scholarly journals Surfing in tortoises? Empirical signs of genetic structuring owing to range expansion

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 20121091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Graciá ◽  
Francisco Botella ◽  
José Daniel Anadón ◽  
Pim Edelaar ◽  
D. James Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Drift ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
Genetic Structuring ◽  
Testudo Graeca ◽  
Wave Of Advance ◽  
Expanding Population ◽  
Genetic Signatures

Much of our current knowledge about the genetic dynamics in range expansions originates from models, simulations and microcosm experiments that need to be corroborated by field data. Here, we report a neutral genetic pattern that matches the predictions of the genetic surfing theory. Genetic surfing occurs when repeated founding events and genetic drift act on the wave of advance of an expanding population, promoting strong spatial structure. In the range expansion of the tortoise Testudo graeca from North Africa to southeastern Spain, we found several genetic signatures consistent with surfing: a decrease of genetic diversity with distance from the initial founder area, clinal patterns in allele frequencies, rare African alleles which have become common at distal sites in the Spanish range, and stronger spatial differentiation in the expanded range than in the original one. Our results provide support for the theory that genetic drift can be an important force in shaping the genetic structure of expanding populations.

scholarly journals Rhinocerotidae from the early Miocene of the Negev (Israel) and implications for the dispersal of early Neogene rhinoceroses

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Luca Pandolfi ◽  
Ran Calvo ◽  
Ari Grossman ◽  
Rivka Rabinovich
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
New Records ◽  
Ct Scanning ◽  
Early Miocene ◽  
Early Neogene ◽  
Postcranial Remains

Abstract A revision of the rhinocerotid material from the Negev (Israel), dating back to the early Miocene (MN3 in the European Mammal Biochronology), highlights the presence of Brachypotherium and a taxon close to Gaindatherium in the Levantine corridor. A juvenile mandible, investigated using CT scanning, displays morphologically distinct characters consistent with Brachypotherium cf. B. snowi rather than with other Eurasian representatives of this genus. Some postcranial remains from the Negev, such as a humerus, display features that distinguish it among Miocene taxa. We attribute these postcrania to cf. Gaindatherium sp., a taxon never recorded outside the Siwaliks until now. This taxon dispersed into the Levantine region during the late early Miocene, following a pattern similar to other South Asian taxa. Brachypotherium cf. B. snowi probably occurred in the Levantine region and then in North Africa during the early Miocene because its remains are known from slightly younger localities such as Moghara (Egypt) and Jebel Zelten (Libya). The occurrence cf. Gaindatherium sp. represents a previously unrecorded range expansion out of Southeast Asia. These new records demonstrate the paleogeographic importance of the Levantine region showcasing the complex role of the Levantine corridor in intercontinental dispersals between Asia and Europe as well as Eurasia and Africa.

scholarly journals New distributional record of Anthrenus dorsatus Mulsant & Rey, 1868 (Coleoptera, Dermestidae), Thessaloniki, Greece

Check List ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1077-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham J. Holloway ◽  
Dimitrios E. Bakaloudis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin

Anthrenus dorsatus Mulsant & Rey, 1868 has been recorded from North Africa, Malta, and Iberia. During a recent visit to Thessaloniki, Greece, several Anthrenus species were collected, including A. dorsatus. The previously known distribution of A. dorsatus suggested that this species was restricted to the western Mediterranean basin, possibly with a coastal bias. This record extends the known range of A. dorsatus farther east and providing more evidence of range expansion in the pimpinellae species group across Europe, possibly driven by global climate change.

scholarly journals Range expansion is associated with increased survival and fecundity in a long-lived bat species

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1906) ◽  
pp. 20190384 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.-L. Jan ◽  
L. Lehnen ◽  
A.-L. Besnard ◽  
G. Kerth ◽  
M. Biedermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Juvenile Survival ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Population Growth Rates ◽  
Expanding Population

The speed and dynamics of range expansions shape species distributions and community composition. Despite the critical impact of population growth rates for range expansion, they are neglected in existing empirical studies, which focus on the investigation of selected life-history traits. Here, we present an approach based on non-invasive genetic capture–mark–recapture data for the estimation of adult survival, fecundity and juvenile survival, which determine population growth. We demonstrate the reliability of our method with simulated data, and use it to investigate life-history changes associated with range expansion in 35 colonies of the bat species Rhinolophus hipposideros . Comparing the demographic parameters inferred for 19 of those colonies which belong to an expanding population with those inferred for the remaining 16 colonies from a non-expanding population reveals that range expansion is associated with higher net reproduction. Juvenile survival was the main driver of the observed reproduction increase in this long-lived bat species with low per capita annual reproductive output. The higher average growth rate in the expanding population was not associated with a trade-off between increased reproduction and survival, suggesting that the observed increase in reproduction stems from a higher resource acquisition in the expanding population. Environmental conditions in the novel habitat hence seem to have an important influence on range expansion dynamics, and warrant further investigation for the management of range expansion in both native and invasive species.

scholarly journals Serial founder effects and genetic differentiation during worldwide range expansion of monarch butterflies

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1797) ◽  
pp. 20142230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda A. Pierce ◽  
Myron P. Zalucki ◽  
Marie Bangura ◽  
Milan Udawatta ◽  
Marcus R. Kronforst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Genetic Drift ◽  
North American ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Founder Effects ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
High Dispersal

Range expansions can result in founder effects, increasing genetic differentiation between expanding populations and reducing genetic diversity along the expansion front. However, few studies have addressed these effects in long-distance migratory species, for which high dispersal ability might counter the effects of genetic drift. Monarchs ( Danaus plexippus ) are best known for undertaking a long-distance annual migration in North America, but have also dispersed around the world to form populations that do not migrate or travel only short distances. Here, we used microsatellite markers to assess genetic differentiation among 18 monarch populations and to determine worldwide colonization routes. Our results indicate that North American monarch populations connected by land show limited differentiation, probably because of the monarch's ability to migrate long distances. Conversely, we found high genetic differentiation between populations separated by large bodies of water. Moreover, we show evidence for serial founder effects across the Pacific, suggesting stepwise dispersal from a North American origin. These findings demonstrate that genetic drift played a major role in shaping allele frequencies and created genetic differentiation among newly formed populations. Thus, range expansion can give rise to genetic differentiation and declines in genetic diversity, even in highly mobile species.

scholarly journals Cooperation mitigates diversity loss in a spatially expanding microbial population

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (47) ◽  
pp. 23582-23587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurabh R. Gandhi ◽  
Kirill S. Korolev ◽  
Jeff Gore
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Drift ◽  
Founder Effect ◽  
Microbial Population ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Drastic Reduction ◽  
Diversity Loss ◽  
Abrupt Changes ◽  
Expanding Population ◽  
Serial Founder Effect

The evolution and potentially even the survival of a spatially expanding population depends on its genetic diversity, which can decrease rapidly due to a serial founder effect. The strength of the founder effect is predicted to depend strongly on the details of the growth dynamics. Here, we probe this dependence experimentally using a single microbial species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, expanding in multiple environments that induce varying levels of cooperativity during growth. We observe a drastic reduction in diversity during expansions when yeast grows noncooperatively on simple sugars, but almost no loss of diversity when cooperation is required to digest complex metabolites. These results are consistent with theoretical expectations: When cells grow independently from each other, the expansion proceeds as a pulled wave driven by growth at the low-density tip of the expansion front. Such populations lose diversity rapidly because of the strong genetic drift at the expansion edge. In contrast, diversity loss is substantially reduced in pushed waves that arise due to cooperative growth. In such expansions, the low-density tip of the front grows much more slowly and is often reseeded from the genetically diverse population core. Additionally, in both pulled and pushed expansions, we observe a few instances of abrupt changes in allele fractions due to rare fluctuations of the expansion front and show how to distinguish such rapid genetic drift from selective sweeps.

Is the imperilled spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) native in Sardinia? Implications from population genetics and for conservation

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Corti ◽  
Uwe Fritz ◽  
Heiko Stuckas ◽  
Melita Vamberger
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Mtdna Sequences ◽  
Habitat Directive ◽  
Emys Orbicularis ◽  
Testudo Graeca ◽  
Wild Fauna ◽  
Sardinian Population ◽  
Council Regulation ◽  
Ec Law

AbstractUsing mtDNA sequences and 12 microsatellite loci, we compare populations of Testudo graeca from Sardinia and North Africa. The observed pattern of almost no differentiation combined with reduced variation in the Sardinian population is consistent with introduction in prehistoric or historic times from what is now Tunisia and neighbouring Algeria. Furthermore, in the light of the recently published recommendation to eradicate the non-native T. graeca from Italy, we review recent studies on the archaeological and fossil record, on the phylogeography and population genetics of the three other chelonian species occurring in Sardinia (Emys orbicularis, T. hermanni, T. marginata). We conclude that the extant Sardinian populations of all four species are not native. However, they are and should be safeguarded under EC law (Council Regulation No 338/97 on the Protection of Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; Flora Fauna Habitat Directive: Appendix IV, Art. 12) because they serve as a back-up for the declining mainland populations. Moreover, these populations constitute an important part of the human-shaped natural heritage of the Mediterranean.

scholarly journals Evolution of populations expanding on curved surfaces

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Beller ◽  
Kim M. J. Alards ◽  
Francesca Tesser ◽  
Ricardo A. Mosna ◽  
Federico Toschi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Range Expansion ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Flat Surface ◽  
Analytical Description ◽  
Relative Increase ◽  
Curved Surfaces ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Neutral Genetic Diversity ◽  
Expanding Population ◽  
Dynamics Of Populations

AbstractThe expansion of a population into new habitat is a transient process that leaves its footprints in the genetic composition of the expanding population. How the structure: of the environment shapes the population front and the evolutionary dynamics during such a range expansion is little understood. Here, we investigate the evolutionary dynamics of populations consisting of many selectively neutral genotypes expanding on curved surfaces. Using a combination of individual-based off-lattice simulations, geometrical arguments, and lattice-based stepping-stone simulations, we characterise the effect of individual bumps on an otherwise flat surface. Compared to the case of a range expansion on a flat surface:, we observe a transient relative increase, followed by a decrease, in neutral genetic diversity at the population front. Ill addition, we find that individuals at the sides of the bump have a dramatically increased expected number of descendants, while their neighbours closer to the bump’s centre are far less lucky. Both observations can be explained using an analytical description of straight paths (geodesics) on the curved surface, Complementing previous studies of heterogeneous flat environments, the findings here build our understanding of how complex environments shape the evolutionary dynamics of expanding populations.

scholarly journals The interaction of climate history and evolution impacts alpine biodiversity assembly differently in freshwater and on land

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Jardim-deQueiroz ◽  
Carmela J. Doenz ◽  
Florian Altermatt ◽  
Roman Alther ◽  
Špela Borko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Radiation ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Glacial Refugia ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Climate History ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Climate Fluctuations ◽  
Quaternary Climate ◽  
Genetic Signatures

Quaternary climate fluctuations can affect biodiversity assembly through speciation in two non-mutually-exclusive ways: a glacial species pump, where isolation in glacial refugia accelerates allopatric speciation, and adaptive radiation during ice-free periods. Here we detected biogeographic and genetic signatures associated with both mechanisms in the generation of the European Alps biodiversity. Age distributions of endemic and widespread species within aquatic and terrestrial taxa (amphipods, fishes, amphibians, butterflies and flowering plants) revealed that endemic fish evolved only in lakes, are highly sympatric and mainly of Holocene age, consistent with adaptive radiation. Endemic amphipods are ancient, suggesting preglacial radiation with limited range expansion and local Pleistocene survival, perhaps facilitated by a groundwater-dwelling lifestyle. Terrestrial endemics are mostly of Pleistocene age, and are thus more consistent with the glacial species pump. The lack of evidence for Holocene adaptive radiation in the terrestrial biome may be attributable to a faster range expansion of these taxa after glacial retreats, though fewer stable environments may also have contributed to differences between terrestrial areas and lakes. The high proportion of young, endemic species make the Alps vulnerable to climate change, but the mechanisms and consequences of species loss will likely differ between biomes because of their distinct histories.

scholarly journals A Latitudinal Diversity Gradient in Terrestrial Bacteria of the Genus Streptomyces

mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl P. Andam ◽  
James R. Doroghazi ◽  
Ashley N. Campbell ◽  
Peter J. Kelly ◽  
Mallory J. Choudoir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Genetic Drift ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Dispersal Limitation ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Diversity Gradient ◽  
Regional Diversification ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACT We show that Streptomyces biogeography in soils across North America is influenced by the regional diversification of microorganisms due to dispersal limitation and genetic drift. Streptomyces spp. form desiccation-resistant spores, which can be dispersed on the wind, allowing for a strong test of whether dispersal limitation governs patterns of terrestrial microbial diversity. We employed an approach that has high sensitivity for determining the effects of genetic drift. Specifically, we examined the genetic diversity and phylogeography of physiologically similar Streptomyces strains isolated from geographically distributed yet ecologically similar habitats. We found that Streptomyces beta diversity scales with geographic distance and both beta diversity and phylogenetic diversity manifest in a latitudinal diversity gradient. This pattern of Streptomyces biogeography resembles patterns seen for diverse species of plants and animals, and we therefore evaluated these data in the context of ecological and evolutionary hypotheses proposed to explain latitudinal diversity gradients. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that niche conservatism limits dispersal, and historical patterns of glaciation have limited the time for speciation in higher-latitude sites. Most notably, higher-latitude sites have lower phylogenetic diversity, higher phylogenetic clustering, and evidence of range expansion from lower latitudes. In addition, patterns of beta diversity partition with respect to the glacial history of sites. Hence, the data support the hypothesis that extant patterns of Streptomyces biogeography have been driven by historical patterns of glaciation and are the result of demographic range expansion, dispersal limitation, and regional diversification due to drift. IMPORTANCE Biogeographic patterns provide insight into the evolutionary and ecological processes that govern biodiversity. However, the evolutionary and ecological processes that govern terrestrial microbial diversity remain poorly characterized. We evaluated the biogeography of the genus Streptomyces to show that the diversity of terrestrial bacteria is governed by many of the same processes that govern the diversity of many plant and animal species. While bacteria of the genus Streptomyces are a preeminent source of antibiotics, their evolutionary history, biogeography, and biodiversity remain poorly characterized. The observations we describe provide insight into the drivers of Streptomyces biodiversity and the processes that underlie microbial diversification in terrestrial habitats.

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