No abstract

No abstract

Hypochaeris palustris (Phil.) De Wild. is a species growing in the southern Andean chain. To elucidate potential Pleistocene refugia and recolonization routes in the southern Andes, we analysed amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) in 206 individuals in 21 populations of H. palustris from the coastal Cordillera, the central, northern, and eastern ranges of the southern Andes, and Patagonia. Populations from the coastal Cordillera harboured more private AFLP fragments, and exhibited a higher frequency of polymorphic fragments as well as higher Shannon diversity than all other areas investigated. The comparison among pooled AFLP profiles of each region revealed that the central Andean ranges shared most fragments with populations from the margins of the distributional area in the Andes, in the N, E, and S (Patagonia). Phenetic analysis indicated close relationships among populations of the central ranges. Populations of the coastal Cordillera were shown to be highly differentiated from the Andean populations. It is very likely therefore that (1) H. palustris recolonized the central ranges of the southern Andes from nearby refugia, possibly unglaciated areas N, E, and/or S of its present distributional area; (2) the postglacial spread of H. palustris in the central ranges of the southern Andes occurred rapidly; and (3) the coastal Cordillera served as a refugium for H. palustris, but these populations did not contribute to the recolonization of the central Andean ranges.

The level and apportionment of allozyme diversity were determined for 29 endemic (and 1 native) species from the Juan Fernández Islands, Chile. Mean diversities at the species level (H(es) = 0.065) are low but comparable to those measured for other insular endemics in the Pacific. A high mean proportion (0.338) of species-level diversity resides among populations. Diversity statistics were compared for species in different ecological-life history trait categories and abundance classes. Species occurring in large populations and those present in scattered small populations have higher diversities than species occurring in one or two populations. Although not significant with the conservative statistical test employed, lower diversity was found in highly selfing species as compared to animal- or wind-pollinated species. The apportionment of genetic diversity within and among populations (G(ST) values) is not significantly different for any of the species categories. Of particular interest is the lack of difference between animal- and wind-pollinated species because previous analyses of large data sets showed higher differentiation between populations of animal- than wind-pollinated species. Historical factors, both ecological and phylogenetic in nature, can influence the level and apportionment of diversity within insular endemics, and thus ecological correlates of diversity seen in many continental species may not apply to endemics. The results have several conservation implications. The preservation of large populations or several small populations is important for conserving diversity within species because when species are reduced to one or two populations, allozyme diversity is sharply reduced. High mean G(ST) values for the species examined illustrate the need for conserving as many populations as possible, either in the wild or in the garden, to preserve maximal diversity within species. Effective conservation strategies require empirical knowledge of each species.

Understanding the genetics of colonizing populations has been, and continues to remain, an important focus in evolutionary biology. Different theoretical models predict varying levels of genetic variation in colonizing populations depending upon strength of founder effect, gene flow and rate of population growth and immigration following colonization. We analyse overall genetic variation using amplified fragment length polymorphism markers in colonizing populations of Hypochaeris tenuifolia (Asteraceae) in the southern Andes. Volcán Lonquimay newly erupted on 25 December 1988, producing a side cone, La Navidad, and sent lava and ash into surrounding areas. Many domesticated animals (estimated at 10 000) and many natural plant populations were destroyed. Into this new open habitat have come immigrant populations of several angiosperm species, most conspicuously H. tenuifolia that forms leaf rosettes with flowering scapes to 15 cm and orange-yellow heads 1-2 cm in diameter. Genetic diversity in five founder populations in the eruption zone is compared with that from five nearby survivor populations, as well as with eight isolated northern and four southern populations from throughout the entire range of the species in Chile. Results from 477 individuals representing 447 different multilocus phenotypes, yielded 170 DNA fragments of which 144 (85%) were polymorphic. Genetic diversity within founder populations is neither lower than in survivor populations nor in isolated populations throughout the range of the species, but it is lower among founder populations than among other populations immediately and distantly outside the zone of disturbance. Closest genetic similarity occurs between founders and nearby survivor populations as well as those in adjacent southern regions.

Nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and chloroplast trnL intron and trnL/trnF spacer and matK sequences were used from 86 accessions to assess relationships among 31 European and South American species of Hypochaeris plus 18 representatives of related genera of tribe Cichorieae. The ITS tree shows high resolution compared to that of the maternally inherited trnL intron, trnL/F spacer, and matK sequences. The ITS and the combined tree reveal clades that agree well with sections of the genus established previously on morphological and cytological grounds, except for H. robertia, which groups with Leontodon helveticus and L. autumnalis. Monophyly of species of Hypochaeris from South America is strongly supported by both ITS and the joint matrix of ITS, trnL, and matK data. European species lie basal to South American taxa, which suggests that species in South America evolved from a single introduction from European progenitors and not from H. robertia as suggested previously. Low levels of sequence divergence among South American taxa suggest a pattern of rapid speciation, in contrast to much greater divergence among European representatives. Different species of Leontodon form two different clades that are also supported by chromosome numbers and morphology. Both nuclear and chloroplast markers suggest that Helminthotheca, Leontodon, and Picris are closely related to each other as well as to Hypochaeris.

Hypochaeris is thought to have arrived in South America by dispersal over the Atlantic Ocean from NW Africa during the Pliocene or Pleistocene. We used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to unravel specific limits and relationships in the South American group of Hypochaeris (c. 45 species). The Moroccan endemic Hypochaeris angustifolia, which is sister to the entire South American group, was used as outgroup. Our AFLP analysis comprises 415 individuals from 32 South American species and is based on six primer combinations with 670 fragments scored. It provides important information for the delimitation of species and detection of closely related species pairs or groups. Most species are monophyletic and supported with > 90% bootstrap proportion. Hybridization is suggested between Hypochaeris chillensis and H. microcephala in Brazil. The internal nodes (or "backbone") of the tree are not highly supported, but six major phylogenetic groups (also showing similarity in distribution and growth form) center around Hypochaeris apargioides, H. chondrilloides, H. microcephala, H. pampasica, H. sessiliflora, and H. tenuifolia. These results suggest that rapid migration into different geographical regions played an important role in the initial diversification of Hypochaeris in South America.

No abstract