Genetic and palaeo-climatic evidence for widespread persistence of the coastal tree species Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Myrtaceae) during the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract

The chloroplast and nuclear data suggest wide persistence of E. gomphocephala during the LGM. Palaeodistribution modelling supports the conclusions drawn from genetic data and indicates a widespread westward shift of E. gomphocephala onto the exposed continental shelf during the LGM. This study highlights the importance of the inclusion of complementary, non-genetic data (information on geomorphology and palaeoclimate) to interpret phylogeographic patterns.

Biodiversity hotspots and Ocbil theory

“…x Amphisopus (Isopoda : Amphisopidae) Gouws and Stewart (2013) x T w o r a r e Eremophila (Scrophulariaceae: Myoporeae) Llorens et al (2013) x Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Myrtaceae) Bradbury and Krauss (2013) x Calothamnus quadrifidus (Myrtaceae) Nistelberger et al (2015) x Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Myrtaceae) Nevill et al (2014) x Species-specific phylogeography of five west coast sand-dune and sand-plain reptiles Edwards et al (2014) x Flora reviewed Byrne et al (2014) x Millar et al (2014) Plant Soil Tapper et al (2014a) x Granite inselberg perennial herb Stypandra glauca (Hemerocallidaceae) Tapper et al (2014b) x Terrestrial fauna and flora with dated phylogenies reviewed Rix et al (2014) x Eucalyptus wandoo (Myrtaceae) Dalmaris et al (2015) x Bird-pollinated, inselberg endemic Grevillea georgeana (Proteaceae) Nistelberger et al (2015a) x Banksia sphaeorcarpa var. caesia (Proteaceae) Nistelberger et al (2015b) x Drakaea elastica (Orchidaceae) pollination ecotypes Menz et al (2014) x Erica coccinea (Ericaceae) Segarra-Moragues and Ojeda (2010) x Fossorial skinks Scelotes (Squamata: Scincidae)…”

“…x Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Myrtaceae) Bradbury and Krauss (2013) x Ironstone inselberg shrub Acacia woodmaniorum ( x Nuytsia floribunda (Loranthaceae) Ashbolt et al (2012) x Thermal tolerances Caddisflies, mayflies, dragonflies Stewart et al (2013) x PPunCC (Plant Persistence under Climate Change) model-assisted migration called for Renton et al (2012) x Granite outcrop vegetation -climate refugia Schut et al (2014) x Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Myrtaceae) Nevill et al (2014) x Resistance and resilience to changing climate and fire regime -plant functiona traits kwongkan Enright et al (2014) x Eucalyptus wandoo (Myrtaceae) Dalmaris et al (2015) x Aust Invasion hotspots for weeds in Australia O'Donnel et al (2012) x A u s t Eucalyptus, Corymbia (Myrtaceae) Butt et al (2013) x Aust Arid Zone/ semiarid refugia freshwater wetland fish and invertebrates Davis et al (2013) Aust Letten et al (2013) Plant Soil Gouramanis et al (2012) x x Whole floras Cowling et al (2015) x Berkheya cuneata (Asteraceae) Pleistocene refugia Potts et al (2013) x Amphibians Schreiner et al (2013) x Whole flora of tepui highlands and Gran Sabana uplands Rull et al (2013) x Grassland flora x Vegetation cover biomes invaded by Phytophthora cinnamomi. Shearer et al (2012a) x Threatened flora susceptibility to Phytophthora cinnamomi.…”

Variation in plant diversity in mediterranean‐climate ecosystems: the role of climatic and topographical stability

“…In Australia, more recent YODFEL-like landscapes are mainly restricted to the Swan Coastal Plain and south coast and associated offshore shelf, a much smaller area than in the Cape. Like the Cape, however, this region is associated with recent diversification, albeit on a much smaller scale than in the Cape, and with evident persistence of old lineages as well (Coates et al, 2003;Nevill et al, 2014). Overall, as shown by Linder (2008), the poorer Australian flora may be dominated by mature (pre-Pliocene) radiations, whereas the richer Cape flora includes an abundance of both recent (Plio-Pleistocene) radiations associated with the younger, lowland landscapes and mature radiations associated with the ancient Cape mountains (Verboom et al, 2009;Slingsby et al, 2014).…”

Pervasive admixture between eucalypt species has consequences for conservation and assisted migration

“…Gene flow in plants is typically the result of both pollen and seed dispersal, with pollen typically playing a greater role in eucalypts because it tends to disperse further than seeds (Barber, 1965;Petit et al, 2005;Potts & Wiltshire, 1997). Comparisons of the maternally inherited chloroplast and biparentally inherited nuclear DNA have shown that pollen-mediated gene flow can be up to at least 200 times greater than seed-mediated gene flow in some species (Bloomfield, Nevill, Potts, Vaillancourt, & Steane, 2011;Nevill, Bradbury, Williams, Tomlinson, & Krauss, 2014), although at least one study found that gene flow from seed dispersal is practically equivalent to that from pollen dispersal (Jones, Shepherd, Henry, & Delves, 2006).…”