Populations of the ''continental'' Great Cormorant P. c. sinensis have expanded from north-eastern Europe towards the western part of the range of the ''marine'' P. c. carbo breeding in the United Kingdom and France. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis of ecological segregation between subspecies by analysing the structuring of the European populations. Sequencing the mtDNA of 231 birds belonging to 20 colonies revealed 38 haplotypes based on 25 polymorphic sites (5.76% sequence divergence). P. c. sinensis (''S'') was well confirmed, but usual P. c. carbo formed two coastal populations, the real P. c. carbo ''C'' mainly in the western part of the range (United Kingdom, coastal France), and also in Norway and Sardinia, and ''N'', branched to the Japanese Cormorant P. capillatus and probably isolated by glaciations, mainly present in the Nordic range (Norway, but also on the coasts from Sweden to Brittany), we named P. c. norvegicus. In a variable position in the trees but close to C is a group of undetermined origin haplotypes, named U, also present in both traditional ranges. The new tree-nesting colonies in Brittany are clearly a mixture of S and the two clades C and N previously described as P. c. carbo, with a decreasing proportion of C+N between 1993 (67%), 1996 (60%) and 2002 (33%) for the pioneering Grand-Lieu colony. These results confirmed the current introgression of continental populations in the western range, with probable hybridization. Although the subspecies can switch habitats locally due to social behaviour and migrations, the ecological segregation between the two usual subspecies appears to be largely confirmed in Europe.
Secondary endosymbiosis-the merging of two eukaryotic cells into one photosynthetic cellular unit-led to the evolution of ecologically and medically very important organisms. We review the biology of these organisms, starting from the first proposal of secondary endosymbiosis up to recent phylogenetic models on the origin of secondarily evolved protists. In addition, we discuss the organelle character of the symbionts based on morphological features, gene transfers from the symbiont into the host and re-import of nucleus-encoded plastid proteins. Finally, we hypothesize that secondary endosymbiosis is more than enslaving a eukaryotic, phototrophic cell, but reflects a complex interplay between host and symbiont, leading to the inseparability of the two symbiotic partners generating a cellular entity.
The restoration and maintenance of habitat connectivity are major challenges in conservation biology. These aims are especially critical for migratory species using corridors that can be obstructed by anthropogenic barriers. Here, we explored the origins and genetic diversity of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) recolonizing upstream areas of the largest South European Atlantic salmon population (Adour drainage, France) following restoration of connectivity and stocking. We genotyped 1,009 juvenile individuals, sampled either in continuously inhabited downstream sites or in recently reconnected and recolonized upstream locations, at 12 microsatellite loci. We found significant fine scale genetic structure, with three main genetic clusters corresponding to the Nive, Nivelle and Gaves rivers. Within each of these clusters, samples collected in continuously inhabited and recently recolonized sites had comparable allelic richness and effective population sizes and were only weakly differentiated. Genetic structure among basins was also similar among continuously inhabited and recently recolonized sites. The majority of the individuals sampled from recently recolonized sites were assigned to neighboring continuously inhabited downstream sites, but noticeable proportions of fish were assigned to samples collected in more distant sites or identified as putative hybrids. Overall, this study suggests that the restoration of accessibility to upstream areas can allow for the recolonization and effective reproduction of Atlantic salmon from proximate downstream refugia, which does not decrease local diversity or disrupt existing genetic structure. (Résumé d'auteur
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