1
|
Jablonski D, Mebert K, Masroor R, Simonov E, Kukushkin O, Abduraupov T, Hofmann S. The Silk roads: phylogeography of Central Asian dice snakes (Serpentes: Natricidae) shaped by rivers in deserts and mountain valleys. Curr Zool 2024; 70:150-162. [PMID: 38726254 PMCID: PMC11078056 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenced by rapid changes in climate and landscape features since the Miocene, widely distributed species provide suitable models to study the environmental impact on their evolution and current genetic diversity. The dice snake Natrix tessellata, widely distributed in the Western Palearctic is one such species. We aimed to resolve a detailed phylogeography of N. tessellata with a focus on the Central Asian clade with 4 and the Anatolia clade with 3 mitochondrial lineages, trace their origin, and correlate the environmental changes that affected their distribution through time. The expected time of divergence of both clades began at 3.7 Mya in the Pliocene, reaching lineage differentiation approximately 1 million years later. The genetic diversity in both clades is rich, suggesting different ancestral areas, glacial refugia, demographic changes, and colonization routes. The Caspian lineage is the most widespread lineage in Central Asia, distributed around the Caspian Sea and reaching the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan, and Eastern European lowlands in the west. Its distribution is limited by deserts, mountains, and cold steppe environments. Similarly, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan lineages followed the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya water systems in Central Asia, with ranges delimited by the large Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts. On the western side, there are several lineages within the Anatolia clade that converged in the central part of the peninsula with 2 being endemic to Western Asia. The distribution of both main clades was affected by expansion from their Pleistocene glacial refugia around the Caspian Sea and in the valleys of Central Asia as well as by environmental changes, mostly through aridification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Rafaqat Masroor
- Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Shakarparian, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Evgeniy Simonov
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Oleg Kukushkin
- T. I. Vyazemski Karadag Scientific Station—Nature Reserve—Branch of A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Theodosia, Crimea
- Zoological Institute of the RAS, Saint Petersbourg, Russia
| | - Timur Abduraupov
- Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Yunusabad, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Sylvia Hofmann
- Museum Koenig Bonn, LIB—Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
- UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Stubbs RL, Theodoridis S, Mora‐Carrera E, Keller B, Yousefi N, Potente G, Léveillé‐Bourret É, Celep F, Kochjarová J, Tedoradze G, Eaton DAR, Conti E. Whole-genome analyses disentangle reticulate evolution of primroses in a biodiversity hotspot. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:656-671. [PMID: 36210520 PMCID: PMC10099377 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity hotspots, such as the Caucasus mountains, provide unprecedented opportunities for understanding the evolutionary processes that shape species diversity and richness. Therefore, we investigated the evolution of Primula sect. Primula, a clade with a high degree of endemism in the Caucasus. We performed phylogenetic and network analyses of whole-genome resequencing data from the entire nuclear genome, the entire chloroplast genome, and the entire heterostyly supergene. The different characteristics of the genomic partitions and the resulting phylogenetic incongruences enabled us to disentangle evolutionary histories resulting from tokogenetic vs cladogenetic processes. We provide the first phylogeny inferred from the heterostyly supergene that includes all species of Primula sect. Primula. Our results identified recurrent admixture at deep nodes between lineages in the Caucasus as the cause of non-monophyly in Primula. Biogeographic analyses support the 'out-of-the-Caucasus' hypothesis, emphasizing the importance of this hotspot as a cradle for biodiversity. Our findings provide novel insights into causal processes of phylogenetic discordance, demonstrating that genome-wide analyses from partitions with contrasting genetic characteristics and broad geographic sampling are crucial for disentangling the diversification of species-rich clades in biodiversity hotspots.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Stubbs
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZurichZollikerstrasse 107Zurich8008Switzerland
| | - Spyros Theodoridis
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F)Frankfurt am Main60325Germany
| | - Emiliano Mora‐Carrera
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZurichZollikerstrasse 107Zurich8008Switzerland
| | - Barbara Keller
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZurichZollikerstrasse 107Zurich8008Switzerland
| | - Narjes Yousefi
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZurichZollikerstrasse 107Zurich8008Switzerland
| | - Giacomo Potente
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZurichZollikerstrasse 107Zurich8008Switzerland
| | - Étienne Léveillé‐Bourret
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale (IRBV)Université de MontréalQuébecH1X 2B2Canada
| | - Ferhat Celep
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and SciencesKırıkkale UniversityKırıkkale71450Turkey
| | - Judita Kochjarová
- Department of Phytology, Faculty of ForestryTechnical University in ZvolenZvolen96001Slovak Republic
| | - Giorgi Tedoradze
- Department of Plant Systematics and Geography, Institute of BotanyIlia State UniversityTbilisi0105Georgia
| | - Deren A. R. Eaton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNY10027USA
| | - Elena Conti
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZurichZollikerstrasse 107Zurich8008Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rivera D, Prates I, Caldwell JP, Rodrigues MT, Fujita MK. Testing assertions of widespread introgressive hybridization in a clade of neotropical toads with low mate selectivity (Rhinella granulosa species group). Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 130:14-21. [PMID: 36333595 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00571-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Discordance between different genomic regions, often identified through multilocus sequencing of selected markers, presents particular difficulties in identifying historical processes which drive species diversity and boundaries. Mechanisms causing discordance, such as incomplete lineage sorting or introgression due to interspecific hybridization, are better identified based on population-level genomic datasets. In the toads of the Rhinella granulosa species group, patterns of mito-nuclear discordance and potential hybridization have been reported by several studies. However, these patterns were proposed based on few loci, such that alternative mechanisms behind gene-tree heterogeneity cannot be ruled out. Using genome-wide ddRADseq loci from a subset of species within this clade, we found only partial concordance between currently recognized species-level taxon boundaries and patterns of genetic structure. While most taxa within the R. granulosa group correspond to clades, genetic clustering analyses sometimes grouped distinct taxonomic units into a single cluster. Moreover, levels of admixture between inferred clusters were limited and restricted to a single taxon pair which is best explained by incomplete lineage sorting as opposed to introgressive hybridization, according to D-statistics results. These findings contradict previous assertions of widespread cryptic diversity and gene flow within the R. granulosa clade. Lastly, our analyses suggest that diversification events within the Rhinella granulosa group mostly dated back to the early Pliocene, being generally younger than species divergences in other closely related clades that present high levels of cross-species gene flow. This finding uniquely contradicts common assertions that this young clade of toads exhibits interspecific hybridization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Rivera
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
| | - Ivan Prates
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Janalee P Caldwell
- Sam Noble Museum and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Matthew K Fujita
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
- Department of Biology and Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chiocchio A, Zampiglia M, Biaggini M, Biello R, Di Tizio L, Leonetti FL, Olivieri O, Sperone E, Trabalza-Marinucci M, Corti C, Canestrelli D. Unveiling a hotspot of genetic diversity in southern Italy for the endangered Hermann’s tortoise Testudo hermanni. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:131. [DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02075-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Hotspots of intraspecific genetic diversity represent invaluable resources for species to cope with environmental changes, and their identification is increasingly recognized as a major goal of conservation ecology research. However, even for iconic and endangered species, conservation strategies are often planned without thorough information on the geographic patterns of genetic variation. Here, we investigated the spatial patterns of genetic variation of the endangered Hermann’s tortoise Testudo hermanni in the Italian Peninsula by genotyping 174 individuals at 7 microsatellite loci, with the aim to contribute to planning effective conservation strategies.
Results
Ordination-based and Bayesian clustering analyses consistently identified three main genetic clusters, one spread in the central and northern part of the peninsula, and two restricted to southern Italy and Sicily, respectively. The highest levels of genetic diversity were found in populations of the southern cluster and, in particular, at the northern edges of its distribution (He > 0.6, Ar > 2.8 ), that correspond to areas of putative secondary contact and admixture between distinct lineages. Our results clearly identify a hotspot of genetic diversity for the Hermann’s tortoise in southern Italy.
Conclusion
We inferred the evolutionary history and the spatial patterns of genetic variation of the Hermann’s tortoise in the Italian Peninsula. We identified three main genetic clusters along the peninsula and a hotspot of intraspecific diversity in southern Italy. Our results underline the urgent need for conservation actions to warrant the long-term persistence of viable tortoise populations in this area. Furthrmore, these data add further evidence to the role of southern Italy as a biodiversity hotspot for temperate fauna, claiming for higher consideration of this area in large scale conservation programs.
Collapse
|
5
|
Vecchioni L, Marrone F, Costa S, Muscarella C, Carra E, Arizza V, Arculeo M, Faraone FP. The European Pine Marten Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) Is Autochthonous in Sicily and Constitutes a Well-Characterised Major Phylogroup within the Species (Carnivora, Mustelidae). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:2546. [PMID: 36230287 PMCID: PMC9558521 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
No molecular data are currently available for the Sicilian populations of the European pine marten Martes martes, thus preventing any sound inference about its native or non-native status on the island, as well as the local phylogeography of the species. In order to investigate these issues, we sequenced two mtDNA markers in road-killed specimens collected in Sicily. Both markers consistently demonstrated the existence of a well-characterised Sicilian clade of the species, which is endemic to the island and constitutes the sister group of a clade including the Mediterranean and Central-North European major phylogroups of the European pine marten. Such evidence supports the autochthony of Martes martes in Sicily and points to a natural Pleistocene colonisation of the island followed by isolation. The occurrence of a, to date undetected, major phylogroup of the species in Sicily calls for the dedicated monitoring of the Sicilian populations of the species in order to preserve this evolutionarily significant unit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Vecchioni
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Federico Marrone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Simone Costa
- Cooperativa Silene, Via D’Ondes Reggio 8a, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Elena Carra
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Arculeo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Martino G, Chiocchio A, Siclari A, Canestrelli D. Distribution and conservation status of threatened endemic amphibians within the Aspromonte mountain region, a hotspot of Mediterranean biodiversity. NATURE CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.50.86002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian biodiversity loss in recent years has exceeded that of all other groups of vertebrates. In this context, biodiversity hotspots represent priority targets for conservation in amphibian populations. However, little information is available on the distribution and conservation status of amphibian species within most biodiversity hotspots. Here, we characterized the distribution and conservation status of four threatened endemic amphibians (Bombina pachypus, Salamandra salamandra gigliolii, Salamandrina terdigitata, and Rana italica) in the Aspromonte Mountain region, a biodiversity hotspot in southern Italy where the conservation status of amphibians is almost unexplored. We conducted an intensive field survey of 507 potential breeding sites spanning over 2,326 km2. We found that all four species were widespread in the study area. We observed 337 species occurrences: 63 for S. s. gigliolii, 29 for S. terdigitata, 84 for B. pachypus, and 161 for R. italica. Species distribution analysis revealed that S. s. gigliolii and R. italica populations had an extended and homogenous distribution. Conversely, S. terdigitata showed a dispersed pattern, with long distances among breeding sites, and B. pachypus an aggregated pattern, associated with the availability of suitable artificial habitats. On the other hand, we reported a decrease in B. pachypus occurrence in its natural habitats, which reflects a negative trend of its populations. Overall, our results provide an encouraging framework for the conservation of amphibian populations in this area, but highlight the low coverage of threatened amphibian populations in protected areas, highlighting the need for a reassessment of conservation policies and spatial conservation planning for the Aspromonte region.
Collapse
|
7
|
Across the Gobi Desert: impact of landscape features on the biogeography and phylogeographically-structured release calls of the Mongolian Toad, Strauchbufo raddei in East Asia. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10206-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
8
|
Fukutani K, Matsui M, Tran DV, Nishikawa K. Genetic diversity and demography of Bufo japonicus and B. torrenticola (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) influenced by the Quaternary climate. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13452. [PMID: 35698618 PMCID: PMC9188313 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Quaternary climate affected the present species richness and geographic distribution patterns of amphibians by limiting their activities during the glacial period. The present study examined the phylogenetic relationships of Japanese toads (Bufo japonicus and B. torrenticola) and the demography of each lineage from the past to the present based on mitochondrial sequences and ecological niche models. Japanese toads are a monophyletic group with two main clades (clades A and B). Clade A represents B. j. formosus, including three clades (clades A1, A2, and A3). Clade B contains three clades, two of which corresponded to B. j. japonicus (clades B1 and B2) and the other to B. torrenticola. Clade B2 and B. torrenticola made a sister group, and, thus, B. j. japonicus is paraphyletic. Clades A and B diverged in the late Miocene 5.7 million years ago (Mya) during the period when the Japanese archipelago was constructed. The earliest divergence between the three clades of clade A was estimated at 1.8 Mya. Clades A1 and A2 may have diverged at 0.8 Mya, resulting from the isolation in the multiple different refugia; however, the effects of the glacial climate on the divergence events of clade A3 are unclear. Divergences within clade B occurred from the late Pliocene to the early Pleistocene (3.2-2.2 Mya). Niche similarity between the parapatric clade in clade B (clades B1 and B2) indicated their allopatric divergence. It was suggested that niche segregation between B. japonicus and B. torrenticola contributed to a rapid adaptation of B. torrenticola for lotic breeding. All clade of Japanese toads retreated to each refugium at a low elevation in the glacial period, and effective population sizes increased to construct the current populations after the Last Glacial Maximum. Furthermore, we highlight the areas of climate stability from the last glacial maximum to the present that have served as the refugia of Japanese toads and, thus, affected their present distribution patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Fukutani
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masafumi Matsui
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Dung Van Tran
- Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan,Wildlife Department, Vietnam National University of Forestry, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Kanto Nishikawa
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan,Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Yang MY, Kim SY, Kim MS. Verification of hotspots of genetic diversity in Korean population of Grateloupia asiatica and G. jejuensis (Rhodophyta) show low genetic diversity and similar geographic distribution. Genes Genomics 2021; 43:1463-1469. [PMID: 34697760 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-021-01168-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the genetic diversity and distribution patterns of seaweeds species is crucial for evaluating key regions of high genetic diversity. Identifying hotspots of high intraspecific diversity is an important step for developing conservation strategies. Grateloupia is a diverse genus of Rhodophyta, many of which are resource of numerous useful bioactive compounds; therefore, the genus is valuable target for conservation. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine the genetic diversity and population structure of two Grateloupia species, Grateloupia asiatica and Grateloupia jejuensis, with the understanding of the phylogeography of the Korean genetic diversity hotspot for two species. METHODS Plastid rbcL gene sequences of 134 specimens of G. asiatica and 112 specimens of G. jejuensis collected from the Korean coast were analyzed. We evaluated the number of haplotypes, genetic diversity (haplotype and nucleotide diversity), and haplotype networks of two species. Historical demographic was inferred by calculating neutrality tests and genetic differentiation was estimated using the fixation index, FST. RESULTS Our results show that both species are generally similar in geographical distribution patterns, that is, relatively homogeneous with few haplotypes derived from the most frequent haplotype. The east coast of Korea is identified as a 'hotspot' with the highest genetic diversity for both species, whereas Jeju Island is identified as a 'cold spot' with the lowest genetic diversity for G. jejuensis. Analyses across most distribution ranges of the two species in Korea reveal low genetic and haplotype diversities, which could indicate that these two Grateloupia species have either experienced a historical lack of diversity or a recent reduction in diversity due to high gene flow. CONCLUSIONS The low genetic diversity values found in the present study raise considerable concern about the conservation status of these two Grateloupia species and highlight the need to locate further hotspots of genetic diversity to strengthen their resilience against further decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mi Yeon Yang
- Department of Biology and Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Korea
| | - Su Yeon Kim
- Korea Inter-University Institute of Ocean Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Korea
| | - Myung Sook Kim
- Department of Biology and Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|