Genetic differentiation and history of populations of the Italian treefrog Hyla intermedia: lack of concordance between mitochondrial and nuclear markers

Canestrelli, Daniele; Verardi, Andrea Antonio; Nascetti, Giuseppe

doi:10.1007/s10709-006-9102-9

Cited by 36 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…Indeed, the Po drainage seems to be a biogeographic border and/or contact zone between variously related taxa of amphibians and reptiles (for overview [65]: Rana latastii/R. italica ; Hyla arborea / H. intermedia [66]; Bombina variegata/B. pachypus [67]; Rana lessonae / R. bergeri [68]) or, it is considered a "source of genetic variability" [69].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-Messinian evolutionary relationships across the Sicilian channel: Mitochondrial and nuclear markers link a new green toad from Sicily to African relatives

et al. 2008

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BackgroundLittle attention has been paid to the consequences of the last landbridge between Africa and Sicily on Mediterranean biogeography. Previous paleontological and scarce molecular data suggest possible faunal exchange later than the well-documented landbridge in the Messinian (5.3 My); however, a possible African origin of recent terrestrial Sicilian fauna has not been thoroughly tested with molecular methods. To gain insight into the phylogeography of the region, we examine two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers (one is a newly adapted intron marker) in green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup) across that sea barrier, the Strait of Sicily.ResultsExtensive sampling throughout the western Mediterranean and North Africa revealed a deep sister relationship between Sicilian (Bufo siculus n.sp.) and African green toads (B. boulengeri) on the mitochondrial and nuclear level. Divergence times estimated under a Bayesian-coalescence framework (mtDNA control region and 16S rRNA) range from the Middle Pliocene (3.6 My) to Pleistocene (0.16 My) with an average (1.83 to 2.0 My) around the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary, suggesting possible land connections younger than the Messinian (5.3 My). We describe green toads from Sicily and some surrounding islands as a new endemic species (Bufo siculus). Bufo balearicus occurs on some western Mediterranean islands (Corsica, Sardinia, Mallorca, and Menorca) and the Apennine Peninsula, and is well differentiated on the mitochondrial and nuclear level from B. siculus as well as from B. viridis (Laurenti), whose haplotype group reaches northeastern Italy, north of the Po River. Detection of Calabrian B. balearicus haplotypes in northeastern Sicily suggests recent invasion. Our data agree with paleogeographic and fossil data, which suggest long Plio-Pleistocene isolation of Sicily and episodic Pleistocene faunal exchange across the Strait of Messina. It remains unknown whether both species (B. balearicus, B. siculus) occur in sympatry in northern Sicily.ConclusionOur findings on green toads give the first combined mitochondrial and nuclear sequence evidence for a phylogeographic connection across the Strait of Sicily in terrestrial vertebrates. These relationships may have implications for comparative phylogeographic research on other terrestrial animals co-occurring in North Africa and Sicily.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-Messinian evolutionary relationships across the Sicilian channel: Mitochondrial and nuclear markers link a new green toad from Sicily to African relatives

et al. 2008

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“…Although some assumptions of population structure (infinite island model of population structure and gene flow) might be violated in most real situations this estimate is still considered a useful instrument for comparative purposes (e.g. [67]). The generation duration in túngara frogs is approximately one year [68].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and genetic divergence between two lineages of Middle American tungara frogs Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus

2010

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BackgroundUncovering how populations of a species differ genetically and ecologically is important for understanding evolutionary processes. Here we combine population genetic methods (microsatellites) with phylogenetic information (mtDNA) to define genetic population clusters of the wide-spread Neotropical túngara frog (Physalaemus pustulosus). We measure gene flow and migration within and between population clusters and compare genetic diversity between population clusters. By applying ecological niche modeling we determine whether the two most divergent genetic groups of the túngara frog (1) inhabit different habitats, and (2) are separated geographically by unsuitable habitat across a gap in the distribution.ResultsMost population structure is captured by dividing all sample localities into two allopatric genetic lineages. The Northern genetic lineage (NW Costa Rica) is genetically homogenous while the Southern lineage (SW Costa Rica and Panama) is sub-divided into three population clusters by both microsatellite and mtDNA analyses. Gene flow is higher within the Northern lineage than within the Southern lineage, perhaps due to increased landscape heterogeneity in the South. Niche modeling reveals differences in suitable habitat between the Northern and Southern lineages: the Northern lineage inhabits dry/pine-oak forests, while the Southern lineage is confined to tropical moist forests. Both lineages seem to have had little movement across the distribution gap, which persisted during the last glacial maximum. The lack of movement was more pronounced for the Southern lineage than for the Northern lineage.ConclusionsThis study confirms the finding of previous studies that túngara frogs diverged into two allopatric genetic lineages north and south of the gap in the distribution in central Costa Rica several million years ago. The allopatric distribution is attributed to unsuitable habitat and probably other unknown ecological factors present across the distribution gap. Niche conservatism possibly contributes to preventing movements across the gap and gene flow between both groups. Genetic and ecological data indicate that there is the potential for ecological divergence in allopatry between lineages. In this context we discuss whether the Northern and Southern lineages should be recognized as separate species, and we conclude that further studies of pre- and post-zygotic isolation are needed for a final assessment. Identified population clusters should motivate future behavioral and ecological research regarding within-species biodiversity and speciation mechanisms.

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“…1 and listed in Table 1 together with sample size. Details about sampling techniques were given in a previous study (Canestrelli et al . 2007).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite a substantial morphological homogeneity (but see Rosso et al . 2004), a recent survey of genetic variation across the species’ range, using both the nuclear (allozymes) and mitochondrial [polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP)] markers, showed the existence of two major groups of populations within the Italian treefrog, one located north of the Northern Apennines, the other located to the south (Canestrelli et al . 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeography and historical demography of the Italian treefrog,Hyla intermedia,reveals multiple refugia, population expansions and secondary contacts within peninsular Italy

2007

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We investigated the geographical patterns of genetic diversity in the Italian treefrog through sequence analysis of a mitochondrial cytochrome b gene fragment. Three main mitochondrial lineages were identified, distributed in northern, central and southern Italy, respectively. Their divergence appears indicative of a split time largely predating Late Pleistocene climatic oscillations, and syntopy between them was only observed in the geographically intermediate populations. The historical demographic reconstructions suggest that in both northern and central Italy, an expansion occurred during the last major glacial phase, when a vast widening of the lowland habitats followed the glaciation-induced fall of the sea level. Instead, in southern Italy an expansion event likely followed the end of the last glaciation, although the inference of expansion appears less reliable for the southern clade than for the others. Within this geographical area, a sharp phylogeographic discontinuity separated peninsular from Sicilian populations, and the overall pattern of diversity suggests that the latter derived from a recent colonization of the island, probably through a Late Pleistocene land bridge. Phylogenetic, phylogeographic and historical demographic analyses thus concur in delineating a scenario of multiple refugia, with four groups of populations which survived the last glacial-interglacial cycles in at least three distinct refugia arranged along peninsular Italy, and have recently come into contact following range expansions. Therefore, these results support the hypothesis that a plethora of microevolutionary processes, rather than the prolonged stability of populations, were mainly responsible for shaping the patterns of diversity within this major biodiversity hotspot.

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Genetic differentiation and history of populations of the Italian treefrog Hyla intermedia: lack of concordance between mitochondrial and nuclear markers

Cited by 36 publications

References 85 publications

Post-Messinian evolutionary relationships across the Sicilian channel: Mitochondrial and nuclear markers link a new green toad from Sicily to African relatives

Post-Messinian evolutionary relationships across the Sicilian channel: Mitochondrial and nuclear markers link a new green toad from Sicily to African relatives

Ecological and genetic divergence between two lineages of Middle American tungara frogs Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus

Phylogeography and historical demography of the Italian treefrog,Hyla intermedia,reveals multiple refugia, population expansions and secondary contacts within peninsular Italy

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