Phylogeny and quaternary history of the European montane/alpine endemicSoldanella(Primulaceae) based on ITS and AFLP variation

Abstract

Soldanella contains 16 species of herbaceous perennials that are endemic to the central and south European high mountains. The genus is ecogeographically subdivided into forest/montane and alpine species. Evolutionary relationships and large-scale biogeographic patterns were inferred from parsimony analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA, and genetic distance analyses based on amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. The ITS region proved useful for examining subgeneric relationships and testing hypotheses on genus-wide divergence times, whereas the AFLP markers were suitable for studying relationships among closely related taxa and biogeographic patterns of divergence. Neither ITS nor AFLP data supported sectional delimitations, particularly those related to the grouping of S. alpina (sect. Soldanella) with S. pusilla (sect. Tubiflores), which may be the result of hybridization. Additional results and conclusions drawn are (1) Soldanella is derived from an ancestor of Asian origin with a montane ecology; (2) estimates of divergence times suggest a late Quaternary origin of the genus; (3) alpine species of sect. Tubiflores diverged from within a paraphyletic sect. Soldanella of mainly montane species; (4) alpine and montane species of Soldanella experienced different cycles of range expansion and contraction during late Quaternary climatic changes, resulting in differential patterns of geographic distribution; and (5) AFLP divergence among montane species from eastern Europe was lower than between alpine species; we hypothesize that the latter differentiated in allopatric regions of expansion during glacials, while the former experienced secondary contact at lower elevations in more southern refugia.

Impatiens shimianensis sp. nov. (Balsaminaceae): A New Species from Sichuan, China, based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence

“…The plastid atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer was amplified using primers atpB2 and rbcL10 as forward and reverse primers, respectively ( Savolainen et al 1997 ). The PCR protocols followed Zhang et al (2001) . After amplification, the amplified fragments were purified using the TIANquick mini purification kits (TIANGEN).…”

Species Boundaries and Population Divergence in the Pyrenean Endemic Relict Genus Borderea (Dioscoreaceae) as Revealed by Microsatellite (SSR) and Other Hypervariable Markers

“…Concomi tant with the retreat and advances of the ice sheets (Hew itt 1996; Co mes and Kadereit 1998; Gutie rrez-Larena et a l. 2002), the she lterin g mounta in s of southe rn E urope are be lieved to have hosted intermi tte nt phases of expansio n and contracti on of pl ant popul atio ns derived fro m locall y ascending and descending migrato ry moveme nts on the mountains. Under such c ircum-stances further scenarios have been postulated for different plant species ranging from long-term isolation processes in \ ~eographically separate refugia to recent colonization events '-t_rom single or limited shelters (Bauert et al 1998;Taberlet et al 1998;Zhang et al 2001). Borderea represents a typical example of the latter case and this scenario is also supported by the more accurate microsatellite data (Fig.…”

“…The present day distribution of species and populations could be due, in part, to factors as different as the ecological affinities of the original founders; their ability to successfully invade newly vacated areas or zones already occupied by other pioneers; and, their differential rates of extinction in sheltered areas (Comes and Kadereit 1998). Hybridization likely played a crucial role in the conquest of newly vacated areas at higher altitudes-land made available by glacial retreat-as it increased the capability to invade more inhospitable environments (Soltis and Soltis 1999;Ellstrand and Schierenbeck 2000;Zhang et al 2001). The case of Borderea well illustrates the dramatic differences in adaptive fitness shown by two closely related species of common hybrid origin.…”

A plastid phylogeny and character evolution of the Old World fern genus Pyrrosia (Polypodiaceae) with the description of a new genus: Hovenkampia (Polypodiaceae)

“…The trnL intron and trnL-F intergenic spacer were amplified together using the primers FERN1 (Trewick et al, 2002) and F (Taberlet et al, 1991). All PCR conditions followed Zhang et al (2001). PCR products were purified and sequenced by TSINGKE Biological Technology (Chengdu, China).…”