Phylogeography and subspecies status of Black Grouse

Abstract

The cold periods of the Pleistocene have had a striking impact on the diversification of most organisms in temperate regions. Phylogeographic patterns and postglacial expansion are poorly understood in the Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix). This species is widely distributed across Eurasia, and has been divided into a number of subspecies on the basis of morphological differences and geographic isolation. To investigate the evolutionary history of the species, 143 samples from different regions were examined for a mtDNA control region fragment. Overall, analyses of mtDNA gave support for the divergence between Tetrao tetrix tetrix, T. t. ussuriensis and T. t. mongolicus. The analyses reveal the effects of colonisation out of glacial refugia on the genetic diversity and genetic structure of Black Grouse. The phylogeographical results are consistent with a demographic population expansion following a bellshaped mismatch distribution, a star-shaped phylogeny and low nucleotide diversity. Patterns of postglacial dispersal imply that Black Grouse from southern Europe have been restricted to this area, and did not contribute to the genetic diversity of northern Europe. Instead, Black Grouse spread out to northern Europe from a refugium in the east and a possible one in western Europe, following the retreat of glacial ice sheets, although both refugia remain unidentified. We suggest that T. t. britannicus and T. t. viridanus correspond to northern T. t. tetrix, and that this lineage has diverged from the other subspecies. This division is tentative due to limited sampling, but it will facilitate the management of different evolutionary significant units of the species.

Fine‐scale genetic structure in an eastern Alpine black grouse Tetrao tetrix metapopulation

“…Compared to isolated populations in western or central Europe (Larsson et al 2008, Svobodova et al 2011, Segelbacher et al 2014, black grouse in the eastern Alps exhibit higher genetic diversity, which is comparable to Scandinavian populations. This high genetic variation may be explained by an admixture and maintenance of different lineages from different glacial refugia (Provan andBennett 2008, Corrales et al 2014) and by a historical connection of the north-eastern Alpine black grouse to the main range of the species (Caizergues et al 2003, Corrales et al 2014.…”

Looking into the past – the reaction of three grouse species to climate change over the last million years using whole genome sequences

“…All three have relatively short generation times; the black grouse 3 years (Corrales et al . ) and the willow grouse and rock ptarmigan 2 years (Sandercock et al . ).…”

Multispecies genetic structure and hybridization in the Betula genus across Eurasia

“…Thus, birch populations that survived east of the Ural Mountains could also have contributed to the recolonization of northern Europe even if the trees closer to the Scandinavian ice sheet were the pioneers of the expansion. Indeed, although the starting points in Siberia may have been different among species, this Russian wave of expansion after the LGM has been commonly detected in several species in northern Europe, for example Norway spruce (Picea abies,Lagercrantz & Ryman 1990;Tollefsrud et al 2009), wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor, Fedorov et al 1996 and black grouse (Tetrao tetrix,Corrales et al 2014). Recent palaeogeographic data also suggest that tree and shrub taxa such as Populus, Larix, Picea, Pinus, Betula and Alnus survived within Beringia during the LGM(Brubaker et al 2005) and rapidly spread to northern and central Siberia after 15 000 years BP…”