scholarly journals Repeated long-distance dispersal and convergent evolution in hazel

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Helmstetter ◽  
Richard J. A. Buggs ◽  
Stuart J. Lucas

Abstract Closely related species with a worldwide distribution provide an opportunity to understand evolutionary and biogeographic processes at a global scale. Hazel (Corylus) is an economically important genus of tree and shrub species found in temperate regions of Asia, North America and Europe. Here we use multiple nuclear and chloroplast loci to estimate a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree of the genus Corylus. We model the biogeographic history of this group and the evolutionary history of tree and shrub form. We estimate that multiple Corylus lineages dispersed long distances between Europe and Asia and colonised North America from Asia in multiple independent events. The geographic distribution of tree versus shrub form of species appears to be the result of 4–5 instances of convergent evolution in the past 25 million years. We find extensive discordance between our nuclear and chloroplast trees and potential evidence for chloroplast capture in species with overlapping ranges, suggestive of past introgression. The important crop species C. avellana is estimated to be closely related to C. maxima, C. heterophylla var. thunbergii and the Colurnae subsection. Our study provides a new phylogenetic hypothesis or Corylus and reveals how long-distance dispersal can shape the distribution of biodiversity in temperate plants.

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 579-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Otero ◽  
Pedro Jiménez‐Mejías ◽  
Virginia Valcárcel ◽  
Pablo Vargas

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Knud A Jønsson ◽  
Jon Fjeldså ◽  
Per G.P Ericson ◽  
Martin Irestedt

Biogeographic connections between Australia and other continents are still poorly understood although the plate tectonics of the Indo-Pacific region is now well described. Eupetes macrocerus is an enigmatic taxon distributed in a small area on the Malay Peninsula and on Sumatra and Borneo. It has generally been associated with Ptilorrhoa in New Guinea on the other side of Wallace's Line, but a relationship with the West African Picathartes has also been suggested. Using three nuclear markers, we demonstrate that Eupetes is the sister taxon of the South African genus Chaetops , and their sister taxon in turn being Picathartes , with a divergence in the Eocene. Thus, this clade is distributed in remote corners of Africa and Asia, which makes the biogeographic history of these birds very intriguing. The most parsimonious explanation would be that they represent a relictual basal group in the Passerida clade established after a long-distance dispersal from the Australo-Papuan region to Africa. Many earlier taxonomic arrangements may have been based on assumptions about relationships with similar-looking forms in the same, or adjacent, biogeographic regions, and revisions with molecular data may uncover such cases of neglect of ancient relictual patterns reflecting past connections between the continents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Kole F. Adelalu ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Xiaojian Qu ◽  
Jacob B. Landis ◽  
Jun Shen ◽  
...  

Investigating the biogeographical disjunction of East Asian and North American flora is key to understanding the formation and dynamics of biodiversity in the Northern Hemisphere. The small Cupressaceae genus Thuja, comprising five species, exhibits a typical disjunct distribution in East Asia and North America. Owing to obscure relationships, the biogeographical history of the genus remains controversial. Here, complete plastomes were employed to investigate the plastome evolution, phylogenetic relationships, and biogeographic history of Thuja. All plastomes of Thuja share the same gene content arranged in the same order. The loss of an IR was evident in all Thuja plastomes, and the B-arrangement as previously recognized was detected. Phylogenomic analyses resolved two sister pairs, T. standishii-T. koraiensis and T. occidentalis-T. sutchuenensis, with T. plicata sister to T. occidentalis-T. sutchuenensis. Molecular dating and biogeographic results suggest the diversification of Thuja occurred in the Middle Miocene, and the ancestral area of extant species was located in northern East Asia. Incorporating the fossil record, we inferred that Thuja likely originated from the high-latitude areas of North America in the Paleocene with a second diversification center in northern East Asia. The current geographical distribution of Thuja was likely shaped by dispersal events attributed to the Bering Land Bridge in the Miocene and subsequent vicariance events accompanying climate cooling. The potential effect of extinction may have profound influence on the biogeographical history of Thuja.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James F Hancock ◽  
Harold H Prince

Abstract Background and Aims The beach strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis, is found in a narrow coastal band from the Aleutian Islands to central California and then jumps thousands of kilometres all the way to Hawaii and Chile. As it probably had a North American origin, it must have been introduced to the other locations by long-distance dispersal. The aim of this study was to determine which agent carried the beach strawberry to its Pacific and South American locations. Methods A deductive framework was constructed to separate between the possible modes of long-distance dispersal involving animals, wind and ocean currents. Bird migration was subsequently identified as the most likely scenario, and then the routes, habitats, feeding preferences and flight distances of all the shorebird species were evaluated to determine the most likely carrier. Key Results Six species migrate between North America and Chile and feed on the beaches and rocky shores where F. chiloensis grows naturally: Black-bellied Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Whimbrels and Willets. Of these, only two eat fruit and migrate in long continuous flight: Ruddy Turnstones and Whimbrels. Two species travel between North America and Hawaii, eat fruit and forage on the beaches and rocky shores where F. chiloensis grows naturally: Pacific Golden-plovers and Ruddy Turnstones. Ruddy Turnstones eat far less fruit than Pacific Golden-plovers and Whimbrels, making them less likely to have introduced the beach strawberry to either location. Conclusions We provide evidence that F. chiloesis seeds were probably dispersed to Hawaii by Pacific Golden-plovers and to Chile by Whimbrels.


Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2478 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
DMITRY A. SIDOROV ◽  
JOHN R. HOLSINGER ◽  
VADIM V. TAKHTEEV

Two new species of the subterranean amphipod genus Stygobromus are described from groundwater habitats in Siberia: Stygobromus mikhaili n. sp. from a spring in the Central Altay Mountains and Stygobromus anastasiae n. sp. from two non-freezing springs in South Pribaikalye in the Irkutsk area. Additional taxonomic details of the previously described S. pusillus (Martynov) from Teletskoye Lake, also in Central Altay, are illustrated based on syntype material. Utilization of SEM has revealed a tiny structure on antenna 2 that appears to be a new character, and may prove useful in future analyses. Descriptions of the two new species raise the total number of described species in the genus Stygobromus to 134, but four or possibly five have been found in the Palearctic region outside North America. However, it is likely that continued exploration of subterranean groundwater habitats in Siberia and other parts of the Palearctic will reveal additional new species of Stygobromus and provide more insight into the origin and geographic distribution of this large, northern hemisphere, subterranean freshwater amphipod genus. Careful evaluation of taxonomic affinities of the new species and comparison with previously described congeners should provide further insight into the biogeographic history of Stygobromus.


2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim R. Muirhead ◽  
Brian Leung ◽  
Colin Overdijk ◽  
David W. Kelly ◽  
Kanavillil Nandakumar ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Pirie ◽  
Martha Kandziora ◽  
Nicolai M. Nürk ◽  
Nicholas C. Le Maitre ◽  
Ana Mugrabi de Kuppler ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The coincidence of long distance dispersal (LDD) and biome shift is assumed to be the result of a multifaceted interplay between geographical distance and ecological suitability of source and sink areas. Here, we test the influence of these factors on the dispersal history of the flowering plant genus Erica (Ericaceae) across the Afrotemperate. We quantify similarity of Erica climate niches per biogeographic area using direct observations of species, and test various colonisation scenarios while estimating ancestral areas for the Erica clade using parametric biogeographic model testing. Results We infer that the overall dispersal history of Erica across the Afrotemperate is the result of infrequent colonisation limited by geographic proximity and niche similarity. However, the Drakensberg Mountains represent a colonisation sink, rather than acting as a “stepping stone” between more distant and ecologically dissimilar Cape and Tropical African regions. Strikingly, the most dramatic examples of species radiations in Erica were the result of single unique dispersals over longer distances between ecologically dissimilar areas, contradicting the rule of phylogenetic biome conservatism. Conclusions These results highlight the roles of geographical and ecological distance in limiting LDD, but also the importance of rare biome shifts, in which a unique dispersal event fuels evolutionary radiation.


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