Modelling the Abundances of Two Major Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Species in the Niayes Area of Senegal

In Senegal, considerable mortality in the equine population and hence major economic losses were caused by the African horse sickness (AHS) epizootic in 2007. Culicoides oxystoma and Culicoides imicola, known or suspected of being vectors of bluetongue and AHS viruses are two predominant species in the vicinity of horses and are present all year-round in Niayes area, Senegal. The aim of this study was to better understand the environmental and climatic drivers of the dynamics of these two species. Culicoides collections were obtained using OVI (Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute) light traps at each of the 5 sites for three nights of consecutive collection per month over one year. Cross Correlation Map analysis was performed to determine the time-lags for which environmental variables and abundance data were the most correlated. C. oxystoma and C. imicola count data were highly variable and overdispersed. Despite modelling large Culicoides counts (over 220,000 Culicoides captured in 354 night-traps), using on-site climate measures, overdispersion persisted in Poisson, negative binomial, Poisson regression mixed-effect with random effect at the site of capture models. The only model able to take into account overdispersion was the Poisson regression mixed-effect model with nested random effects at the site and date of capture levels. According to this model, meteorological variables that contribute to explaining the dynamics of C. oxystoma and C. imicola abundances were: mean temperature and relative humidity of the capture day, mean humidity between 21 and 19 days prior a capture event, density of ruminants, percentage cover of water bodies within a 2 km radius and interaction between temperature and humidity for C. oxystoma; mean rainfall and NDVI of the capture day and percentage cover of water bodies for C. imicola. Other variables such as soil moisture, wind speed, degree days, land cover or landscape metrics could be tested to improve the models. Further work should also assess whether other trapping methods such as host-baited traps help reduce overdispersion.     

Abundance,diversity and temporal activity of adult Culicoides spp. associated with cattle in West Bengal,India

Relative abundance, species composition and temporal activity of Culicoides midges were studied for a period of 2 years (2012–2014) using suction ultra violet light traps at two sites located in the agriculture heartland of West Bengal, India. Surveillance in close proximity to cattle recorded predominance of five species with C oxystoma and C. peregrinus as the most dominant species followed by C. fulvus, C. innoxius and C. anophelis. The temporal activity of midges was investigated for seven consecutive nights at one site in August-September, 2012 and the predominant species was Culicoides oxystoma followed by Culicoides peregrinus. All of the species exhibited crepuscular activity with their flight activity increasing from dusk to dawn. Engorged adults constituted dominant age group in collections. Studies on population ecology of the adults midges are of considerable importance predicting for the epidemicity of midge-borne diseases in cattle.     

Dual African Origins of Global Aedes aegypti s.l. Populations Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA

Background

Aedes aegypti is the primary global vector to humans of yellow fever and dengue flaviviruses. Over the past 50 years, many population genetic studies have documented large genetic differences among global populations of this species. These studies initially used morphological polymorphisms, followed later by allozymes, and most recently various molecular genetic markers including microsatellites and mitochondrial markers. In particular, since 2000, fourteen publications and four unpublished datasets have used sequence data from the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 mitochondrial gene to compare Ae. aegypti collections and collectively 95 unique mtDNA haplotypes have been found. Phylogenetic analyses in these many studies consistently resolved two clades but no comprehensive study of mtDNA haplotypes have been made in Africa, the continent in which the species originated.

Methods and Findings

ND4 haplotypes were sequenced in 426 Ae. aegypti s.l. from Senegal, West Africa and Kenya, East Africa. In Senegal 15 and in Kenya 7 new haplotypes were discovered. When added to the 95 published haplotypes and including 6 African Aedes species as outgroups, phylogenetic analyses showed that all but one Senegal haplotype occurred in a basal clade while most East African haplotypes occurred in a second clade arising from the basal clade. Globally distributed haplotypes occurred in both clades demonstrating that populations outside Africa consist of mixtures of mosquitoes from both clades.

Conclusions

Populations of Ae. aegypti outside Africa consist of mosquitoes arising from one of two ancestral clades. One clade is basal and primarily associated with West Africa while the second arises from the first and contains primarily mosquitoes from East Africa     

Integrative taxonomy of a poorly known Sahelian rodent, Gerbillus nancillus (Muridae,Gerbillinae)

Aridification processes that affected the Sahelian area of West Africa during the last decades have induced significant changes in plant and animal communities of this region. In rodents, the genus Gerbillus characteristic of North African and Asian arid habitats has been affected by this climatic and environmental trends. Several species of this genus showed a southward range expansion in recent years into the Sahelian bioclimatic zone. Recent sampling in several localities of West Africa (Mali, Niger and Senegal) enabled us to collect numerous specimens of small gerbils. An integrative study of these samples using molecular, morphological and cytogenetical methods revealed that many of them were attributable to Gerbillus nancillus, a secretive and poorly known species. Gerbillus nancillus appears characterized by a well differentiated karyotype with 2n = 56 chromosomes, and to represent a unique genetic lineage within this genus. Body and skull measurements of G. nancillus were compared with those of the morphologically similar Gerbillus henleyi, which provided diagnostic clues between them. These new data significantly expand the distribution area of G. nancillus, which now ranges from Sudan in the East to Senegal in the West. G. nancillus is here reported from numerous new localities in Niger and Mali, and for the first time in Senegal, which raises questions about the origin of its presence and the colonization routes it followed to get there. We also show that G. henleyi and G. nancillus are sympatric and apparently often syntopic in the sub-Saharan part of the distribution of G. henleyi.     

Isolation of haemolytic bacilli from field‐collected Culicoides oxystoma and Culicoides peregrinus: potential vectors of bluetongue virus in West Bengal,India

Two haemolytic bacterial strains of Bacillus pumilus (CU1A, CU1B) and one blood‐utilizing strain of Bacillus licheniformis (CU2B) were isolated from relatively low numbers of field‐collected females of Culicoides oxystoma and Culicoides peregrinus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). A total of 36 females, including 18 of each of C. oxystoma and C. peregrinus (consisting of one and a pool of eight blood‐engorged specimens, and one and a pool of eight non‐engorged specimens for each species), were tested. In C. oxystoma, all three strains of bacteria were isolated from the one non‐engorged, the pool of non‐engorged and the pool of blood‐engorged females tested, but CU1A and CU2B were not found in the one blood‐engorged female tested. In C. peregrinus, all three strains were present in the pool of blood‐engorged females. However, the strain CU2B was not found in the pool of non‐engorged females. In the one blood‐engorged and one non‐engorged female tested, CU1A and CU2B were detected. The bacterial strains were identified based on Gram staining, enzyme activity (amylase and protease) and alignment of the 16S rRNA partial gene sequence to that available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database GenBank. The functional role and significance of these haemolytic and blood‐digesting bacteria within the genus Culicoides remain to be determined.     

Population Genetic Structure and Isolation by Distance of Helicobacter pylori in Senegal and Madagascar

Helicobacter pylori has probably infected the human stomach since our origins and subsequently diversified in parallel with their human hosts. The genetic population history of H. pylori can therefore be used as a marker for human migration. We analysed seven housekeeping gene sequences of H. pylori strains isolated from 78 Senegalese and 24 Malagasy patients and compared them with the sequences of strains from other geographical locations. H. pylori from Senegal and Madagascar can be placed in the previously described HpAfrica1 genetic population, subpopulations hspWAfrica and hspSAfrica, respectively. These 2 subpopulations correspond to the distribution of Niger-Congo speakers in West and most of subequatorial Africa (due to Bantu migrations), respectively. H. pylori appears as a single population in Senegal, indicating a long common history between ethnicities as well as frequent local admixtures. The lack of differentiation between these isolates and an increasing genetic differentiation with geographical distance between sampling locations in Africa was evidence for genetic isolation by distance. The Austronesian expansion that started from Taiwan 5000 years ago dispersed one of the 10 subgroups of the Austronesian language family via insular Southeast Asia into the Pacific and Madagascar, and hspMaori is a marker for the entire Austronesian expansion. Strain competition and replacement of hspMaori by hpAfrica1 strains from Bantu migrants are the probable reasons for the presence of hspSAfrica strains in Malagasy of Southeast Asian descent. hpAfrica1 strains appear to be generalist strains that have the necessary genetic diversity to efficiently colonise a wide host spectrum.     

Deep phylogenetic divergence between Scolytoplatypus and Remansus,a new genus of Scolytoplatypodini from Madagascar (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Scolytoplatypodini Blandford is a monotypic tribe of ambrosia beetles found in Asia, Madagascar and Africa. Only three species are currently known from Madagascar and four additional species are here described as new to science. Phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular data revealed that four of the seven endemic species are deeply separated from all other species by genetic and distinct morphological characters and therefore placed in a new genus Remansus Jordal. The split between this ancient lineage and Scolytoplatypus Schaufuss was estimated to approximate Palaeocene age (63 Ma), extending the minimum age of ambrosia feeding for this tribe to the beginning of the Palaeocene‒Eocene thermal maximum (PETM). In addition to the ancient origin of Remansus in Madagascar during the Palaeocene, a second origin occurred in Scolytoplatypus no more than 13 Ma. A geographical origin of the latter in South-Eastern Africa was unequivocally inferred from the phylogenies.     

A cladistic phylogeny of the family Patellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

A phylogenetic hypothesis for the patellid limpets is reconstructed by cladistic analysis of morphological characters from 37 species, representing all but one of the living members of the family. Characters included in the analysis are derived from shell shape and microstructure, headfoot and pallial complex, radula and sperm. The species fall into four clades, providing the basis for a new phylogenetic classification into four monophyletic genera: Helcion (four species; southern Africa), Cymbula (eight species; southern Africa, eastern Atlantic, southern Indian Ocean), Scutellastra (17 species; southern and southwestern Africa, Australia, Indo-West Pacific, Eastern Pacific) and Patella (nine species; northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean). The analysis suggests sister-group relationships between Helcion and Cymbula, and between Scutellastra and Patella. In combination with present-day patterns of geographical distribution, this phylogenetic hypothesis is used to discuss the historical biogeography of the Patellidae. Scutellastra may have originated in southern Africa and dispersed across the Pacific, or alternatively may be a primitively Tethyan group. Both Helcion and Cymbula appear to have originated in southern Africa, but three Cymbula species have dispersed respectively to northwest Africa, St Helena and the southern Indian Ocean. The patellids of the northeastern Atlantic form a single clade, Patella (including P. pellucida), which may have arrived by northward dispersal of an ancestor from southern Africa, or possibly by vicariance of a widespread ancestral Tethyan distribution. The known fossil record of patellids is too fragmentary to permit choice between these alternatives.     

Genetic variation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum magnum</Emphasis> isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carica papaya</Emphasis> as revealed by DNA fingerprinting

Mexico is one of the five largest producers of papaya worldwide, but losses caused by pathogens, mainly fungus, at the pre- and post-harvest stages are often more than 50% of the crop. Papaya anthracnose, caused by three different species of the Colletotrichum genus in Mexico, occupies a preponderant place in this problem. Although two of these species, C. gloeosporiodes and C. truncatum, have been characterized morphologically and genotypically, this has not occurred with C. magnum, the third species involved, about which there is very little information. Because of this, it is vital to know its genetic characterization, much more so considering that the studies carried out on the other two species reveal a wide genetic diversity, differences in pathogenicity and in the response to fungicides of the different strains characterized. In this work, Colletotrichum spp. isolates were collected at different papaya orchards in the south-southeast of Mexico. C. magnum isolates identified by species-specific primers were characterized by morphological and molecular approaches. Differences in colony characteristics resulted in five morphological groups. AP-PCR, DAMD and ISSR markers were found to be very efficient for revealing the interspecific variability of this species. The high genetic variability found in the accessions of C. magnum was linked to the geographical area where they were collected. Isolates from Chiapas State were the most variable, showing point mutations in the ITS1-ITS2 region. These results will enable a better phytosanitary management of anthracnose in papaya in this region of Mexico.     

Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as potential vectors for Leishmania martiniquensis and Trypanosoma sp. in northern Thailand

Biting midges of genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the vectors of several pathogenic arboviruses and parasites of humans and animals. Several reports have suggested that biting midges might be a potential vector of Leishmania parasites. In this study, we screened for Leishmania and Trypanosoma DNA in biting midges collected from near the home of a leishmaniasis patient in Lamphun province, northern Thailand by using UV-CDC light traps. The identification of biting midge species was based on morphological characters and confirmed using the Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The detection of Leishmania and Trypanosoma DNA was performed by amplifying the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes, respectively. All the amplified PCR amplicons were cloned and sequenced. The collected 223 biting midges belonged to seven species (Culicoides mahasarakhamense, C. guttifer, C. innoxius, C. sumatrae, C. huffi, C. oxystoma, and C. palpifer). The dominant species found in this study was C. mahasarakhamense (47.53%). Leishmania martiniquensis DNA was detected in three samples of 106 specimens of C. mahasarakhamense tested indicating a field infection rate of 2.83%, which is comparable to reported rates in local phlebotomines. Moreover, we also detected Trypanosoma sp. DNA in one sample of C. huffi. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular detection of L. martiniquensis in C. mahasarakhamense as well as the first detection of avian Trypanosoma in C. huffi. Blood meal analysis of engorged specimens of C. mahasarakhamense, C. guttifer, and C. huffi revealed that all specimens had fed on avian, however, further studies of the host ranges of Culicoides are needed to gain a better insight of potential vectors of emerging leishmaniasis. Clarification of the vectors of these parasites is also important to provide tools to establish effective disease prevention and control programs in Thailand.     

Morphological differences and molecular phylogenetic relationship of two tapeworm species,Moniezia expansa and Moniezia benedeni,collected from domestic ruminants in northern Vietnam

Moniezia expansa and M. benedeni are two common tapeworm species of domestic ruminants over the world. However, their morphological and molecular data are available for limited specimens from a few countries. In the present study, we compared morphological characteristics of these two species collected from goats and cattle in northern Vietnam and analyzed their phylogenetic relationship based on the 5.8S and second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (cox1). The two species are clearly distinguishable from one another not only in the morphological appearance of the interproglottidal glands but also in the gross appearance of mature and gravid proglottids. Molecular analyses revealed that the 5.8S-ITS2 sequences of Vietnamese M. expansa were highly similar (99.7%) to the sequences from Japan and India, and made a common clade, which was clearly distinct from M. benedeni of Vietnam. For cox1 sequences, Vietnamese M. expansa showed a high similarity to and were grouped with the sequences from Ethiopia and some sequences from Senegal and China to make a common clade, which was separated from the remaining clades of Senegal and China. The cox1 sequences of M. benedeni from China, Vietnam, and Senegal were far distant (10.0–15.9%) from each other. The results of this study suggest that more sequence data of Moniezia species with details of morphological features from various geographical locations should be obtained to clarify the taxonomic status of Moniezia species.     

The origin and evolutionary history of HIV-1 subtype C in Senegal

Background

The classification of HIV-1 strains in subtypes and Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs) has helped in tracking the course of the HIV pandemic. In Senegal, which is located at the tip of West Africa, CRF02_AG predominates in the general population and Female Sex Workers (FSWs). In contrast, 40% of Men having Sex with Men (MSM) in Senegal are infected with subtype C. In this study we analyzed the geographical origins and introduction dates of HIV-1 C in Senegal in order to better understand the evolutionary history of this subtype, which predominates today in the MSM population

Methodology/Principal Findings

We used a combination of phylogenetic analyses and a Bayesian coalescent-based approach, to study the phylogenetic relationships in pol of 56 subtype C isolates from Senegal with 3,025 subtype C strains that were sampled worldwide. Our analysis shows a significantly well supported cluster which contains all subtype C strains that circulate among MSM in Senegal. The MSM cluster and other strains from Senegal are widely dispersed among the different subclusters of African HIV-1 C strains, suggesting multiple introductions of subtype C in Senegal from many different southern and east African countries. More detailed analyses show that HIV-1 C strains from MSM are more closely related to those from southern Africa. The estimated date of the MRCA of subtype C in the MSM population in Senegal is estimated to be in the early 80''s.

Conclusions/Significance

Our evolutionary reconstructions suggest that multiple subtype C viruses with a common ancestor originating in the early 1970s entered Senegal. There was only one efficient spread in the MSM population, which most likely resulted from a single introduction, underlining the importance of high-risk behavior in spread of viruses.     

Phylogeography of the fiscal shrike (Lanius collaris): a novel pattern of genetic structure across the arid zones and savannas of Africa

Aim Savanna occupies a substantial part of Africa, being distributed around the two major tropical rain forest blocks in what is referred to as the Savanna Belt. Our current understanding of the genetic structure within species distributed across the Savanna Belt is primarily derived from mammalian taxa, studies of which have revealed a suture zone or transition between northern and east/southern Africa clades in south‐western Kenya and north‐western Tanzania. We conduct a phylogeographic study of the fiscal shrike (Lanius collaris), a polytypic species distributed across the Savanna Belt of Africa and for which morphological and vocal data are in agreement with the suture zone recovered for mammalian taxa, to test the hypothesis of a spatially congruent genetic break across several taxa, including birds. Location Africa, south of the Sahara. Methods We analysed DNA sequences recovered from four loci (one mitochondrial, two autosomal and one Z‐linked) in 66 individuals, representing all recognized subspecies, as well as putatively closely related species. We make use of a combination of tree‐building and population genetic methods to investigate the phylogeographic structure of the fiscal shrike across Africa. Results The fiscal shrike consists of two primary lineages with a strong geographic component: a northern group distributed from southern Tanzania to Senegal, and a southern group distributed from Botswana/Zambia to South Africa with isolated populations in Tanzania and northern Malawi. Unexpectedly, Souza’s shrike (L. souzae) was nested within L. collaris, as the sister group of the southern group. The positions of Mackinnon’s shrike (L. mackinnoni) and that of the São Tomé shrike (L. newtoni) were variable, being either nested within the fiscal shrike or sister to the L. collaris–L. souzae clade. Our divergence time analyses suggest that the Lanius collaris species complex started to diversify around 2.2 Ma. Main conclusions Our study reveals a distinct biogeographic pattern for a savanna distributed species in Africa, with the transition between the two primary genetic lineages occurring at a latitude of c. 15–16° S, 10° S further south than shown elsewhere for several mammalian species.     

An annotated list and molecular data on larvae of gryporhynchid tapeworms (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) from freshwater fishes in Africa

An annotated list of larvae (metacestodes) of gryporhynchid tapeworms (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) from freshwater fishes in Africa is provided with numerous new host and geographical records. Newly collected materials from Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe practically double the total number of species reported from African fish so far. We confirm the occurrence of 16 species (five unidentified to the species level and most likely representing new taxa) belonging to the genera Amirthalingamia Bray, 1974 (1 species), Cyclustera Fuhrmann, 1901 (2 species), Dendrouterina Fuhrmann, 1912 (1 species), Neogryporhynchus Baer & Bona, 1960 (1 species), Paradilepis Hsü, 1935 (4 species), Parvitaenia Burt, 1940 (5 species), and Valipora Linton, 1927 (2 species). Additionally, metacestodes of four unidentified species of Paradilepis and Parvitaenia are reported from fish for the first time. Rostellar hooks of all species are illustrated and their measurements are provided together with a host-parasite list. The molecular phylogenetic analysis based on partial LSU rDNA sequences offers the first insight into the internal phylogenetic relationships within the family. Together with the morphological observations, the present study provides a taxonomic baseline for future studies on this largely neglected, but widely distributed and relatively frequent, group of parasites of African fishes, including economically important cichlids like tilapias and cyprinids.     

Phylogeographical Structure in Mitochondrial DNA of Legume Pod Borer (Maruca vitrata) Population in Tropical Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

This study was undertaken to assess the genetic diversity and host plant races of M. vitrata population in South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene was used to understand the phylogenetic relationship of geographically different M. vitrata population, but previous studies did not include population from Southeast Asia, the probable center of origin for Maruca, and from east Africa. Extensive sampling was done from different host plant species in target countries. Reference populations from Oceania and Latin America were used. An amplicon of 658 bp was produced by polymerase chain reaction, and 64 haplotypes were identified in 686 M. vitrata individuals. Phylogenetic analysis showed no difference among the M. vitrata population from different host plants. However, the results suggested that M. vitrata has formed two putative subspecies (which cannot be differentiated based on morphological characters) in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, as indicated by the high pairwise F_ST values (0.44–0.85). The extremely high F_ST values (≥0.93) of Maruca population in Latin America and Oceania compared to Asian and African population seem to indicate a different species. On the continental or larger geographical region basis, the genetic differentiation is significantly correlated with the geographical distance. In addition, two putative species of Maruca, including M. vitrata occur in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The negative Tajima’s D and Fu’s F_S values showed the recent demographic expansion of Maruca population. The haplotype network and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery analyses confirmed the results of phylogenetic analysis. Thus, this study confirmed the presence of three putative Maruca species, including one in Latin America, one in Oceania (including Indonesia) and M. vitrata in Asia, Africa and Oceania. Hence, the genetic differences in Maruca population should be carefully considered while designing the pest management strategies in different regions.     

High intraspecific genetic and morphological variation in the pioneer lichen Cladonia rei colonising slag dumps

This study investigates the genetic and morphological variability of the lichen Cladonia rei inhabiting strongly contaminated postsmelting slag dumps in southern Poland. Altogether, 27 C. rei samples were analysed, including 17 from a single population in one dump. The phylogenetic analysis includes samples of C. rei, outgroup species, and external sequences of Cladonia section representatives from GenBank. Comparative analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences revealed the presence of 19 C. rei haplotypes overall, including several of the most frequent, of which 11 are represented by single individuals only. As many as 12 haplotypes were recorded within a single population. Three strongly supported monophyletic clades comprised of specimens from different geographical regions were recovered. Morphometric analysis showed great phenotypic variability within particular clades. Apart from a full range of previously known morphological forms of the species, an additional specific morphotype was recognised in the dumps; however, its representatives do not create a monophyletic group. High genetic variability within a single population suggests that C. rei has a great potential for colonising anthropogenic habitats. This attribute emphasises the role of this lichen as an essential pioneer in the early stages of natural regeneration of such sites.     

Potential of dendrochronology to assess annual rates of biomass productivity in savanna trees of West Africa

We examined the potential of dendrochronology to assess biomass productivity of individual savanna species from a semi-arid ecosystem in southern Senegal. The 9 tree species examined in this dendrochronologial study included: Acacia macrostachya, Acacia seyal, Balanites aegyptiaca, Combretum glutinosum, Cordyla pinnata, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Terminalia macroptera, Daniellia oliveri, and Combretum nigricans. Dendrochronologial analyses were applied on cross-sectional disks obtained from the tree stem to reconstruct past tree growth (diameter and biomass) histories. Despite challenges with discerning annual tree rings in these savanna species (associated with ring suppression, wedging, indistinct ring boundaries, and fires), tree species (A. macrostachya, A. seyal, and T. macroptera) with the highest dendrochronology potential produced a clear thin band of marginal parenchyma. A. macrostachya had rapid annual diameter and biomass growth increments in the juvenile years (ages 1–10), compared to T. macroptera which showed greater growth past this early juvenile period. Given the same species, generally wetter forests had lower annual and cumulative growth rates that were likely due to increased inter-tree and tree-grass competition for soil moisture in the wetter forests. We concluded that dendrochronology is well suited for retrospective annual biomass assessment in savanna trees of Senegal, West Africa.     

The colonization history of the Mediterranean dwarf palm (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamaerops humilis</Emphasis> L., Palmae)

Chamaerops humilis L. (Mediterranean dwarf palm) is an important floristic element of the western Mediterranean region because it is the only palm species naturally distributed in both Europe and Africa. The combination of a time-calibrated phylogeny, a haplotype network and genetic diversity analyses based on plastid sequences, together with previous nuclear DNA fingerprint results, helped reconstruct the colonization history of the dwarf palm. Based on a sample of 218 individuals taken from 29 geographical areas that cover the current distribution of Chamaerops, we detected four plastid DNA (petA-psbJ) haplotypes distributed in two haplotype groups (lineage 1: haplotypes A/B; lineage 2: haplotypes C/D). Haplotypes A, B, and C showed a widespread geographical distribution in both Africa and Europe, whereas haplotype D was restricted to two African localities. Paleobotanical data, species distribution modeling and divergence time estimates suggest that Chamaerops diverged from Trachycarpus in the Miocene (27.05–6.05 Ma), followed by a split of the two C. humilis lineages that remained isolated during the Miocene-Pliocene. Divergence estimates also support a derived split into two haplotypes (A/B) in the Pleistocene, when the Mediterranean Sea barrier was in existence. This, together with geographical distribution of haplotypes A and B, strongly suggests that the disjunct distribution of C. humilis haplotypes in Europe and Africa is the result of long-distance dispersal (LDD) events rather than vicariance. In agreement with recurrent gene flow (events of LDD colonization), AMOVA revealed that most of the genetic variance was found among populations (61.52%). Irrespective of predominant plant translocations by humans or seed dispersal by natural means, our results support that current populations are the result of relatively recent contacts between Africa and Europe in the Quaternary.