Nunatak survival of the high Alpine plant Eritrichium nanum (L.) Gaudin in the central Alps during the ice ages

Abstract

Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLPs) and sequence analysis of noncoding regions of chloroplast DNA were used to investigate 37 populations of Eritrichium nanum covering its total distribution area, the European Alps. There was no haplotypic variation within the populations, and most haplotypes were restricted to single sites or to neighbouring populations, suggesting low levels of long distance gene flow via seeds. The present geographical distribution of haplotypes probably reflects an ancient geographical pattern within two regions in the intensely glaciated western and eastern central Alps identified as genetic hotspot areas. These two regions contained seven of the total of 11 haplotypes, including many of the most derived ones. The divergent haplotypes formed closely related groups, which supported a separate evolution of these haplotypes in these two regions and, more importantly, gave strong evidence for the in situ survival of these populations on nunataks within the western and eastern central Alps during Pleistocene glaciation. This result is in concordance with a previous study on E. nanum using nuclear markers. Only one haplotype was common and widespread throughout the distributional range of E. nanum. At the same time, it was the evolutionarily basal-most and all other haplotypes were best described as its descendants. This haplotype is hypothesized to be genetically identical to a Tertiary Alpine colonizing ancestor, whose distribution was secondarily fragmented and infiltrated by derived haplotypes originating through local mutations.

Winter Growth, Development, and Emergence of <I>Diamesa mendotae</I> (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Minnesota Streams

“…Although the patterns of species responses to glacial cooling currently are understood only for individual species, a growing consensus is that most terrestrial temperate species in central Europe must have survived glaciations in §1 refugia in more moderate climates in southern Europe (Hewitt 2004, Schmitt 2007. Some cold-tolerant or cold-hardy species were able to remain in place and survived glaciations in nunataks or cryptic northern refugia in the periglacial zone between northern and southern glacial expanses (Stehlik et al 2002, Mráz et al 2007, Naciri and Gaudeul 2007. During interstadials, interglacials, or after glaciation, recolonization of central Europe started from these refugia (reviewed by Stewart et al 2009).…”

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) reveals no genetic divergence of the Eastern Alpine endemic Oxytropis campestris subsp. tiroliensis (Fabaceae) from widespread subsp. campestris

“…Stehlik et al (2001Stehlik et al ( , 2002a and Stehlik (2002) found evidence for nunatak survival in central parts of the Alps. Scho¨nswetter et al (2002Scho¨nswetter et al ( , 2003, Tribsch et al (2002) and Tribsch and Scho¨ns-wetter (2003) explained the detected phylogeographic patterns with survival in refugia at the southern and eastern periphery of the Alps including peripheral nunatak areas.…”

On the origins of Balkan endemics: the complex evolutionary history of theCyanus napulifergroup (Asteraceae)

“…Whether the (sub)lineages diversified in allopatry or peripatry, the accumulation of private fixed fragments and the high values of the DW index and Nei's gene diversity (Fig. 5) indicate their long-term in situ survival in habitats that most probably served as glacial refugia (Stehlik et al, 2002;Schönswetter et al, 2005Kropf et al, 2006;L opez-Sep ulveda et al, 2013;Ku cera et al, 2013).…”