Distribution of mtDNA haplotypes (cyt b) of Emys orbicularis in France and implications for postglacial recolonization

Abstract

The European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis, is a wide ranging species, distributed from Northwest Africa over a large part of Europe and Asia Minor to the Caspian and Aral Seas. For 106 pond turtles from France mtDNA sequence variation has been assessed, using a 1031 bp portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Three of nine haploclades currently known from the entire species' range were found in France. One clade (II) is represented with four very similar haplotypes, differing by one mutation, and the two other clades (V, VI) are represented with one haplotype each. A syntopic occurrence of clades II and V is reported for the first time for the Camargue. Besides, clade II occurs in the French regions Aquitaine, Centre-Val de Loire, and Rhône-Alpes. Outside of France, it is found mainly in the catchment areas of the Danube and Oder rivers and in the Balkans. Haploclade V, which is also known from the Apennine peninsula, Sardinia, and the northern Mediterranean coast of Spain, is restricted in France to Corsica and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. A single individual bearing a haplotype of an Iberian and North African clade (VI) was found in Aquitaine near Pau. This could indicate gene flow between the Iberian peninsula and West France, if the specimen is native. The distribution of the distinct haploclades in France probably reflects Holocene range expansions, especially of haploclade II turtles. In the postglacial, haploclade II terrapins arrived from the east and spread over the Rhône corridor to the Mediterranean coast. In the southern Rhône area they met and hybridized with haploclade V turtles. Further research is needed to clarify whether this hybridization is a locally restricted phenomenon.

A systematic review of the turtle family Emydidae

“…Emys orbicularis luteofusca was thought to represent the third group. Molecular studies (lenk et al, 1999;fRiTz et al, 2005afRiTz et al, , 2006fRiTz et al, , 2009veloanTón et al, 2007veloanTón et al, , 2008sommeR et al, 2009) did not provide strong support for some recognized subspecies of E. orbicularis. Subsequent phylogeographic studies based on hundreds of specimens and using mitochondrial DNA sequences and microsatellite loci (veloanTón et al, 2011a(veloanTón et al, , 2011bsommeR et al, 2009;peDall et al, 2009peDall et al, , 2011sTuCkas et al, 2014;vambeRgeR et al, 2015) confirmed that some of the formerly recognized subspecies are not valid.…”

“…His conclusion was based on Miocene and Pleistocene fossils that are distributed from east to west (khosaTsky, 1956;mlynaRski, 1956mlynaRski, , 1976ChkhikvaDze, 1980ChkhikvaDze, , 1989Caloi et al, 1981;fRiTz, 1995cfRiTz, , 1998fRiTz, , 2001afRiTz, , 2001bholman, 1998;heRveT & saloTTi, 2000;De bRoin, 2001;Chesi et al,. 2008;and others) and modern genetic studies (lenk et al, 1999;fRiTz, 2003;fRiTz et al, 2005afRiTz et al, , 2006fRiTz et al, , 2009veloanTón et al, 2007veloanTón et al, , 2008veloanTón et al, , 2011aveloanTón et al, , 2011bsommeR et al, 2007peDall et al, 2009peDall et al, , 2011. The oldest (Middle Miocene) fossil Emys are from the area of the former Turgai Strait in Central Asia which separated Europe and East Asia until the Oligocene.…”

“…Formerly E. orbicularis was distributed more widely, as postglacial remains have been found in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia, and England (loveRiDge & Williams, 1957;fRiTz, 1995c). Human agricultural practices possibly extirpated the turtle in much of Central Europe; but it was reintroduced into some parts of this area (aRnolD & ovenDen, 2002;fRiTz & havaš, 2004;fRiTz et al, 2005afRiTz et al, ). sommeR et al (2007fRiTz et al, , 2009 presented data which indicate that climatic change played an important role in shaping the current distribution of the species.…”

“…Emys o. galloitalica intergrades with E. o. orbicularis in the westcentral portions and in the Rhone River watershed of France, and with other subspecies in northern Spain and E. o. hellenica in southern Italy (vambeRgeR et al,. 2015), but not Sicily (masCoRT et al, 1999;fRiTz, 2003;fRiTz et al, 2005a). Emys orbicularis galloitalica is characterized by the mitochondrial DNA lineage V and intergrades in eastern Spain and southern Italy with other subspecies.…”

Saturn – wstydliwe (?) początki austriackiego filmu fabularnego

“…W 1992 r. Ernst Kieninger dokonał wstępnych ustaleń w kwestii atelier 13 i austriackie archiwum filmowe mogło datować nieliczne zachowane taśmy Saturna będące w ich posiadaniu. Mimo to Walter Fritz w przywoływanej tu już pracy z 1997 r. (w której bardzo szczegółowo opisał wątpliwości związane z filmem Hanusa), prezentując to atelier, podkreślił jedynie, że od 1906 r. produkowało ono pierwsze krótkometrażowe filmy erotyczne 14 . W 1999 r. archiwum filmowe wydało 12 miniatur Saturna na wideo oraz -w powołanej z tej okazji nowej serii Edition Film und Text 15 -książkę o studiu, przybliżającą temat erotyki w początkach austriackiego kinematografu.…”