Population genetics of Cedrela fissilis (Meliaceae) from an ecotone in central Brazil

Genetic diversity of Cedrela fissilis (Meliaceae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest reveals a complex phylogeographic history driven by Quaternary climatic fluctuations

“…This does not reject the drier and cooler climate reported for the Southeast based on palynological data (Behling, ), as C. fissilis shifted its distribution toward central Brazil, and returning southward after the LGM. This is further corroborated by three additional findings: (i) high levels of admixture between the two genealogical lineages (Mangaravite et al, ), (ii) the presence of a new lineage in another ecotone, also between the Cerrado and the BAF (Diaz‐Soto et al, ), and (iii) the discovery of a new species of Cedrela from the center of Brazil (Huamán‐Mera et al, unpublished data). Additional sampling in the center of Brazil is required to increase the genetic structure resolution and to obtain a thorough history of the Paraná basin and its importance for the diversity in the BAF.…”

“…The phylogeographic connection between the FR2 population and the northeastern populations could constitute a relic of such a “Peri‐Amazonian” dispersal. Indeed, FR2 and populations in the center of Brazil exhibit a high admixture pattern from either the Atlantic or Chiquitano range (Mangaravite et al, ; Diaz‐Soto et al, ; Huamán‐Mera, unpublished data). The “Parana Atlantic” route may have a high impact on the genetic diversity found in the northern C. fissilis populations, because the network analysis indicated two independent connections between the north‐eastern and the Atlantic coast, suggesting independent dispersals.…”