Hidden levels of phylodiversity in Antarctic green algae: further evidence for the existence of glacial refugia

Recent data revealed that metazoans such as mites and springtails have persisted in Antarctica throughout several glacial–interglacial cycles, which contradicts the existing paradigm that terrestrial life was wiped out by successive glacial events and that the current inhabitants are recent colonizers. We used molecular phylogenetic techniques to study Antarctic microchlorophyte strains isolated from lacustrine habitats from maritime and continental Antarctica. The 14 distinct chlorophycean and trebouxiophycean lineages observed point to a wide phylogenetic diversity of apparently endemic Antarctic lineages at different taxonomic levels. This supports the hypothesis that long-term survival took place in glacial refugia, resulting in a specific Antarctic flora. The majority of the lineages have estimated ages between 17 and 84 Ma and probably diverged from their closest relatives around the time of the opening of Drake Passage (30–45 Ma), while some lineages with longer branch lengths have estimated ages that precede the break-up of Gondwana. The variation in branch length and estimated age points to several independent but rare colonization events.     

The endemic spring snail Pyrgulopsis montezumensis in a high CO2 environment: Importance of extreme chemical habitats as refugia

1. We examined the distribution of the endemic spring snail, Pyrgulopsis montezumensis, along a gradient of dissolved free CO₂ and on selected substrata in the collapsed travertine springmound of Montezuma Well, Arizona, U.S.A. 2. Dissolved CO₂ concentration ranged from 480 (SE ± 56) mg L^??1 near the bottom spring vents in the limnetic zone (12 m deep) of the well to < 20 mg L^??1 in an irrigation canal about 1400 m downstream from the well outlet. Spring snails occurred in habitats with 110–315 mg L^??1 dissolved CO₂. 3. Laboratory experiments showed that P. montezumensis tolerated a dissolved CO₂ concentration up to about 400 mg L^??1 for 11 days, but displayed 40% (SE ± 4) mortality after 3 days at 728 mg L^??1 and 100% mortality after 24 h at 1200 mg L^??1. We also measured 100% mortality after 10 days at ambient concentrations (< 10 mg L^??1) of dissolved CO₂. 4. Although the concentration of dissolved CO₂ was within the tolerance range for spring snails in the irrigation canal, inadequate substrata and increased predation probably restricted their distribution in the lower reaches of the canal. Both field measurements and laboratory selection experiments showed a significant (P < 0.001) preference for limestone substrata over submerged vegetation and fine sediments. 5. We propose that springs with high dissolved CO₂ may provide refugia from invertebrate and/or vertebrate predators not physiologically adjusted to the extreme chemical environment. These extreme chemical habitats probably reduce competition for resources and predation and allow resistant populations like P. montezumensis to attain high density.     

Closely related octopus species show different spatial genetic structures in response to the Antarctic seascape

Determining whether comparable processes drive genetic divergence among marine species is relevant to molecular ecologists and managers alike. Sympatric species with similar life histories might be expected to show comparable patterns of genetic differentiation and a consistent influence of environmental factors in shaping divergence. We used microsatellite loci to quantify genetic differentiation across the Scotia Arc in three species of closely related benthic octopods, Pareledone turqueti, P. charcoti, and Adelieledone polymorpha. The relative importance of environmental factors (latitude, longitude, depth, and temperature) in shaping genetic structure was investigated when significant spatial genetic structure was uncovered. Isolated populations of P. turqueti and A. polymorpha at these species’ range margins were genetically different to samples close to mainland Antarctica; however, these species showed different genetic structures at a regional scale. Samples of P. turqueti from the Antarctic Peninsula, Elephant Island, and Signy Island were genetically different, and this divergence was associated primarily with sample collection depth. By contrast, weak or nonsignificant spatial genetic structure was evident across the Antarctic Peninsula, Elephant Island, and Signy Island region for A. polymorpha, and slight associations between population divergence and temperature or depth (and/or longitude) were detected. Pareledone charcoti has a limited geographic range, but exhibited no genetic differentiation between samples from a small region of the Scotia Arc (Elephant Island and the Antarctic Peninsula). Thus, closely related species with similar life history strategies can display contrasting patterns of genetic differentiation depending on spatial scale; moreover, depth may drive genetic divergence in Southern Ocean benthos.     

Incursion and excursion of Antarctic biota: past, present and future

Aim To investigate the major paradigms of intense isolation and little anthropogenic influence around Antarctica and to examine the timings and scales of the modification of the southern polar biota. Location Antarctica and surrounding regions. Methods First, mechanisms of and evidence for long‐term isolation are reviewed. These include continental drift, the development of a surrounding deep‐water channel and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). They also include levels of endemism, richness and distinctiveness of assemblages. Secondly, evidence for past and modern opportunities for species transport are investigated. Comparative levels of alien establishments are also examined around the Southern Ocean. Discussion On a Cenozoic time‐scale, it is clear that Gondwana's fragmentation led to increasing geographical isolation of Antarctica and the initiation of the ACC, which restricted biota exchange to low levels while still permitting some movement of biota. On a shorter Quaternary time‐scale, the continental ice‐sheet, influenced by solar (Milankovitch) cycles, has expanded and contracted periodically, covering and exposing terrestrial and continental shelf habitats. There were probably refugia for organisms during each glacial maxima. It is also likely that new taxa were introduced into Antarctica during cycles of ice sheet and oceanic front movement. The current situation (a glacial minimum) is not ‘normal’; full interglacials represent only 10% of the last 430 ka. On short (ecological) time‐scales, many natural dispersal processes (airborne, oceanic eddy, rafting and hitch‐hiking on migrants) enable the passage of biota to and from Antarctica. In recent years, humans have become influential both directly by transporting organisms and indirectly by increasing survival and establishment prospects via climate change. Main conclusions Patterns of endemism and alien establishment are very different across taxa, land and sea, and north vs. south of the Polar Frontal Zone. Establishment conditions, as much as transport, are important in limiting alien establishment. Three time‐scales emerge as important in the modification of Antarctica's biota. The natural ‘interglacial’ process of reinvasion of Antarctica is being influenced strongly by humans.     

Diversity and biogeography of the Antarctic flora

Aim To establish how well the terrestrial flora of the Antarctic has been sampled, how well the flora is known, and to determine the major patterns in diversity and biogeography. Location Antarctica south of 60° S, together with the South Sandwich Islands, but excluding South Georgia, Bouvetøya and the periantarctic islands. Methods Plant occurrence data were collated from herbarium specimens and literature records, and assembled into the Antarctic Plant Database. Distributional patterns were analysed using a geographic information system. Biogeographical patterns were determined with a variety of multivariate statistics. Results Plants have been recorded from throughout the Antarctic, including all latitudes between 60° S and 86° S. Species richness declines with latitude along the Antarctic Peninsula, but there was no evidence for a similar cline in Victoria Land and the Transantarctic mountains. Multi‐dimensional scaling ordinations showed that the species compositions of the South Orkney, South Shetland Islands and the north‐western Antarctic Peninsula are very similar to each other, as are the floras of different regions in continental Antarctica. They also suggest, however, that the eastern Antarctic Peninsula flora is more similar to the flora of the southern Antarctic Peninsula than to the continental flora (with which it has traditionally been linked). The South Sandwich Islands have a flora that is very dissimilar to that in all Antarctic regions, probably because of their isolation and volcanic nature. Main conclusions The Antarctic flora has been reasonably well sampled, but certain areas require further floristic surveys. Available data do, however, allow for a number of robust conclusions. A diversity gradient exists along the Antarctic Peninsula, with fewer species (but not fewer higher taxa) at higher latitudes. Multi‐dimensional scaling ordination suggests three major floral provinces within Antarctica: northern maritime, southern maritime, and continental. Patterns of endemism suggest that a proportion of the lichen flora may have an ancient vicariant distribution, while most bryophytes are more recent colonists.     

Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity: testing for the evolutionary effects of refugia

Concordant areas of endemism among taxa have important implications both for understanding mechanisms of speciation and for framing conservation priorities. Here we discuss the need for careful testing of phylogeographic data for evidence of such concordance, with particular reference to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. This is because there are good reasons to question whether concordance between taxa is likely to be a common pattern, and because of the serious implications of incorrectly concluding that the biodiversity of a given area can be partitioned in this way.     

Diversification within glacial refugia: tempo and mode of evolution of the polytypic fish Barbus sclateri

A diversity of evolutionary processes can be responsible for generating and maintaining biodiversity. Molecular markers were used to investigate the influence of Plio-Pleistocene climatic oscillations on the evolutionary history of taxa restricted to the freshwaters of a classical glacial refugium. Population genetic, phylogenetic and phylogeographical methods allowed the inference of temporal dynamics of cladogenesis and processes shaping present-day genetic constitution of Barbus sclateri , a polytypic taxon found in several independent river drainages in southern Iberian Peninsula. Results from different analyses consistently indicate several range expansions, high levels of allopatric fragmentation, and admixture following secondary contacts throughout its evolutionary history. Using a Bayesian demographical coalescent model on mitochondrial DNA sequences calibrated with fossil evidence, all cladogenetic events within B. sclateri are inferred to have occurred during the Pleistocene and were probably driven by environmental factors. Our results suggest that glaciation cycles did not inhibit cladogenesis and probably interacted with regional geomorphology to promote diversification. We conclude that this polytypic taxon is a species complex that recently diversified in allopatry, and that Pleistocene glaciation–deglaciation cycles probably contributed to the generation of biological diversity in a classical glacial refugium with high endemicity.     

Contrasting phylogeographical patterns for springtails reflect different evolutionary histories between the Antarctic Peninsula and continental Antarctica

Aim  We examined the genetic structure among populations and regions for the springtails Cryptopygus antarcticus antarcticus and Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni (Collembola) to identify potential historical refugia and subsequent colonization routes, and to examine population growth/expansion and relative ages of population divergence.
Location  Antarctic Peninsula for C. a. antarcticus ; Antarctic continent (southern Victoria Land) for G. hodgsoni .
Methods  Samples were collected from 24 and 28 locations across the Antarctic Peninsula and southern Victoria Land regions for C. a. antarcticus and G. hodgsoni , respectively. We used population genetic, demographic and nested clade analyses based on mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and subunit II).
Results  Both species were found to have population structures compatible with the presence of historical glacial refugia on Pleistocene (2 Ma–present) time-scales, followed by post-glacial expansion generating contemporary geographically isolated populations. However, G. hodgsoni populations were characterized by a fragmented pattern with several 'phylogroups' (likely ancestral haplotypes present in high frequency) retaining strong ancestral linkages among present-day populations. Conversely, C. a. antarcticus had an excess of rare haplotypes with a much reduced volume of ancestral lineages, possibly indicating historical founder/bottleneck events and widespread expansion.
Main conclusions  We infer that these differences reflect distinct evolutionary histories in each locality despite the resident species having similar life-history characteristics. We suggest that this has predominantly been influenced by variation in the success of colonization events as a result of intrinsic historical glaciological differences between the Antarctic Peninsula and continental Antarctic environments.     

Skuas (Stercorarius spp.) moult body feathers during both the breeding and inter‐breeding periods: implications for stable isotope investigations in seabirds

Seabirds are mostly thought to moult during the inter‐breeding period and the isotopic values of their feathers are often therefore assumed to relate to their assimilated diet during such periods. We observed Brown Skuas Stercorarius antarcticus lonnbergi and South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki moulting on a breeding site at King George Island, Antarctica. This raises concerns about the reliability of using stable isotopes in feathers to infer feeding localities of birds during the inter‐breeding period. We analysed the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of growing and fully grown body feathers collected from the same individuals. For both species, δ¹³C values of growing feathers indicated feeding areas in the Antarctic zone (breeding grounds), whereas most fully grown feathers (100% for South Polar Skuas and 93.3% for Brown Skuas) could be assigned to northern latitudes (non‐breeding grounds). However, a few fully grown body feathers of Brown Skuas (6.7% of the feathers, belonging to two birds) showed isotopic values that indicated moult in the Antarctic zone. As the growth period of those feathers was unknown, they could not be used with confidence to depict the foraging behaviour of the birds during the non‐breeding period. Although precautions must be taken when inferring dietary information from feathers in seabirds where the moulting pattern is unknown, this study shows that if the development stage of a feather (growing/fully grown) is identified, then dietary information from both breeding and non‐breeding seasons can be obtained on the same individual birds.     

Benthic isopods (Crustacea,Malacostraca) from the Ross Sea,Antarctica: species checklist and their zoogeography in the Southern Ocean

In this study isopod species of the Ross Sea were investigated. Literature until May 2008 was checked to provide an overview of all known and described species in the Ross Sea. This species checklist was then enlarged through material of the 19th Italica expedition in 2004. During this expedition for the first time a small mesh net (500 μm) was used. Nine thousand four hundred and eighty one isopod specimens were collected during this expedition. Through this material the number of isopod species in the Ross Sea increased from 42 to 117 species, which belong to 20 families and 49 genera. Fifty-six percentage of the isopods species collected during the Italica expedition are new to science. The zoogeography of the 117 species was investigated. A non-transformed binary presence-absence data matrix was constructed using the Bray–Curtis coefficient. The results were displayed in a cluster analysis and by nonmetric multidimensional scaling (MDS). This paper gives a first insight into the occurrence and distribution of the isopod species of the Ross Sea.     

Two new trochids of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Antimargarita</Emphasis> (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda: Trochidae) from the Bellingshausen Sea and South Shetland Islands,Antarctica

Two new trochids of the genus Antimargarita, A. powelli and A. bentarti, from the Antarctic waters are described here. A. powelli, from the Bellingshausen Sea, is distinguished by its rounded whorls, numerous spiral cords, a radula with seven lateral teeth at each side of the rachidian, and an epipodium with eight pairs of tentacles. A. bentarti, from the South Shetland Islands, is characterized by having a shell outline gradated by prominent primary spiral cords, a radula with five lateral teeth at each side of the rachidian and an epipodium with six tentacles on the left side. The diagnostic features for Antimargarita are redefined considering both shell and anatomical features and its suprageneric placement is discussed.     

On glacial refugia,genetic diversity,and microevolutionary processes: deep phylogeographical structure in the endemic newt Lissotriton italicus1

We investigated the phylogeographical patterns of Lissotriton italcus, a newt endemic to the Italian peninsula, aiming to determine why hotspots of intraspecific diversity so ‘hot’. We found two main mitochindrial DNA lineages (net sequence divergence of 6.8% at two fragments of total length of 1897 bp): one restricted to part of the Calabrian peninsula (i.e the southernmost portion of the species range) and the other widespread throughout the rest of the species range. Both lineages, which had a parapatric distribution, showed evidence of further subdivisions, with an overall number of eight terminal haplogroups, most of whose times to the most recent common ancestors were estimated at the Late Pleistocene. Analysis of molecular variance suggested that partitioning populations according to the geographical distribution of these haplogroups can explain 97% of the observed genetic variation. These results suggest that L. italicus underwent repeated cycles of allopatric fragmentation throughout the Pleistocene, and that it likely survived the Late Pleistocene paleoenvironmental changes within eight separate refugia. Thus, the current hotspot of intraspecific diversity of L. italicus (within the Calabrian peninsula) has not been moulded by long‐term stability of large populations but rather by multiple events of allopatric fragmentation and divergence. When compared with the patterns recently identified in other species, these results suggest that the occurrence of phases of allopatric divergence (eventually followed by secondary admixture) could be a common, albeit probably underrated feature in the history of formation of hotspots of intraspecific diversity. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105 , 42–55.     

Extinction and recolonization of maritime Antarctica in the limpet Nacella concinna (Strebel, 1908) during the last glacial cycle: toward a model of Quaternary biogeography in shallow Antarctic invertebrates

Quaternary glaciations in Antarctica drastically modified geographical ranges and population sizes of marine benthic invertebrates and thus affected the amount and distribution of intraspecific genetic variation. Here, we present new genetic information in the Antarctic limpet Nacella concinna, a dominant Antarctic benthic species along shallow ice‐free rocky ecosystems. We examined the patterns of genetic diversity and structure in this broadcast spawner along maritime Antarctica and from the peri‐Antarctic island of South Georgia. Genetic analyses showed that N. concinna represents a single panmictic unit in maritime Antarctic. Low levels of genetic diversity characterized this population; its median‐joining haplotype network revealed a typical star‐like topology with a short genealogy and a dominant haplotype broadly distributed. As previously reported with nuclear markers, we detected significant genetic differentiation between South Georgia Island and maritime Antarctica populations. Higher levels of genetic diversity, a more expanded genealogy and the presence of more private haplotypes support the hypothesis of glacial persistence in this peri‐Antarctic island. Bayesian Skyline plot and mismatch distribution analyses recognized an older demographic history in South Georgia. Approximate Bayesian computations did not support the persistence of N. concinna along maritime Antarctica during the last glacial period, but indicated the resilience of the species in peri‐Antarctic refugia (South Georgia Island). We proposed a model of Quaternary Biogeography for Antarctic marine benthic invertebrates with shallow and narrow bathymetric ranges including (i) extinction of maritime Antarctic populations during glacial periods; (ii) persistence of populations in peri‐Antarctic refugia; and (iii) recolonization of maritime Antarctica following the deglaciation process.     

Imprints of multiple glacial refugia in the Pyrenees revealed by phylogeography and palaeodistribution modelling of an endemic spider

Mediterranean mountain ranges harbour highly endemic biota in islandlike habitats. Their topographic diversity offered the opportunity for mountain species to persist in refugial areas during episodes of major climatic change. We investigate the role of Quaternary climatic oscillations in shaping the demographic history and distribution ranges in the spider Harpactocrates ravastellus, endemic to the Pyrenees. Gene trees and multispecies coalescent analyses on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences unveiled two distinct lineages with a hybrid zone around the northwestern area of the Catalan Pyrenees. The lineages were further supported by morphological differences. Climatic niche‐based species distribution models (SDMs) identified two lowland refugia at the western and eastern extremes of the mountain range, which would suggest secondary contact following postglacial expansion of populations from both refugia. Neutrality test and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) analyses indicated that several local populations underwent severe bottlenecks followed by population expansions, which in combination with the deep population differentiation provided evidence for population survival during glacial periods in microrefugia across the mountain range, in addition to the main Atlantic and Mediterranean (western and eastern) refugia. This study sheds light on the complexities of Quaternary climatic oscillations in building up genetic diversity and local endemicity in the southern Europe mountain ranges.     

Concealed truth: Modeling reveals unique Quaternary distribution dynamics and refugia of four related endemic keystone Abies taxa on the Tibetan Plateau

Understanding the factors driving the Quaternary distribution of Abies in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is crucial for biodiversity conservation and for predicting future anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems. Here, we collected Quaternary paleo‐, palynological, and phylogeographical records from across the TP and applied ecological niche models (ENMs) to obtain a profound understanding of the different adaptation strategies and distributional changes in Abies trees in this unique area. We identified environmental variables affecting the different historical biogeographies of four related endemic Abies taxa and rebuilt their distribution patterns over different time periods, starting from the late Pleistocene. In addition, modeling and phylogeographic results were used to predict suitable refugia for Abies forrestii, A. forrestii var. georgei, A. fargesii var. faxoniana, and A. recurvata. We supplemented the ENMs by investigating pollen records and diversity patterns of cpDNA for them. The overall reconstructed distributions of these Abies taxa were dramatically different when the late Pleistocene was compared with the present. All Abies taxa gradually receded from the south toward the north in the last glacial maximum (LGM). The outcomes showed two well‐differentiated distributions: A. fargesii var. faxoniana and A. recurvata occurred throughout the Longmen refuge, a temporary refuge for the LGM, while the other two Abies taxa were distributed throughout the Heqing refuge. Both the seasonality of precipitation and the mean temperature of the driest quarter played decisive roles in driving the distribution of A. fargesii var. faxoniana and A. recurvata, respectively; the annual temperature range was also a key variable that explained the distribution patterns of the other two Abies taxa. Different adaptation strategies of trees may thus explain the differing patterns of distribution over time at the TP revealed here for endemic Abies taxa.     

南极海洋生物持久性有机污染物:水平、传递与风险评价

尽管南极被认为是远离人类污染的净土,但近年来不断发现有机氯农药、多氯联苯、多溴联苯醚和全/多氟化合物等传统和"新型"持久性有机污染物(POPs)存在于南极的非生物及生物环境中,由此引发了全球各国对南极生态系统的不断关注.POPs性质稳定,能够久存于环境中,并具有毒性,易富集于生物体内并产生一定的健康风险.为了解南极和南...     

Molecular cold-adaptation of protein function and gene regulation: The case for comparative genomic analyses in marine ciliated protozoa

Euplotes focardii is a marine ciliated protozoan discovered in the Ross Sea near Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. This organism is strictly psychrophilic, survives and reproduces optimally at 4–5 °C, and has a genome rich in A/T base pairs. Like other ciliated protozoans, Euplotes spp. are characterized by nuclear dimorphism: 1) the germline micronucleus contains the entire genome as large chromosomes; and 2) the somatic macronucleus ( 50 megabases, or 5% of the micronuclear genome) contains small linear DNA nanochromosomes [1–12 kilobases], each of which constitutes a single genetic unit. These characteristics make E. focardii an ideal model for genome-level analysis to understand the evolutionary mechanisms that determine the adaptation of organisms to cold environments. Here we describe two examples that are controlled by phylogenetically appropriate comparison with mesophilic and psychrotolerant Euplotes species: 1) the genes and encoded proteins of the E. focardii tubulin superfamily, including α-, β-, and γ-tubulins; and 2) the genes of the heat-shock protein (Hsp) 70 family. The tubulins provide particular insight into protein-level structural changes that are likely to facilitate microtubule nucleation and polymerization in an energy poor environment. By contrast, the hsp70 genes of E. focardii and of its psychrotolerant relative E. nobilii reveal adaptive alterations in the regulation of gene expression in the cold. The unique characteristics of the E. focardii genome and the results that we present here argue strongly for a concerted effort to characterize the relatively low complexity macronuclear genome of this psychrophilic organism.     

Diet and trophic niche of Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum in the Ross Sea,Antarctica

The diet of Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum was evaluated by examining stomach contents of specimens collected in the Ross Sea (71°–77° S; 165°–180° E) in January to March 2008. Pleuragramma antarcticum (50–236 mm standard length, L_S) and prey items were analysed for stable‐isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen. According to index of relative importance (I_RI), which incorporates frequency of occurrence, mass and number of prey items, the most important prey items were copepods (81%I_RI over all specimens), predominantly Metridia gerlachei and Paraeuchaeta sp., with krill and fishes having low I_RI (2·2 and 5·6%I_RI overall). According to mass of prey (M) in stomachs, however, fishes (P. antarcticum and myctophids) and krill dominated overall diet (48 and 22%M, respectively), with copepods being a relatively minor constituent of overall diet by mass (9·9%M). Piscivory by P. antarcticum occurred mainly in the extreme south‐west of the region and near the continental slope. Krill identified to species level in P. antarcticum stomachs were predominantly Euphausia superba (14·1%M) with some Euphausia crystallophorias (4·8%M). Both DistLM modelling (PRIMER‐permanova+) on stomach contents (by I_RI) and stepwise generalized linear modelling on stable isotopes showed that L_S and location were significant predictors of P. antarcticum diet. Postlarval P. antarcticum (50–89 mm L_S) consumed exclusively copepods. Juvenile P. antarcticum (90–151 mm L_S) consumed predominantly krill and copepods by mass (46 and 30%M, respectively). Small adult P. antarcticum (152–178 mm L_S) consumed krill, fishes and copepods (37, 36 and 15%M, respectively). Large adult P. antarcticum (179–236 mm L_S) consumed predominantly fishes and krill (55 and 17%M, respectively), especially in the north (near the Ross Sea slope) and in the SW Ross Sea. Amphipods were occasionally important prey items for P. antarcticum (western Ross Sea, 39%M). General concordance between stomach contents and trophic level of P. antarcticum and prey based on δ¹⁵N was demonstrated. Pleuragramma antarcticum trophic level was estimated as 3·7 (postlarval fish) and 4·1 (fish aged 3+ years).     

Phylogeography of the burnet moth Zygaena transalpina complex: molecular and morphometric differentiation suggests glacial refugia in Southern France,Western France and micro‐refugia within the Alps

Patterns of common recolonization routes from glacial refugia to Central Europe during the Pleistocene are generalized to paradigms of postglacial recolonization in Europe. Recent studies indicate, however, that the actual phylogeographic history of many species might be more complex and cannot be simplified to generalized patterns. Burnet moths of the Zygaena transalpina complex represent a group of closely related taxa, which are considered as a typical example for these generalized patterns. At present, three groups are recognized that are assumed to have spread from three classical refugia in Western Europe, Italy and the Balkans to Central Europe. Here, we re‐investigate their phylogeography using a combined molecular and morphometric approach. Phylogenetic and nested clade phylogeographic analyses of 476 samples from 55 localities taken from Southern and Central Europe reveal that the Zygaena transalpina complex consists of three distinct haplotype clusters, which geographically roughly correspond to possible refugia in Western Europe, Italy and the Balkans. A synthesis of the data with a geometric morphometry dataset of 425 specimens from 46 localities corroborates this molecular result but differs in several aspects. Important new aspects are multiple refugia of the western ‘hippocrepidis’ branch and micro‐habitats within the Alps of the central ‘transalpina’ branch. Further, our results display a more complex phylogeographic pattern for this species complex, which is not tractable with a rigid, generalized pattern.