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Kazilas C, Dufresnes C, France J, Kalaentzis K, Martínez-Solano I, de Visser MC, Arntzen JW, Wielstra B. Spatial genetic structure in European marbled newts revealed with target enrichment by sequence capture. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 194:108043. [PMID: 38382821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
European marbled newts come in two species that have abutting ranges. The northern species, Triturus marmoratus, is found in France and the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, whereas the southern species, T. pygmaeus, is found in the southwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula. We study the intraspecific genetic differentiation of the group because morphological data show geographical variation and because the Iberian Peninsula is a recognized center of speciation and intraspecific genetic diversity for all kinds of organisms, amphibians included. We use target enrichment by sequence capture to generate c. 7 k nuclear DNA markers. We observe limited genetic exchange between the species, which confirms their distinctiveness. Both species show substantial genetic structuring that is only in part mirrored by morphological variation. Genetically differentiated groups are found in the south (T. marmoratus) and west (T. pygmaeus) of the species ranges. Our observations highlight the position of the Iberian Peninsula as a hotspot for genetic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Kazilas
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Christophe Dufresnes
- LASER, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China; Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - James France
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantinos Kalaentzis
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Iñigo Martínez-Solano
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manon C de Visser
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jan W Arntzen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Dufresnes C, Pribille M, Alard B, Gonçalves H, Amat F, Crochet PA, Dubey S, Perrin N, Fumagalli L, Vences M, Martínez-Solano I. Integrating hybrid zone analyses in species delimitation: lessons from two anuran radiations of the Western Mediterranean. Heredity (Edinb) 2020; 124:423-438. [PMID: 31959977 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-020-0294-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular ecologists often rely on phylogenetic evidence for assessing the species-level systematics of newly discovered lineages. Alternatively, the extent of introgression at phylogeographic transitions can provide a more direct test to assign candidate taxa into subspecies or species categories. Here, we compared phylogenetic versus hybrid zone approaches of species delimitation in two groups of frogs from the Western Mediterranean region (Discoglossus and Pelodytes), by using genomic data (ddRAD). In both genera, coalescent analyses recovered almost all nominal taxa as "species". However, the least-diverged pairs D. g. galganoi/jeanneae and P. punctatus/hespericus admix over hundreds of kilometers, suggesting that they have not yet developed strong reproductive isolation and should be treated as conspecifics. In contrast, the comparatively older D. scovazzi/pictus and P. atlanticus/ibericus form narrow contact zones, consistent with species distinctiveness. Due to their complementarity, we recommend taxonomists to combine phylogenomics with hybrid zone analyses to scale the gray zone of speciation, i.e., the evolutionary window separating widely admixing lineages versus nascent reproductively isolated species. The radically different transitions documented here conform to the view that genetic incompatibilities accumulating with divergence generate a weak barrier to gene flow for long periods of time, until their effects multiply and the speciation process then advances rapidly. Given the variability of the gray zone among taxonomic groups, at least from our current abilities to measure it, we recommend to customize divergence thresholds within radiations to categorize lineages for which no direct test of speciation is possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. .,Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Hintermann & Weber, Montreux, Switzerland.
| | - Manon Pribille
- Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bérénice Alard
- CIBIO-InBIO, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Helena Gonçalves
- CIBIO-InBIO, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Museu de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fèlix Amat
- Àrea d'Herpetologia, Museu de Granollers-Ciències Naturals, Francesc Macià 51, 08400, Granollers, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pierre-André Crochet
- CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Dubey
- Hintermann & Weber, Montreux, Switzerland.,Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,AgroSustain SA, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Perrin
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luca Fumagalli
- Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Iñigo Martínez-Solano
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Centeno‐Cuadros A, Razgour O, García‐Mudarra JL, Mingo‐Casas P, Sandonís V, Redondo A, Ibáñez C, Paz O, Martinez‐Alós S, Pérez Suarez G, Echevarría JE, Juste J. Comparative phylogeography and asymmetric hybridization between cryptic bat species. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biological Sciences University of Southampton Southampton UK
| | | | | | | | - Adrián Redondo
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) Sevilla Spain
| | - Carlos Ibáñez
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) Sevilla Spain
| | - Oscar Paz
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Alcalá Alcalá de Henares, Madrid Spain
| | - Susana Martinez‐Alós
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Alcalá Alcalá de Henares, Madrid Spain
| | - Gonzalo Pérez Suarez
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Alcalá Alcalá de Henares, Madrid Spain
| | - Juan E. Echevarría
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III Majadahonda, Madrid Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, CIBERESP Madrid Spain
| | - Javier Juste
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) Sevilla Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, CIBERESP Madrid Spain
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Pöschel J, Heltai B, Graciá E, Quintana MF, Velo-Antón G, Arribas O, Valdeón A, Wink M, Fritz U, Vamberger M. Complex hybridization patterns in European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in the Pyrenean Region. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15925. [PMID: 30374044 PMCID: PMC6206128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34178-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid zones are natural laboratories allowing insights in genetic processes like lineage diversification, speciation and introgression. Using large sampling, 15 microsatellite loci and a mitochondrial marker, we examined the Pyrenean contact zone of three pond turtle taxa (Emys orbicularis orbicularis, E. o. galloitalica, E. o. occidentalis). The Pyrenees are a biogeographically important region separating many lineages endemic to the Iberian Peninsula from their Western European counterparts. We discovered limited admixture, reflecting a complex biogeographic scenario. Simulations using Approximate Bayesian Computing supported that E. o. orbicularis invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the Holocene, circumventing the Pyrenees along the Mediterranean coast, and hybridized in the northern peninsula with the local coastal subspecies galloitalica, and to a lesser extent, with occidentalis. While E. o. occidentalis, and in particular E. o. orbicularis, expanded their ranges considerably during Holocene warming, E. o. galloitalica remained largely confined to its former Iberian refuge. Admixture among the three taxa is surprisingly low, and a future taxonomic investigation that includes the unstudied subspecies of E. orbicularis from North Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia has to determine whether their current status properly reflects their evolutionary divergence or whether certain taxa should be regarded as full species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pöschel
- Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde), Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109, Dresden, Germany
| | - Botond Heltai
- Agricultural Biotechnology Institute - National Agricultural Research and Innovation Center, Szent-Györgyi Albert u. 4, 2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Eva Graciá
- Ecology Area, Department of Applied Biology, Miguel Hernández University, Av. de la Universidad, Torreblanca, 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Marc Franch Quintana
- CICGE - Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo-Espaciais, Universidade de Porto, Observatório Astronómico Prof. Manuel de Barros Alameda do Monte da Virgem, 4430-146, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão, R. Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - Aitor Valdeón
- Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain.,Aranzadi Society of Sciences, Zorroagagaina, 11, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Michael Wink
- Heidelberg University, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uwe Fritz
- Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde), Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109, Dresden, Germany
| | - Melita Vamberger
- Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde), Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109, Dresden, Germany.
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Gutiérrez-Rodríguez J, Barbosa AM, Martínez-Solano Í. Integrative inference of population history in the Ibero-Maghrebian endemic Pleurodeles waltl (Salamandridae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 112:122-137. [PMID: 28454930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Inference of population histories from the molecular signatures of past demographic processes is challenging, but recent methodological advances in species distribution models and their integration in time-calibrated phylogeographic studies allow detailed reconstruction of complex biogeographic scenarios. We apply an integrative approach to infer the evolutionary history of the Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), an Ibero-Maghrebian endemic with populations north and south of the Strait of Gibraltar. We analyzed an extensive multilocus dataset (mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences and ten polymorphic microsatellite loci) and found a deep east-west phylogeographic break in Iberian populations dating back to the Plio-Pleistocene. This break is inferred to result from vicariance associated with the formation of the Guadalquivir river basin. In contrast with previous studies, North African populations showed exclusive mtDNA haplotypes, and formed a monophyletic clade within the Eastern Iberian lineage in the mtDNA genealogy. On the other hand, microsatellites failed to recover Moroccan populations as a differentiated genetic cluster. This is interpreted to result from post-divergence gene flow based on the results of IMA2 and Migrate analyses. Thus, Moroccan populations would have originated after overseas dispersal from the Iberian Peninsula in the Pleistocene, with subsequent gene flow in more recent times, implying at least two trans-marine dispersal events. We modeled the distribution of the species and of each lineage, and projected these models back in time to infer climatically favourable areas during the mid-Holocene, the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the last interglacial (LIG), to reconstruct more recent population dynamics. We found minor differences in climatic favourability across lineages, suggesting intraspecific niche conservatism. Genetic diversity was significantly correlated with the intersection of environmental favourability in the LIG and LGM, indicating that populations of P. waltl are genetically more diverse in regions that have remained environmentally favourable through the last glacial cycle, particularly southern Iberia and northern Morocco. This study provides novel insights into the relative roles of geology and climate on the biogeography of a biodiversity hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Márcia Barbosa
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO/InBIO) - Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal
| | - Íñigo Martínez-Solano
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, R. Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Ecology, Evolution, and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, c/ Américo Vespucio, s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain.
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6
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Junker M, Zimmermann M, Ramos AA, Gros P, Konvička M, Nève G, Rákosy L, Tammaru T, Castilho R, Schmitt T. Three in One--Multiple Faunal Elements within an Endangered European Butterfly Species. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142282. [PMID: 26566029 PMCID: PMC4643965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ice ages within Europe forced many species to retreat to refugia, of which three major biogeographic basic types can be distinguished: "Mediterranean", "Continental" and "Alpine / Arctic" species. However, this classification often fails to explain the complex phylogeography of European species with a wide range of latitudinal and altitudinal distribution. Hence, we tested for the possibility that all three mentioned faunal elements are represented within one species. Our data was obtained by scoring 1,307 Euphydryas aurinia individuals (46 European locations) for 17 allozyme loci, and sequencing a subset of 492 individuals (21 sites) for a 626 base pairs COI fragment. Genetic diversity indices, F statistics, hierarchical analyses of molecular variance, individual-based clustering, and networks were used to explore the phylogeographic patterns. The COI fragment represented 18 haplotypes showing a strong geographic structure. All but one allozyme loci analysed were polymorphic with a mean FST of 0.20, supporting a pronounced among population structure. Interpretation of both genetic marker systems, using several analytical tools, calls for the recognition of twelve genetic groups. These analyses consistently distinguished different groups in Iberia (2), Italy, Provence, Alps (3), Slovenia, Carpathian Basin, the lowlands of West and Central Europe as well as Estonia, often with considerable additional substructures. The genetic data strongly support the hypothesis that E. aurinia survived the last glaciation in Mediterranean, extra-Mediterranean and perialpine refugia. It is thus a rare example of a model organism that combines attributes of faunal elements from all three of these sources. The observed differences between allozymes and mtDNA most likely result from recent introgression of mtDNA into nuclear allozyme groups. Our results indicate discrepancies with the morphologically-based subspecies models, underlining the need to revise the current taxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Junker
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany
| | - Marie Zimmermann
- Université de Tours, CNRS, UMR 6035 –IRBI, Avenue Monge, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
| | - Ana A. Ramos
- Centre of Marine Sciences, CCMAR/CIMAR Associate Laboratory, University of Algarve, Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Patrick Gros
- Haus der Natur, Museum für Natur und Technik, Museumsplatz 5, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Konvička
- School of Biological Sciences, University South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Nève
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Case 36, 3 place Victor Hugo, Marseille Cedex 3, France
| | - László Rákosy
- Faculty of Biology, University Babes-Bolyai, Str. Clinicilor 5–7, Cluj, Romania
| | - Toomas Tammaru
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Rita Castilho
- Centre of Marine Sciences, CCMAR/CIMAR Associate Laboratory, University of Algarve, Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany
- Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, Eberswalder Straße 90, Müncheberg, Germany
- Zoology, Institute of Biology, Faculty Natural Science I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- * E-mail:
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Gonçalves H, Maia-Carvalho B, Sousa-Neves T, García-París M, Sequeira F, Ferrand N, Martínez-Solano I. Multilocus phylogeography of the common midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans (Anura, Alytidae): Contrasting patterns of lineage diversification and genetic structure in the Iberian refugium. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 93:363-79. [PMID: 26282950 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent investigations on the evolutionary history of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) revealed high levels of geographically structured genetic diversity but also a situation where delineation of major historical lineages and resolution of their relationships are much more complex than previously thought. We studied sequence variation in one mitochondrial and four nuclear genes throughout the entire distribution range of all recognized A. obstetricans subspecies to infer the evolutionary processes that shaped current patterns of genetic diversity and population subdivision. We found six divergent, geographically structured mtDNA haplogroups diagnosing population lineages, and varying levels of admixture in nuclear markers. Given the timeframe inferred for the splits between major lineages, the climatic and environmental changes that occurred during the Pleistocene seem to have shaped the diversification history of A. obstetricans. Survival of populations in allopatric refugia through the Ice Ages supports the generality of the "refugia-within-refugia" scenario for the Iberian Peninsula. However, lineages corresponding to subspecies A. o. almogavarii, A. o. pertinax, A. o. obstetricans, and A. o. boscai responded differently to Pleistocene climatic oscillations after diverging from a common ancestor. Alytes o. obstetricans expanded northward from a northern Iberian refugium through the western Pyrenees, leaving a signal of contrasting patterns of genetic diversity, with a single mtDNA haplotype north of the Pyrenees from SW France to Germany. Both A. o. pertinax and A. o. boscai are widespread and genetically diverse in Iberia, the latter comprising two divergent lineages with a long independent history. Finally, A. o. almogavarii is mostly restricted to the north-eastern corner of Iberia north of the Ebro river, with additional populations in a small region in south-eastern France. This taxon exhibits unparalleled levels of genetic diversity and little haplotype sharing with other lineages, suggesting a process of incipient speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Gonçalves
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - B Maia-Carvalho
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - T Sousa-Neves
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Caixa Postal 399, Belém, PA 66040-170, Brazil
| | - M García-París
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, c/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - F Sequeira
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - N Ferrand
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - I Martínez-Solano
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio, s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Escoriza D, Boix D. Reproductive habitat selection in alien and native populations of the genus Discoglossus. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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10
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Pabijan M, Crottini A, Reckwell D, Irisarri I, Hauswaldt JS, Vences M. A multigene species tree for Western Mediterranean painted frogs (Discoglossus). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2012; 64:690-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 05/17/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Olivero J, Márquez AL, Real R. Integrating fuzzy logic and statistics to improve the reliable delimitation of biogeographic regions and transition zones. Syst Biol 2012; 62:1-21. [PMID: 22744774 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/sys061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This study uses the amphibian species of the Mediterranean basin to develop a consistent procedure based on fuzzy sets with which biogeographic regions and biotic transition zones can be objectively detected and reliably mapped. Biogeographical regionalizations are abstractions of the geographical organization of life on Earth that provide frameworks for cataloguing species and ecosystems, for answering basic questions in biogeography, evolutionary biology, and systematics, and for assessing priorities for conservation. On the other hand, limits between regions may form sharply defined boundaries along some parts of their borders, whereas elsewhere they may consist of broad transition zones. The fuzzy set approach provides a heuristic way to analyse the complexity of the biota within an area; significantly different regions are detected whose mutual limits are sometimes fuzzy, sometimes clearly crisp. Most of the regionalizations described in the literature for the Mediterranean biogeographical area present a certain degree of convergence when they are compared within the context of fuzzy interpretation, as many of the differences found between regionalizations are located in transition zones, according to our case study. Compared with other classification procedures based on fuzzy sets, the novelty of our method is that both fuzzy logic and statistics are used together in a synergy in order to avoid arbitrary decisions in the definition of biogeographic regions and transition zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Olivero
- Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain.
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Reis DM, Cunha RL, Patrão C, Rebelo R, Castilho R. Salamandra salamandra (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae) in Portugal: not all black and yellow. Genetica 2011; 139:1095-105. [DOI: 10.1007/s10709-011-9609-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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13
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Miraldo A, Hewitt GM, Paulo OS, Emerson BC. Phylogeography and demographic history of Lacerta lepida in the Iberian Peninsula: multiple refugia, range expansions and secondary contact zones. BMC Evol Biol 2011; 11:170. [PMID: 21682856 PMCID: PMC3141430 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-11-170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2010] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Iberian Peninsula is recognized as an important refugial area for species survival and diversification during the climatic cycles of the Quaternary. Recent phylogeographic studies have revealed Iberia as a complex of multiple refugia. However, most of these studies have focused either on species with narrow distributions within the region or species groups that, although widely distributed, generally have a genetic structure that relates to pre-Quaternary cladogenetic events. In this study we undertake a detailed phylogeographic analysis of the lizard species, Lacerta lepida, whose distribution encompasses the entire Iberian Peninsula. We attempt to identify refugial areas, recolonization routes, zones of secondary contact and date demographic events within this species. RESULTS Results support the existence of 6 evolutionary lineages (phylogroups) with a strong association between genetic variation and geography, suggesting a history of allopatric divergence in different refugia. Diversification within phylogroups is concordant with the onset of the Pleistocene climatic oscillations. The southern regions of several phylogroups show a high incidence of ancestral alleles in contrast with high incidence of recently derived alleles in northern regions. All phylogroups show signs of recent demographic and spatial expansions. We have further identified several zones of secondary contact, with divergent mitochondrial haplotypes occurring in narrow zones of sympatry. CONCLUSIONS The concordant patterns of spatial and demographic expansions detected within phylogroups, together with the high incidence of ancestral haplotypes in southern regions of several phylogroups, suggests a pattern of contraction of populations into southern refugia during adverse climatic conditions from which subsequent northern expansions occurred. This study supports the emergent pattern of multiple refugia within Iberia but adds to it by identifying a pattern of refugia coincident with the southern distribution limits of individual evolutionary lineages. These areas are important in terms of long-term species persistence and therefore important areas for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Miraldo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7J, UK.
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Olivero J, Real R, Márquez AL. Fuzzy chorotypes as a conceptual tool to improve insight into biogeographic patterns. Syst Biol 2011; 60:645-60. [PMID: 21471308 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syr026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chorotypes--statistically significant groups of coincident distribution areas--constitute biogeographic units that are fuzzy by nature. This quality has been referred to in the literature but has not been analyzed in depth or methodologically developed. The present work redefines chorotypes as fuzzy sets from a pragmatic perspective and basically focuses on the methodological and interpretative implications of this approach. The amphibian fauna in the Iberian Peninsula was used as an example to explore the fuzzy nature of chorotypes. The method on which this article is based is a widely used technique to define chorotypes. This method involves the fuzziness that is inherent to the identification between degree of similarity and degree of membership and includes a probabilistic analysis of the classification for the objective delimitation of chorotypes. The main innovation of this paper is a procedure to analyze chorotypes as fuzzy biogeographic units. A set of fuzzy parameters to deal with the biogeographic interpretation of fuzzy chorotypes is also described. A computer program has been developed and is freely available. History may be related to the degree of fuzziness of chorotypes. In our example, with amphibian distributions in Iberia, less fuzzy chorotypes could have a historical explanation, and the internal fuzziness of chorotypes increases with their distance to hypothetical Pleistocene refugia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Olivero
- Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain.
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PINHO CATARINA, KALIONTZOPOULOU ANTIGONI, HARRIS DJAMES, FERRAND NUNO. Recent evolutionary history of the Iberian endemic lizards Podarcis bocagei (Seoane, 1884) and Podarcis carbonelli Pérez-Mellado, 1981 (Squamata: Lacertidae) revealed by allozyme and microsatellite markers. Zool J Linn Soc 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00669.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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HABEL JANCHRISTIAN, RÖDDER DENNIS, STEFANO SCALERCIO, MEYER MARC, SCHMITT THOMAS. Strong genetic cohesiveness between Italy and North Africa in four butterfly species. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01394.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Gonçalves H, Martínez-Solano I, Pereira RJ, Carvalho B, García-París M, Ferrand N. High levels of population subdivision in a morphologically conserved Mediterranean toad (Alytes cisternasii) result from recent, multiple refugia: evidence from mtDNA, microsatellites and nuclear genealogies. Mol Ecol 2009; 18:5143-60. [PMID: 19912538 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04426.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pleistocene glaciations often resulted in differentiation of taxa in southern European peninsulas, producing the high levels of endemism characteristic of these regions (e.g. the Iberian Peninsula). Despite their small ranges, endemic species often exhibit high levels of intraspecific differentiation as a result of a complex evolutionary history dominated by successive cycles of fragmentation, expansion and subsequent admixture of populations. Most evidence so far has come from the study of species with an Atlantic distribution in northwestern Iberia, and taxa restricted to Mediterranean-type habitats remain poorly studied. The Iberian Midwife toad (Alytes cisternasii) is a morphologically conserved species endemic to southwestern and central Iberia and a typical inhabitant of Mediterranean habitats. Applying highly variable genetic markers from both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes to samples collected across the species' range, we found evidence of high population subdivision within A. cisternasii. Mitochondrial haplotypes and microsatellites show geographically concordant patterns of genetic diversity, suggesting population fragmentation into several refugia during Pleistocene glaciations followed by subsequent events of geographical and demographic expansions with secondary contact. In addition, the absence of variation at the nuclear beta-fibint7 and Ppp3caint4 gene fragments suggests that populations of A. cisternasii have been recurrently affected by episodes of extinction and recolonization, and that documented patterns of population subdivision are the outcome of recent and multiple refugia. We discuss the evolutionary history of the species with particular interest in the increasing relevance of Mediterranean refugia for the survival of genetically differentiated populations during the Pleistocene glaciations as revealed by studies in co-distributed taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Gonçalves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Vairão, Portugal.
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HABEL JANCHRISTIAN, DIEKER PETRA, SCHMITT THOMAS. Biogeographical connections between the Maghreb and the Mediterranean peninsulas of southern Europe. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01300.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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KOSCINSKI DARIA, HANDFORD PAUL, TUBARO PABLOL, SHARP SARAH, LOUGHEED STEPHENC. Pleistocene climatic cycling and diversification of the Andean treefrog,Hypsiboas andinus. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:2012-25. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03733.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Phylogenetic and Systematic Study of the Genus Bombina (Amphibia: Anura: Bombinatoridae): New Insights from Molecular Data. J HERPETOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1670/0022-1511(2007)41[365:passot]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Albert EM, Zardoya R, García-París M. Phylogeographical and speciation patterns in subterranean worm lizards of the genus Blanus (Amphisbaenia: Blanidae). Mol Ecol 2007; 16:1519-31. [PMID: 17391273 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03248.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The peculiar lifestyle of subterranean reptiles must determine their modes of speciation and diversification. To further understand the evolutionary biology of subterranean reptiles, we studied the phylogeny of worm lizards of the genus Blanus and the phylogeography of its Iberian representatives. We used mitochondrial (ND4 and 16S rRNA) and nuclear (anonymous) partial gene sequences to resolve phylogenetic relationships within Blanus. The Eastern Mediterranean Blanus strauchi was recovered as sister group of Western Mediterranean species. Iberian and North African Blanus were recovered as reciprocally monophyletic groups. The same genes were used to determine phylogeography of 47 populations of Blanus cinereus. Mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data recovered two highly supported Iberian clades. Parapatry and high sequence divergences between them suggest that these clades may represent independent taxonomic units. A molecular clock was calibrated considering that the split between Iberian and North African Blanus was due to the re-opening of the Betic Strait in the Upper Tortonian (8-9 million years ago). Differentiation between the two Iberian clades was estimated to date back to 5.2 million years ago. The Central Iberian clade included five mitochondrial haplotype lineages (A-E). Geographical ranges of two of them broadly overlap in the central Iberian plateau. After testing alternative hypotheses, the most likely explanation for this striking phylogeographical pattern involves recent dispersal of one of the lineages (C) over the geographical range of the other (B). The inferred recent dispersal of this fossorial reptile is explained in terms of demographic advantages associated to underground lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Albert
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Martínez-Solano I, Teixeira J, Buckley D, García-París M. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of Lissotriton boscai (Caudata, Salamandridae): evidence for old, multiple refugia in an Iberian endemic. Mol Ecol 2006; 15:3375-88. [PMID: 16968276 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.03013.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In Europe, southern peninsulas served as refugia during cold periods in the Pleistocene, acting both as centres of origin of endemisms and as sources from which formerly glaciated areas were recolonized during interglacial periods. Previous studies have revealed that within the main refugial areas, intraspecific lineages often survived in allopatric refugia. We analysed two mitochondrial markers (nad4, control region, approximately 1.4 kb) in 103 individuals representing the entire distribution of Lissotriton boscai, a newt endemic to the western Iberian Peninsula. We inferred the evolutionary history of the species through phylogenetic, phylogeographic and historical demographic analyses. The results revealed unexpected, deep levels of geographically structured genetic variability. We identified two main evolutionary lineages, each containing three well-supported clades. The first historical split involved populations from central-southwestern coastal Portugal and the ancestor of all the remaining populations around 5.8 million years ago. Both lineages were subsequently fragmented into different population groups between 2.5 and 1.2 million years ago. According to nested clade analysis, at lower hierarchical levels the patterns suggest restricted gene flow with isolation by distance, whereas at higher levels the clades exhibit signatures of contiguous range expansion. Bayesian Skyline Plots show recent bottlenecks, followed by demographic expansions in all lineages. The significant genetic structure found is consistent with long-term survival of populations in allopatric refugia, supporting the 'refugia-within-refugia' scenario for southern European peninsulas. The comparison of our results with other co-distributed species highlights the generality of this hypothesis for the Iberian herpetofauna and suggests that Mediterranean refuges had more relevance for the composition and distribution of present biodiversity patterns than currently acknowledged. We briefly discuss the taxonomic and conservation implications of our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Martínez-Solano
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C., c/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2. 28006 Madrid, Spain
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Carranza S, Arnold EN, Pleguezuelos JM. Phylogeny, biogeography, and evolution of two Mediterranean snakes, Malpolon monspessulanus and Hemorrhois hippocrepis (Squamata, Colubridae), using mtDNA sequences. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2006; 40:532-46. [PMID: 16679033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2005] [Revised: 03/20/2006] [Accepted: 03/22/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Variation in 815bp of mitochondrial DNA from two gene fragments (300bp of cytochrome b and 395-515bp of 12S rRNA) for 26 Malpolon monspessulanus, and cytochrome b for a further 21 individuals, indicates that this species originated in the Maghreb area of Northwest Africa. Here, an estimated 3.5-6Mya, it divided into the western M. m. monspessulanus, and an eastern clade including M. m. insignitus and M. m. fuscus. The very limited genetic differentiation between Maghreb and Southwest European populations of this form suggests that it arrived in the Iberian Peninsula only recently. Population genetics and demographic tests indicate subsequent expansion in this area around 83,000-168,000 year ago. Because present populations of Malpolon arrived recently, mid-Pliocene and at least some Pleistocene fossils of the genus Malpolon in Southwest Europe are probably derived from an earlier invasion from the Maghreb, possibly as early as the end of the Miocene period, 5.3-5.9Mya, when there was a temporary land bridge across the site of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea desiccated. The descendants of this earlier invasion must have eventually become extinct, perhaps during one of the Pleistocene glaciations. In contrast to the western M. m. monspessulanus, the greater genetic divergence found in the eastern clade of M. monspessulanus suggests that it dispersed at an earlier date and probably over a longer period, spreading eastwards through northern Libya and Egypt to Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and around the Mediterranean Sea through Turkey into the Aegean archipelagos and the Balkan peninsula. The western and eastern units of M. monspessulanus have different dorsal color pattern, differences in skull structure and exhibit an 8.4% uncorrected genetic divergence in the combined gene fragments investigated here. It is consequently recommended that they should be treated as separate species: M. monspessulanus (sensu stricto) and Malpolon insignitusstat. nov., the latter including the subspecies Malpolon insignitus fuscuscomb. nov. The same combined mitochondrial gene fragments used in Malpolon were investigated in 20 individuals of Hemorrhois hippocrepis, and of cytochrome b alone in a further 17. They indicate that this species also originated in the Maghreb and again invaded the Iberian Peninsula quite recently. Some of the most recent invasions of the Iberian Peninsula by reptiles and amphibian taxa could probably be anthropogenic in origin. Some other species including M. monspessulanus and H. hippocrepis, may have crossed naturally, by "hopping" across the Strait of Gibraltar via temporary islands on the shallowest parts that were exposed during sea-level fall associated with Pleistocene glaciations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Carranza
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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The impact of historical and recent factors on genetic variability in a mountain frog: the case of Rana iberica (Anura: Ranidae). Anim Conserv 2005. [DOI: 10.1017/s136794300500243x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Real R, Barbosa AM, Martínez-Solano Í, García-París M. Distinguishing the distributions of two cryptic frogs (Anura: Discoglossidae) using molecular data and environmental modeling. CAN J ZOOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1139/z05-040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Currently, the identification of two cryptic Iberian amphibians, Discoglossus galganoi Capula, Nascetti, Lanza, Bullini and Crespo, 1985 and Discoglossus jeanneae Busack, 1986, relies on molecular characterization. To provide a means to discern the distributions of these species, we used 385-base-pair sequences of the cytochrome b gene to identify 54 Spanish populations of Discoglossus. These data and a series of environmental variables were used to build up a logistic regression model capable of probabilistically designating a specimen of Discoglossus found in any Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid cell of 10 km × 10 km to one of the two species. Western longitudes, wide river basins, and semipermeable (mainly siliceous) and sandstone substrates favored the presence of D. galganoi, while eastern longitudes, mountainous areas, severe floodings, and impermeable (mainly clay) or basic (limestone and gypsum) substrates favored D. jeanneae. Fifteen percent of the UTM cells were predicted to be shared by both species, whereas 51% were clearly in favor of D. galganoi and 34% were in favor of D. jeanneae, considering odds of 4:1. These results suggest that these two species have parapatric distributions and allow for preliminary identification of potential secondary contact areas. The method applied here can be generalized and used for other geographic problems posed by cryptic species.
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San Mauro D, García-París M, Zardoya R. Phylogenetic relationships of discoglossid frogs (Amphibia:Anura:Discoglossidae) based on complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear genes. Gene 2004; 343:357-66. [PMID: 15588590 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2004.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2004] [Revised: 07/30/2004] [Accepted: 10/05/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) genome was determined for three species of discoglossid frogs (Amphibia:Anura:Discoglossidae), representing three of the four recognized genera: Alytes obstetricans, Bombina orientalis, and Discoglossus galganoi. The organization and size of these newly determined mt genomes are similar to those previously reported for other vertebrates. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, minimum evolution, and maximum parsimony) of mt protein-coding genes at the amino acid level were performed in combination with already published mt genome sequence data of three species of Neobatrachia, one of Pipoidea, and four of Caudata. Phylogenetic analyses based on the deduced amino acid sequences of all mt protein-coding genes arrived at the same topology. The monophyly of Discoglossidae is strongly supported. Within the Discoglossidae, Alytes is consistently recovered as sister group of Discoglossus, to the exclusion of Bombina. The three species representing Neobatrachia exhibited extremely long branches irrespective of the phylogenetic inference method used, and hence their relative position with respect to Discoglossidae and Xenopus may be artefactual due to a severe long branch attraction effect. To further investigate the phylogenetic intrarelationships of discoglossids, nucleotide sequences of four nuclear protein-coding genes (CXCR4, RAG1, RAG2, and Rhodopsin) with sequences available for the three discoglossid genera and Xenopus were retrieved from GenBank, and together with a concatenated nucleotide sequence data set containing all mt protein-coding genes except ND6 were subjected to separate and combined phylogenetic analyses. In all cases, a sister group relationship between Alytes and Discoglossus was recovered with high statistical support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego San Mauro
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2. E-28006 Madrid, Spain.
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