The permanent inhabitant of the oak trees: phylogeography and genetic structure of the Persian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus)

Aghbolaghi, Marzieh Asadi; Ahmadzadeh, Faraham; Kiabi, Bahram H.; Keyghobadi, Nusha

doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blz032

Cited by 21 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Khuzestan comprises a southeastern extension of the Mesopotamian plain and includes part of the forested Zagros Mountains. The Zagros mountain‐building event, as a barrier to gene flow, has been also reported in some taxonomic groups, in particular, for small mammals (Asadi‐ Aghbolaghi et al., 2019; Rezazadeh et al., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Genetic structure and ecological niche segregation of Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran

Oboudi

Malekian

Khosravi

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Combining genetic data with ecological niche models is an effective approach for exploring climatic and nonclimatic environmental variables affecting spatial patterns of intraspecific genetic variation. Here, we adopted this combined approach to evaluate genetic structure and ecological niche of the Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran, as the most western part of the species range. Using mtDNA, we confirmed the presence of two highly differentiated clades. Then, we incorporated ensemble of small models (ESMs) using climatic and nonclimatic variables with genetic data to assess whether genetic differentiation among clades was coupled with their ecological niche. Climate niche divergence was also examined based on a principal component analysis on climatic factors only. The relative habitat suitability values predicted by the ESMs for both clades revealed their niche separation. Between‐clade climate only niche comparison revealed that climate space occupied by clades is similar to some extent, but the niches that they utilize differ between the distribution ranges of clades. We found that in the absence of evidence for recent genetic exchanges, distribution models suggest the species occurs in different niches and that there are apparent areas of disconnection across the species range. The estimated divergence time between the two Iranian clades (4.9 Mya) coincides with the uplifting of the Zagros Mountains during the Early Pliocene. The Zagros mountain‐building event seems to have prevented the distribution of U. edwardsii populations between the western and eastern parts of the mountains as a result of vicariance events. Our findings indicated that the two U. edwardsii genetic clades in Iran can be considered as two conservation units and can be utilized to develop habitat‐specific and climate change‐integrated management strategies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Genetic structure and ecological niche segregation of Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran

Oboudi

Malekian

Khosravi

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Both samples are from the southern end of our sampling area, in a contact zone between the northern Zagros and southern Zagros populations of this species (See Asadi Aghbolaghi et al, 2019). These individuals may carry these rare alleles as a result of mixed ancestry from the southern Zagros population.…”

Section: Population Genetic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…with a different history of landscape change may shed light on this issue. Our previous work found that Persian squirrels in the South Zagros were part of a different population group than those in the North Zagros (AsadiAghbolaghi et al, 2019); further sampling and landscape genetic work in that area will be particularly important to understand fully the factors affecting Persian squirrel genetic variation, and contemporary population structure and movement, in western Iran.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An evaluation of isolation by distance and isolation by resistance on genetic structure of the Persian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) in the Zagros forests of Iran

Asadi Aghbolaghi,

Keyghobadi,

Azarakhsh

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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For the conservation of wild species, it is important to understand how landscape change and land management can affect gene flow and movement. Landscape genetic analyses provide a powerful approach to infer effects of various landscape factors on gene flow, thereby informing conservation actions. The Persian squirrel is a keystone species in the woodlands and oak forests of Western Asia, where it has experienced recent habitat loss and fragmentation. We conducted landscape genetic analyses of individuals sampled in the northern Zagros Mountains of Iran (provinces of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Ilam), focusing on the evaluation of isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by resistance (IBR), using 16 microsatellite markers. The roles of geographical distance and landscape features including roads, rivers, developed areas, farming and agriculture, forests, lakes, plantation forests, rangelands, shrublands, and rocky areas of varying canopy cover, and swamp margins on genetic structure were quantified using individual-based approaches and resistance surface modeling. We found a significant pattern of IBD but only weak support for an effect of forest cover on genetic structure and gene flow. It seems that geographical distance is an important factor limiting the dispersal of the Persian squirrel in this region. The results of the current study inform ongoing conservation programs for the Persian squirrel in the Zagros oak forest.

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“…Tree squirrels have been shown to exhibit strikingly high rates of diversification , especially in the Neotropics, where they experienced an explosive diversification with dramatic species accumulation after the South America invasion around 6 Mya (Abreu-Jr et al 2020a). Until recently, the genetic diversity and the molecular systematics of tree squirrel were poorly known, as the few published studies were very limited in terms of taxonomic coverage, particularly regarding to Neotropical taxa, and also relayed on quite small and heterogeneous datasets, composed of few mitochondrial and nuclear genes Aghbolaghi et al 2019Aghbolaghi et al , 2020. Abreu-Jr et al (2020b) published heretofore the most comprehensive phylogenetic study for tree squirrels, including data from 232 historical and modern specimens, representing 43 of the 46 putative species of the tribe Sciurini (sensu .…”

Section: Neotropical Radiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Molecular systematics of the tribe Sciurini have been subject of many phylogenetic studies, but most of those with emphasis on geographic-restricted taxa, such as Eurasian Aghbolaghi et al 2019Aghbolaghi et al , 2020, North American (Hope et al species from the last taxonomic arrangements .…”

Section: Uce Phylogenomic Hypotheses For Sciurini and The Mito-nuclear Discordancementioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenomics, diversification, and biogeography of Neotropical squirrels (Sciurillinae and Sciurinae: Sciurini)

Júnior¹,

de²

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The permanent inhabitant of the oak trees: phylogeography and genetic structure of the Persian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus)

Cited by 21 publications

References 71 publications

Genetic structure and ecological niche segregation of Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran

Genetic structure and ecological niche segregation of Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran

An evaluation of isolation by distance and isolation by resistance on genetic structure of the Persian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) in the Zagros forests of Iran

Phylogenomics, diversification, and biogeography of Neotropical squirrels (Sciurillinae and Sciurinae: Sciurini)

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