Genetic patterns of lichenized fungi often display a mosaic-like and difficult to interpret structure blurring their evolutionary history. The genetic diversity and phylogeographic pattern of a mycobiont of the predominantly Mediterranean dwelling lichen Solenopsora candicans were investigated on the base of extensive sampling (361 individuals, 77 populations) across its entire distribution range. We tested whether the genetic pattern of S. candicans mirrors paleoclimatic and paleogeological events in the Mediterranean and adjacent regions. The divergence time estimates indicated a Tertiary origin for S. candicans, with formation of intraspecific diversity initiated in the Late Miocene. The distribution of the most divergent haplotypes, mostly of a pre-Pleistocene origin, was restricted to the eastern or western extremities of the Mediterranean exhibiting Kiermack disjunction. The population genetic diversity analyses indicated multiple diversity centres and refugia for S. candicans across the entire Mediterranean Basin. While the south Mediterranean regions harboured both the Tertiary and Quaternary born diversity, conforming to the 'cumulative refugia' paradigm, the Apennine and Balkan Peninsulas in the north hosted mostly younger Pleistocene haplotypes and lineages. The recent population expansion of S. candicans might have occurred in the middle Pleistocene with a population burst in the Apennine and Balkan peninsulas. The presence of unique haplotypes in Central Europe indicates the existence of extra-Mediterranean microrefugia. This study presents the first comprehensive lichen phylogeography from the Mediterranean region and simultaneously reports for the first time the glacial survival of a warm-adapted lichen in the temperate zone.
- MeSH
- biologická evoluce MeSH
- časové faktory MeSH
- demografie MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- fylogeografie MeSH
- genetická variace * MeSH
- haplotypy MeSH
- lišejníky klasifikace genetika MeSH
- refugium MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Balkánský poloostrov MeSH
- Středomoří MeSH
Background: Refugia are island-like habitats that are linked to long-term environmental stability and, as a result, high endemism. Conservation of refugia and endemism hotspots should be based on a deep ecological and evolutionary understanding of their functioning, which remains limited. Although functional traits can provide such insights, a corresponding, coherent framework is lacking. Proposed Framework: Plant communities in refugia and endemism hotspots should, due to long-term environmental stability, display unique functional characteristics linked to distinct phylogenetic patterns. Therefore, such communities should be characterized by a functional signature that exhibits: (1) distinct values and combinations of traits, (2) higher functional diversity and (3) a prevalence of similar traits belonging to more distantly related lineages inside, compared to outside, of endemism hotspots and refugia. While the limited functional trait data available from refugia and endemism hotspots do not allow these predictions to be tested rigorously, three potential applications of the functional signature in biogeography and conservation planning are highlighted. Firstly, it allows the functional characteristics of endemism hotspots and refugia to be identified. Secondly, the strength of the functional signature can be compared among these entities, and with the surrounding landscape, to provide an estimate of the capacity of endemism hotspots and refugia to buffer environmental changes. Finally, the pattern of the functional signature can reveal ecological and evolutionary processes driving community assembly and functioning, which can assist in predicting the effect of environmental changes (e.g. climate, land-use) on communities in endemism hotspots and refugia. Conclusion: The proposed functional signature concept allows the systematic integration of plant functional traits and phylogeny into the study of endemism hotspots and refugia, but more data on functional traits in these entities are urgently needed. Overcoming this limitation would facilitate rigorous testing of the proposed predictions for the functional signature, advancing the eco-evolutionary understanding of endemism hotspots and refugia.
Isolated glacial refugia have been documented in Central Europe for a number of taxa, but conclusive evidence for epigean aquatic species has remained elusive. Using molecular data (mitochondrial and nuclear markers), we compared the spatial patterns of lineage diversity of the widely distributed Gammarus fossarum species complex between two adjacent biogeographically and geomorphologically distinct Central European regions: the Bohemian Massif and the Western Carpathians. We investigated if the observed patterns of spatial diversity are more likely to stem from historical or present-day factors. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses revealed eight phylogenetically diverse lineages: two exhibiting local signatures of recent demographic expansion inhabit both regions, while the other six display a relict distributional pattern and are found only in the Western Carpathians. Molecular dating indicates that these lineages are old and probably diverged throughout the Miocene (7-18Ma). Furthermore, their distribution does not seem to be constrained by the present boundaries of river catchments or topography. The contrasting spatial patterns of diversity observed between the two regions thus more likely result from historical rather than contemporaneous or recent factors. Our results indicate that despite the high latitude and proximity to the Pleistocene ice sheets, the Western Carpathians functioned as long-term glacial refugia for permanent freshwater fauna, allowing the uninterrupted survival of ancient lineages through millions of years of drastic climatic fluctuations.
- MeSH
- Amphipoda genetika fyziologie MeSH
- Bayesova věta MeSH
- časové faktory MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- fylogeografie MeSH
- genetická variace MeSH
- mitochondrie genetika MeSH
- nadmořská výška MeSH
- podnebí * MeSH
- refugium * MeSH
- sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- zeměpis MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
Quaternary climatic oscillations profoundly impacted temperate biodiversity. For many diverse yet undersampled areas, however, the consequences of this impact are still poorly known. In Europe, particular uncertainty surrounds the role of Balkans, a major hotspot of European diversity, in postglacial recolonization of more northerly areas, and the Carpathians, a debatable candidate for a northern 'cryptic' glacial refugium. Using genome-wide SNPs and microsatellites, we examined how the interplay of historical processes and niche shifts structured genetic diversity of diploid Arabidopsis arenosa, a little-known member of the plant model genus that occupies a wide niche range from sea level to alpine peaks across eastern temperate Europe. While the northern Balkans hosted one isolated endemic lineage, most of the genetic diversity was concentrated further north in the Pannonian Basin and the Carpathians, where it likely survived the last glaciation in northern refugia. Finally, a distinct postglacial environment in northern Europe was colonized by populations of admixed origin from the two Carpathian lineages. Niche differentiation along altitude-related bioclimatic gradients was the main trend in the phylogeny of A. arenosa. The most prominent niche shifts, however, characterized genetically only slightly divergent populations that expanded into narrowly defined alpine and northern coastal postglacial environments. Our study highlights the role of eastern central European mountains not only as refugia for unique temperate diversity but also sources for postglacial expansion into novel high-altitude and high-latitude niches. Knowledge of distinct genetic substructure of diploid A. arenosa also opens new opportunities for follow-up studies of this emerging model of evolutionary biology.
- MeSH
- Arabidopsis genetika MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- jednonukleotidový polymorfismus MeSH
- mikrosatelitní repetice MeSH
- populační genetika * MeSH
- refugium * MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Balkánský poloostrov MeSH
- východní Evropa MeSH
Genetic admixture is supposed to be an important trigger of species expansions because it can create the potential for selection of genotypes suitable for new climatic conditions. Up until now, however, no continent-wide population genetic study has performed a detailed reconstruction of admixture events during natural species expansions. To fill this gap, we analysed the postglacial history of Alnus glutinosa, a keystone species of European swamp habitats, across its entire distribution range using two molecular markers, cpDNA and nuclear microsatellites. CpDNA revealed multiple southern refugia located in the Iberian, Apennine, Balkan and Anatolian Peninsulas, Corsica and North Africa. Analysis of microsatellites variation revealed three main directions of postglacial expansion: (i) from the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula to Western and Central Europe and subsequently to the British Isles, (ii) from the Apennine Peninsula to the Alps and (iii) from the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula to the Carpathians followed by expansion towards the Northern European plains. This challenges the classical paradigm that most European populations originated from refugial areas in the Carpathians. It has been shown that colonizing lineages have met several times and formed secondary contact zones with unexpectedly high population genetic diversity in Central Europe and Scandinavia. On the contrary, limited genetic admixture in southern refugial areas of A. glutinosa renders rear-edge populations in the Mediterranean region more vulnerable to extinction due to climate change.
- MeSH
- Bayesova věta MeSH
- DNA chloroplastová genetika MeSH
- DNA rostlinná genetika MeSH
- genetická variace * MeSH
- klimatické změny * MeSH
- mikrosatelitní repetice MeSH
- modely genetické MeSH
- molekulární evoluce MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- olše genetika MeSH
- populační genetika * MeSH
- refugium * MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
