Isonymy and the genetic structure of Switzerland. II. Isolation by distance

Abstract We used DNA fingerprinting to assess genetic structure of populations in Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea). We analyzed mates and parent-offspring relationships, as well as the amount and distribution of genetic variation within and among populations, from the level of subcolony to subspecies. We found no evidence of extrapair fertilization, confirming that the genetic breeding system matches the social system that has been observed in the species. Mates were closely related, and the level of genetic relatedness within populations was within the range usually found in inbred populations. In contrast to previous studies based on allozymes and mtDNA polymorphism, DNA fingerprinting using microsatellites revealed consistent levels of genetic differentiation among populations. However, analyzing the two subspecies separately revealed that the pattern of genetic variation among populations did not support the model of isolation by distance. Natal dispersal, as well as historic and/or demographic events, probably contributed to shape the genetic structure of populations in the species.

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Genetic population structure of the monogenean parasite Gyrodactylus thymalli and its host European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) in a large Norwegian lake

Hydrobiologia ◽

10.1007/s10750-020-04431-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ruben Alexander Pettersen ◽

Claudia Junge ◽

Kjartan Østbye ◽

Tor Atle Mo ◽

Leif Asbjørn Vøllestad

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Evolutionary Biology ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Genetic Structuring ◽

Thymallus Thymallus ◽

Homing Behavior ◽

Genetic Population ◽

Monogenean Parasite ◽

European Grayling ◽

Genetic Clusters

Abstract Understanding how populations are structured in space and time is a central question in evolutionary biology. Parasites and their hosts are assumed to evolve together, however, detailed understanding of mechanisms leading to genetic structuring of parasites and their hosts are lacking. As a parasite depends on its host, studying the genetic structure of both parasite and host can reveal important insights into these mechanisms. Here, genetic structure of the monogenean parasite Gyrodactylus thymalli and its host the European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) was investigated in 10 tributaries draining into the large Lake Mjøsa in Norway. The population genetic structure of spawning grayling was studied using microsatellite genotyping, while G. thymalli was studied by sequencing a mitochondrial DNA gene (dehydrogenase subunit 5). Two main genetic clusters were revealed in grayling, one cluster comprising grayling from the largest spawning population, while the remaining tributaries formed the second cluster. For both taxa, some genetic differentiation was observed among tributaries, but there was no clear isolation-by-distance signature. The structuring was stronger for the host than for the parasite. These results imply that moderate to high levels of gene flow occur among the sub-populations of both taxa. The high parasite exchange among tributaries could result from a lack of strong homing behavior in grayling as well as interactions among individual fish outside of the spawning season, leading to frequent mixing of both host and parasite.

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Significant population genetic structure detected for a new and highly restricted species of Atriplex (Chenopodiaceae) from Western Australia, and implications for conservation management

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt11223 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 32 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Laurence J. Clarke ◽

Duncan I. Jardine ◽

Margaret Byrne ◽

Kelly Shepherd ◽

Andrew J. Lowe

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

New Species ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Western Australia ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

New Taxon ◽

Near Surface ◽

Two Populations

Atriplex sp. Yeelirrie Station (L. Trotter & A. Douglas LCH 25025) is a highly restricted, potentially new species of saltbush, known from only two sites ~30 km apart in central Western Australia. Knowledge of genetic structure within the species is required to inform conservation strategies as both populations occur within a palaeovalley that contains significant near-surface uranium mineralisation. We investigate the structure of genetic variation within populations and subpopulations of this taxon using nuclear microsatellites. Internal transcribed spacer sequence data places this new taxon within a clade of polyploid Atriplex species, and the maximum number of alleles per locus suggests it is hexaploid. The two populations possessed similar levels of genetic diversity, but exhibited a surprising level of genetic differentiation given their proximity. Significant isolation by distance over scales of less than 5 km suggests dispersal is highly restricted. In addition, the proportion of variation between the populations (12%) is similar to that among A. nummularia populations sampled at a continent-wide scale (several thousand kilometres), and only marginally less than that between distinct A. nummularia subspecies. Additional work is required to further clarify the exact taxonomic status of the two populations. We propose management recommendations for this potentially new species in light of its highly structured genetic variation.

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Spatial genetic structure of the sea sandwort (<i>Honckenya peploides</i>) on Surtsey: an immigrant's journey

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-11-6495-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (22) ◽

pp. 6495-6507 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S. H. Árnason ◽

Ǽ. Th. Thórsson ◽

B. Magnússon ◽

M. Philipp ◽

H. Adsersen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Early Stage ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Spatial Genetic Structure ◽

Rapid Expansion ◽

Aflp Markers ◽

Plant Colonization ◽

Southern Coast ◽

Binary Matrix

Abstract. Sea sandwort (Honckenya peploides) was one of the first plants to successfully colonize and reproduce on the volcanic island Surtsey, formed in 1963 off the southern coast of Iceland. Using amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers, we examined levels of genetic variation and differentiation among populations of H. peploides on Surtsey in relation to populations on the nearby island Heimaey and from the southern coast of Iceland. Selected populations from Denmark and Greenland were used for comparison. In addition, we tested whether the effects of isolation by distance could be seen in the Surtsey populations. Using two primer combinations, we obtained 173 AFLP markers from a total of 347 plant samples. The resulting binary matrix was then analysed statistically. The main results include the following: (i) Surtsey had the highest proportion of polymorphic markers as well as a comparatively high genetic diversity (55.5% proportion of polymorphic loci, PLP; 0.1974 HE) and Denmark the lowest (31.8% PLP; 0.132 HE), indicating rapid expansion during an early stage of population establishment on Surtsey and/or multiple origins of immigrants; (ii) the total genetic differentiation (FST) among Surtsey (0.0714) and Heimaey (0.055) populations was less than half of that found among the mainland populations in Iceland (0.1747), indicating substantial gene flow on the islands; (iii) most of the genetic variation (79%, p < 0.001) was found within localities, possibly due to the outcrossing and subdioecious nature of the species; (iv) a significant genetic distance was found within Surtsey, among sites, and this appeared to correlate with the age of plant colonization; and (v) the genetic structure analysis indicated multiple colonization episodes on Surtsey, whereby H. peploides most likely immigrated from the nearby island of Heimaey and directly from the southern coast of Iceland.

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Genetic structure and dispersal patterns of the invasive psocid Liposcelis decolor (Pearman) in Australian grain storage systems

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485309990538 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 100 (5) ◽

pp. 521-527 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

K.M. Mikac ◽

N.N. FitzSimmons

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Geographic Distance ◽

Allelic Diversity ◽

Mantel Test ◽

Null Alleles ◽

Dispersal Patterns ◽

Long Distance ◽

Population Comparisons ◽

Low Levels

AbstractMicrosatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic structure among invasive L. decolor populations from Australia and a single international population from Kansas, USA to determine patterns of dispersal. Six variable microsatellites displayed an average of 2.5–4.2 alleles per locus per population. Observed (HO) heterozygosity ranged from 0.12–0.65 per locus within populations; but, in 13 of 36 tests, HO was less than expected. Despite low levels of allelic diversity, genetic structure estimated as θ was significant for all pairwise comparisons between populations (θ=0.05–0.23). Due to suspected null alleles at four loci, ENA (excluding null alleles) corrected FST estimates were calculated overall and for pairwise population comparisons. The ENA-corrected FST values (0.02–0.10) revealed significant overall genetic structure, but none of the pairwise values were significantly different from zero. A Mantel test of isolation by distance indicated no relationship between genetic structure and geographic distance among all populations (r2=0.12, P=0.18) and for Australian populations only (r2=0.19, P=0.44), suggesting that IBD does not describe the pattern of gene flow among populations. This study supports a hypothesis of long distance dispersal by L. decolor at moderate to potentially high levels.

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Can We Compare Effect Size of Spatial Genetic Structure Between Studies and Species Using Moran Eigenvector Maps?

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.3389/fevo.2021.612718 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Celia Hein ◽

Hossam E. Abdel Moniem ◽

Helene H. Wagner

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Effect Size ◽

Stationary Process ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Spatial Genetic Structure ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Sampling Locations ◽

Number Of Individuals ◽

Moran Eigenvector Maps

As the field of landscape genetics is progressing toward comparative empirical studies and meta-analysis, it is important to know how best to compare the strength of spatial genetic structure between studies and species. Moran’s Eigenvector Maps are a promising method that does not make an assumption of isolation-by-distance in a homogeneous environment but can discern cryptic structure that may result from multiple processes operating in heterogeneous landscapes. MEMgene uses spatial filters from Moran’s Eigenvector Maps as predictor variables to explain variation in a genetic distance matrix, and it returns adjusted R2 as a measure of the amount of genetic variation that is spatially structured. However, it is unclear whether, and under which conditions, this value can be used to compare the degree of spatial genetic structure (effect size) between studies. This study addresses the fundamental question of comparability at two levels: between independent studies (meta-analysis mode) and between species sampled at the same locations (comparative mode). We used published datasets containing 9,900 haploid, biallelic, neutral loci simulated on a quasi-continuous, square landscape under four demographic scenarios (island model, isolation-by-distance, expansion from one or two refugia). We varied the genetic resolution (number of individuals and loci) and the number of random sampling locations. We considered two measures of effect size, the MEMgene adjusted R2 and multivariate Moran’s I, which is related to Moran’s Eigenvector Maps. Both metrics were highly sensitive to the number of locations, even when using standardized effect sizes, SES, and the number of individuals sampled per location, but not to the number of loci. In comparative mode, using the same Moran Eigenvector Maps for all species, even those with missing values at some sampling locations, reduced bias due to the number of locations under isolation-by-distance (stationary process) but increased it under expansion from one or two refugia (non-stationary process). More robust measures of effect size need to be developed before the strength of spatial genetic structure can be accurately compared, either in a meta-analysis of independent empirical studies or within a comparative, multispecies landscape genetic study.

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Population genetic structure and variability in Lindera glauca (Lauraceae) indicates low levels of genetic diversity and skewed sex ratios in natural populations in mainland China

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.8304 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e8304 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Biao Xiong ◽

Limei Zhang ◽

Shubin Dong ◽

Zhixiang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Sex Ratios ◽

Mainland China ◽

Small Sample ◽

Chloroplast Microsatellites ◽

Wild Populations ◽

Haplotype Networks ◽

Low Levels

Lindera glauca (Lauraceae) is a tree of economic and ecological significance that reproduces sexually and asexually via apomictic seeds. It is widely distributed in the low-altitude montane forests of East Asia. Despite the potential implications of a mixed reproductive system in terms of genetic diversity, few studies have focused on this aspect. In this study, the genetic structure of wild populations of L. glauca was investigated via genetic analyses. Overall, 13 nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) and five chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSRs) were used to genotype 300 individual plants, taken from 20 wild populations (a small sample size in some wild populations is due to the limitation of its specific reproduction, leading to certain limitations in the results of this study) and two cultivated populations ranging across nearly the entire natural distribution of mainland China. The populations exhibited low levels of genetic diversity (nSSR: AR = 1.75, Ho = 0.32, He = 0.36; cpSSR: Nb = 2.01, Hrs = 0.40), and no significant effect of isolation by distance between populations existed, regardless of marker type (nSSR: R2 = 0.0401, P = 0.068; cpSSR: R2 = 0.033, P = 0.091). Haplotype networks showed complex relationships among populations, and the H12 haplotype was predominant in most populations. Analyses of molecular variance obtained with nuclear markers (Fsc = 0.293, FST = 0.362) and chloroplast markers (Fsc = 0.299, FST = 0.312) were similar. The migration ratio of pollen flow versus seed flow in this study was negative (r = −1.149). Results suggest that weak barriers of dispersal between populations and/or the similarity of founders shared between neighbors and distant populations are indicative of the gene flow between populations more likely involving seeds. Wild L. glauca in mainland China was inferred to have highly skewed sex ratios with predominant females. In addition, some populations experienced a recent bottleneck effect, especially in Gujianshan, Chongqing, and southwest China (population GJS). It is suggested that few wild male individuals should be conserved in order to maintain overall genetic diversity in the wild populations of this species. These findings provide important information for the sustainable utilization and preservation of the overall genetic diversity of L. glauca.

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Comparative population genetic structure of two Ixodidae ticks (Ixodes ovatus and Haemaphysalis flava) in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

10.1101/862904 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Angenica Fulo Regilme ◽

Megumi Sato ◽

Tsutomu Tamura ◽

Reiko Arai ◽

Marcello Otake Sato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Large Scale ◽

Southern China ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Mantel Test ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Data Set ◽

Genetic Groups ◽

Niigata Prefecture ◽

Haemaphysalis Flava

AbstractIxodid tick species such as Ixodes ovatus and Haemaphysalis flava are important vector of tick-borne diseases in Japan. In this study, we used genetic structure at two mitochondrial loci (cox1, 16S rRNA gene) to infer gene flow patterns of I. ovatus and H. flava from Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Samples were collected in 29 (I. ovatus) and 17 (H. flava) sampling locations across Niigata Prefecture (12,584.18 km2). For I. ovatus, pairwise FST and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) analyses of cox1 sequences indicated significant among-population differentiation. This was in contrast to H. flava, for which there were few cases of low significant pairwise differentiation. A Mantel test revealed isolation by distance and there was positive spatial autocorrelation of haplotypes in I. ovatus cox1 and 16S sequences, but non-significant results were observed in H. flava in both markers. We found three genetic groups (China 1, China 2 and Japan) in the cox1 I. ovatus tree. Newly sampled I. ovatus grouped together with a published I. ovatus sequence from northern Japan and were distinct from two other I. ovatus groups that were reported from southern China. The three genetic groups in our data set suggest the potential for cryptic species among the groups. While many factors can potentially account for the observed differences in genetic structure between the two species, including population persistence and large-scale patterns of range expansion, the differences in the mobility of hosts of tick immature stages (small mammals in I. ovatus; birds in H. flava) is possibly driving the observed patterns.

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Diverging Genetic Structure of Coexisting Populations of the Black Storm-Petrel and the Least Storm-Petrel in the Gulf of California

Tropical Conservation Science ◽

10.1177/1940082920949177 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 194008292094917

Author(s):

Misael D. Mancilla-Morales ◽

Santiago Romero-Fernández ◽

Araceli Contreras-Rodríguez ◽

José J. Flores-Martínez ◽

Víctor Sánchez-Cordero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Population Genetic Structure ◽

Mate Selection ◽

Gulf Of California ◽

Population Genetic ◽

Life Histories ◽

Gene Diversity ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Storm Petrel

Estimations on the influence of evolutionary and ecological forces as drivers of population gene diversity and genetic structure have been performed on a growing number of colonial seabirds, but many remain poorly studied. In particular, the population genetic structure of storm-petrels (Hydrobatidae) has been evaluated in only a few of the 24 recognized species. We assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of the Black Storm-Petrel ( Hydrobates melania) and the Least Storm-Petrel ( Hydrobates microsoma) in the Gulf of California. The two species were selected because they are pelagic seabirds with comparable ecological traits and breeding grounds. Recent threats such as introduced species of predators and human disturbance have resulted in a decline of many insular vertebrate populations in this region and affected many different aspects of their life histories (ranging from reproductive success to mate selection), with a concomitant loss of genetic diversity. To elucidate to what extent the population genetic structure occurs in H. melania and H. microsoma, we used 719 base pairs from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I gene. The evaluation of their molecular diversity, genetic structure, and gene flow were performed through diversity indices, analyses of molecular and spatial variance, and isolation by distance (IBD) across sampling sites, respectively. The population genetic structure (via AMOVA and SAMOVA) and isolation by distance (pairwise p-distances and FST/1– FST (using ΦST) were inferred for H. microsoma. However, for H. melania evidence was inconclusive. We discuss explanations leading to divergent population genetic structure signatures in these species, and the consequences for their conservation.

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Genotyping-by-sequencing reveals genomic homogeneity among overwintering Pacific Dunlin (Calidris alpina pacifica) aggregations along the Pacific coast of North America

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/duz036 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 121 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Iva Popovic ◽

David P L Toews ◽

Carson C Keever ◽

C Toby St. Clair ◽

Blake A Barbaree ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

River Estuary ◽

Genotyping By Sequencing ◽

Genomic Diversity ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Migratory Connectivity ◽

Calidris Alpina ◽

The Pacific

Abstract Information on how migratory populations are genetically structured during the overwintering season of the annual cycle can improve our understanding of the strength of migratory connectivity and help identify populations as units for management. Here, we use a genotype-by-sequencing approach to investigate whether population genetic structure exists among overwintering aggregations of the Pacific Dunlin subspecies (Calidris alpina pacifica) sampled at 2 spatial scales (within and among overwintering sites) in the eastern Pacific Flyway. Genome-wide analyses of 874 single nucleotide polymorphisms across 80 sampled individuals revealed no evidence for genetic differentiation among aggregations overwintering at 3 locations within the Fraser River Estuary (FRE) of British Columbia. Similarly, comparisons of aggregations in the FRE and those overwintering in southern sites in California and Mexico indicated no genetic segregation between northern and southern overwintering areas. These results suggest that Pacific Dunlin within the FRE, Sacramento Valley (California), and Guerrero Negro (Mexico) are genetically homogeneous, with no evident genetic structure between sampled sites or regions across the overwintering range. Despite no evidence for differentiation among aggregations, we identified a significant effect of geographical distance between sites on the distribution of individual genotypes in a redundancy analysis. A small proportion of the total genotypic variance (R2 =0.036, P = 0.011) was explained by the combined effect of latitude and longitude, suggesting weak genomic patterns of isolation-by-distance that are consistent with chain-like migratory connectivity between breeding and overwintering areas. Our study represents the first genome-scale investigation of population structure for a Dunlin subspecies and provides essential baseline estimates of genomic diversity and differentiation within the Pacific Dunlin.

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