THE PHYLOGENY OF CAULERPA BASED ON RDNA INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER SEQUENCES

Phylogenetic hypotheses for the pantropical marine green algal genus, Caulerpa , were inferred based on analyses of nuclear-encoded rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Results of these analyses were used to assess the correspondence between rDNA phylogeny and traditional sectional taxonomy, to identify synapomorphic morphological characters (including assimilator morphology and chloroplast ultrastructure), and to examine marine biogeographic hypotheses for the genus. Ribosomal DNA ITS sequences were aligned for thirty-three species and intraspecific taxa of Caulerpa. Results indicate limited correspondence between phylogeny and sectional taxonomy for the genus, (e.g., the sections Filicoideae and Sedoideae were not monophyletic). In contrast, chloroplast morphology could be mapped to the tree topology with limited homoplasy. Pantropical isolates of the filicoidean species, Caulerpa sertularioides and Caulerpa mexicana each formed monophyletic groups. Caulerpa reyesii was included as a derived taxon within the Caulerpa taxifolia clade, suggesting that these species were conspecific and affirmed the lack of correspondence between phylogeny and assimilator morphology. Isolates and various intraspecific taxa of Caulerpa racemosa did not form a monophyletic group. Instead, these taxa formed a heterogeneous assemblage with other sedoidean and filicoidean taxa. Within the C. sertularioides clade, Caribbean and Atlantic isolates formed a basal paraphyletic group, whereas eastern and western Pacific isolates formed a more derived monophyletic group. Therefore, these results are not consistent with an Indo-West Pacific origin of this species.     

Out-of-Africa origin and dispersal-mediated diversification of the butterfly genus Junonia (Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae)

The relative importance of dispersal and vicariance in the diversification of taxa has been much debated. Within butterflies, a few studies published so far have demonstrated vicariant patterns at the global level. We studied the historical biogeography of the genus Junonia (Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae) at the intercontinental level based on a molecular phylogeny. The genus is distributed over all major biogeographical regions of the world except the Palaearctic. We found dispersal to be the dominant process in the diversification of the genus. The genus originated and started diversifying in Africa about 20 Ma and soon after dispersed into Asia possibly through the Arabian Peninsula. From Asia, there were dispersals into Africa and Australasia, all around 5 Ma. The origin of the New World species is ambiguous; the ancestral may have dispersed from Asia via the Beringian Strait or from Africa over the Atlantic, about 3 Ma. We found no evidence for vicariance at the intercontinental scale. We argue that dispersal is as important as vicariance, if not more, in the global diversification of butterflies.     

The RAG-1 exon in the avian order Caprimulgiformes: phylogeny, heterozygosity, and base composition

We sequenced 2.8 kb of the RAG-1 exon for most of the extant genera in the avian order Caprimulgiformes to investigate monophyly of the order and phylogeny within the traditional families. The order is not monophyletic: the Aegothelidae (owlet-nightjars) were the sister group of the Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds). There was no support for the monophyly of a clade containing the remaining families of Caprimulgiformes. However, the RAG-1 data strongly supported a relationship between the Podargidae (frogmouths) and Caprimulgidae (nightjars). Within the Caprimulgidae, the Australasian genus Eurostopodus was sister to the rest of the family, which in turn was composed of four major clades, three of which were restricted to the New World and primarily to the Neotropics. The Old World caprimulgids form a monophyletic clade embedded within the New World taxa; consequently, most Old World nightjars are probably the result of a single expansion out of the Neotropics. The genus Caprimulgus was not found to be monophyletic. Several species in the Caprimulgidae have both elevated heterozygosity and high GC3 content; it is likely that these are causally related.     

Genomic relations among two non-mangrove and nine mangrove species of Indian Rhizophoraceae

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to study the genomic relationship among 11 members of Indian Rhizophoraceae represented by nine true mangroves and two non-mangrove species. The AFLP and RAPD bands were scored and analyzed for genetic similarities and cluster analysis was done which separated the 11 species studied into two main groups, the true mangroves and the non-mangroves. The polymorphism observed for these markers showed a high degree of genetic diversity among the constituent taxa of the family. The phylogenetic relationship inferred from molecular marker systems supported the traditional taxonomic classification of the family Rhizophoraceae based on morphological characters at the levels of tribe, phylogeny and delimitation of genera and species, except the intra-generic classification of the genus Bruguiera and the placement of Rhizophora in the family Rhizophoraceae.     

Molecular phylogenetics of the species-rich neotropical genus Swartzia (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) and related genera of the swartzioid clade

Swartzia (ca. 180 spp.) is a characteristic and diverse element of neotropical rainforest tree communities. As such, it has been identified as a focal group in studies of evolutionary diversification and community assembly in rainforests. However, progress is impeded by the lack of a phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus and its close relatives, which together constitute the descendents of one of the first branches of the papilionoid phylogeny. Here we present a molecular phylogenetic study with extensive sampling of species of Swartzia and with complete sampling of genera of the "swartzioid" clade. The results, based on analysis of chloroplast (atpB-rbcL, trnL intron, and trnL-F) and nuclear (AAT1 and ITS) DNA sequences, add substantially to our understanding of relationships within this diverse group and call for taxonomic changes, particularly within Swartzia. The monophyly of a redefined Swartzia is weakly to moderately supported. Within Swartzia, the analyses identify 11 nonoverlapping subclades, few of which correspond exactly to previously published taxa. The analyses support the recent segregations of Bobgunnia from Swartzia and of Trischidium from Bocoa, as well as the resurrection of the monospecific genus Fairchildia. The analyses identify a "core swartzioid" clade comprising the remainder of Swartzia, Bocoa, and Candolleodendron.     

Major clades of parmelioid lichens (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota) and the evolution of their morphological and chemical diversity

Parmelioid lichens comprise about 1500 species and have a worldwide distribution. Numerous species are widely distributed and well known, including important bioindicators for atmospheric pollution. The phylogeny and classification of parmelioid lichens has been a matter of debate for several decades. Previous studies using molecular data have helped to establish hypotheses of the phylogeny of certain clades within this group. In this study, we infer the phylogeny of major clades of parmelioid lichens using DNA sequence data from two nuclear loci and one mitochondrial locus from 145 specimens (117 species) that represent the morphological and chemical diversity in these taxa. Parmelioid lichens are not monophyletic; however, a core group is strongly supported as monophyletic, excluding Arctoparmelia and Melanelia s. str., and including Parmeliopsis and Parmelaria. Within this group, seven well-supported clades are found, but the relationships among them remain unresolved. Stochastic mapping on a MC/MCMC tree sampling was employed to infer the evolution of two morphological and two chemical traits believed to be important for the evolutionary success of these lichens, and have also been used as major characters for classification. The results suggest that these characters have been gained and lost multiple times during the diversification of parmelioid lichens.     

Pattern and timing of diversification in Yucca (Agavaceae): specialized pollination does not escalate rates of diversification

The yucca-yucca moth interaction is one of the most well-known and remarkable obligate pollination mutualisms, and is an important study system for understanding coevolution. Previous research suggests that specialist pollinators can promote rapid diversification in plants, and theoretical work has predicted that obligate pollination mutualism promotes cospeciation between plants and their pollinators, resulting in contemporaneous, parallel diversification. However, a lack of information about the age of Yucca has impeded efforts to test these hypotheses. We used analyses of 4322 AFLP markers and cpDNA sequence data representing six non-protein-coding regions (trnT-trnL, trnL, trnL intron, trnL-trnF, rps16 and clpP intron 2) from all 34 species to recover a consensus organismal phylogeny, and used penalized likelihood to estimate divergence times and speciation rates in Yucca. The results indicate that the pollination mutualism did not accelerate diversification, as Yucca diversity (34 species) is not significantly greater than that of its non-moth-pollinated sister group, Agave sensu latissimus (240 species). The new phylogenetic estimates also corroborate the suggestion that the plant-moth pollination mutualism has at least two origins within the Agavaceae. Finally, age estimates show significant discord between the age of Yucca (ca 6-10Myr) and the current best estimates for the age of their pollinators (32-40Myr).     

A test of host-associated differentiation across the 'parasite continuum' in the tri-trophic interaction among yuccas, bogus yucca moths, and parasitoids

Parasitic taxa span an antagonistic continuum, with some parasites inflicting no fitness costs to some that kill the host after feeding. Host-associated differentiation is postulated as a major process facilitating speciation in many parasitic taxa. Here, I examined the importance of host-associated differentiation in a parasitoid wasp that develops on yucca moths in the genus Prodoxus. Prodoxus are specialists on Yucca , and moth speciation is closely tied to differences in microhabitat use within a plant and among host plant species. Parasitoids in the genus Eusandalum have been reared from Prodoxus species distributed across Yucca . Estimates of host-use patterns obtained through rearings of adult wasps were combined with surveys of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I sequence data and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers to determine if populations of Eusandalum were genetically structured based on host use. Eusandalum populations were genetically structured based on geographical distance rather than moth host species, microhabitats within plants, or Yucca species. The results are contrary to the patterns observed in the host genus Prodoxus . Although parasitoids exhibit parasite-like characteristics, these results suggest that Eusandalum may be best viewed as a predator. Female wasps are able to utilize any moth species present at a given locality, and there is little likelihood that host specialization may facilitate population subdivision and speciation.     

Molecular Phylogeny of Conjugating Green Algae (Zygnemophyceae,Streptophyta) Inferred from SSU rDNA Sequence Comparisons

Nuclear-encoded SSU rDNA sequences have been obtained from 64 strains of conjugating green algae (Zygnemophyceae, Streptophyta, Viridiplantae). Molecular phylogenetic analyses of 90 SSU rDNA sequences of Viridiplantae (inciuding 78 from the Zygnemophyceae) were performed using complex evolutionary models and maximum likelihood, distance, and maximum parsimony methods. The significance of the results was tested by bootstrap analyses, deletion of long-branch taxa, relative rate tests, and Kishino-Hasegawa tests with user-defined trees. All results support the monophyly of the class Zygnemophyceae and of the order Desmidiales. The second order, Zygnematales, forms a series of early-branching clades in paraphyletic succession, with the two traditional families Mesotaeniaceae and Zygnemataceae not recovered as lineages. Instead, a long-branch Spirogyra/Sirogonium clade and the later-diverging Netrium and Roya clades represent independent clades. Within the order Desmidiales, the families Gonatozygaceae and Closteriaceae are monophyletic, whereas the Peniaceae (represented only by Penium margaritaceum) and the Desmidiaceae represent a single weakly supported lineage. Within the Desmidiaceae short internal branches and varying rates of sequence evolution among taxa reduce the phylogenetic resolution significantly. The SSU rDNA-based phylogeny is largely congruent with a published analysis of the rbcL phylogeny of the Zygnemophyceae (McCourt et al. 2000) and is also in general agreement with classification schemes based on cell wall ultrastructure. The extended taxon sampling at the subgenus level provides solid evidence that many genera in the Zygnemophyceae are not monophyletic and that the genus concept in the group needs to be revised.     

Phylogeny of the genus Aleochara inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase sequences (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

The phylogeny of the genus Aleochara was previously poorly understood due to difficulties with phylogenetic reconstruction by morphological characters. We present here a phylogeny based on the sequences of a 2022-bp fragment of the COI/II genes; 50 Aleochara and 10 outgroup species were included in the analysis. We used parsimony, minimum-evolution, and maximum-likelihood analyses to infer the phylogeny of the group. Our data do not support the commonly assumed sister group relationship between Aleocharini and Hoplandriini. Aleochara is resolved as a monophylum, although A. clavicornis might not belong to the genus. Within Aleochara, there are two large monophyletic clades. Many of the existing subgenera are shown to be para- or polyphyletic; others are likely to be monophyletic. Tinotus morion, previously assigned to the Hoplandriini, is strongly supported as belonging to Aleochara. According to our data, the mesosternal carina that has been used as an important character for classification has arisen and been reduced independently in several clades within Aleochara.     

Diversification rates in the Australasian endemic grass <Emphasis Type="Italic">Austrostipa</Emphasis>: 15 million years of constant evolution

Patterns seen in other Australian flora have led to hypotheses that early Miocene shifts in climate drove rapid radiation of major taxonomic groups such as Eucalyptus. Little is known about absolute dates and rates for Australian monocots, particularly grasses. I tested this early Miocene radiation hypothesis for Australian grasses using a calibrated phylogeny of the endemic stipoid genus Austrostipa and an analysis of diversification rates. The phylogeny was developed from a Bayesian likelihood analysis of the nuclear internal transcribed spacers region, and three calibration points were set based on fossil evidence. The results indicate that the genus arose in the early Miocene and underwent a species radiation, but the rate of diversification was not rapid compared to the current rate or to those of other taxa. Following an 8 million year period of fast molecular evolution but no taxonomic radiation, diversification rates have been constant for the past 15 million years. Comparable measures such as the gamma statistic can be used across taxa to make general conclusions about evolutionary rate constancy.     

Phylogenetic studies on the Thamnocalamus group and its allies (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) based on its sequence data.

Phylogenetic analyses, using the parsimony method and the neighbor-joining method, of 31 species of the Thamnocalamus group and its allies based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences in nuclear ribosomal DNA are presented. Two species from Arundinaria and Acidosasa were used as outgroups. The ITS phylogeny strongly supports the monophyly of the Thamnocalamus group and its allies, which have pachymorph rhizomes and semelauctant synflorescences with three stamens. Within this clade, Chimonocalamus pallens was resolved in the basal position. The Thamnocalamus group, including species placed in Thamnocalamus, Fargesia (Sinarundinaria, Borinda), and Yushania, may be polyphyletic/paraphyletic according to the ITS phylogeny, but internal support was relatively low. All three sampled species of Ampelocalamus were resolved as a monophyletic group and may be related to Drepanostachyum hookerianum. Two taxa of Thamnocalamus and the species Gaoligongshania megalothyrsa were resolved as monophyletic despite their different morphological characters, but again with a low bootstrap support. Within the Fargesia yunnanensis subclade, the sister relationship of Fargesia fungosa and Fargesia edulis was supported. Another subclade, the Fargesia communis clade, was also weakly supported as monophyletic. However, further resolution within the Thamnocalamus group has not been provided by this sequence data. The results indicate that reevaluation of relationships within this group is necessary.     

Molecular Phylogeny of Conjugating Green Algae (Zygnemophyceae, Streptophyta) Inferred from SSU rDNA Sequence Comparisons

Abstract Nuclear-encoded SSU rDNA sequences have been obtained from 64 strains of conjugating green algae (Zygnemophyceae, Streptophyta, Viridiplantae). Molecular phylogenetic analyses of 90 SSU rDNA sequences of Viridiplantae (inciuding 78 from the Zygnemophyceae) were performed using complex evolutionary models and maximum likelihood, distance, and maximum parsimony methods. The significance of the results was tested by bootstrap analyses, deletion of long-branch taxa, relative rate tests, and Kishino–Hasegawa tests with user-defined trees. All results support the monophyly of the class Zygnemophyceae and of the order Desmidiales. The second order, Zygnematales, forms a series of early-branching clades in paraphyletic succession, with the two traditional families Mesotaeniaceae and Zygnemataceae not recovered as lineages. Instead, a long-branch Spirogyra/Sirogonium clade and the later-diverging Netrium and Roya clades represent independent clades. Within the order Desmidiales, the families Gonatozygaceae and Closteriaceae are monophyletic, whereas the Peniaceae (represented only by Penium margaritaceum) and the Desmidiaceae represent a single weakly supported lineage. Within the Desmidiaceae short internal branches and varying rates of sequence evolution among taxa reduce the phylogenetic resolution significantly. The SSU rDNA-based phylogeny is largely congruent with a published analysis of the rbcL phylogeny of the Zygnemophyceae (McCourt et al. 2000) and is also in general agreement with classification schemes based on cell wall ultrastructure. The extended taxon sampling at the subgenus level provides solid evidence that many genera in the Zygnemophyceae are not monophyletic and that the genus concept in the group needs to be revised.     

Evolution of ecological traits and wing morphology in Hemileuca (Saturniidae) based on a two-gene phylogeny

We present a molecular phylogeny for the genus Hemileuca (Saturniidae), based on 624 bp of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and 932 bp of the nuclear gene elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1alpha). Combined analysis of both gene sequences increased resolution and supported most of the phylogenetic relationships suggested by separate analysis of each gene. However, a maximum parsimony (MP) model for just COI sequence from one sample of most taxa produced a phylogeny incongruent with EF1alpha and combined dataset analyses under either MP or ML models. Time of year and time of day during which adult moths fly corresponded strongly with the phylogeny. Although most Hemileuca are diurnal, ancestral Hemileuca probably were nocturnal, fall-flying insects. The two-gene molecular phylogeny suggests that wing morphology is frequently homoplastic. There was no correlation between the primary larval hostplants and phylogenetic placement of taxa. No phylogenetic pattern of specialization was evident for single hostplant families across the genus. Our results suggest that phenological behavioral characters may be more conserved than the wing morphology characters that are more commonly used to infer phylogenetic relationships in Lepidoptera. Inclusion of a molecular component in the re-evaluation of systematic data is likely to alter prior assumptions of phylogenetic relationships in groups where such potentially homoplastic characters have been used.     

Phylogeny and character behavior in the family Lemuridae

A phylogenetic analysis of the family Lemuridae was accomplished using multiple gene partitions and morphological characters. The results of the study suggest that several nodes in the lemurid phylogeny can be robustly resolved; however, the relationships of the species within the genus Eulemur are problematically nonrobust. The genus Varecia is strongly supported as the basal genus in the family. Hapalemur and Lemur catta are strongly supported as sister taxa and together are the sister group to the genus Eulemur. E. mongoz is the most basal species in the genus Eulemur. E. fulvus subspecies form a monophyletic group with three distinct lineages. E. coronatus is strongly supported as the sister taxon to E. macaco. The relationships of E. rubriventer, E. fulvus, and the E. macaco-E. coronatus pair are unresolved. Our combined molecular and morphological analysis demonstrates the lack of influence that morphology has on the simultaneous analysis tree when these two kinds of data are given equal weight. The effects of several extreme weighting schemes (removal of transitions and of third positions in protein-coding regions) and maximum-likelihood analysis were also explored. We suggest that these other forms of inference add little to resolving the problematic relationships of the species in the genus Eulemur.     

Molecular phylogeny of Malagasy reed frogs, Heterixalus, and the relative performance of bioacoustics and color-patterns for resolving their systematics

The members of the genus Heterixalus constitute one of the endemic frog radiations in Madagascar. Here we present a complete species-level phylogeny based on DNA sequences (4876 base pairs) of three nuclear and four mitochondrial markers to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among and within all known species of this genus, as well as the phylogenetic position of the monospecific Seychellean Tachycnemis seychellensis. Although the performance to resolve supported clades of Heterixalus species differed among the investigated gene fragments when analyzed separately, we could identify five well-supported species groups within Heterixalus in the combined analysis of all gene fragments. Our data strongly support a Heterixalus-Tachycnemis clade, and indicate the probable monophyly of Heterixalus placed sister to Tachycnemis. However, the diversification of these lineages may have happened in a short interval of time, leading to an unstable placement of Tachycnemis in the single-gene fragment phylogenies. Referring to the hitherto existing classification of Heterixalus, which is predominantly based on chromatic and bioacoustic characters, we examined the relative performance of these data sets relative to our molecular phylogeny. A Bayesian tree reconstructed with a bioacoustic data set yielded a higher resemblance to the molecular phylogeny than a tree constructed using a chromatic data set, which supports the importance of bioacoustic characters for systematic analyses of these anurans.     

Historical biogeography of the widespread macroalga Sargassum (Fucales,Phaeophyceae)

Sargassum is a cosmopolitan brown algal genus spanning the three ocean basins of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, inhabiting temperate, subtropical and tropical habitats. Sargassum has been postulated to have originated in the Oligocene epoch approximately 30 mya according to a broad phylogenetic analysis of brown macroalgae, but its diversification to become one of the most widespread and speciose macroalgal genera remains unclear. Here, we present a Bayesian molecular clock study, which analyzed data from the order Fucales of the brown algal crown radiation (BACR) group to reconstruct a time-calibrated phylogeny of the Sargassum clade. Our phylogeny included a total of 120 taxa with 99 Sargassum species sampled for three molecular markers – ITS-2, cox3 and rbcLS – calibrated with an unambiguous Sargassaceae fossil from between the lower and middle Miocene. The analysis revealed a much later origin of Sargassum than expected at about 6.7 mya, with the genus diversifying since approximately 4.3 mya. Current geographic distributions of Sargassum species were then analyzed in conjunction with the time-calibrated phylogeny using the dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis (DEC) model to estimate ancestral ranges of clades in the genus. Results strongly support origination of Sargassum in the Central Indo-Pacific (CIP) region with subsequent independent dispersal events into other marine realms. The longer history of diversification in the ancestral CIP range could explain the much greater diversity there relative to other marine areas today. Analyses of these dynamic processes, when fine-tuned to a higher spatial resolution, enable the identification of evolutionary hotspots and provide insights into long-term dispersal patterns.     

Phylogeny of firs (genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies</Emphasis>, Pinaceae) based on multilocus nuclear markers (AFLP)

To study the phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary history, and molecular systematics of firs (genus Abies), the phylogenetic reconstruction, based on nuclear multilocus markers—amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)—was conducted. Using seven combinations of selective primers, 84 samples of 39 taxa were genotyped for 553 polymorphic AFLP loci. A comparison with our earlier chloroplast and mitochondrial phylogenies of the genus (in 2014) shows that the nuclear phylogeny generally is more congruent to the chloroplast tree. Most of the clades resolved by the chloroplast phylogeny were supported also in the AFLP tree. Employing the nuclear DNA-based tree, we revealed the presence of new groups and the differences in the topology of several clades. AFLP confirmed the monophyly of Asian species of section Balsamea and their sister position in relation to the American group of species of this section. As shown by the tree of chloroplast DNA, Asian species of section Balsamea do not form a monophyletic group, but belong to the clade comprising the majority of Asian species. Phylogenetically mitochondrial DNA data to a large extent are not congruent to the nuclear and chloroplast DNA trees, and are more in line with geographical distribution of species. Conflicts between nuclear and cytoplasmic phylogeny were analyzed. Taking them into account, we consider the hypothesis of a hybrid origin of particular groups of firs, including ancient hybridization in section Balsamea. A comparison of molecular data with traditional taxonomy of the genus is discussed.     

Molecular systematics,evolution and zoogeography of the stonefly genus Siphonoperla (Insecta: Plecoptera,Chloroperlidae)

The stonefly genus Siphonoperla Zwick, 1967 (Chloroperlidae) ranges from the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, throughout Europe and east to the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Armenia. Systematic relationships within the genus are unknown. We provide the first molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus, based on sequence variation of 1348 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene and relate this phylogeny to a few key morphological features as well as zoogeographical perspectives. A total of 15 taxa (32 individuals), including four outgroup species (Chloroperla Newman, 1836 and Xanthoperla Zwick, 1967 ) were screened. Monophyly of Siphonoperla, as well as each purported taxon was supported, with net pairwise distances ranging from 0.7% to 13.7%. Within‐taxon variability ranged from 0% to 6.2%, whereby the upper value relates to Siphonoperla torrentium Pictet, 1841 represented in our sample by three allopatric subspecific taxa. These taxa, displayed as a polytomy with an estimated time to the most recent common ancestor of about 5.4 Myr, are also shown to have distinct genitalia. These data could be used to support a species‐level distinction for the three subspecific taxa. Siphonoperla ranged from 13% (Xanthoperla) to 16.2% (Chloroperla) divergent from the outgroup genera. The recently described Siphonoperla ottomoogi, Graf, 2008 from Austria is not closely related to the sympatric Siphonoperla montana Pictet, 1841 and is a minimum of 7.8% divergent from congenerics, supporting its status as a micro‐endemic relict surviving on the edge of Alpine glaciation throughout the Pleistocene. Overall, the genus shows the highest levels of diversification in the Mediterranean and Southeast regions whereby at least some of the species found in Central Europe today may have persisted there in peri‐glacial refugia throughout the Pleistocene.