Reconstructing evolution at the community level: A case study on Mediterranean amphibians

Ehl, Sarah; Vences, Miguel; Veith, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.02.013

Cited by 23 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 125 publications

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“…Second, we characterized for the first time the lower Miocene taxa P. balcanicus and P. syriacus s.s ., distributed in the Balkans and the Near‐East, respectively (Figure ). Their early split (5–10 My, Table , see also Veith et al, and Ehl et al, ) and very limited admixture (<2% among our parapatric samples) supports advanced if not complete reproductive isolation (Figure ). These taxa thus merit a status as distinct species, as detailed in Dufresnes et al ().…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Second, the European P. fuscus consists of independent Balkan (fuscus) and Black Sea (vespertinus) ecomorphologically similar lineages of Plio-Pleistocene origin that now meet in the Eastern European plains (Borkin et al, 2003;Crottini et al, 2007;Litvinchuk et al, 2013;Suriadna, Mikitinets, Rozanov, Yu, & Litvinchuk, 2016) and hybridize along a narrow transition zone (Litvinchuk et al, 2013). Third, P. syriacus features cryptic Asian (P. s. syriacus) and European (P. s. balcanicus) subspecies, supported by divergent mitochondrial and nuclear haplotypes, as well as allozyme variation, perhaps as old as the Pliocene (Ehl, Vences, & Veith, 2019;Litvinchuk et al, 2013;Veith, Fromhage, Kosuch, & Vences, 2006). So far, no phylogeographic work has focused on P. syriacus, and its diversity, distribution and the potential reproductive isolation between lineages remain unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates)

et al. 2019

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Cryptic phylogeographic diversifications provide unique models to examine the role of phylogenetic divergence on the evolution of reproductive isolation, without extrinsic factors such as ecological and behavioural differentiation. Yet, to date very few comparative studies have been attempted within such radiations. Here, we characterize a new speciation continuum in a group of widespread Eurasian amphibians, the Pelobates spadefoot toads, by conducting multilocus (restriction site associated DNA sequencing and mitochondrial DNA) phylogenetic, phylogeographic and hybrid zone analyses. Within the P. syriacus complex, we discovered species‐level cryptic divergences (>5 million years ago [My]) between populations distributed in the Near‐East (hereafter P. syriacus sensu stricto [s.s.]) and southeastern Europe (hereafter P. balcanicus), each featuring deep intraspecific lineages. Altogether, we could scale hybridizability to divergence time along six different stages, spanning from sympatry without gene flow (P. fuscus and P. balcanicus, >10 My), parapatry with highly restricted hybridization (P. balcanicus and P. syriacus s.s., >5 My), narrow hybrid zones (~15 km) consistent with partial reproductive isolation (P. fuscus and P. vespertinus, ~3 My), to extensive admixture between Pleistocene and refugial lineages (≤2 My). This full spectrum empirically supports a gradual build up of reproductive barriers through time, reversible up until a threshold that we estimate at ~3 My. Hence, cryptic phylogeographic lineages may fade away or become reproductively isolated species simply depending on the time they persist in allopatry, and without definite ecomorphological divergence.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates)

et al. 2019

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“…Deep mitochondrial lineages without signs of nuclear differentiation are increasingly reported in the literature (e.g., Bernardo et al, 2019;Irwin, 2002). For instance, the mitogroups identified by Bernardo et al (2019) in Californian lizards were estimated at about ~5 My, an age mimicking many species-level divergences in Palearctic amphibians Ehl, Vences, & Veith, 2019). In R. temporaria, future surveys should focus on T3, another enigmatic mtDNA lineage restricted to a single valley (Benasque) in the Central Pyrenees .…”

Section: Ghost Mitochondrial Lineages In R Temporariamentioning

confidence: 99%

Are glacial refugia hotspots of speciation and cytonuclear discordances? Answers from the genomic phylogeography of Spanish common frogs

et al. 2020

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Subdivided Pleistocene glacial refugia, best known as “refugia within refugia”, provided opportunities for diverging populations to evolve into incipient species and/or to hybridize and merge following range shifts tracking the climatic fluctuations, potentially promoting extensive cytonuclear discordances and “ghost” mtDNA lineages. Here, we tested which of these opposing evolutionary outcomes prevails in northern Iberian areas hosting multiple historical refugia of common frogs (Rana cf. temporaria), based on a genomic phylogeography approach (mtDNA barcoding and RAD‐sequencing). We found evidence for both incipient speciation events and massive cytonuclear discordances. On the one hand, populations from northwestern Spain (Galicia and Asturias, assigned to the regional endemic R. parvipalmata), are deeply‐diverged at mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (~4 My of independent evolution), and barely admix with northeastern populations (assigned to R. temporaria sensu stricto) across a narrow hybrid zone (~25 km) located in the Cantabrian Mountains, suggesting that they represent distinct species. On the other hand, the most divergent mtDNA clade, widespread in Cantabria and the Basque country, shares its nuclear genome with other R. temporaria s. s. lineages. Patterns of population expansions and isolation‐by‐distance among these populations are consistent with past mitochondrial capture and/or drift in generating and maintaining this ghost mitochondrial lineage. This remarkable case study emphasizes the complex evolutionary history that shaped the present genetic diversity of refugial populations, and stresses the need to revisit their phylogeography by genomic approaches, in order to make informed taxonomic inferences.

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“…The common toad B. bufo and the spined toad B. spinosus are morphologically similar yet genetically deeply differentiated species, with a most recent common ancestor dating back to the Miocene (Ehl, Vences, & Veith, ; Recuero et al, ). Their current spatial contact originated in the Holocene, through range expansion from glacial refugia in Spain and the south of France ( B. spinosus ) and the northern Balkans or beyond ( B. bufo ) (Arntzen et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An amphibian species pushed out of Britain by a moving hybrid zone

Arntzen

2019

Molecular Ecology

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Classical theory states that hybrid zones will be stable in troughs of low population density where dispersal is hampered. Yet, evidence for moving hybrid zones is mounting. One possible reason that moving zones have been underappreciated is that they may drive themselves into oblivion and with just the superseding species remaining, morphological and genetic signals of past species replacement may be difficult to appreciate. Using genetic data (32 diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms) from a clinal hybrid zone of the common toad (Bufo bufo) and the spined toad (Bufo spinosus) in France for comparison, alleles of the latter species were documented in common toads in the south of Great Britain, at frequencies in excess of 10%. Because long distance dispersal across the Channel is unlikely, the conclusion reached was that the continental toad hybrid zone which previously extended into Britain, moved southwards and extirpated B. spinosus. Species distribution models for the mid‐Holocene and the present support that climate has locally changed in favour of B. bufo. The system bears resemblance with the demise of Homo neanderthalensis and the rise of Homo sapiens and provides an example that some paleoanthropologists demanded in support of a hominin “leaky replacement” scenario. The toad example is informative just because surviving pure B. spinosus and an extant slowly moving interspecific hybrid zone are available for comparison.

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Reconstructing evolution at the community level: A case study on Mediterranean amphibians

Cited by 23 publications

References 125 publications

Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates)

Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates)

Are glacial refugia hotspots of speciation and cytonuclear discordances? Answers from the genomic phylogeography of Spanish common frogs

An amphibian species pushed out of Britain by a moving hybrid zone

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