Molecular phylogeography of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations in Xinjiang of China: comparison with other Asian,European, and North American populations

To illustrate phylogeography of red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations of Xinjiang, we determined their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences, and then investigated geographic variations and phylogenetic relationships between Xinjiang populations and other populations from Asia, Europe, and North America. The C. elaphus mtDNA control region shared different copy numbers of tandem repeats of 38 to 43-bp motifs which clearly distinguished the Western lineage from the Eastern lineage of this species in Eurasia. The western lineage comprised the Tarim populations from southern Xinjiang and the European populations, all of which had four copies of the motifs. By contrast, the Eastern lineage consisted of populations from northern Xinjiang (Tianshan and Altai Mountains), other Asian areas (Alashan, Gansu, Tibet, Mongolia, and northeastern China), and North America, all of which shared six copies of the motifs. MtDNA phylogenetic trees showed that there are two major clusters of haplotypes which referred to the Western and Eastern lineages, and that subgroupings of haplotypes in each cluster were congruent with their geographic distributions. The present study revealed that a boundary separating the Western lineage from the Eastern lineage occurs between Tarim Basin and Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang. Meanwhile, North American populations were genetically closer to those of northern Xinjiang, northeastern China, and Mongolia, supporting that C. elaphus immigrated from northeastern Eurasia to North America through the glacier-induced land-bridge (Beringia) which had formed between the two continents after Late Pleistocene.     

Population Genetics and Phylogeography of Bufo gargarizans in China

The Chinese toad Bufo gargarizans has an extensive range, covering nearly all of China. This study addresses the population genetic structure of this toad and the relation to geographic location. Partial sequences of the mtDNA control region were obtained from 14 populations, 29 haplotypes were defined, and 73 variable sites were found, including 66 parsimony informative sites. All population genetic analyses indicated no clear geographic pattern in the distribution of haplotypes. The genetic divergence between the populations was significant. Phylogeographic analyses suggested that past fragmentation and/or long-distance colonization seemed to have shaped the present-day distribution of the haplotypes of B. gargarizans.     

中国狼不同地理种群遗传多样性及系统进化分析

为了解中国狼不同地理种群遗传多样性及系统发育情况,从中国境内狼的主要分布区青海、新疆、内蒙古和吉林4个地区采集样品,用分子生物学技术手段成功地获得44个个体线粒体DNA控制区第一高变区(HVRⅠ)序列和40个线粒体Cyt b部分序列。线粒体控制区HVRⅠ共检测到51个变异位点,位点变异率为8.76%;线粒体Cyt b部分序列发现31个变异位点,位点变异率为5.33%,未见插入及缺失现象,变异类型全部为碱基置换。共定义了16个线粒体HVRⅠ单倍型,其中吉林与内蒙种群存在共享单倍型,估计这两地间种群亲缘关系较近。4个地理种群中新疆种群拥有较高的遗传多样性(0.94)。中国狼种群总体平均核苷酸多态性为2.27%,与世界其他国家地区相比,中国狼种群拥有相对较高的遗传多样性。通过线粒体HVRⅠ单倍型构建的系统进化树可以看出,中国狼在进化上分为2大支,其中位于青藏高原的青海种群独立为一支,推测其可能长期作为独立种群进化。基于青海种群与新疆,内蒙种群的线粒体Cyt b遗传距离,推测中国狼2个世系可能在更新世冰川时期青藏高原受地质作用急速隆起后出现分歧,分歧时间大约在1.1 MY前。     

Mitochondrial Diversity and Phylogeographic Patterns of Gekko gecko(Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Thailand

The Tokay Gecko, Gekko gecko(Linnaeus, 1758) is widely distributed in Asia and there have been concerns regarding locally decreasing populations due to overexploitation for traditional Chinese medicine. Previous studies of the genetic relationships of G. gecko populations included few populations from Thailand. Here we investigated the phylogeographic patterns of G. gecko from different regions in Thailand using mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two lineages: one(Lineage A) comprising populations from Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand; and a second(Lineage B) comprising three genetically distinct groups within Thailand alone. Some Thai populations were found to have both lineages represented within them. Highly significant genetic differentiation(FST) showed geographic population structuring in Lineage B, indicating limited gene flow among groups in Thailand. Although G. gecko has a wide distribution and is well adapted to human habitation, the observed genetic structure could potentially be explained by geographic barriers such as mountain ranges. In Lineage A, our study provided primary phylogeographic evidence for lineage mixture that might be a result of human-mediated transport. Future research should include more extensive sampling across the geographic distribution of G. gecko and a landscape genetics approach could be applied for conservation planning.     

中国蟾蜍一新纪录--大蟾蜍

描述了在新疆维吾尔自治区哈巴河县采到的中国1新纪录种,大蟾蜍Bufo bufo.标本保存于新疆农业大学动物标本室.     

Genetic diversity of the Chinese goat in the littoral zone of the Yangtze River as assessed by microsatellite and mtDNA

The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of goats in the Yangtze River region using microsatellite and mtDNA to better understand the current status of those goat genetic diversity and the effects of natural landscape in fashion of domestic animal genetic diversity. The genetic variability of 16 goat populations in the littoral zone of the Yangtze River was estimated using 21 autosomal microsatellites, which revealed high diversity and genetic population clustering with a dispersed geographical distribution. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial D‐loop region (482 bp) was conducted in 494 goats from the Yangtze River region. In total, 117 SNPs were reconstructed, and 173 haplotypes were identified, 94.5% of which belonged to lineages A and B. Lineages C, D, and G had lower frequencies (5.2%), and lineage F haplotypes were undetected. Several high‐frequency haplotypes were shared by different ecogeographically distributed populations, and the close phylogenetic relationships among certain low‐frequency haplotypes indicated the historical exchange of genetic material among these populations. In particular, the lineage G haplotype suggests that some west Asian goat genetic material may have been transferred to China via Muslim migration.     

Molecular phylogenetic relationship of toads distributed in the Far East and Europe inferred from the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA genes

The toads of the Bufo bufo species group are widely distributed in the Eurasian continent and Japanese Archipelago. In this study, we analyzed the mtDNA gene sequences of this species group and estimated the divergence time to clarify the evolutionary relationships and biogeography of toads distributed in the Far East and Europe. The phylogenetic tree indicated that this group produced Bufo bufo in Europe, whereas it produced B. japonicus in the Far East. B. japonicus was divided into three major clades corresponding to a group consisting of B. j. gargarizans in China, B. j. bankorensis in Taiwan, and B. j. miyakonis on Miyako Isl. and eastern and western groups of Japanese B. j. japonicus subspecies group. The eastern and western groups were divided into several subclades which tended to reflect the region-specific geographic distribution of all localities except B. j. japonicus from Hakodate. The estimated branching times of these clades suggest that geological events may have influenced the divergence of the toads distributed in the Far East and Europe.     

Identifying evolutionarily significant units for conservation of the endangered Malus sieversii using genome‐wide RADseq data

Malus sieversii, a wild progenitor of the domesticated apple, is an endangered species and is assigned second conservation priority by the China Plant Red Data Book. It is urgent to carry out in situ conservation of this species, but previous studies have not identified evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) for conservation management. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and relationships of six M. sieversii populations from China using integrated analysis of microsatellite (nSSR) data, genome‐wide SNPs and previous results in order to propose a reasonable conservation management. The results showed that levels of genetic diversity were inconsistently reflected by our nSSR and previous studies, suggesting that indices of genetic diversity are not effective to identify priority conservation areas for M. sieversii. Based on the selection criteria of ESUs for endangered species conservation, ESUs should reflect lineage divergence, geographical separation and different adaptive variation. Our phylogenetic tree based on genome‐wide SNPs yielded a clear relationship of divergent lineages among M. sieversii populations, leading to new different from those of previous studies. Three independent lineages, including the pairs of populations Huocheng‐Yining, Gongliu‐Xinyuan and Tuoli‐Emin, were identified. The geographic distances between populations among the different phylogenetic lineages were much greater than those within the same phylogenetic lineage. A cluster analysis on environmental variables showed that the three independent lineages inhabit different environmental conditions, suggesting that they may have adapted to different environments. Based on the results, we propose that three independent ESUs should be recognized as conservation units for M. sieversii in China.     

Genetic structure and diversity of a newly invasive species, the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in China

Cydia pomonella (L.) was firstly reported in China in the 1950s and considered as one of the most serious invasive pest in fruit orchards of China. It spread rapidly from the original site in Xinjiang to other northwestern regions. The pest has further penetrated northeastern China since 2006. With its rapid invasion rate, most pome fruit production areas of China are being threatened. As yet there has been no research into the genetic diversity and structure of the codling moth population in China. We investigated the genetic variations of 12 C. pomonella populations collected from the main distribution regions (Xinjiang, Gansu and Heilongjiang Provinces) in China and compared them with one German and one Swiss population using eight microsatellites loci to infer the characteristics of genetic diversity and genetic structure. We observed sequential loss of genetic diversity and significant structuring associated with distribution but no significant correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance among northwestern populations. There was no genetic evidence for bottleneck effects in any of the populations. The results suggest that the loss of genetic diversity in C. pomonella populations resulted from the successive colonization of founder populations. Recent invasion history led to the lack of any bottleneck effect. The high level of population genetic structuring is related to the weak flight capacity of the codling moth and the human-aided dispersal rather than to geographic distance. These genetic data not only provide us with an understanding of the micro-evolutionary processes related to successful biological invasions, but also provide guidance for pest management strategies.     

Molecular genetic analysis of Dongzhou-period ancient human of Helingeer in Inner Mongolia, China

The mtDNA hypervariable region I (HVR-I) of 10 ancient individuals from Dongzhou-period ancient human populations in Helingeer county of Inner Mongolia were amplified and sequenced to investigate the genetic structure. The relationships between the ancient population and related extant populations, as well as its possible origin at the molecular level, were also studied. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis and multi-dimensional scaling analysis were also performed based on the mtDNA data of the ancient population in Helingeer and the related Eurasian population. The results showed that the ancient population in Helingeer were closer to the northern Asian populations than to the other compared populations in matrilineal lineage. Combining the research results of archaeology and anthropology as well as molecular biology, we inferred that they were nomads who migrated from Mongolia plateau and cis-Baikal region to Helingeer in Inner Mongolia, China.     

Geographic variation and diversity of the cytochrome b gene in Japanese wild populations of medaka, Oryzias latipes

We conducted a polymerase chain reaction--restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to elucidate the detailed genetic population structure of Japanese wild populations of medaka, Oryzias latipes. The analysis of 1,225 specimens collected from 303 sites identified 67 mitotypes. Subsequently we determined the nucleotide sequences of the complete cytochrome b gene (1141-bp) to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among mitotypes. The phylogenetic tree based on nucleotide sequences indicated three major clades (A, B and C) that differed by 11.3-11.8%, corresponding to three clusters previously identified by RFLP analysis of entire mitochondrial DNAs. The geographic distribution of mitotypes in clades A and B was fully concordant with the Northern and Southern Populations defined by allozymes. Clade A could be subdivided into three subclades and clade B into eleven, with sequence divergences among subclades of 1.3-5.8%. Each distribution of mitotypes in subclades roughly corresponded to that of mtDNA haplotypes in subclusters previously identified. Mitotypes in clade C were found only in the Kanto district. The phylogenetic relationships and the estimated divergence times suggest that three Japanese clades originated from a common ancestor and were separated during the Pliocene, and that the regional differentiation of subclades was closely connected with the geological history of the Quaternary. This study has also demonstrated the possibility of artificial disturbance of natural distribution especially in the Kanto district and the superior efficacy of PCR-RFLP analysis as a simple method for detecting genetic variation and artificial gene flow of medaka.     

PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF GRACILARIA TIKVAHIAE (GRACILARIACEAE,RHODOPHYTA): A STUDY OF GENETIC DISCONTINUITY IN A CONTINUOUSLY DISTRIBUTED SPECIES BASED ON MOLECULAR EVIDENCE1

Gracilaria tikvahiae, a highly morphologically variable red alga, is one of the most common species of Gracilariaceae inhabiting Atlantic estuarine environments and the Intracoastal Waterway of eastern North America. Populations of G. tikvahiae at the extremes of their geographic range (Canada and southern Mexico) are subjected to very different environmental regimes. In this study, we used two types of genetic markers, the chloroplast‐encoded rbcL and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, to examine the genetic variability within G. tikvahiae, for inferring the taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships between geographically isolated populations, and to discuss its distributional information in a phylogeographic framework. Based on rbcL and ITS phylogenies, specimens from populations collected at the extreme distributional ranges reported for G. tikvahiae are indeed part of the same species; however, rbcL‐ but not ITS‐based phylogenies detected phylogenetic structure among the ten G. tikvahiae different haplotypes found in this study. The four distinct rbcL lineages were identified as 1) a Canadian–northeast U.S. lineage, 2) a southeast Florida lineage, 3) an eastern Gulf of Mexico lineage, and 4) a western Gulf of Mexico lineage. We found no evidence for the occurrence of G. tikvahiae in the Caribbean Sea. Observed phylogeographic patterns match patterns of genetic structures reported for marine animal taxa with continuous and quasicontinuous geographic distribution along the same geographic ranges.     

中国部分地区烟粉虱生物型种类及系统发育关系分析

烟粉虱是一种危害严重的世界性害虫,是一个快速进化的复合种.本文利用mtCOI分子标记方法,对2010和2011年采自我国9个省(市)的33个烟粉虱种群进行了生物型鉴定和系统发育分析.结果表明： 我国目前存在着B型、Q型、ZHJ-1型、ZHJ-3型、An型以及Nauru型等6种生物型,且不同生物型的分布是不均匀的.遗传距离及系统发育树的分析结果显示,海南省的An型和台湾省的An型聚为一支,为同一来源;中国B型与来自法国和乌干达的B型的亲缘关系较近,同源性达到99%以上;中国的Q型与来自摩洛哥和法国的Q型聚为一个分支,而来自以色列和土耳其的Q型烟粉虱单独聚为一支,说明中国的Q型烟粉虱与来自地中海西部的Q型烟粉虱亲缘关系更近,可以推断中国的Q型烟粉虱的起源地为地中海西部地区.
     

Gene trees and species trees – mutual influences and interdependences of population genetics and systematics

Both population genetics and systematics are core disciplines of evolutionary biology. While systematics deals with genealogical relationships among taxa, population genetics has mainly been based on allele frequencies and the distribution of genetic variants whose genealogical relations could for a long time, due mainly to methodological constraints, not be inferred. The advent of mitochondrial DNA analyses and modern sequencing techniques in the 1970s revolutionized evolutionary genetic studies and gave rise to molecular phylogenetics. In the wake of this new development systematic approaches and principles were incorporated into intraspecific studies at the population level, e.g. the concept of monophyly which is used to delineate evolutionarily significant units in conservation biology. A new discipline combining phylogenetic analyses of genetic lineages with their geographic distribution ('phylogeography') was introduced as an explicit synthesis of population genetics and systematics. On the other hand, it has increasingly become obvious that discordances between gene trees and species trees not only result from spurious data sets or methodological flaws in phylogenetic analyses, but that they often reflect real population genetic processes such as lineage sorting or hybridization. These processes have to be taken into account when evaluating the reliability of gene trees to avoid wrong phylogenetic conclusions. The present review focuses on the phenomenon of non-phylogenetic sorting of ancestral polymorphisms, its probability and its consequences for molecular systematics.     

A phylogeographical study of the Turnip mosaic virus population in East Asia reveals an 'emergent' lineage in Japan

The genetic structure of populations of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) in East Asia was assessed by making host range and gene sequence comparisons of 118 isolates utilizing a population genetic approach. Most, but not all, isolates collected from Brassica plants in China infected only Brassica plants, whereas those from Japan infected both Brassica and Raphanus (BR) plants. Analyses of the positions of recombination sites in five regions of the genomes (one third of the full sequence) of the many recombinant isolates were fully congruent with the results of phylogenetic analysis, and at least one recombination type pattern was shared between Chinese and Japanese populations. One lineage of nonrecombinant isolates from the basal-BR lineage was found in 2000 in Kyushu, Japan but none in China, and have since been found over the whole island. The sudden expansion of this basal-BR population was strongly supported by calculations showing the deviations from the neutral equilibrium model for the individual geographical lineages with overall lack of nucleotide diversity, and by analysis of mismatch distribution. Our study shows that the recent Chinese and Japanese TuMV isolates are part of the same population but are discrete lineages.     

Effects of the landscape on boreal toad gene flow: does the pattern–process relationship hold true across distinct landscapes at the northern range margin?

Understanding the impact of natural and anthropogenic landscape features on population connectivity is a major goal in evolutionary ecology and conservation. Discovery of dispersal barriers is important for predicting population responses to landscape and environmental changes, particularly for populations at geographic range margins. We used a landscape genetics approach to quantify the effects of landscape features on gene flow and connectivity of boreal toad (Bufo boreas) populations from two distinct landscapes in south-east Alaska (Admiralty Island, ANM, and the Chilkat River Valley, CRV). We used two common methodologies for calculating resistance distances in landscape genetics studies (resistance based on least-cost paths and circuit theory). We found a strong effect of saltwater on genetic distance of CRV populations, but no landscape effects were found for the ANM populations. Our discordant results show the importance of examining multiple landscapes that differ in the variability of their features, to maximize detectability of underlying processes and allow results to be broadly applicable across regions. Saltwater serves as a physiological barrier to boreal toad gene flow and affects populations on a small geographic scale, yet there appear to be few other barriers to toad dispersal in this intact northern region.     

中国新疆野苹果天然群体遗传多样性SSR分析

摘要：本研究以新疆巩留、新源、霍城、托里4个居群下的12个新疆野苹果群体为材料,应用涉及12个连锁群的17对SSR引物进行了群体微卫星位点等位基因和基因型差异分析,从地理居群、海拔高度、引物类型角度对新疆野苹果天然群体遗传多样性和遗传结构进行了 探索。结果表明：17对SSR引物在新疆野苹果中种内多态位点百分率达100%;XY1、HC2群体的基因多样性较高。聚类结果显示,同一居群下的群体分在相同的组中;巩留居群与新源居群的遗传关系最近,霍城居群次之,托里居群最远。不同地区间遗传多样性,霍城居群最高,托里居群最低。海拔高度对群体遗传结构影响较小,除了观测杂合度与海拔存在弱正相关外,大多数遗传参数与海拔无相关性。新疆野苹果群体内变异大于群体间,群体间分化很小,基因流较高。     

基于线粒体COI基因的中国西南地区木领针蓟马地理种群的遗传分化分析

【目的】木领针蓟马Helionothrips mube近年来成为芋头Colocasia esculenta上的一种常见害虫。本研究旨在探讨其中国西南地区地理种群间的遗传变异。【方法】通过Sanger法测定了21个地理种群132头木领针蓟马的线粒体COI基因序列,利用MEGA, DnaSP, Arlequin和Network等软件对木领针蓟马种群间的遗传多样性、遗传分化、分子变异等进行分析。【结果】获得的木领针蓟马132条线粒体COI序列(643 bp)中共发现34个变异位点、16种单倍型,其中单倍型H1出现频率最高、分布最广。木领针蓟马总群体的遗传多样性较高(Hd=0.712, Pi=0.00413, K=2.655),遗传分化程度极大(Fst=0.3443),基因交流水平不高(Nm=0.96)。分子方差分析(AMOVA)表明,木领针蓟马的遗传分化主要来自种群内部,Mantel检测出种群地理距离与遗传距离呈正相关。总群体中性检验Tajima’s D值显著负值,Fu’s Fs值不显著,错配分布曲线呈多峰。综合种群间遗传距离、单倍型系统发育树及中介网络图结果,表明四川成都(CHD)、云南昌宁(CHN)和贵州遵义(ZY)3个种群的遗传分化程度均高于其他种群。【结论】中国西南地区木领针蓟马总群体的遗传多样性较高,遗传分化明显,种群间的基因交流受到地理距离的影响,总群体在较近的历史时期内没有出现扩张现象。     

Contrasting population structures in two sympatric anurans: implications for species conservation

A general prediction of the neutral theory of evolution is that genetic diversity should correlate positively with effective population size. We show here that diversity across eight microsatellite loci was consistently and substantially lower in one common amphibian (Bufo bufo) than in another with similar life history traits (Rana temporaria) despite B. bufo having the larger breeding assemblage sizes. However, B. bufo breeding assemblages were much more highly differentiated than those of R. temporaria according to both Fst and Rst estimators. These differences occurred in shared habitats across identical geographical distances. The patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation detected in these two species were probably a consequence of high gene flow in R. temporaria but much lower gene flow among the larger but more dispersed B. bufo assemblages. These observations highlight the difficulty of defining the boundaries of wild populations, and show how two broadly similar species can exhibit very different population dynamics.     

新疆阿勒泰地区图瓦人与邻近人群遗传关系初探

在中国新疆阿勒泰地区哈纳斯景区内, 生活着一个特殊的人群—— 新疆图瓦人。他们在50年代初期第一次民族识别过程中被认定为蒙古族, 但他们自认为与蒙古人具有不同的历史渊源。为了探讨新疆图瓦人的族源问题和阐明其与邻近人群的遗传学关系, 文章采集了新疆阿勒泰地区150份男性图瓦人样本, 对其Y染色体非重组区的14个标记位点进行了分型, 构建了11种单倍型群。结果显示, 新疆图瓦人具有高频率的K^*-M9 和Q^*-M242单倍型群, 这两个单倍型群在俄罗斯图瓦人中也具有较高的频率, 而在蒙古人群和哈萨克人群中的频率则较低。主成分分析和多维尺度分析均显示新疆图瓦人与蒙古人和哈萨克人遗传上相隔较远。系统分子进化分析也表明新疆图瓦人位于与周围人群相隔较远的分化枝上。依据这些结果, 文章认为新疆图瓦人是与邻近人群如蒙古人和哈萨克人有较大遗传差异的人群。