Subspecies dynamics in space and time: A study of the red deer complex using ancient and modern DNA and morphology

Abstract

Aim The status of geographical units within species and species complexes is debated for many taxa, with many molecular studies failing to detect phenotypically defined subspecies. The history and longevity of geographical patterns are also generally very poorly understood. We examine Holarctic red deer (Cervus elaphus and related forms), incorporating ancient DNA to ask whether the present phylogeography has persisted through climatic perturbations or is a relatively recent phenomenon. Location Holarctic (Europe, northern Asia and North America). Methods We obtained 21 modern and 30 Holocene and Late Pleistocene samples, which together with published data resulted in 180 individuals spanning 21 nominal extant and one extinct subspecies. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out on 748‐bp of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b and control region). Where possible, the morphology of DNA‐yielding ancient samples was examined to assess subspecies identity. Results Major clades within the red deer complex are upheld, but subspecies within them receive varying support. The ancient phylogeographical structure conforms in significant part to the modern situation, but some haplogroups no longer survive. Moreover, there have been substantial shifts in geographical ranges through time. Wapitoids spread as far west as Romania in the last glaciation, and elaphoids reached eastward to the Ural Mountains. A possible contact zone between the two lineages stretched from the Urals through the Crimea to Eastern Europe. Main conclusions Ancient DNA and morphology are strongly complementary in elucidating population history. Through the past 50 kyr, the major lineages of red deer, and some of the subspecies groups within them, have maintained their genetic and morphological integrity and their core geographical distributions, despite range expansions and contractions and likely contact between the haplogroups (with potential for hybridization).

Genome-wide study on genetic diversity and phylogeny of five species in the genus Cervus

“…In the C. elaphus clade, the divergence between C. elaphus (New Zealand) and the other would have occurred at 1.1–3.0 Myr ago, it was accordant with fossil record [31]. The separation of C. e. yarkandensis and C. c. canadensis took place more recently, nearly 0.8–2.2 and 0.4–1.4 Myr ago.…”

Comparison of the gut microbiome in red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) by high-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene

“…Red deer and fallow deer have a long history of feeding in Xinjiang, China, and Europe 17 . At present, partial research has been done for red deer and fallow deer on the basis of molecular biology 18,19 . Most of this has research focused on population, biology and trophic analyses [20][21][22] .…”

Mitochondrial phylogenetics of the goshawkAccipiter[gentilis] superspecies

“…Such a Holarctic gentilis species would thus be polyphyletic based on our results, which have low node support but are confirmed by the distance values and the network. This situation is similar to the taxonomic conundrum of red deer, wapiti (“elk”), and sika deer: Traditionally, European/West Asian red deer and East Asian/North American wapiti were considered to be conspecific ( Cervus elaphus ), but the latter have consistently turned out to be more closely related to sika deer ( Cervus nippon ) than to the former (e.g., Meiri et al., ). As a consequence, red deer and wapiti are now usually classified as two distinct species ( Cervus elaphus and Cervus canadensis ).…”