scholarly journals The Influence of Environmental Variation on the Genetic Structure of a Poison Frog Distributed Across Continuous Amazonian Rainforest

2020 ◽  
Vol 111 (5) ◽  
pp. 457-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony S Ferreira ◽  
Albertina P Lima ◽  
Robert Jehle ◽  
Miquéias Ferrão ◽  
Adam Stow

Abstract Biogeographic barriers such as rivers have been shown to shape spatial patterns of biodiversity in the Amazon basin, yet relatively little is known about the distribution of genetic variation across continuous rainforest. Here, we characterize the genetic structure of the brilliant-thighed poison frog (Allobates femoralis) across an 880-km-long transect along the Purus-Madeira interfluve south of the Amazon river, based on 64 individuals genotyped at 7609 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. A population tree and clustering analyses revealed 4 distinct genetic groups, one of which was strongly divergent. These genetic groups were concomitant with femoral spot coloration differences, which was intermediate within a zone of admixture between two of the groups. The location of these genetic groups did not consistently correspond to current ecological transitions between major forest types. A multimodel approach to quantify the relative influence of isolation-by-geographic distance (IBD) and isolation-by-environmental resistance (IBR) nevertheless revealed that, in addition to a strong signal of IBD, spatial genetic differentiation was explained by IBR primarily linked to dry season intensity (r2 = 8.4%) and canopy cover (r2 = 6.4%). We show significant phylogenetic divergence in the absence of obvious biogeographical barriers and that finer-scaled measures of genetic structure are associated with environmental variables also known to predict the density of A. femoralis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison G. Nazareno ◽  
L. Lacey Knowles ◽  
Christopher W. Dick ◽  
Lúcia G. Lohmann

Seed dispersal is crucial to gene flow among plant populations. Although the effects of geographic distance and barriers to gene flow are well studied in many systems, it is unclear how seed dispersal mediates gene flow in conjunction with interacting effects of geographic distance and barriers. To test whether distinct seed dispersal modes (i.e., hydrochory, anemochory, and zoochory) have a consistent effect on the level of genetic connectivity (i.e., gene flow) among populations of riverine plant species, we used unlinked single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for eight co-distributed plant species sampled across the Rio Branco, a putative biogeographic barrier in the Amazon basin. We found that animal-dispersed plant species exhibited higher levels of genetic diversity and lack of inbreeding as a result of the stronger genetic connectivity than plant species whose seeds are dispersed by water or wind. Interestingly, our results also indicated that the Rio Branco facilitates gene dispersal for all plant species analyzed, irrespective of their mode of dispersal. Even at a small spatial scale, our findings suggest that ecology rather than geography play a key role in shaping the evolutionary history of plants in the Amazon basin. These results may help improve conservation and management policies in Amazonian riparian forests, where degradation and deforestation rates are high.


2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Tsagkarakou ◽  
L. Mouton ◽  
J.B. Kristoffersen ◽  
E. Dokianakis ◽  
M. Grispou ◽  
...  

AbstractWe investigated the molecular diversity of the major agricultural pest Bemisia tabaci and of its associated secondary endosymbionts in Greece. Analyzing mitochondrial DNA, we found that the Q1 (=Q west) is predominant. We used eight microsatellite polymorphic markers to study the genetic structure of 37 populations from mainland and insular Greece, collected on different host species from outdoor and protected crops as well as from non-cultivated plants. In some cases, gene flow was found to be low even between populations separated by just a few kilometres. Bayesian analysis identified two main genetic groups, the first encompassing populations from south Crete and the second composed of populations from north Crete, two other Aegean islands and mainland Greece. Genetic differentiation was not correlated with different host plant species or habitat, or greenhouse versus open environment populations. Gene flow significantly decreased with geographic distance, but no isolation by distance existed when only the samples from mainland Greece or only the samples from Crete were considered. The secondary symbionts Wolbachia and Hamiltonella were present at high frequencies while Arsenophonus, Cardinium and Rickettsia were absent from Greek populations. Multilocus sequence typing of Wolbachia identified two Wolbachia strains. These two strains were found together in most of the populations studied but never in the same host individual. Their role on the observed population structure is discussed.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Alda ◽  
Ignacio Doadrio

The Iberian Peninsula is the only region in the world where the two existing subspecies of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) naturally occur and hybridize. In this study we explore the relative roles of historical and contemporary processes in shaping the spatial genetic structure of the rabbit across its native distribution range, and how they differently affect each subspecies and the hybrid zone. For that purpose multilocus genotypes and mitochondrial DNA data were obtained for 771 rabbits across most of the species’ distribution range in Spain. Nuclear markers defined a hierarchical genetic structure firstly comprised by two genetic groups, largely congruent with the mitochondrial lineages and subspecies distributions (O. c. algirus and O. c. cuniculus), which were subsequently subdivided into seven genetic groups probably shaped by environmental or ecological factors. Geographic distance alone emerged as an important factor explaining genetic differentiation across the whole range, without the need to invoke for the effect for geographical barriers. Thus, when considering the overall genetic structure, differences at a local level seem to be of greater importance. The significantly positive spatial correlation up to a distance of only 100 km supported this hypothesis. However, northern populations of O. c. cuniculus showed more spatial genetic structure and differentiation than O. c. algirus, which could be due to local geographic barriers, limited resources, soil type and/or social behaviours limiting dispersal. The hybrid zone showed similar genetic structure to the southern populations but a larger introgression from the northern lineage genome. These differences have been attributed to selection against the hybrids rather than to behavioural differences between subspecies. Ultimately, the genetic structure of the rabbit in its native distribution range is the result of an ensemble of factors, from geographical and ecological, to behavioural and molecular, that hierarchically interact in time and space.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Alda ◽  
Ignacio Doadrio

The Iberian Peninsula is the only region in the world where the two existing subspecies of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) naturally occur and hybridize. In this study we explore the relative roles of historical and contemporary processes in shaping the spatial genetic structure of the rabbit across its native distribution range, and how they differently affect each subspecies and the hybrid zone. For that purpose multilocus genotypes and mitochondrial DNA data were obtained for 771 rabbits across most of the species’ distribution range in Spain. Nuclear markers defined a hierarchical genetic structure firstly comprised by two genetic groups, largely congruent with the mitochondrial lineages and subspecies distributions (O. c. algirus and O. c. cuniculus), which were subsequently subdivided into seven genetic groups probably shaped by environmental or ecological factors. Geographic distance alone emerged as an important factor explaining genetic differentiation across the whole range, without the need to invoke for the effect for geographical barriers. Thus, when considering the overall genetic structure, differences at a local level seem to be of greater importance. The significantly positive spatial correlation up to a distance of only 100 km supported this hypothesis. However, northern populations of O. c. cuniculus showed more spatial genetic structure and differentiation than O. c. algirus, which could be due to local geographic barriers, limited resources, soil type and/or social behaviours limiting dispersal. The hybrid zone showed similar genetic structure to the southern populations but a larger introgression from the northern lineage genome. These differences have been attributed to selection against the hybrids rather than to behavioural differences between subspecies. Ultimately, the genetic structure of the rabbit in its native distribution range is the result of an ensemble of factors, from geographical and ecological, to behavioural and molecular, that hierarchically interact in time and space.


2019 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. 2362-2368
Author(s):  
Yan Liu ◽  
Lei Chen ◽  
Xing-Zhi Duan ◽  
Dian-Shu Zhao ◽  
Jing-Tao Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Deciphering genetic structure and inferring migration routes of insects with high migratory ability have been challenging, due to weak genetic differentiation and limited resolution offered by traditional genotyping methods. Here, we tested the ability of double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq)-based single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in revealing the population structure relative to 13 microsatellite markers by using four small brown planthopper populations as subjects. Using ddRADseq, we identified 230,000 RAD loci and 5,535 SNP sites, which were present in at least 80% of individuals across the four populations with a minimum sequencing depth of 10. Our results show that this large SNP panel is more powerful than traditional microsatellite markers in revealing fine-scale population structure among the small brown planthopper populations. In contrast to the mixed population structure suggested by microsatellites, discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) of the SNP dataset clearly separated the individuals into four geographic populations. Our results also suggest the DAPC analysis is more powerful than the principal component analysis (PCA) in resolving population genetic structure of high migratory taxa, probably due to the advantages of DAPC in using more genetic variation and the discriminant analysis function. Together, these results point to ddRADseq being a promising approach for population genetic and migration studies of small brown planthopper.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Català ◽  
Vicenç Bros ◽  
Xavier Castelltort ◽  
Xavier Santos ◽  
Marta Pascual

AbstractSpecies with small geographic ranges do not tend to have a high genetic structure, but some land snail species seem to be an exception. Xerocrassa montserratensis, an endangered land snail endemic to Catalonia (northeastern Iberian Peninsula), is an excellent model to study the processes affecting the phylogeography of specialized species of conservation concern. This species is restricted to xerophilous stony slopes and occurs within a small and fragmented area of ca. 500 km2. We sequenced the COI barcode region of 152 individuals from eight sites covering the entire range of the species. We found four genetic groups mostly coincident with their geographic distribution: a central ancestral group containing shared haplotypes among five localities and three groups restricted to a single locality each. Two of these derived groups were geographically and genetically isolated, while the third and most differentiated group was not geographically isolated. Geomorphologic and paleoclimatic processes during the Pleistocene can explain the divergence found between populations of this low dispersal species with historical fragmentation and secondary contacts. Nonetheless, recent passive large dispersal through streams was also detected in the central group. Overall, our study uncovered four evolutionary units, partially matching morphologically described subspecies, which should be considered in future conservation actions.


Nematology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasha Haj Nuaima ◽  
Johannes Roeb ◽  
Johannes Hallmann ◽  
Matthias Daub ◽  
Holger Heuer

Summary Characterising the non-neutral genetic variation within and among populations of plant-parasitic nematodes is essential to determine factors shaping the population genetic structure. This study describes the genetic variation of the parasitism gene vap1 within and among geographic populations of the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. Forty populations of H. schachtii were sampled at four spatial scales: 695 km, 49 km, 3.1 km and 0.24 km. DGGE fingerprinting showed significant differences in vap1 patterns among populations. High similarity of vap1 patterns appeared between geographically close populations, and occasionally among distant populations. Analysis of spatially sampled populations within fields revealed an effect of tillage direction on the vap1 similarity for two of four studied fields. Overall, geographic distance and similarity of vap1 patterns of H. schachtii populations were negatively correlated. In conclusion, the population genetic structure was shaped by the interplay between the genetic adaptation and the passive transport of this nematode.


1999 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 639-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. McDonald ◽  
J. Zhan ◽  
J. J. Burdon

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers were used to determine the genetic structure of Australian field populations of the barley scald pathogen Rhynchosporium secalis. Fungal isolates were collected by hierarchical sampling from five naturally infected barley fields in different geographic locations during a single growing season. Genetic variation was high in Australian R. secalis populations. Among the 265 fungal isolates analyzed, 214 distinct genotypes were identified. Average genotype diversity within a field population was 65% of its theoretical maximum. Nei's average gene diversity across seven RFLP loci was 0.54. The majority (76%) of gene diversity was distributed within sampling site areas measuring ≈1 m2; 19% of gene diversity was distributed among sampling sites within fields; and 5% of gene diversity was distributed among fields. Fungal populations from different locations differed significantly both in allele frequencies and genotype diversities. The degree of genetic differentiation was significantly correlated with geographic distance between populations. Our results suggest that the R. secalis population in Western Australia has a different genetic structure than populations in Victoria and South Australia.


2010 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 521-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.M. Mikac ◽  
N.N. FitzSimmons

AbstractMicrosatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic structure among invasive L. decolor populations from Australia and a single international population from Kansas, USA to determine patterns of dispersal. Six variable microsatellites displayed an average of 2.5–4.2 alleles per locus per population. Observed (HO) heterozygosity ranged from 0.12–0.65 per locus within populations; but, in 13 of 36 tests, HO was less than expected. Despite low levels of allelic diversity, genetic structure estimated as θ was significant for all pairwise comparisons between populations (θ=0.05–0.23). Due to suspected null alleles at four loci, ENA (excluding null alleles) corrected FST estimates were calculated overall and for pairwise population comparisons. The ENA-corrected FST values (0.02–0.10) revealed significant overall genetic structure, but none of the pairwise values were significantly different from zero. A Mantel test of isolation by distance indicated no relationship between genetic structure and geographic distance among all populations (r2=0.12, P=0.18) and for Australian populations only (r2=0.19, P=0.44), suggesting that IBD does not describe the pattern of gene flow among populations. This study supports a hypothesis of long distance dispersal by L. decolor at moderate to potentially high levels.


Author(s):  
Philippe Henry

In the present research, I used an open access data set (Medicinal Genomics) consisting of nearly 200'000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) typed in 28 cannabis accessions to shed light on the plant's underlying genetic structure. Genome-wide loadings were used to sequentially cull less informative markers. The process involved reducing the number of SNPs to 100K, 10K, 1K, 100 until I identified a set of 42 highly informative SNPs that I present here. The two first principal components, encompass over 3/4 of the genetic variation present in the dataset (PCA1 = 48.6%, PCA2= 26.3%). This set of diagnostic SNPs is then used to identify clusters into which cannabis accession segregate. I identified three clear and consistent clusters; reflective of the ancient domestication trilogy of the genus Cannabis.


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