Analysis of sex-linked sequences supports a new mammal species in Europe

A precarious future for distinctive peripheral populations of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus)

Conservation efforts rely on robust taxonomic assessments that should be based on critical assessment of interspecific boundaries, infraspecific variation, and potentially distinctive peripheral populations. The meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) is widely distributed across North America, including 28 morphologically defined subspecies and numerous isolated populations. Because some subspecies are of high conservation concern, we examined geographic variation across the range of the species to test existing infraspecific taxonomy in terms of local and regional diversification. We sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 20 subspecies of M. pennsylvanicus and contextualized infraspecific variation through comparison of pairwise genetic distances derived from an extended data set of 63 species of Microtus. We found strong support for at least three divergent clades within M. pennsylvanicus, with observed intraspecific clade divergence exceeding that between several pairwise comparisons of sister species within Microtus. Six nuclear genes were then sequenced to test the validity of mtDNA structure and to further evaluate the possibility of cryptic, species-level diversity using Bayes factor species delimitation (BFD) analyses. BFD consistently and decisively supported multiple species based on the multilocus approach. We propose that taxonomic revision of the meadow vole is required, with the eastern clade now identified as M. pennsylvanicus (Ord 1815), the western clade as M. drummondii (Audubon and Bachman 1853), and the coastal Florida clade as M. dukecampbelli (Woods, Post, and Kilpatrick 1982). We suggest that such an arrangement would more closely reflect evolutionary history and provide critical context for further examination of distinctive southern peripheral populations that harbor novel evolutionary legacies and adaptive potential.

Glacial cycles drive rapid divergence of cryptic field vole species

Understanding the factors that contribute to the generation of reproductively isolated forms is a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. Cryptic species are an especially interesting challenge to study in this context since they lack obvious morphological differentiation that provides clues to adaptive divergence that may drive reproductive isolation. Geographical isolation in refugial areas during glacial cycling is known to be important for generating genetically divergent populations, but its role in the origination of new species is still not fully understood and likely to be situation dependent. We combine analysis of 35,434 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with environmental niche modeling (ENM) to investigate genomic and ecological divergence in three cryptic species formerly classified as the field vole (Microtus agrestis). The SNPs demonstrate high genomic divergence (pairwise F ST values of 0.45-0.72) and little evidence of gene flow among the three field vole cryptic species, and we argue that genetic drift may have been a particularly important mechanism for divergence in the group. The ENM reveals three areas as potential glacial refugia for the cryptic species and differing climatic niches, although with spatial overlap between species pairs. This evidence underscores the role that glacial cycling has in promoting genetic differentiation and reproductive isolation by subdivision into disjunct distributions at glacial maxima in areas relatively close to ice sheets. Future investigation of the intrinsic barriers to gene flow between the field vole cryptic species is required to fully assess the mechanisms that contribute to reproductive isolation. In addition, the Portuguese field vole (M. rozianus) shows a high inbreeding coefficient and a restricted climatic niche, and warrants investigation into its conservation status.

Brown and polar bear Y chromosomes reveal extensive male-biased gene flow within brother lineages

Brown and polar bears have become prominent examples in phylogeography, but previous phylogeographic studies relied largely on maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or were geographically restricted. The male-specific Y chromosome, a natural counterpart to mtDNA, has remained underexplored. Although this paternally inherited chromosome is indispensable for comprehensive analyses of phylogeographic patterns, technical difficulties and low variability have hampered its application in most mammals. We developed 13 novel Y-chromosomal sequence and microsatellite markers from the polar bear genome and screened these in a broad geographic sample of 130 brown and polar bears. We also analyzed a 390-kb-long Y-chromosomal scaffold using sequencing data from published male ursine genomes. Y chromosome evidence support the emerging understanding that brown and polar bears started to diverge no later than the Middle Pleistocene. Contrary to mtDNA patterns, we found 1) brown and polar bears to be reciprocally monophyletic sister (or rather brother) lineages, without signals of introgression, 2) male-biased gene flow across continents and on phylogeographic time scales, and 3) male dispersal that links the Alaskan ABC islands population to mainland brown bears. Due to female philopatry, mtDNA provides a highly structured estimate of population differentiation, while male-biased gene flow is a homogenizing force for nuclear genetic variation. Our findings highlight the importance of analyzing both maternally and paternally inherited loci for a comprehensive view of phylogeographic history, and that mtDNA-based phylogeographic studies of many mammals should be reevaluated. Recent advances in sequencing technology render the analysis of Y-chromosomal variation feasible, even in nonmodel organisms.

Gene flow and population structure of a common agricultural wild species (Microtus agrestis) under different land management regimes

The impact of landscape structure and land management on dispersal of populations of wild species inhabiting the agricultural landscape was investigated focusing on the field vole (Microtus agrestis) in three different areas in Denmark using molecular genetic markers. The main hypotheses were the following: (i) organic farms act as genetic sources and diversity reservoirs for species living in agricultural areas and (ii) gene flow and genetic structure in the agricultural landscape are influenced by the degree of landscape complexity and connectivity. A total of 443 individual voles were sampled within 2 consecutive years from two agricultural areas and one relatively undisturbed grassland area. As genetic markers, 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci (nuclear markers) and the central part of the cytochrome-b (mitochondrial sequence) were analysed for all samples. The results indicate that management (that is, organic or conventional management) was important for genetic population structure across the landscape, but that landscape structure was the main factor shaping gene flow and genetic diversity. More importantly, the presence of organically managed areas did not act as a genetic reservoir for conventional areas, instead the most important predictor of effective population size was the amount of unmanaged available habitat (core area). The relatively undisturbed natural area showed a lower level of genetic structuring and genetic diversity compared with the two agricultural areas. These findings altogether suggest that political decisions for supporting wildlife friendly land management should take into account both management and landscape structure factors.

A range-wide synthesis and timeline for phylogeographic events in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

BACKGROUND

Many boreo-temperate mammals have a Pleistocene fossil record throughout Eurasia and North America, but only few have a contemporary distribution that spans this large area. Examples of Holarctic-distributed carnivores are the brown bear, grey wolf, and red fox, all three ecological generalists with large dispersal capacity and a high adaptive flexibility. While the two former have been examined extensively across their ranges, no phylogeographic study of the red fox has been conducted across its entire Holarctic range. Moreover, no study included samples from central Asia, leaving a large sampling gap in the middle of the Eurasian landmass.

RESULTS

Here we provide the first mitochondrial DNA sequence data of red foxes from central Asia (Siberia), and new sequences from several European populations. In a range-wide synthesis of 729 red fox mitochondrial control region sequences, including 677 previously published and 52 newly obtained sequences, this manuscript describes the pattern and timing of major phylogeographic events in red foxes, using a Bayesian coalescence approach with multiple fossil tip and root calibration points. In a 335 bp alignment we found in total 175 unique haplotypes. All newly sequenced individuals belonged to the previously described Holarctic lineage. Our analyses confirmed the presence of three Nearctic- and two Japan-restricted lineages that were formed since the Mid/Late Pleistocene.

CONCLUSIONS

The phylogeographic history of red foxes is highly similar to that previously described for grey wolves and brown bears, indicating that climatic fluctuations and habitat changes since the Pleistocene had similar effects on these highly mobile generalist species. All three species originally diversified in Eurasia and later colonized North America and Japan. North American lineages persisted through the last glacial maximum south of the ice sheets, meeting more recent colonizers from Beringia during postglacial expansion into the northern Nearctic. Both brown bears and red foxes colonized Japan's northern island Hokkaido at least three times, all lineages being most closely related to different mainland lineages. Red foxes, grey wolves, and brown bears thus represent an interesting case where species that occupy similar ecological niches also exhibit similar phylogeographic histories.

Sex-specific clines support incipient speciation in a common European mammal

Hybrid zones provide excellent opportunities to study processes and mechanisms underlying reproductive isolation and speciation. Here we investigated sex-specific clines of molecular markers in hybrid zones of morphologically cryptic yet genetically highly-diverged evolutionary lineages of the European common vole (Microtus arvalis). We analyzed the position and width of four secondary contact zones along three independent transects in the region of the Alps using maternally (mitochondrial DNA) and paternally (Y-chromosome) inherited genetic markers. Given male-biased dispersal in the common vole, a selectively neutral secondary contact would show broader paternal marker clines than maternal ones. In a selective case, for example, involving a form of Haldane's rule, Y-chromosomal clines would not be expected to be broader than maternal markers because they are transmitted by the heterogametic sex and thus gene flow would be restricted. Consistent with the selective case, paternal clines were significantly narrower or at most equal in width to maternal clines in all contact zones. In addition, analyses using maximum likelihood cline-fitting detected a shift of paternal relative to maternal clines in three of four contact zones. These patterns suggest that processes at the contact zones in the common vole are not selectively neutral, and that partial reproductive isolation is already established between these evolutionary lineages. We conclude that hybrid zone movement, sexual selection and/or genetic incompatibilities are likely associated with an unusual unidirectional manifestation of Haldane's rule in this common European mammal.

Expectation-maximization algorithm for determining natural selection of Y-linked genes through two-sex branching processes

A two-dimensional bisexual branching process has recently been presented for the analysis of the generation-to-generation evolution of the number of carriers of a Y-linked gene. In this model, preference of females for males with a specific genetic characteristic is assumed to be determined by an allele of the gene. It has been shown that the behavior of this kind of Y-linked gene is strongly related to the reproduction law of each genotype. In practice, the corresponding offspring distributions are usually unknown, and it is necessary to develop their estimation theory in order to determine the natural selection of the gene. Here we deal with the estimation problem for the offspring distribution of each genotype of a Y-linked gene when the only observable data are each generation's total numbers of males of each genotype and of females. We set out the problem in a non parametric framework and obtain the maximum likelihood estimators of the offspring distributions using an expectation-maximization algorithm. From these estimators, we also derive the estimators for the reproduction mean of each genotype and forecast the distribution of the future population sizes. Finally, we check the accuracy of the algorithm by means of a simulation study.

Population structure and gene flow of the yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) in northern Argentina

Yellow anacondas (Eunectes notaeus) are large, semiaquatic boid snakes found in wetland systems in South America. These snakes are commercially harvested under a sustainable management plan in Argentina, so information regarding population structuring can be helpful for determination of management units. We evaluated genetic structure and migration using partial sequences from the mitochondrial control region and mitochondrial genes cyt-b and ND4 for 183 samples collected within northern Argentina. A group of landscape features and environmental variables including several treatments of temperature and precipitation were explored as potential drivers of observed genetic patterns. We found significant population structure between most putative population comparisons and bidirectional but asymmetric migration in several cases. The configuration of rivers and wetlands was found to be significantly associated with yellow anaconda population structure (IBD), and important for gene flow, although genetic distances were not significantly correlated with the environmental variables used here. More in-depth analyses of environmental data may be needed to fully understand the importance of environmental conditions on population structure and migration. These analyses indicate that our putative populations are demographically distinct and should be treated as such in Argentina's management plan for the harvesting of yellow anacondas.

Post-glacial partitioning of mitochondrial genetic variation in the field vole

Genetic markers are often used to examine population history. There is considerable debate about the behaviour of molecular clock rates around the population-species transition. Nevertheless, appropriate calibration is critical to any inference regarding the absolute timing and scale of demographic changes. Here, we use a mitochondrial cytochrome b gene genealogy, based entirely on modern sequences and calibrated from recent geophysical events, to date the post-glacial expansion of the Eurasian field vole (Microtus agrestis), a widespread temperate mammal species. The phylogeographic structure reflects the subsequent expansion of populations that went through bottlenecks at the time of the Younger Dryas (ca 12,000 years BP) rather than the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ca 24,000 years BP), which is usually seen as the time when present-day patterns were determined. The nucleotide substitution rate that was estimated here, ca 4 × 10(-7) substitutions/site/year, remains extremely high throughout the relevant time frame. Calibration with similarly high population-based substitution rates, rather than long-term rates derived from species divergence times, will show that post-LGM climatic events generated current phylogeographic structure in many other organisms from temperate latitudes.

Genomic scans support repetitive continental colonization events during the rapid radiation of voles (Rodentia: Microtus): the utility of AFLPs versus mitochondrial and nuclear sequence markers

Single locus studies might not resolve phylogenetic relationships and the evolutionary history of taxa. The analysis of multiple markers promises higher resolution, and congruence among loci may indicate that the phylogenies represent the underlying species history. Here, we examine the utility of a genome-wide approach based on amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) and several DNA sequence markers in resolving phylogenetic signals in the rapidly radiating rodent genus Microtus which produced about 70 vole species within the last 1.2-2 myr. The current Holarctic distribution of Microtus is assumed to have resulted from three independent colonization events out of Asia to North America, Europe, and northern Asia without subsequent colonization, which would have led to deep splits between species from different continents. We investigated this hypothesis of three single colonization events by reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships among species from all three continents based on data from the first exon of the nuclear arginine vasopressin receptor 1a gene (EXON1), an adjacent noncoding region and the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The phylogenetic patterns obtained from these sequence markers are contrasted to genome-wide data on more than 1800 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) analyzed for the same samples. Our results show that the single sequence markers partially resolve the phylogenetic relationships within Microtus, but with some incongruence mostly between EXON1 and the other loci. However, deeper nodes of the radiation are only weakly supported and neither the combination of the markers nor additional nuclear sequences improved the resolution significantly. AFLPs provided much stronger support for major continent-specific clades, and show also that reciprocal monophyly of American and European voles is incomplete. Our results demonstrate that Microtus voles colonized the American and European continents each repeatedly in several independent events on similar colonization routes during their radiation. More generally, this study supports the suitability of AFLPs as an alternative to sequence markers to resolve the evolutionary history of rapidly radiating taxa.

Phylogeny and species boundaries of the endemic species complex, Eliurus antsingy and E. carletoni (Rodentia: Muroidea: Nesomyidae), in Madagascar using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data

Current understanding of the taxonomy and species relationships within the genus Eliurus, a member of the endemic Malagasy rodent subfamily Nesomyinae, is largely based on morphological characters. Little has been published about the historical biogeography and diversification factors in members of this genus. Here we examined, using molecular data, the evolutionary relationships, and species boundaries within a species complex of Eliurus and the role of rivers in their evolution. Specifically, we tested the hypothesized monophyly of E. antsingy (west) and the recently described E. carletoni (north) using two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome b, the control region, and a nuclear marker, the Interstitial Retinol Binding Protein (IRBP). We also assessed the species boundaries of E. carletoni and examined phylogeographic patterns using two mitochondrial markers and an extensive geographic sampling. Molecular data show that members of the E. antsingy and E. carletoni complex together form a monophyletic group. Although samples provisionally assigned to E. carletoni based on morphological characters from different sites in northern Madagascar cluster in three separate phylogroups, they are monophyletic and assignable to this species. Rivers do not act as strict barriers to dispersal in E. carletoni. The demonstrated monophyly of both E. antsingy and E. carletoni contributes to the amounting evidence for a biogeographic link between the north and western regions of the island.

Bisexual branching processes to model extinction conditions for Y-linked genes

In a two-sex monogamic population, the evolution of the number of carriers of the two alleles of a Y-linked gene is considered. To this end, a multitype bisexual branching model is presented in which it is assumed that the gene has no influence on the mating process. It is deduced from this model that the average numbers of female and male descendants per mating unit constitute the key to determining the extinction or survival of each allele. Moreover, the destiny of each allele in the population is found not to depend on the behavior of the other.

Phylogeography of the rare Balkan endemic Martino's vole, Dinaromys bogdanovi, reveals strong differentiation within the western Balkan Peninsula

The spatial genetic structure of Martino's vole, a rare palaeoendemic species of the western Balkans, was investigated using DNA isolated from archived museum samples. The study was based on partial sequencing (555 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for 63 specimens from 20 different localities throughout the species' range. Three highly divergent allopatric phylogenetic lineages (Northwestern, Central and Southeastern) were recognized among 47 haplotypes, suggesting three independent glacial differentiation centres within the western Balkans. The Northwestern lineage, which showed the highest divergence from all other samples (mean sequence divergence of 6.64% +/- 1.10), comprised samples collected from northwest of the Neretva River in Croatia, western Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Central and Southeastern lineages were separated by an average sequence divergence of 2.95% +/- 0.66 and were geographically divided by the Drim River (the Kosovo Basin in Serbia). Overall, haplotype diversity decreased from the Northwestern lineage to the Central and subsequently the Southeastern lineage, in a geographical pattern consistent with a stepping stone colonization. The observed distribution indicates a gradual southerly expansion with subsequent allopatry across the Neretva River and Drim River approximately 1 and 0.3 million years ago, respectively. Such a scenario is concordant with palaeontological evidence. Several highly divergent sublineages within the Northwestern and Central lineages showed no significant geographical structuring, suggesting secondary contact of allopatrically evolved lineages. We hypothesize that the topographical complexity of the Balkans promoted allopatry and isolation on a small geographical scale during interglacial periods, with secondary contact during glacial maxima. Furthermore, the three main lineages should be regarded as evolutionary significant units with important implications for conservation. Ecological data show that the Northwestern lineage in particular fulfils all criteria for a highly endangered, evolutionarily significant unit.

Multigenic and morphometric differentiation of ground squirrels (Spermophilus, Scuiridae, Rodentia) in Turkey, with a description of a new species

This study reports on the molecular phylogenetics of ground squirrels, genus Spermophilus, in Turkey using cytochrome b (1140bp), part of the D-loop and flanking tRNAs (572bp), X chromosome (867-1051bp) and Y chromosome (983-989bp) DNA sequences. Individuals also were characterized by karyotype and with geometric morphometric analyses of mandibles and skulls. Two hundred fourteen individuals from 91 localities were studied. All the data support the recognition of a new species in SW Anatolia: the Taurus ground squirrel Spermophilus taurensis sp. nov. The new species has a small distribution in the Taurus Mountains in an area that is a hotspot for biodiversity. Molecular clock analysis suggests that the new species diverged from the European ground squirrel, Spermophilus citellus, about 2.5 million years ago and that the ancestor of these two species diverged from the widespread Anatolian ground squirrel, Spermophilus xanthoprymnus, about 5 million years ago. Morphometric differentiation in skull and mandible shape among the three species is incomplete, but statistically significant. S. xanthoprymnus is subdivided into five cytochrome b phylogroups and we use these data to infer the location of glacial refugia where the species lived during the last glacial maximum. This study illustrates the potential of combined molecular and morphometric studies to uncover new Anatolian species and to reconstruct their phylogeographic history. The new species is important for squirrel taxonomy and for understanding Eurasian mammal evolution.

Pliocene and Pleistocene diversification and multiple refugia in a Eurasian shrew (Crocidura suaveolens group)

We sequenced 998 base pairs (bp) of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b and 799 bp of nuclear gene BRCA1 in the Lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura suaveolens group) over its geographic range from Portugal to Japan. The aims of the study were to identify the main clades within the group and respective refugia resulting from Pleistocene glaciations. Analyses revealed the Asian lesser white-toothed shrew (C. shantungensis) as the basal clade, followed by a major branch of C. suaveolens, subdivided sensu stricto into six clades, which split-up in the Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene (1.9-0.9 Myr). The largest clade, occurring over a huge range from east Europe to Mongolia, shows evidence of population expansion after a bottleneck. West European clades originated from Iberian and Italo-Balkanic refugia. In the Near East, three clades evolved in an apparent hotspot of refugia (west Turkey, south-west and south-east of the Caucasus). Most clades include specimens of different morphotypes and the validity of many taxa in the C. suaveolens group has to be re-evaluated.