Tempo of genetic diversification in southern African rodents: The role of Plio-Pleistocene climatic oscillations as drivers for speciation

Montgelard, Claudine; Matthee, Conrad A.

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2012.02.001

Cited by 14 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This concurs with a study on nine rodent genera which concluded that the majority of dichotomic events occurred during the last 5.3 Myr and only 17% preceded the Pliocene boundary [7]. It is believed that species evolution related to these events was not only linked to climatic oscillation but particularly relevant seems the interaction of these with the species life history and topographic barriers in the region [7]. D. melanotis lives in drier areas with short grassland whereas D. mystacalis and D. mesomelas , in sympatry in the same biome, prefer wet zones with long grass and forests.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Cryptic Speciation and Chromosomal Repatterning in the South African Climbing Mice Dendromus (Rodentia, Nesomyidae)

et al. 2014

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We evaluate the intra- and interspecific diversity in the four South African rodent species of the genus Dendromus. The molecular phylogenetic analysis on twenty-three individuals have been conducted on a combined dataset of nuclear and mitochondrial markers. Moreover, the extent and processes underlying chromosomal variation, have been investigated on three species by mean of G-, C-bands, NORs and Zoo-FISH analysis. The molecular analysis shows the presence of six monophyletic lineages corresponding to D. mesomelas, D. mystacalis and four lineages within D. cfr. melanotis with high divergence values (ranges: 10.6% – 18.3%) that raises the question of the possible presence of cryptic species. The first description of the karyotype for D. mesomelas and D. mystacalis and C- and G- banding for one lineage of D. cfr. melanotis are reported highlighting an extended karyotype reorganization in the genus. Furthermore, the G-banding and Zoo-FISH evidenced an autosome-sex chromosome translocation characterizing all the species and our timing estimates this mutation date back 7.4 mya (Late Miocene). Finally, the molecular clock suggests that cladogenesis took place since the end of Miocene to Plio-Pleistocene, probably due to ecological factors, isolation in refugia followed by differential adaptation to the mesic or dry habitat.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Cryptic Speciation and Chromosomal Repatterning in the South African Climbing Mice Dendromus (Rodentia, Nesomyidae)

et al. 2014

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“…; Engelbrecht et al . ; Willows‐Munro & Matthee ; Montgelard & Matthee ) support the premise that the geographic pattern observed in both P. arvicanthis lineages, and Rhabdomys is the result of vicariance and emphasizes a strong influence of biogeography.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…), and subsequent climatic oscillations may have led to range expansion–contraction cycles (Ellery et al . ; Partridge ; Zachos ; Scott & Nyakale ; Dupont ; Montgelard & Matthee ; du Toit et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biogeography and host‐related factors trump parasite life history: limited congruence among the genetic structures of specific ectoparasitic lice and their rodent hosts

et al. 2013

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Parasites and hosts interact across both micro- and macroevolutionary scales where congruence among their phylogeographic and phylogenetic structures may be observed. Within southern Africa, the four-striped mouse genus, Rhabdomys, is parasitized by the ectoparasitic sucking louse, Polyplax arvicanthis. Molecular data recently suggested the presence of two cryptic species within P. arvicanthis that are sympatrically distributed across the distributions of four putative Rhabdomys species. We tested the hypotheses of phylogeographic congruence and cophylogeny among the two parasite lineages and the four host taxa, utilizing mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data. Despite the documented host-specificity of P. arvicanthis, limited phylogeographic correspondence and nonsignificant cophylogeny was observed. Instead, the parasite-host evolutionary history is characterized by limited codivergence and several duplication, sorting and host-switching events. Despite the elevated mutational rates found for P. arvicanthis, the spatial genetic structure was not more pronounced in the parasite lineages compared with the hosts. These findings may be partly attributed to larger effective population sizes of the parasite lineages, the vagility and social behaviour of Rhabdomys, and the lack of host-specificity observed in areas of host sympatry. Further, the patterns of genetic divergence within parasite and host lineages may also be largely attributed to historical biogeographic changes (expansion-contraction cycles). It is thus evident that the association between P. arvicanthis and Rhabdomys has been shaped by the synergistic effects of parasite traits, host-related factors and biogeography over evolutionary time.

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“…It is likely that these could have influenced connectivity among multimammate mice populations. In particular, the Orange river (Matthee & Flemming, ; Bauer & Lamb, ; du Toit et al ., , ), the Zambezi river (Cotterill, ; Faulkes et al ., ; Van Daele et al ., , ), altitudinal differences associated with the Great Escarpment (Matthee & Robinson, ; Edwards et al ., ; Schwab et al ., ; du Toit et al ., ), and high rainfall variability between the wet eastern and dryer western regions (Rambau, Robinson & Stanyon, ; Linder et al ., ; du Toit et al ., ; Montgelard & Matthee, ; Willows‐Munro & Matthee, ) could have all influenced the phylogeographic structure of M. coucha (Fig. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of life history and climate driven diversification on the mtDNA phylogeographic structures of two southern AfricanMastomysspecies (Rodentia: Muridae: Murinae)

Sands

Matthee

Mfune

et al. 2014

Biol J Linn Soc Lond

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The phylogeographic patterns of small mammals in southern Africa are frequently disjunct. This pattern is predominately attributed to vicariant geographical barriers coupled to climate driven diversification. To gain further insights into this hypothesis, we embarked on a comparative mtDNA phylogeographic study of two common rodent species in southern Africa, Mastomys natalensis and Mastomys coucha. Parsimony haplotype networks and SplitsTrees of mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I data showed a large degree of haplotype sharing throughout the sampling range. Within southern Africa, we found no conclusive evidence to support geographic vicariance as a contributing factor towards Mastomys speciation. We proposed that the regional phylogeographic structures detected for M. natalensis and M. coucha are the result of weak isolation by distance coupled to repeated expansions and contractions of suitable habitat. Both species probably survived in multiple refugia during unfavourable periods and mismatch distributions show signs of population expansion. Mitochondrial DNA nucleotide diversity values (π) show marked differences between the two species (M. natalensis: 0.003 and M. coucha: 0.468), and M. coucha also shows a higher level of population differentiation in AMOVA analyses. These differences are most likely due to life history discrepancies between the two species. Mastomys coucha is regarded to be more of a habitat specialist when compared to M. natalensis, and this probably places a higher constraint on M. coucha dispersal abilities. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 114, 58–68.

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Tempo of genetic diversification in southern African rodents: The role of Plio-Pleistocene climatic oscillations as drivers for speciation

Cited by 14 publications

References 39 publications

Cryptic Speciation and Chromosomal Repatterning in the South African Climbing Mice Dendromus (Rodentia, Nesomyidae)

Cryptic Speciation and Chromosomal Repatterning in the South African Climbing Mice Dendromus (Rodentia, Nesomyidae)

Biogeography and host‐related factors trump parasite life history: limited congruence among the genetic structures of specific ectoparasitic lice and their rodent hosts

The influence of life history and climate driven diversification on the mtDNA phylogeographic structures of two southern AfricanMastomysspecies (Rodentia: Muridae: Murinae)

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