Index to Vegetatio,volumes 74–110 (1988–1994)

Chamaecytisus proliferus (L.fil.) Link (Fabaceae: Genisteae) represents a species complex in the Canary Islands. Floristic data from 147 releves from the whole complex were collected and analysed by classification (TWINSPAN) and ordination (DECORANA) methods. Results indicate that white escobon of Tenerife, escobon of El Hierro, white escobon of Gran Canaria and typical tagasaste in La Palma are associated with those plant communities from the north of these islands which are under the influence of the north-eastern trade winds. Narrow-leaved escobon in Tenerife and La Gomera, escobon of southern Gran Canaria and white tagasaste of La Palma are found in those areas which are not under the direct influence of these winds. Morphological forms from the more easterly islands (Gran Canaria and Tenerife-La Gomera) have the broadest ecological range and they have played an important role in the floristic changes which have taken place after the destruction of the forests in these islands. The highest priorities for in situ conservation should be given to wild populations of typical tagasaste, white escobon of Tenerife and escobon of El Hierro.Abbreviations IBPGR International Board for Plant Genetic Resources - DECORANA Detrended Correspondence Analysis - OTU Operational Taxonomic Unit - TWINSPAN Two Way Indicator Species Analysis     

Tracking colonization and diversification of insect lineages on islands: mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of Tarphius canariensis (Coleoptera: Colydiidae) on the Canary Islands.

The genus Tarphius Erichson (Coleoptera: Colydiidae) is represented by 29 species on the Canary Islands. The majority are rare, single-island endemics intimately associated with the monteverde (laurel forest and fayal-brezal). The Tarphius canariensis complex is by far the most abundant and geographically wide-spread, occurring on Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Palma. Eighty-seven individuals from the T. canariensis complex were sequenced for 444 bp of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI), 597 bp of the COII gene and the intervening tRNA(leu) gene. A neighbour-joining analysis of maximum-likelihood distances put La Palma as a single monophyletic clade of haplotypes occurring within a larger clade comprising all Tenerife haplotypes. Gran Canarian haplotypes were also monophyletic occurring on a separate lineage. Using a combination of the phylogeographic pattern for T. canariensis, geological data, biogeography of the remaining species and estimated divergence times, we proposed a Tenerifean origin in the old Teno massif and independent colonizations from here to north-eastern Tenerife (Anaga), Gran Canaria and La Palma. New methods of estimating diversification rates using branching times were applied to each island fauna. All islands exhibited a gradually decreasing rate of genetic diversification similar to that seen for Brachyderes rugatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from the Canary Islands.     

Complex population genetic structure in the endemic Canary Island pine revealed using chloroplast microsatellite markers

The Canary archipelago, located on the northwestern Atlantic coast of Africa, is comprised of seven islands aligned from east to west, plus seven minor islets. All the islands were formed by volcanic eruptions and their geological history is well documented providing a historical framework to study colonization events. The Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis C. Sm.), nowadays restricted to the westernmost Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro), is considered an old (Lower Cretaceous) relic from an ancient Mediterranean evolutionary centre. Twenty seven chloroplast haplotypes were found in Canary Island pine but only one of them was common to all populations. The distribution of haplotypic variation in P. canariensis suggested the colonization of western Canary Islands from a single continental source located close to the Mediterranean Basin. Present-day populations of Canary Island pine retain levels of genetic diversity equivalent to those found in Mediterranean continental pine species, Pinus pinaster and Pinus halepensis. A hierarchical analysis of variance (AMOVA) showed high differentiation among populations within islands (approximately 19%) but no differentiation among islands. Simple differentiation models such as isolation by distance or stepping-stone colonization from older to younger islands were rejected based on product-moment correlations between pairwise genetic distances and both geographic distances and population-age divergences. However, the distribution of cpSSR diversity within the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria pointed towards the importance of the role played by regional Pliocene and Quaternary volcanic activity and long-distance gene flow in shaping the population genetic structure of the Canary Island pine. Therefore, conservation strategies at the population level are strongly recommended for this species.Communicated by D.B. NealeA. Gómez and S.C. González-Martínez as joint authors     

Reconciling gene trees with organism history: the mtDNA phylogeography of three Nesotes species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on the western Canary Islands

The processes of island colonization and speciation are investigated through mtDNA studies on Canary Island beetles. The genus Nesotes (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is represented by 19 endemic species on the Canary Islands, the majority of which are single island endemics. Nesotes conformis is the most widespread, occurring on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro. Nesotes conformis forms a paraphyletic assemblage, with a split between Gran Canaria and the other three islands. Nesotes conformis of the western Canary Islands cluster with Nesotes altivagans and Nesotes elliptipennis from Tenerife. Fifty‐two individuals from this western islands species complex have been sequenced for 675 base pairs of the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase II gene, representing Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro. A neighbour joining analysis of maximum likelihood distances resulted in three distinct mtDNA lineages for N. conformis, two of which also include mitotypes of N. altivagans and N. elliptipennis. Through application of parametric bootstrap tests, we are able to reject hypotheses of monophyly for both N. conformis and N. altivagans. Nesotes altivagans and N. elliptipennis are poorly separated morphologically and mtDNA sequence data adds support to this being one species with a highly variable morphology. We propose that N. altivagans/N. elliptipennis is recently derived from two ancestral mtDNA lineages within N. conformis from the Teno region of Tenerife. We further propose colonization of the younger islands of La Palma and El Hierro by N. conformis from a mitochondrial lineage within the Teno massif (colonization; diversification; mitochondrial DNA; Canary Islands; Coleoptera).     

Phylogeography of skinks (Chalcides) in the Canary Islands inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) evolution was investigated in skinks of the genus Chalcides found in the Canary Islands ( Ch. sexlineatus, Ch. viridanus and Ch. simonyi ), together with some North African congenerics ( Ch. polylepis and Ch. mionecton ). Several sites were included within islands to cover areas of known within-island geographical variation in morphology. Skinks from the islands of El Hierro and La Gomera appear to be sister taxa. The relationships between this clade and the Tenerife and Gran Canarian skinks were not fully resolved, although the best working hypothesis indicated monophyly with the former, with the latter forming a closely related outgroup. Ch. simonyi from Fuerteventura was more distantly related to the Western Canary Island skinks and did not show close relationships with the North African species Ch. mionecton and Ch . polylepis . Possible colonization sequences for the four most Western Canary Islands were considered. El Hierro appears to have been colonized relatively recently from La Gomera, commensurate with the recent origin of this island, while dispersal between La Gomera and Tenerife and between Gran Canaria and Tenerife or La Gomera appears to have taken place considerably earlier. Substantial within-island haplotype divergence was found in Gran Canaria and Tenerife. This may be a result of recent periods of intense volcanic activity found within these two islands. Lower levels of within-island differentiation are found in La Gomera and El Hierro and may be explained by lower levels of volcanic activity during recent geological history and a more recent colonization, respectively.     

Origin and evolution of the endemic genera of Gonosperminae (Asteraceae: Anthemideae) from the Canary Islands: evidence from nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacers of the nuclear ribosomal DNA

The Gonosperminae (Asteraceae) are composed of three genera endemic to the Canary Islands (GONOSPERMUM: Less., and LUGOA: DC.) and southern Africa (INULANTHERA: K?llersj?), and they are considered an example of a floristic link between these two regions. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequences reveal that the Canarian genera are not sister to INULANTHERA: and do not support the monophyly of the Gonosperminae. These results, coupled with previous phylogenetic studies of other groups, suggest that many of the putative biogeographic links between Macaronesia and southeast Africa need to be evaluated by rigorous phylogenetic analyses. INULANTHERA: forms part of the basal southern African radiation of the Anthemideae, and therefore it is closely related to other taxa from this region. Maximum likelihood and weighted parsimony analyses support a monophyletic group in the Canary Islands, that includes LUGOA:, Gonospermum, and three TANACETUM: species endemic to the island of Gran Canaria. Bootstrap support for the monophyly of this Canarian group is weak, and it collapses in the strict consensus tree based on unweighted parsimony. LUGOA: is nested within Gonospermum, and both interisland colonization among the western islands of La Gomera, El Hierro, La Palma and Tenerife, and radiation on the central island of Gran Canaria have been the major patterns of species diversification for these Canarian endemics.     

Phylogeography of the blue tit ( Parus teneriffae -group) on the Canary Islands based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data and morphometrics

An analysis of the sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1005 bp) of the Parus teneriffae-group from the Canary Islands and North Africa revealed new insights into the phylogeography of this taxon. The origin of the radiation on the Canarian Archipelago was apparently one of the central islands—Tenerife or Gran Canaria. The populations on El Hierro (P. t. ombriosus) and La Palma (P. t. palmensis) represent distinct monophyletic lineages. Blue tits from Gran Canaria are genetically distinct from those of La Gomera and Tenerife (P. t. teneriffae), which supports the results of other studies and suggests the existence of an—until now—undescribed taxon there. In contrast, the populations on the eastern islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (P. t. degener) could not be distinguished from North African blue tits (P. t. ultramarinus), and these populations should be subsumed under the subspecies ultramarinus. Taxonomic recommendations based on these results include the distinction of the northern European P. caeruleus from P. teneriffae, including blue tits from North Africa and the Canary Islands, the treatment of degener and ultramarinus as synonymous (P. teneriffae ultramarinus) and a new blue tit taxon on the island of Gran Canaria (P. t. hedwigii nov. ssp.), which is formally described. The genetic results are in parts supported by bioacoustic and morphological data.     

A Bryophyte Flora of Kent. IV. Addenda and Corrigenda

Abstract

Based on a revision of Andreaea from the Canary Islands, the occurence of two species is confirmed. A key is provided. A. crassifolia Luisier occurs on Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife. A. heinemannii Hampe &; Müll.Hal. occurs on La Palma. Former records of A. heinemannii s.l. for Gran Canaria and Tenerife refer to A. crassifolia.     

The colonization history of Olea europaea L. in Macaronesia based on internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) sequences, randomly amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD), and intersimple sequence repeats (ISSR)

Phylogenetic relationships in the Olea europaea complex and the phylogeography of 24 populations of the Macaronesian olive (O. europaea ssp. cerasiformis) were assessed by using three molecular markers: nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) sequences, randomly amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD), and intersimple sequence repeats (ISSR). Parsimony analysis of the ITS-1 sequences and Neighbour-joining (NJ) analyses of RAPD and ISSR banding variation revealed four major lineages in the O. europaea complex: (1) ssp. cuspidata; (2) ssp. cerasiformis from Madeira; (3) ssp. laperrinei; and (4) ssp. cerasiformis from the Canary Islands plus ssp. europaea. These results provide unequivocal support for two independent dispersal events of Olea to the Madeira and Canary Islands. Molecular and morphological evidence led to recognition of two separate olive taxa in Macaronesia, to date included in ssp. cerasiformis. NJ analyses of the combined RAPD and ISSR data suggest that the colonization of the Canaries by O. europaea may have followed an east to west stepping-stone model. An interisland dispersal sequence can be recognized, starting from the continent to Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, and finally La Palma. High dispersal activity of the lipid-rich Olea fruits by birds in the Mediterranean region is congruent with multiple dispersal of olives to Macaronesia and successive colonization of the archipelagos. The observation of strong genetic isolation between populations of different islands of the Canary Islands suggests, however, that subsequent interisland dispersal and establishment has been very rare or may not have occurred at all.     

Genetic structure and distinctness of Apis mellifera L. populations from the Canary Islands

The genetic structure of Apis mellifera populations from the Canary Islands has been assessed by mitochondrial (restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the intergenic transfer RNAleu-COII region) and nuclear (microsatellites) studies. These populations show a low level of genetic variation in terms of average number of alleles and degree of heterozygosity. Significant differences in the distribution of alleles were found in both data sets, confirming the genetic differentiation among some of the islands but not within them. Two mitochondrial haplotypes characteristic of the Canary Islands are found at high frequencies, although populations are introgressed by imported honeybees of eastern European C lineage. This introgression is rather high on Tenerife and El Hierro and low on Gran Canaria and La Gomera, whereas on La Palma it has not been recorded. The finding of microsatellite alleles characteristic of the eastern European lineage corroborates the genetic introgression. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the Canarian honeybees are differentiated from other lineages and provide genetic evidence of their African origin.     

Colonization and diversification of the species Brachyderes rugatus (Coleoptera) on the Canary Islands: evidence from mitochondrial DNA COII gene sequences

Abstract.— The genus Brachyderes Schönherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is represented by the species B. rugatus Wollaston on the Canary Islands, with one subspecies on each of the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, and El Hierro. These four subspecies are associated with the endemic pine tree Pinus canariensis , and their distributions are broadly coincident. Eighty-eight individual Canarian Brachyderes , sampled from across the distributions of each subspecies, have been sequenced for 570 bp of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome oxidase II gene (COII). No mitotypes are shared among islands. Both maximum-likelihood and distance-based phylogenetic analyses have shown that: Tenerife is composed of a single monophyletic clade of mitotypes, El Hierro is composed of a single monophyletic clade occurring within a larger clade comprising all the La Palma mitotypes, and the mitotypes of these three islands form a monophyletic group distinct from Gran Canaria. New methods for estimating divergence times without the assumption of rate constancy have been used to reconstruct the direction and approximate timing of colonizations among the islands. Colonization has occurred from older to progressionally younger islands, and these colonizations are estimated to have occurred less than 2.6 million years ago, although the timing of the initial colonization of the archipelago is not discernable. New methods for the estimation of diversification rates that use branching times as the analyzed variable have been applied to each island fauna. Hypothesized effects of different levels of recent volcanism among islands were not apparent. All islands exhibit a gradually decreasing rate of genetic diversification that is marked by periodic sudden changes in rate.     

Phylogenetic relationships among the Canary Island Steganacaridae (Acari, Oribatida) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence data

The mite genus Steganacarus is represented in the Canary Islands by three endemic species, one recently discovered species, and several morphotypes of uncertain taxonomic position. We used a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships among representatives of the different taxa from the three central islands of the archipelago, Tenerife, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. Sequence data were analysed by both maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods. The inferred phylogenetic relationships do not correlate well with current morphological taxonomy but reveal four deeply divergent and geographically coherent lineages, one each on Gran Canaria and La Gomera and two on Tenerife. No pattern of molecular differentiation was observed among different morphotypes. Possible explanations for this incongruence are suggested in relation to the ecology and biogeography of the group. A recently discovered Steganacarus species from La Gomera, morphologically quite distinct from the other Canarian Steganacarus, is clearly identified as a taxon distantly related to all the other Canarian samples.     

Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and population history of Meladema diving beetles on the Atlantic Islands and in the Mediterranean basin (Coleoptera,Dytiscidae)

The phylogeny and population history of Meladema diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) were examined using mitochondrial DNA sequence from 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase I genes in 51 individuals from 22 populations of the three extant species (M. imbricata endemic to the western Canary Islands, M. lanio endemic to Madeira and M. coriacea widespread in the Western Mediterranean and on the western Canaries), using a combination of phylogenetic and nested clade analyses. Four main lineages are observed within Meladema, representing the three recognized species plus Corsican populations of M. coriacea. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate the sister relationship of the two Atlantic Island taxa, and suggest the possible paraphyly of M. coriacea. A molecular clock approach reveals that speciation within the genus occurred in the Early Pleistocene, indicating that the Atlantic Island endemics are not Tertiary relict taxa as had been proposed previously. Our results point to past population bottlenecks in all four lineages, with recent (Late-Middle Pleistocene) range expansion in non-Corsican M. coriacea and M. imbricata. Within the Canary Islands, M. imbricata seems to have independently colonized La Gomera and La Palma from Tenerife (although a colonization of La Palma from La Gomera cannot be discarded), and M. coriacea has independently colonized Tenerife and Gran Canaria from separate mainland lineages. In the Mediterranean basin this species apparently colonized Corsica on a single occasion, relatively early in its evolutionary history (Early Pleistocene), and has colonized Mallorca recently on multiple occasions. On the only island where M. coriacea and M. imbricata are broadly sympatric (Tenerife), we report evidence of bidirectional hybridization between the two species.     

Phylogeny of the Macaronesian endemic Crambe section Dendrocrambe (Brassicaceae) based on internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA

The 14 species of Crambe L. sect. Dendrocrambe DC. (Brassicaceae) form a monophyletic group endemic to the Canary and Madeira archipelagos. Both parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of sequence data from the two internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA were used to estimate phylogenetic relationships within this section. These analyses support the monophyly of three major clades. No clade is restricted to a single island, and therefore it appears that inter-island colonization has been the main avenue for speciation in these two archipelagos. The two species endemic to Fuerteventura (C. sventenii) and Madeira (C. fruticosa) comprise a clade, providing the first evidence for a floristic link between the Eastern Canary Islands and the archipelago of Madeira. Both maximum likelihood and weighted parsimony analyses show that this clade is sister to the two other clades, although bootstrap support for this relationship is weak. Parsimony optimizations of ecological zones and island distribution suggest a colonization route from the low-altitude areas of the lowland scrub toward the high-elevation areas of the laurel and pine forests. In addition, Tenerife is likely the ancestral island for species endemic to the five westernmost islands of Gran Canaria, La Gomera, El Hierro, La Palma, and Tenerife.     

David Fairchild expeditions to the Canary Islands: Plant collections and research outcomes

Dr. David Fairchild (1869–1954) made four field trips to the Canary Islands. They took place in 1903 (supported by Barbour Lathrop) and in 1925, 1926, and 1927 (supported by Allison V. Armour). They represented the first extensive plant exploration expeditions ever undertaken by United States botanists targeting this archipelago. At least two of the trips were joined by other biologists from several disciplines. Four of the seven Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, and Tenerife) were visited. The four expeditions yielded eight publications, over 315 photographs, and 89 germplasm accessions (73 species). Two of these publications focused on invertebrates, one on plant mosaic viruses, and two on the pollination biology and propagation of Ficus auriculata (Moraceae). The remaining three works provided accounts on the natural history and plants of the islands and on the cropping systems and the rural life of the archipelago.     

Colonisation and diversification of the blue tits (Parus caeruleus teneriffae-group) in the Canary Islands

The blue tit (Parus caeruleus teneriffae group) is proposed to have colonised the Canary Islands from North Africa according to an east-to-west stepping stone model, and today, the species group is divided into four subspecies, differing in morphological, acoustic, and ecological characters. This colonisation hypothesis was tested and the population structure between and within the islands studied using mitochondrial DNA sequences of the non-coding and relatively fast evolving control region. Our results suggest that one of the central islands, Tenerife, was colonised first and the other islands from there. Three of the presently recognised four subspecies are monophyletic, exception being the subspecies teneriffae, which consists of two monophyletic groups, the one including birds of Tenerife and La Gomera and the other birds of Gran Canaria. The Gran Canarian birds are well differentiated from birds of the other islands and should be given a subspecies status. In addition, the teneriffae subspecies group is clearly distinct from the European caeruleus group, and therefore the blue tit assemblage should be divided into two species.     

GENETIC STRUCTURE OF NATURAL POPULATIONS IN THE RED ALGAE GELIDIUM CANARIENSE (GELIDIALES,RHODOPHYTA) INVESTIGATED BY RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA (RAPD) MARKERS1

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker variation was analyzed in female gametophytes in natural populations of Gelidium canariense (Grunow) Seoane‐Camba ex Haroun, Gil‐Rodríguez, Diaz de Castro et Prud'Homme van Reine from the Canary Islands to estimate the degree and distribution of genetic variability and differentiation. A total of 190 haploid individuals were analyzed with 60 polymorphic RAPDs bands which produced 190 distinct multilocus genotypes. A high level of polymorphism was detected in all populations analyzed. Within‐population gene diversity ranged from 0.156 to 0.264. The populations on the island of Gran Canaria showed higher genetic variation than the other populations analyzed. The partitioning of molecular variance by analysis of molecular variance showed that most genetic variation resides within populations (68.85%). These results suggest that sexual reproduction is the predominant mode of reproduction for G. canariense gametophytic populations, and the main determinant in reaching high levels of genetic diversity. The Neighbor‐Joining tree and FCA analysis displayed two subclusters that correspond to the populations from the western islands (Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera) and the eastern island (Gran Canaria). In addition, we have detected a significant relationship between F_ST/(1?F_ST) and geographical distance consistent with data on water circulation and age of islands. The results obtained agree with an isolation by distance model, with gene flow from eastern to the western islands, and a high level of genetic differentiation between populations (F_ST=0.311, P<0.001).     

Status and relationships of the extinct giant Canary Island lizard Gallotia goliath (Reptilia: Lacertidae), assessed using ancient mtDNA from its mummified remains

Ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences (378 base pairs of cytochrome b and 368 of 12S rRNA) extracted from a mummified extinct giant lizard, Gallotia goliath , from eastern Tenerife, Canary Islands, were used to assess the species status and relationship of this form within the genus. G. goliath is clearly a member of the G. simonyi group of the western Canary islands (Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma) and is not closely related to the giant G. stehlini of Gran Canaria. Contrary to recent opinion, it is phylogenetically distinct, within the G. simonyi group, from the extant G. simonyi of El Hierro and also from the recently discovered live G. gomerana on La Gomera and from G. intermedia in north-western Tenerife. It may be the sister taxon of either all the other members of the G. simonyi group or of G. intermedia . The phylogenetic distinctness of G. goliath makes Tenerife unique among oceanic islands in having had one giant and two medium-sized lizard species that were probably substantially herbivorous, the others being G. intermedia and G. galloti . Gallotia shows great community differences on other islands in the Canaries, two having a single small species, one a single giant, and three a giant and a medium-sized form. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 80 , 659–670.     

Biogeographical and evolutionary patterns in the Macaronesian shield-backed katydid genus Calliphona Krauss, 1892 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) and allies as inferred from phylogenetic analyses of multiple mitochondrial genes

Abstract.  We investigated the phylogenetic patterns, evolutionary processes, and their taxonomic implications, of two closely related shield-backed katydid genera endemic to the Macaronesian archipelagos: the monotypic Psalmatophanes Chopard, 1938 endemic to Madeira and Calliphona Krauss, 1892, which includes three species restricted to the Canary Islands. Two main hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin and colonization pathways of these two genera: a single origin with subsequent sequential colonization of the islands, or three independent colonization waves from continental Africa. We used DNA sequence information from the mitochondrial genes cox1, tRNAleucine, rrnL and nad1 to infer phylogenetic relationships among Psalmatophanes and Calliphona species. Our results provide support for the independent colonization of Madeira and the Canary Islands, and suggest that Psalmatophanes is actually more closely related to the continental genus Tettigonia than to the Canarian representatives. Deep genetic divergence among Canarian species provides further support for the assignment of the Canarian species into two subgenera. Tree topology along with Bayesian-based estimates of lineage age suggest a pattern of colonization from Tenerife to La Palma, and from Tenerife to Gran Canaria with subsequent dispersal to La Gomera. We report the first collection of a Calliphona specimen in the island of El Hierro, which molecular data suggest is a recent immigrant from La Gomera. We hypothesize that the patterns of distribution and genetic divergence exhibited by Calliphona in the Canary Islands are compatible with a taxon cycle process. Our results have further implications for the higher level phylogeny of the subfamily Tettigoniinae and suggest that some of the tribes as currently delimited may not correspond to natural groups.     

Phylogeography of pipistrelle-like bats within the Canary Islands,based on mtDNA sequences

Evolution of three Canary Island Vespertilionid bat species, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus maderensis, and Hypsugo savii was studied by comparison of approximately 1 kbp of mtDNA (from cytochrome b and 16S rRNA genes) between islands. mtDNA reveals that both P. kuhlii and P. maderensis exist in sympatry on Tenerife (and possibly other islands). Their morphological similarity explains why their co-occurrence had not been detected previously. Levels of sequence divergence are quite low within P. maderensis. Haplotypes were either identical or separated by /=12 mutational steps) indicating colonization of the latter from the former sometime during the last approximately 1.2 Ma, with low subsequent gene flow. Unlike P. maderensis the El Hierro population alone appears to represent an ESU. The H. savii haplotypes detected in Gran Canaria and Tenerife are identical or separated by 1 mutational step.