Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.

Interglacial-glacial cycles of the Quaternary are widely recognized in shaping phylogeographic structure. Patterns from cold adapted species can be especially informative - in particular, uncovering additional glacial refugia, identifying likely recolonization patterns, and increasing our understand...

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Main Authors: Joanna Zigouris, James A Schaefer, Clément Fortin, Christopher J Kyle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3875487?pdf=render
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author Joanna Zigouris
James A Schaefer
Clément Fortin
Christopher J Kyle
author_facet Joanna Zigouris
James A Schaefer
Clément Fortin
Christopher J Kyle
author_sort Joanna Zigouris
collection DOAJ
description Interglacial-glacial cycles of the Quaternary are widely recognized in shaping phylogeographic structure. Patterns from cold adapted species can be especially informative - in particular, uncovering additional glacial refugia, identifying likely recolonization patterns, and increasing our understanding of species' responses to climate change. We investigated phylogenetic structure of the wolverine, a wide-ranging cold adapted carnivore, using a 318 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region for 983 wolverines (n=209 this study, n=774 from GenBank) from across their full Holarctic distribution. Bayesian phylogenetic tree reconstruction and the distribution of observed pairwise haplotype differences (mismatch distribution) provided evidence of a single rapid population expansion across the wolverine's Holarctic range. Even though molecular evidence corroborated a single refugium, significant subdivisions of population genetic structure (0.01< ΦST <0.99, P<0.05) were detected. Pairwise ΦST estimates separated Scandinavia from Russia and Mongolia, and identified five main divisions within North America - the Central Arctic, a western region, an eastern region consisting of Ontario and Quebec/Labrador, Manitoba, and California. These data are in contrast to the nearly panmictic structure observed in northwestern North America using nuclear microsatellites, but largely support the nuclear DNA separation of contemporary Manitoba and Ontario wolverines from northern populations. Historic samples (c. 1900) from the functionally extirpated eastern population of Quebec/Labrador displayed genetic similarities to contemporary Ontario wolverines. To understand these divergence patterns, four hypotheses were tested using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). The most supported hypothesis was a single Beringia incursion during the last glacial maximum that established the northwestern population, followed by a west-to-east colonization during the Holocene. This pattern is suggestive of colonization occurring in accordance with glacial retreat, and supports expansion from a single refugium. These data are significant relative to current discussions on the conservation status of this species across its range.
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spelling doaj.art-078e9a421c9c481a8ad722235fa3d1342022-12-21T18:46:48ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-01812e8383710.1371/journal.pone.0083837Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.Joanna ZigourisJames A SchaeferClément FortinChristopher J KyleInterglacial-glacial cycles of the Quaternary are widely recognized in shaping phylogeographic structure. Patterns from cold adapted species can be especially informative - in particular, uncovering additional glacial refugia, identifying likely recolonization patterns, and increasing our understanding of species' responses to climate change. We investigated phylogenetic structure of the wolverine, a wide-ranging cold adapted carnivore, using a 318 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region for 983 wolverines (n=209 this study, n=774 from GenBank) from across their full Holarctic distribution. Bayesian phylogenetic tree reconstruction and the distribution of observed pairwise haplotype differences (mismatch distribution) provided evidence of a single rapid population expansion across the wolverine's Holarctic range. Even though molecular evidence corroborated a single refugium, significant subdivisions of population genetic structure (0.01< ΦST <0.99, P<0.05) were detected. Pairwise ΦST estimates separated Scandinavia from Russia and Mongolia, and identified five main divisions within North America - the Central Arctic, a western region, an eastern region consisting of Ontario and Quebec/Labrador, Manitoba, and California. These data are in contrast to the nearly panmictic structure observed in northwestern North America using nuclear microsatellites, but largely support the nuclear DNA separation of contemporary Manitoba and Ontario wolverines from northern populations. Historic samples (c. 1900) from the functionally extirpated eastern population of Quebec/Labrador displayed genetic similarities to contemporary Ontario wolverines. To understand these divergence patterns, four hypotheses were tested using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). The most supported hypothesis was a single Beringia incursion during the last glacial maximum that established the northwestern population, followed by a west-to-east colonization during the Holocene. This pattern is suggestive of colonization occurring in accordance with glacial retreat, and supports expansion from a single refugium. These data are significant relative to current discussions on the conservation status of this species across its range.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3875487?pdf=render
spellingShingle Joanna Zigouris
James A Schaefer
Clément Fortin
Christopher J Kyle
Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.
PLoS ONE
title Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.
title_full Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.
title_fullStr Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.
title_full_unstemmed Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.
title_short Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution.
title_sort phylogeography and post glacial recolonization in wolverines gulo gulo from across their circumpolar distribution
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3875487?pdf=render
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AT clementfortin phylogeographyandpostglacialrecolonizationinwolverinesgulogulofromacrosstheircircumpolardistribution
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