Biogeographic history and phylogeography of Nothofagus antarctica in austral South America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.26.36.2.0.2616Keywords:
ancient vicariance, bottlenecks, cpDNA, glacial refugia, marine ingressionsAbstract
1. The geological and climatic history of southern South America has undergone complex landscape transformations as a result of processes that began millions of years ago and culminated in the Pleistocene glacial events. Consequently, the genetic patterns of the ancient biota of Patagonia, such as the Nothofagus lineages, reflect these changes.
2. We conducted a phylogeographic study of Nothofagus antarctica throughout its entire geographic range in Argentina and Chile, using chloroplast DNA. We analyzed sequences from 158 individuals collected at 112 sites, covering three non-coding regions (trnH-psbA, trnL-trnF and psbB-psbH). Haplotypes were determined, and diversity parameters were estimated. Genetic structuring was evaluated, and a Mantel test was conducted to analyse the relationship between genetic and geographic distances. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred, and divergence times among haplotypes were estimated using molecular dating analyses calibrated with fossil records of Nothofagus.
3. The results revealed a significant latitudinal genetic structuring. Three lineages were identified: North, Central and South, each associated with a specific geographic region. The North and Central lineages exhibited greater genetic diversity, with haplotypes exclusive to each region.
4. The divergence between lineages and the dated phylogeny aligned with geological events in Patagonia during the Eocene and Miocene.
5. The greater genetic diversity in the central and northern geographic regions, alongside the extensive homogeneity in the south, is associated with more recent climatic events during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. These events caused population contraction and persistence in glacial and periglacial refuges, followed by postglacial recolonization processes and expansions.
6. Implications. This study underscores the importance of understanding the evolutionary history and phylogeographic structure to implement effective management and restoration practices to avoid mixing individuals from divergent gene pools of N. antarctica.
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