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Tissaoui G, Suchentrunk F, Awadi A, Smith S, Weber A, Ben Slimen H. Evolutionary characteristics of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 gene in some populations of four sympatric Mustela species (Mustelidae, Mammalia) from central Europe. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:575. [PMID: 38664260 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09505-6] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selection on or reticulate evolution of mtDNA is documented in various mammalian taxa and could lead to misleading phylogenetic conclusions if not recognized. We sequenced the MT-ND6 gene of four sympatric Mustelid species of the genus Mustela from some central European populations. We hypothesised positive selection on MT-ND6, given its functional importance and the different body sizes and life histories of the species, even though climatic differences may be unimportant for adaptation in sympatry. METHODS AND RESULTS MT-ND6 genes were sequenced in 187 sympatric specimens of weasels, Mustela nivalis, stoats, M. erminea, polecats, M. putorius, and steppe polecats, M. eversmannii, from eastern Austria and of fourteen allopatric polecats from eastern-central Germany. Median joining networks, neighbour joining and maximum likelihood analyses as well as Bayesian inference grouped all species according to earlier published phylogenetic models. However, polecats and steppe polecats, two very closely related species, shared the same two haplotypes. We found only negative selection within the Mustela sequences, including 131 downloaded ones covering thirteen species. Positive selection was observed on three MT-ND6 codons of other mustelid genera retrieved from GenBank. CONCLUSIONS Negative selection for MT-ND6 within the genus Mustela suggests absence of both environmental and species-specific effects of cellular energy metabolism despite large species-specific differences in body size. The presently found shared polymorphism in European polecats and steppe polecats may result from ancestral polymorphism before speciation and historical or recent introgressive hybridization; it may indicate mtDNA capture of steppe polecats by M. putorius in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghada Tissaoui
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Béja, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, Vienna, 1160, Austria
| | - Asma Awadi
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Béja, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Steve Smith
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, Vienna, 1160, Austria
| | - Antje Weber
- Landesamt für Umweltschutz Sachsen-Anhalt, Dez. 44 WZI, Lindenstraße 18, 39606, Iden, Germany
| | - Hichem Ben Slimen
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Béja, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia.
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Awadi A, Ben Slimen H, Smith S, Makni M, Suchentrunk F. Patterns of evolution in MHC class II DQA and DQB exon 2 genes of Alpine mountain hares, Lepus timidus varronis, and sympatric and parapatric brown hares, L. europaeus, from Switzerland. Immunogenetics 2024; 76:37-50. [PMID: 38114658 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-023-01328-2] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
In natural populations, hybridization is known to occur between a wide range of species. However, its evolutionary significance is less clear. Genes involved in fighting pathogens are considered excellent candidates for studying adaptive introgression, although both introgression and balancing selection can generate similar patterns of diversity and differentiation. Here, we compared DQA and DQB MHC class II and microsatellite allelic diversity of sympatric and parapatric mountain (Lepus timidus) and brown hare (L. europaeus) populations from Switzerland. We detected higher genetic diversity in brown hares compared to mountain hares at both MHC and microsatellite loci. We consider the observed patterns of microsatellite diversity both for L. europaeus and L. timidus as result of stochastic demographic processes while the pattern of MHC polymorphism of the studied hare populations can be explained by pathogen-driven selection. Rare bidirectional gene flow between both hare species seems to occur specifically for MHC alleles. However, the high number of shared alleles showing similar high frequency in both species suggests that reciprocally exchanged MHC alleles are being maintained via balancing selection. Adaptation to similar pathogen communities can also lead to parallel selection of MHC alleles. Positive selection, recombination and mutations have played different roles in shaping the patterns of MHC allelic diversity in and differentiation between both species. Results for the latter evolutionary forces do not show a better matching between the sympatric populations compared to the parapatric ones, suggesting a minor role of introgression for the observed evolutionary patterns of the studied hare species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Awadi
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Béja, University of Jendouba, Béja, 9000, Tunisia
| | - H Ben Slimen
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Béja, University of Jendouba, Béja, 9000, Tunisia.
| | - S Smith
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, Vienna, 1160, Austria
| | - M Makni
- Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, LR01ES05 Biochimie et Biotechnologie, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, 2092, Tunisia
| | - F Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, Vienna, 1160, Austria
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Reid N, Hughes MF, Hynes RA, Montgomery WI, Prodöhl PA. Bidirectional hybridisation and introgression between introduced European brown hare, Lepus europaeus and the endemic Irish hare, L. timidus hibernicus. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01471-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIntroduced non-native species can threaten native species through interspecific hybridisation and genetic introgression. We assessed the prevalence of hybridisation and introgression between introduced European brown hare, Lepus europaeus, and the endemic Irish hare, L. timidus hibernicus. Roadkill hares (n = 56) were sequenced for a 379bp section of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop and a 474bp segment of the nuclear transferrin (Tf) gene. A species-specific indel in the transferrin gene was present in L.t. hibernicus and absent in L. europaeus. Excluding three hares from which molecular data could not be recovered, 28 hares (53%) were native L.t. hibernicus, 7 (13%) were non-native L. europaeus and 18 (34%) were hybrids; of which 5 (28%) were first generation (F1) involving bidirectional crosses with mismatched nuclear and mtDNA (3 ♂ europaeus x ♀ hibernicus and 2 ♂ hibernicus x ♀ europaeus). Mixed nuclear transferrin sequences suggested 13 (72%) of hybrids were at least 2nd generation (F2) with 9 (69%) possessing L.t. hibernicus and 4 (31%) L. europaeus mtDNA (the latter indicative of hybrid backcrossing with the non-native). The prevalence of hybridisation at similar mountain-brown hare contact zones throughout Europe is notably lower (4–16%) and typically unidirectional (♂ europaeus x ♀ timidus). A high prevalence of bidirectional hybridisation and introgression (in association with projected climate change) may favour the introduced species over the native. Genetic surveillance and population monitoring are needed to further explore the potential conservation implications of European brown hare in Ireland.
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Awadi A, Suchentrunk F, Knauer F, Smith S, Tolesa Z, Ben Slimen H. Spatial diversity of MHC class II DRB exon2 sequences in North African cape hares (Lepus capensis): positive selection and climatic adaptation signals. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00258-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Meheretu Y, Meinig H, Mikula O, Hermes N, Wale M, Tadele A, Kaipf I, Bryja J. Small‐ and medium‐sized mammals of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia. Afr J Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yonas Meheretu
- Department of Biology and Institute of Mountain Research & Development Mekelle University Mekelle Ethiopia
| | | | - Ondřej Mikula
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology Czech Academy of Sciences Brno Czech Republic
| | - Nicole Hermes
- Project Office Wildcat BUND Regional Association Halle‐Saalekreis Petersberg bei Halle Germany
| | - Mengistu Wale
- Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute Addis Ababa Ethiopia
| | | | - Ingrid Kaipf
- Department of Animal Physiology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology Czech Academy of Sciences Brno Czech Republic
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Adavoudi R, Pilot M. Consequences of Hybridization in Mammals: A Systematic Review. Genes (Basel) 2021; 13:50. [PMID: 35052393 PMCID: PMC8774782 DOI: 10.3390/genes13010050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybridization, defined as breeding between two distinct taxonomic units, can have an important effect on the evolutionary patterns in cross-breeding taxa. Although interspecific hybridization has frequently been considered as a maladaptive process, which threatens species genetic integrity and survival via genetic swamping and outbreeding depression, in some cases hybridization can introduce novel adaptive variation and increase fitness. Most studies to date focused on documenting hybridization events and analyzing their causes, while relatively little is known about the consequences of hybridization and its impact on the parental species. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic review of studies on hybridization in mammals published in 2010-2021, and identified 115 relevant studies. Of 13 categories of hybridization consequences described in these studies, the most common negative consequence (21% of studies) was genetic swamping and the most common positive consequence (8%) was the gain of novel adaptive variation. The total frequency of negative consequences (49%) was higher than positive (13%) and neutral (38%) consequences. These frequencies are biased by the detection possibilities of microsatellite loci, the most common genetic markers used in the papers assessed. As negative outcomes are typically easier to demonstrate than positive ones (e.g., extinction vs hybrid speciation), they may be over-represented in publications. Transition towards genomic studies involving both neutral and adaptive variation will provide a better insight into the real impacts of hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Małgorzata Pilot
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Nadwiślańska 108, 80-680 Gdańsk, Poland;
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Awadi A, Ben Slimen H, Schaschl H, Knauer F, Suchentrunk F. Positive selection on two mitochondrial coding genes and adaptation signals in hares (genus Lepus) from China. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:100. [PMID: 34039261 PMCID: PMC8157742 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01832-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal mitochondria play a central role in energy production in the cells through the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway. Recent studies of selection on different mitochondrial OXPHOS genes have revealed the adaptive implications of amino acid changes in these subunits. In hares, climatic variation and/or introgression were suggested to be at the origin of such adaptation. Here we looked for evidence of positive selection in three mitochondrial OXPHOS genes, using tests of selection, protein structure modelling and effects of amino acid substitutions on the protein function and stability. We also used statistical models to test for climate and introgression effects on sites under positive selection. RESULTS Our results revealed seven sites under positive selection in ND4 and three sites in Cytb. However, no sites under positive selection were observed in the COX1 gene. All three subunits presented a high number of codons under negative selection. Sites under positive selection were mapped on the tridimensional structure of the predicted models for the respective mitochondrial subunit. Of the ten amino acid replacements inferred to have evolved under positive selection for both subunits, six were located in the transmembrane domain. On the other hand, three codons were identified as sites lining proton translocation channels. Furthermore, four codons were identified as destabilizing with a significant variation of Δ vibrational entropy energy between wild and mutant type. Moreover, our PROVEAN analysis suggested that among all positively selected sites two fixed amino acid replacements altered the protein functioning. Our statistical models indicated significant effects of climate on the presence of ND4 and Cytb protein variants, but no effect by trans-specific mitochondrial DNA introgression, which is not uncommon in a number of hare species. CONCLUSIONS Positive selection was observed in several codons in two OXPHOS genes. We found that substitutions in the positively selected codons have structural and functional impacts on the encoded proteins. Our results are concordantly suggesting that adaptations have strongly affected the evolution of mtDNA of hare species with potential effects on the protein function. Environmental/climatic changes appear to be a major trigger of this adaptation, whereas trans-specific introgressive hybridization seems to play no major role for the occurrence of protein variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Awadi
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Beja, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Hichem Ben Slimen
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Beja, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Helmut Schaschl
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Knauer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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Onditi KO, Demos TC, Kerbis Peterhans J, Chen ZZ, Bryja J, Lavrenchenko LA, Musila S, Verheyen E, Van de Perre F, Akaibe BD, de la Sancha NU, Jiang XL. Historical biogeography, systematics, and integrative taxonomy of the non-Ethiopian speckled pelage brush-furred rats (Lophuromys flavopunctatus group). BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:89. [PMID: 34011264 PMCID: PMC8132446 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01813-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The speckled-pelage brush-furred rats (Lophuromys flavopunctatus group) have been difficult to define given conflicting genetic, morphological, and distributional records that combine to obscure meaningful accounts of its taxonomic diversity and evolution. In this study, we inferred the systematics, phylogeography, and evolutionary history of the L. flavopunctatus group using maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic inference, divergence times, historical biogeographic reconstruction, and morphometric discriminant tests. We compiled comprehensive datasets of three loci (two mitochondrial [mtDNA] and one nuclear) and two morphometric datasets (linear and geometric) from across the known range of the genus Lophuromys. RESULTS The mtDNA phylogeny supported the division of the genus Lophuromys into three primary groups with nearly equidistant pairwise differentiation: one group corresponding to the subgenus Kivumys (Kivumys group) and two groups corresponding to the subgenus Lophuromys (L. sikapusi group and L. flavopunctatus group). The L. flavopunctatus group comprised the speckled-pelage brush-furred Lophuromys endemic to Ethiopia (Ethiopian L. flavopunctatus members [ETHFLAVO]) and the non-Ethiopian ones (non-Ethiopian L. flavopunctatus members [NONETHFLAVO]) in deeply nested relationships. There were distinctly geographically structured mtDNA clades among the NONETHFLAVO, which were incongruous with the nuclear tree where several clades were unresolved. The morphometric datasets did not systematically assign samples to meaningful taxonomic units or agree with the mtDNA clades. The divergence dating and ancestral range reconstructions showed the NONETHFLAVO colonized the current ranges over two independent dispersal events out of Ethiopia in the early Pleistocene. CONCLUSION The phylogenetic associations and divergence times of the L. flavopunctatus group support the hypothesis that paleoclimatic impacts and ecosystem refugia during the Pleistocene impacted the evolutionary radiation of these rodents. The overlap in craniodental variation between distinct mtDNA clades among the NONETHFLAVO suggests unraveling underlying ecomorphological drivers is key to reconciling taxonomically informative morphological characters. The genus Lophuromys requires a taxonomic reassessment based on extensive genomic evidence to elucidate the patterns and impacts of genetic isolation at clade contact zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Otieno Onditi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Mammal Section, Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Terrence C Demos
- Science & Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA
| | - Julian Kerbis Peterhans
- Science & Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA
- College of Arts and Sciences, Roosevelt University, Chicago, USA
| | - Zhong-Zheng Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Anhui, China
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Leonid A Lavrenchenko
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Simon Musila
- Mammal Section, Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Erik Verheyen
- Operational Direction Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Frederik Van de Perre
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Dudu Akaibe
- Department of Ecology and Animal Resource Management, Faculty of Science, Biodiversity Monitoring Centre, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Noé U de la Sancha
- Science & Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chicago State University, Chicago, USA
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Ferreira MS, Jones MR, Callahan CM, Farelo L, Tolesa Z, Suchentrunk F, Boursot P, Mills LS, Alves PC, Good JM, Melo-Ferreira J. The Legacy of Recurrent Introgression during the Radiation of Hares. Syst Biol 2021; 70:593-607. [PMID: 33263746 PMCID: PMC8048390 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybridization may often be an important source of adaptive variation, but the extent and long-term impacts of introgression have seldom been evaluated in the phylogenetic context of a radiation. Hares (Lepus) represent a widespread mammalian radiation of 32 extant species characterized by striking ecological adaptations and recurrent admixture. To understand the relevance of introgressive hybridization during the diversification of Lepus, we analyzed whole exome sequences (61.7 Mb) from 15 species of hares (1-4 individuals per species), spanning the global distribution of the genus, and two outgroups. We used a coalescent framework to infer species relationships and divergence times, despite extensive genealogical discordance. We found high levels of allele sharing among species and show that this reflects extensive incomplete lineage sorting and temporally layered hybridization. Our results revealed recurrent introgression at all stages along the Lepus radiation, including recent gene flow between extant species since the last glacial maximum but also pervasive ancient introgression occurring since near the origin of the hare lineages. We show that ancient hybridization between northern hemisphere species has resulted in shared variation of potential adaptive relevance to highly seasonal environments, including genes involved in circadian rhythm regulation, pigmentation, and thermoregulation. Our results illustrate how the genetic legacy of ancestral hybridization may persist across a radiation, leaving a long-lasting signature of shared genetic variation that may contribute to adaptation. [Adaptation; ancient introgression; hybridization; Lepus; phylogenomics.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda S Ferreira
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Matthew R Jones
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Colin M Callahan
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Liliana Farelo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Zelalem Tolesa
- Department of Biology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Department for Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pierre Boursot
- Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, France
| | - L Scott Mills
- Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- Office of Research and Creative Scholarship, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America; Jeffrey M. Good and José Melo-Ferreira shared the senior authorship
| | - Paulo C Alves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey M Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - José Melo-Ferreira
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Kumar B, Cheng J, Ge D, Xia L, Yang Q. Phylogeography and ecological niche modeling unravel the evolutionary history of the Yarkand hare, Lepus yarkandensis (Mammalia: Leporidae), through the Quaternary. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:113. [PMID: 31153378 PMCID: PMC6545225 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1426-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Taklimakan Desert in China is characterized by unique geological and historical dynamics and endemic flora and fauna, but the influence of historical climate oscillations on the evolutionary history of endemic animals is poorly understood. Lepus yarkandensis is an oases-dependent Near Threatened species that lives in fragmented oasis habitats in the Taklimakan Desert, China. We investigated the geological and climatic impacts on its geographical differentiation, demographic history and influence of Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles on the evolutionary history of L. yarkandensis. Further, studied the impact of climatic oscillation based modification on phylogeography, distribution and diversification pattern of Yarkand hare by using Cytb (1140 bp), MGF (592 bp) and SPTBN1 (619 bp) markers. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) revealed the evolutionary history of this species in response to climate change during the Quaternary. Paleodistribution modeling was used to identify putative refugia and estimate their historical distributions. Results Both historical demographic analyses and climatic niche modeling revealed strong effects of glacial climate changes, suggesting recurrent range contractions and expansions. The EBSP results indicated clear population expansion of L. yarkandensis since the Pleistocene. In the “early Pleistocene”, the demographic expansion continued from 0.83 MYA to the last glacial period. The ENM analysis supported a wide distribution of Lepus yarkandensis at high altitudes during the last interglacial (LIG) period. During the last glacial maximum (LGM), the suitable climate was reduced and restricted to the western part of the Taklimakan Desert. Conclusions Inland aridification, oasis evolution and river flow played major roles in the population differentiation and demographic history of Yarkand hares. Historically, the large, continuous oases in the Taklimakan Desert contained a viable and unique population of L. yarkandensis. The fragmented desert environment might have caused low gene flow between individuals or groups, thus leading to predominant genetic differentiation. The Pleistocene climatic cycles triggered the diversification and expansion of this species during cold and warm periods, respectively, leading to multiple colonization events within the Taklimakan Desert. These events might be due to the expansion of the Taklimakan Desert during the Middle Pleistocene. Yarkand hare previously occupied vast areas at low and intermediate altitudes in Xinjiang, Gansu, Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi Provinces in China. The past aridification, climate change-induced oasis modifications, changes in river volumes and flow directions, and human activities all affected the population demography and phylogeography of the Yarkand hare. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-019-1426-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brawin Kumar
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China.,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jilong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Deyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Qisen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China.
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11
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The evolutionary history of the Cape hare (Lepus capensis sensu lato): insights for systematics and biogeography. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 123:634-646. [PMID: 31073237 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0229-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Inferring the phylogeography of species with large distributions helps deciphering major diversification patterns that may occur in parallel across taxa. Here, we infer the evolutionary history of the Cape hare, Lepus capensis sensu lato, a species distributed from southern Africa to Asia, by analyzing variation at 18 microsatellites and 9 DNA (1 mitochondrial and 8 nuclear) sequenced loci, from field and museum-collected samples. Using a combination of assignment and coalescent-based methods, we show that the Cape hare is composed of five evolutionary lineages, distributed in distinct biogeographic regions-north-western Africa, eastern Africa, southern Africa, the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula. A deep phylogenetic break possibly dating to the Early Pleistocene was inferred between the African and Asian L. capensis groups, and the latter appear more closely related to other Eurasian hare species than to African Cape hares. The inferred phylogeographic structure is shared by numerous taxa distributed across the studied range, suggesting that environmental changes, such as the progressive aridification of the Saharo-Arabian desert and the fluctuations of savannah habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa, had comparable impacts across species. Fine-scale analyses of the western Sahara-Sahel populations showed rich fragmentation patterns for mitochondrial DNA but not for microsatellites, compatible with the environmental heterogeneity of the region and female philopatry. The complex evolutionary history of L. capensis sensu lato, which possibly includes interspecific gene flow, is not reflected by taxonomy. Integrating evolutionary inference contributes to an improved characterization of biodiversity, which is fundamental to foster the conservation of relevant evolutionary units.
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Spatial genetics of brown hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) from Turkey: Different gene pool architecture on either side of the Bosphorus? Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Ben Slimen H, Awadi A, Tolesa ZG, Knauer F, Alves PC, Makni M, Suchentrunk F. Positive selection on the mitochondrial ATP synthase 6and the NADH dehydrogenase 2genes across 22 hare species (genus Lepus). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hichem Ben Slimen
- Unité de recherche Génomique des Insectes ravageurs des Cultures d'intérêt agronomique; Faculty of Sciences of Tunis; University of Tunis El Manar; Tunis Tunisia
- Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Béja; University of Jendouba; Béja Tunisia
| | - Asma Awadi
- Unité de recherche Génomique des Insectes ravageurs des Cultures d'intérêt agronomique; Faculty of Sciences of Tunis; University of Tunis El Manar; Tunis Tunisia
| | | | - Felix Knauer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology; University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - Paulo Célio Alves
- CIBIO; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
| | - Mohamed Makni
- Unité de recherche Génomique des Insectes ravageurs des Cultures d'intérêt agronomique; Faculty of Sciences of Tunis; University of Tunis El Manar; Tunis Tunisia
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology; University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Vienna Austria
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