Lake level fluctuations and divergence of cichlid fish ecomorphs in Lake Tanganyika

Winkelmann, Kai; Rüber, Lukas; Genner, Martin J.

doi:10.1007/s10750-016-2839-y

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…However, there are more missing data in the reconstructions from Kigoma and we cannot discount the possibility that the weak or no population growth seen in L. cyclurus might be related to a lack of resolution to accurately reconstruct the demographic history. Without an absolute calibration of the EBSPs, it is not possible to date the reconstructions; however, the signatures of population growth at both Zambian sites in L. cyclurus are consistent with results from several cichlid species where populations grew following the most recent low stand as new habitat became available (Koblmüller et al., ; Winkelmann et al., ). S. multipunctatus showed weaker population growth than L. cyclurus , suggesting that because of its greater depth range, its demographic history has been less influenced by past lake‐level fluctuations.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Contrasting geographic structure in evolutionarily divergent Lake Tanganyika catfishes

Peart

Dasmahapatra

Day

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Geographic isolation is suggested to be among the most important processes in the generation of cichlid fish diversity in East Africa's Great Lakes, both through isolation by distance and fluctuating connectivity caused by changing lake levels. However, even broad scale phylogeographic patterns are currently unknown in many non‐cichlid littoral taxa from these systems. To begin to address this, we generated restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequence (RADseq) data to investigate phylogeographic structure throughout Lake Tanganyika (LT) in two broadly sympatric rocky shore catfish species from independent evolutionary radiations with differing behaviors: the mouthbrooding claroteine, Lophiobagrus cyclurus, and the brood‐parasite mochokid, Synodontis multipunctatus. Our results indicated contrasting patterns between these species, with strong lake‐wide phylogeographic signal in L. cyclurus including a deep divergence between the northern and southern lake basins. Further structuring of these populations was observed across a heterogeneous habitat over much smaller distances. Strong population growth was observed in L. cyclurus sampled from shallow shorelines, suggesting population growth associated with the colonization of new habitats following lake‐level rises. Conversely, S. multipunctatus, which occupies a broader depth range, showed little phylogeographic structure and lower rates of population growth. Our findings suggest that isolation by distance and/or habitat barriers may play a role in the divergence of non‐cichlid fishes in LT, but this effect varies by species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Contrasting geographic structure in evolutionarily divergent Lake Tanganyika catfishes

Peart

Dasmahapatra

Day

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Simultaneous expansions have also been inferred in other rock-dwelling cichlids from Lake Tanganyika (Koblmüller et al, 2011;Nevado et al, 2013;Winkelmann et al, 2016;Sefc et al, 2016) and Lake Malawi (Genner & Turner, 2015;Husemann et al, 2015), suggesting synchronization by an external trigger, such as habitat expansion during a lake level rise after a major drought period. Throughout their history, both Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi experienced numerous severe lake level fluctuations with drops of several hundred metres below the current level, which drastically altered the distribution and extent of littoral habitat types (e.g.…”

Section: Recently Diverged Species With Similar Demographic Historiesmentioning

confidence: 80%

Phylogeny and phylogeography of Altolamprologus: ancient introgression and recent divergence in a rock-dwelling Lake Tanganyika cichlid genus

et al. 2016

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Stenotopic specialization to a fragmented habitat promotes the evolution of genetic structure. It is not yet clear whether small-scale population structure generally translates into large-scale intraspecific divergence. In the present survey of mitochondrial genetic structure in the Lake Tanganyika endemic Altolamprologus (Teleostei, Cichlidae), a rock-dwelling cichlid genus comprising A. compressiceps and A. calvus, habitat-induced population fragmentation contrasts with weak phylogeographic structure and recent divergence among genetic clades. Low rates of dispersal, perhaps along gastropod shell beds that connect patches of rocky habitat, and periodic secondary contact during lake level fluctuations are apparently sufficient to maintain genetic connectivity within each of the two Altolamprologus species. The picture of genetic cohesion was interrupted by a single highly divergent haplotype clade in A. compressiceps restricted to the northern part of the lake. Comparisons between mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenetic reconstructions suggested that the divergent mitochondrial clade originated from ancient interspecific introgression. Finally, 'isolation-with-migration' models indicated that divergence between the two Altolamprologus species was recent (67-142 KYA) and proceeded with little if any gene flow. As in other rock-dwelling cichlids, recent population expansions were inferred in both Altolamprologus species, which may be connected with drastic lake level fluctuations.

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“…Most of these events of population displacement were triggered by lake level fluctuations, which extended to a few hundred meters below present level (Lezzar et al, 1996;Cohen et al, 1997;Scholz et al, 2003;McGlue et al, 2008). While the effect is widely seen in population genetic studies on various Lake Tanganyika cichlid species (Verheyen et al, 1996;Rüber et al, 1999Rüber et al, , 2001Duftner et al, 2006;Koblmüller et al, 2007Koblmüller et al, , 2009Koblmüller et al, , 2011Sefc et al, 2007;Nevado et al, 2013;Van Steenberge et al, 2015), studies specifically testing for the impact of Pleistocene water level fluctuations are scarce (Koblmüller et al, 2011;Winkelmann et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A separate lowstand lake at the northern edge of Lake Tanganyika? Evidence from phylogeographic patterns in the cichlid genus Tropheus

et al. 2016

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In Lake Tanganyika, lake level fluctuations were shown to have had a major impact on the evolution of littoral species. Many species are subdivided into arrays of populations, geographical races and sister species, each colonizing a particular section of the shore. Their often limited dispersal abilities promoted geographic isolation and, on the long run, allopatric speciation. With more than 120 distinct populations, the genus Tropheus represents the most spectacular and best-studied example of this phenomenon. The present study aims at the fine-scale reconstruction of the spread of two mitochondrial Tropheus-lineages in the very north of the lake, where two species, T. sp. 'black' and T. brichardi, occur. Using mtDNA sequences and AFLP-data, we analyzed samples from 21 localities and found a highly complex conglomerate of introgressed populations formed by the repeated contact of two lineages. Our data suggest repeated cross-lake dispersal of T. sp. 'black' haplotypes along the ridge between the West and East Ubwari Fault, supporting an additional persisting lowstand-lake in the Bujumbura subbasin at the very north of the lake and highlighting once more the impact of lake level fluctuations on the genetic structure and evolution of stenotopic rockdwelling cichlid species.

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Lake level fluctuations and divergence of cichlid fish ecomorphs in Lake Tanganyika

Abstract: General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above.

Cited by 15 publications

References 59 publications

Contrasting geographic structure in evolutionarily divergent Lake Tanganyika catfishes

Contrasting geographic structure in evolutionarily divergent Lake Tanganyika catfishes

Phylogeny and phylogeography of Altolamprologus: ancient introgression and recent divergence in a rock-dwelling Lake Tanganyika cichlid genus

A separate lowstand lake at the northern edge of Lake Tanganyika? Evidence from phylogeographic patterns in the cichlid genus Tropheus

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