Molecular inference of a Late Pleistocene diversification shift in Nigella s. lat. (Ranunculaceae) resulting from increased speciation in the Aegean archipelago

Aim  To infer the temporal course and geographical mode of speciation in Mediterranean/Southwest Asian Nigella s. lat.
Location  Mediterranean Basin, Aegean archipelago.
Methods  Phylogenies for Nigella L. and Garidella L. (=  Nigella s. lat.) were obtained from maximum-likelihood analyses of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Diversification through time was analysed by log lineages-through-time (LTT) plots and survival analyses. Relative node age estimates were regressed against the degree of sympatry between sister clades to infer the predominant mode of geographical speciation in Nigella s. lat.
Results  The Late Pleistocene radiation of the Nigella arvensis complex in the Aegean region caused a significant departure from a stochastic speciation/extinction process of diversification during the evolution of Nigella s. lat., a lineage of (at least) Late Miocene origin. Speciation within Nigella s. lat. predominantly took place in allopatry.
Main conclusions  No significant effect on diversification rate was found regarding the establishment of a Mediterranean-type climate, or the onset of the Quaternary climatic oscillations. Rather, the accelerated rate of speciation in the N. arvensis complex is plausibly related to increased opportunities for allopatric speciation afforded by the (palaeo)geographical complexity of the Aegean archipelago combined with Late Pleistocene changes in climate and sea level. The evolution of self-pollination and associated changes in habitat preference and flowering time further augmented speciation and niche differentiation within the complex, but these changes did not act as the primary promoters of the radiation process.     

Genetic diversity and insular colonization of Liolaemus pictus (Squamata,Liolaeminae) in north‐western Patagonia

The Chilotan Archipelago and surrounding areas of north‐western Patagonia (41°–43°S, 72°–74°W) offer a unique opportunity to study the interplay between the recent genetic and paleoenvironmental evolution on temperate rainforest environments. Previous studies in this region have postulated that land biota persisted west of the Patagonian ice sheet, in ice‐free low‐elevation regions of the mainland, and the north‐western portion of Isla Grande de Chiloé during Quaternary ice ages. In this study, we analysed the phylogeographical structure (Cytochrome b) of the iguanid lizard Liolaemus pictus to estimate their genetic structure in response to glacial–interglacial cycles and colonization routes. We found that populations from the mainland and Isla Grande de Chiloé do not share haplotypes and, thus, are divergent haplogroups. This divergence might reflect an ancient isolation, much older than the last glaciation. Moreover, the existence of four divergent haplogroups among L. pictus populations in the mainland suggests the persistence of multiple isolated populations during the last glaciation. Our results also indicate that the colonization of small islands occurred from several source sites, located both in the mainland and in Isla Grande de Chiloé, after the Last Glacial Maximum.     

Effects of habitat,wave exposure,and marine protected area status on coral reef fish assemblages in the Hawaiian archipelago

The relationships between fish assemblages, their associated habitat, and degree of protection from fishing were evaluated over a broad spatial scale throughout the main Hawaiian islands. Most fish assemblage characteristics showed positive responses to protection whether it was physical (e.g. habitat complexity), biological (e.g. coral cover growth forms), or human-induced (e.g. marine reserves). Fish biomass was lowest in areas of direct wave exposure and highest in areas partially sheltered from swells. Higher values for fish species richness, number of individuals, biomass, and diversity were observed in locations with higher substrate complexity. Areas completely protected from fishing had distinct fish assemblages with higher standing stock and diversity than areas where fishing was permitted or areas that were partially protected from fishing. Locations influenced by customary stewardship harbored fish biomass that was equal to or greater than that of no-take protected areas. Marine protected areas in the main Hawaiian islands with high habitat complexity, moderate wave disturbance, a high percentage of branching and/or lobate coral coupled with legal protection from fishing pressure had higher values for most fish assemblage characteristics.     

Polytene chromosomes of an archipelagic subgenus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Inseliellum</Emphasis> (Diptera: Simuliidae)

The black fly subgenus Inseliellum is present on a series of archipelagos in the South Pacific. In this study, larval polytene chromosome maps of six Inseliellum species are presented. Chromosomal relationships among taxa were determined through shared fixed inversions or chromosomal landmark positioning. Three fixed inversions (IL-2, IIS-1, and IIIS-1) were shared among species, as was the position of the nucleolar organizer (NO) (IL or IIL). Comparisons to two previously studied species of Inseliellum are included to produce a cytological transformation series among eight taxa. The NO position defines two clades in the phylogeny of Inseliellum, herein named the NO-IL and NO-IIL clades. The utility of this cytological data set is discussed.     

Genetic structure of the endangered plant Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae) from the Zhoushan archipelago using RAPD markers

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Zhoushan archipelago is the largest archipelago in China. It separated from the mainland about 9000 years ago due to rising sea levels and climate change. Because of the long-term influences of human activities, the original forest vegetation on the large islands has been badly damaged and its plant diversity reduced. METHODS: Levels and patterns of genetic diversity in 114 individuals from six natural populations and four cultivated populations of the insular endangered plant Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae) on the Zhoushan archipelago were assessed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. KEY RESULTS: A total of 99 discernible loci were obtained for all populations using ten primers, 50.5 % of which were polymorphic [percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB)=50.5 %]. Despite being a woody, long-lived, perennial, outcrossing and insect-pollinated plant, N. sericea exhibited low levels of genetic variation. The cultivated populations (PPB=18.9 %, HE=0.060, S=0.092) were genetically less diverse than the natural populations (PPB=23.1 %, HE=0.082, S=0.123). Based on analysis of molecular variance, a high degree of among-population differentiation was revealed for both natural (0.387) and cultivated populations (0.598). CONCLUSIONS: Removal of plants from the wild for horticulture purposes has eroded the level of genetic variation of N. sericea. Low levels of genetic diversity and a high degree of population differentiation indicate that management strategies should include conservation of natural habitats occupied by all six wild populations, and sampling of germplasm resources from multiple seed sources.     

嵊泗列岛潮间带群落生态学研究Ⅰ．岩相潮间带底栖生物群落组成及季节变化

对嵊泗列岛岩相潮间带底栖生物群落的研究表明,受盐度及海岸开敞度影响,该列岛岩相潮间带生活着低盐性、广盐性及高盐性３种类型群落．多毛类数量,从西部到东部呈逐渐增加的趋势,软体动物密度和生物量顺序分别为ＳＳ４＞ＨＬ３＞ＳＪ２＞ＤＹ１和ＤＹ１＞ＳＪ２＞ＨＬ３＞ＳＳ４;甲壳动物分别为ＤＹ１＞ＳＪ２＞ＨＬ３＞ＳＳ４和ＳＳ４＞ＨＬ３＞ＳＪ２＞ＤＹ１;藻类生物量顺序为ＨＬ３＞ＳＳ４＞ＳＪ２＞ＤＹ１．垂直分布上,多毛类数量,断面ＤＹ１及ＳＪ２为中湖区＞低潮区＞高潮区,断面ＨＬ３及ＳＳ４为低潮区＞中潮区＞高潮区;软体动物、甲壳动物和藻类生物量顺序均为中潮区＞低潮区＞高潮区．藻类生物量一般以春秋季最高,夏季较低;底栖动物生物量,ＤＹ１以夏秋季生物量较大,冬季最小,ＳＪ２、ＨＬ３分别以春秋生物量最大,ＳＪ２以冬季最小,ＨＬ３以春季最小．     

Müllerian mimetic radiation of Delias butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in Bali and Timor

Mimicry rings are present among Delias butterflies, and those butterflies are also considered to be mimetic models of other lepidopteran insects; however, experimental evidence for their unpalatability to predators is limited. In Bali and Timor, a total of three mimicry rings of Delias species are present; particularly, male and female D. lemoulti join different rings in Timor. The present study examined the unpalatability of Delias in Bali and Timor to the caged avian predator Pycnonotus aurigaster. The birds ate eight Delias species in similar numbers, and ate the palatable butterfly Mycalesis horsfieldii much more frequently than Delias butterflies. The result suggests that the three mimicry rings of Delias species in Bali and Timor are Müllerian rather than Batesian. Based on previous findings on their phylogenetic relationships, the Müllerian mimicry rings of Delias in Bali and Timor are suggested to have emerged through the convergent evolution and phylogenetic constraints of wing color patterns. In the D. hyparete species group, mimetic radiation may have occurred between Bali and Timor.     

Phylogeography of a Patagonian lizard and frog: Congruent signature of southern glacial refuges

Pleistocene glaciations produced significant increases in continental ice cover in polar and mid‐latitude temperate areas, sea‐level declines and shifts and reshuffling of biomes, all of which promote either isolation, coalescence or fragmentation in the distribution of land biota. If populations of several taxa have been co‐distributed for a prolonged time, and if the periods between perturbation or vicariance processes have been more or less stable, it is expected that divergence patterns of closely related and ecologically similar species will be congruent because of their similar biological and demographic characteristics. Based on this premise, we analysed the phylogeographic structure (cytochrome b) of Liolaemus pictus and Batrachyla leptopus, two widely co‐distributed lizard and frog species, respectively, in the Chiloé Archipelago of southern Chile, to decipher their genetic structure in response to a common climatic and environmental history. Haplotype network analysis and Bayesian inference suggest an evolutionary pattern of genetic diversity for the two species that is consistent with the Quaternary glacial history of southern Chile, and suggests a complex phylogeographic history in the Liolaemus and Batrachyla species. High‐divergence levels among haplotypes in some island populations of the archipelago also suggest genetic connectivity between putative refuges from Chiloé Island and the mainland along the exposed continental shelf during sea level minima associated with the most recent Quaternary glaciations. Our results are consistent with our hypothesis that two species have responded to parallel historical events in which the historical process during the last glacial maximum (approximately 41°S) has been sufficient to influence their phylogeographic structure.     

Plant diversity in Oceanic archipelagos: realistic patterns emulated by an agent‐based computer simulation

Although islands as natural laboratories have held the attention of scientists for centuries, they continue to offer new study questions, especially in the context of the current biodiversity crisis. To date, habitat diversity on islands and spatial configuration of archipelagos have received less attention than classical island area and isolation. Moreover, in the field where experiments are impossible, correlative methods have dominated, despite the call for more mechanistic approaches. We developed an agent‐based computer simulation to study the effect of habitat diversity and archipelago configuration on plant species richness and composition in five archipelagos worldwide (Hawaii, Galapagos, Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Azores) and compared simulated diversity patterns to the empirical data. Habitat diversity proved to be an important factor to achieve realistic simulation results in all five archipelagos, whereas spatial structure of archipelagos was important in more elongated archipelagos. In most cases, simulation results correlate stronger with spermatophyte than with pteridophyte data, which we suggest can be attributed to the different dispersal and evolution rates of the two species groups. Correlation strength between simulated and observed diversity also varied among archipelagos, suggesting that geological and biogeographic histories of archipelagos have affected the species richness and composition on the islands. Our study demonstrates that a relatively simple computer simulation involving just a few essential processes can largely emulate patterns of archipelagic species richness and composition and serve as a powerful additional method to complement empirical approaches.