BREEDING SYSTEM, COLONY STRUCTURE, AND GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION IN THE CAMPONOTUS FESTINATUS SPECIES COMPLEX OF CARPENTER ANTS

AbstractAnts exhibit a striking variety of lifestyles, including highly specialist or mutualist species. The minute blind workers of the African genus Melissotarsus chew tunnels in live trees to accommodate their obligate partner scale insects. Their modified legs are adapted for tunneling, but are unsuited for walking outside, confining these ants to their initial host tree. Here, we investigated whether this unique lifestyle results in complex patterns of genetic diversity at different scales, from the same tree to different populations. Using 19 microsatellite markers, we assessed their mating strategy and colony structure among and across populations in South Africa. We showed that only one queen reproduces within a colony, mated with up to three males. Yet, several inseminated dealate queens are present in colonies; one probably replaces the older queen as colonies age. The reproduction of a single queen per colony at a given time results in genetic differentiation between colonies, even those located on the same tree. Overall, we discussed how the slow process of colony digging under the bark and the lack of worker patrolling above the bark might result in reduced competition between colonies and allow several secluded colonies to cohabit in a cramped space on a tree.

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Sea surface temperature, rather than land mass or geographic distance, may drive genetic differentiation in a species complex of highly dispersive seabirds

Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1002/ece3.8180 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lucas Torres ◽

Eric Pante ◽

Jacob González‐Solís ◽

Amélia Viricel ◽

Cécile Ribout ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Differentiation ◽

Surface Temperature ◽

Sea Surface Temperature ◽

Species Complex ◽

Geographic Distance ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Land Mass

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Contrasting evolutionary processes drive morphological and genetic differentiation in a subtropical fir (Abies, Pinaceae) species complex

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society ◽

10.1093/botlinnean/boz077 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jorge Cruz-Nicolás ◽

Gustavo Giles-Pérez ◽

Eréndira González-Linares ◽

Julia Múgica-Gallart ◽

Andrés Lira-Noriega ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Differentiation ◽

Population Size ◽

Species Complex ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Morphological Differentiation ◽

Resin Duct ◽

Evolutionary Force ◽

Ssr Loci ◽

Selective Forces ◽

Species Descriptions

Abstract Interacting stochastic and selective forces drive population and species divergence. Such interaction may generate contrasting clines between genetic and phenotypic factors, which can be related to either geographical or environmental variation depending on the predominant evolutionary force (which in its turn is partly determined by population size). Here, we investigated whether the morphological and genetic differentiation across a species complex in Abies in central Mexico fits isolation by distance (IBD) or isolation-by-adaptation (IBA) frameworks. This complex includes two species (A. religiosa and A. flinckii) with discernible morphological and environmental differences and dissimilar range sizes. After comparing variation at nuclear SSR loci and diagnostic morphological traits of needles with the climate variables contributing to ecological differentiation, we found that the widely distributed A. religiosa has more genetic diversity and is morphologically more heterogeneous than the geographically restricted A. flinckii. Morphological differentiation at three physiologically important traits (needle thickness, number of stomata rows and location of the resin duct) is significantly correlated with geography in A. flinckii (indicative of IBD), but is significantly associated with climate variation in A. religiosa (suggesting IBA). In agreement with quantitative genetics theory, PST (phenotypic differentiation)-G’ST (genetic differentiation) comparisons indicate contrasting contributions of putatively adaptive (A. religiosa) and stochastic (A. flinckii) factors to the morphological differentiation of species related to their population size. The integration of such quantitative genetic/evolutionary aspects may reinforce species descriptions and help in disentangling resilient taxonomic discordance.

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Chromosome, morphometric and breeding system studies in the Stylidium caricifolium species complex (Stylidiaceae)

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt9810397 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 397 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

DJ Coates

Keyword(s):

Transition Zone ◽

Western Australia ◽

Breeding System ◽

Species Complex ◽

Leaf Morphology ◽

Evolutionary Relationships ◽

Geographic Patterns ◽

Floral Characters ◽

Ecological Transition

Evolutionary relationships among the five species in the Stylidium caricifolium species complex were investigated by chromosome, morphometric and breeding system studies. Marked interspecific chromosome differences were found between all five species and chromosomally polymorphic individuals detected in populations of S. affine, S. caricifolium and S, sp. 2. In addition, chromosomal and morphological intermediates between S. affine and S. caricifolium were found in a region corresponding to an ecological transition zone between the wheat belt and Darling Scarp vegetation systems in southern Western Australia. The origin of these transition-zone forms, although conjectural at this stage, is discussed in the light of information available from chromosome studies. Morphometric studies demonstrated that S. affine, S. sp. 1 and S. sp. 2 can readily be distinguished from each other and from S. nungarinense and S. caricifolium. The last two species, although not detectably different in the floral characters measured, can be separated on leaf morphology. Breeding system studies suggested that all species with the exception of S. affine and S. caricifolium are effectively isolated from each other reproductively. The possible significance of chromosome repatterning and eco-geographic patterns in the evolution of the S. caricifolium species complex is discussed.

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