmental changes and incomplete lineage sorting.
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