Quaternary diversification in a sexual Holarctic zooplankter, Daphnia galeata

The effects of Quaternary glacial range partitioning on the diversification of Holarctic biota remain unclear. Glacial refugial lineages may form vicariant species, hybrid products, or merge after secondary contact. Here, we assess the effects of Quaternary glaciation on a Holarctic sexual zooplankter, Daphnia galeata, with apparently marked dispersal capacity and a widespread hybrid lineage in the New World. We collected samples of this species from 148 Holarctic lakes, analysed the nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences, and tested predictions for hypotheses that account for the origin and spread of the New World D. galeata. We detected five nuclear phylogroups and four mitochondrial phylogroups, most of which were restricted to either the New World or the Old World. The oldest mitochondrial phylogroup was restricted to Japan. One major mitochondrial clade was distributed throughout the Holarctic, but only four haplotypes were shared among continents, and analysis of molecular variance indicated significant structure at the continental level. Haplotype sharing among continents could largely be attributed to anthropogenic introductions. Mismatch distributions, haplotype networks, phylogenetic trees, longitudinal haplotype diversity erosion and coalescence analyses are consistent with colonization from an Old World and a New World refugium. Our nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence evidence supports the hypothesis that the New World D. galeata underwent introgression with Daphnia dentifera, with dispersal being enhanced by glaciation. We conclude that Quaternary glaciation had a pronounced effect on the diversification of a Holarctic sexual zooplankter.     

Diverse historical processes shape deep phylogeographical divergence in the pollinating seed parasite Greya politella

Understanding the historical framework in which species interactions have diversified across landscapes may help to partition the effects of vicariance and geographically variable selection in shaping the geographical mosaic of coevolving species. We used phylogeographical analyses of the pollinating seed parasite Greya politella (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae) to define the historical processes that may have structured interactions of this species with its host plants across major biogeographical breaks in western North America. Using 648 bp of cytochrome oxidase I and amplified fragment length polymorphisims, we identified deep genetic breaks among some populations consistent with some definitions of cryptic species. A combination of phylogenetic and population genetic approaches indicates that different historical processes may have structured G. politella genetic diversity in four regions: northern Pacific Northwest, southern Oregon, southern Sierra Nevada, and the remainder of California. The northern Pacific Northwest had high genetic diversity likely due to glacial refugia and subsequent spatial expansion, concordant with some other taxa. Populations in southern Oregon possessed unique, closely related haplotypes with restricted gene flow, possibly indicating a long-standing set of populations in this endemic-rich region. Analyses of California populations showed evidence of restricted gene flow and spatial expansion with many closely related haplotypes that occupy a broad geographical range. Southern Sierra Nevada populations were genetically distinct and highly diverse, possibly due to a localized glacial refugium. Together, these results suggest that vicariance and population expansion, possibly in combination with geographically variable selection, have shaped the diversification of G. politella and its interactions with its host plants.     

Phylogeography of the greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum: contrasting results from mitochondrial and microsatellite data

Phylogeographical studies are typically based on haplotype data, occasionally on nuclear markers such as microsatellites, but rarely combine both. This is unfortunate because the use of markers with contrasting modes of inheritance and rates of evolution might provide a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of a species' history. Here we present a detailed study of the phylogeography of the greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum , using 1098 bp of the mitochondrial ND2 gene from 45 localities from across its Palaearctic range to infer population history. In addition, we re-analysed a large microsatellite data set available for this species and compared the results of both markers to infer population relationships and the historical processes influencing them. We show that mtDNA, the most popular marker in phylogeography studies, yielded a misleading result, and would have led us to conclude erroneously that a single expansion had taken place in Europe. Only by combining the mitochondrial and microsatellite data sets are we able to reconstruct the species' history and show two colonization events in Europe, one before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and one after it. Combining markers also revealed the importance of Asia Minor as an ancient refugium for this species and a source population for the expansion of the greater horseshoe bat into Europe before the LGM.