Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes.
Phenotypes, DNA, and measures of ecological differences are widely used in species delimitation. Although rarely defined in such studies, ecological divergence is almost always approximated using multivariate climatic data associated with sets of specimens (i.e., the "climatic niche"); the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4479545?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818359269188173824 |
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| author | Jesse M Meik Jeffrey W Streicher A Michelle Lawing Oscar Flores-Villela Matthew K Fujita |
| author_facet | Jesse M Meik Jeffrey W Streicher A Michelle Lawing Oscar Flores-Villela Matthew K Fujita |
| author_sort | Jesse M Meik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Phenotypes, DNA, and measures of ecological differences are widely used in species delimitation. Although rarely defined in such studies, ecological divergence is almost always approximated using multivariate climatic data associated with sets of specimens (i.e., the "climatic niche"); the justification for this approach is that species-specific climatic envelopes act as surrogates for physiological tolerances. Using identical statistical procedures, we evaluated the usefulness and validity of the climate-as-proxy assumption by comparing performance of genetic (nDNA SNPs and mitochondrial DNA), phenotypic, and climatic data for objective species delimitation in the speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii) complex. Ordination and clustering patterns were largely congruent among intrinsic (heritable) traits (nDNA, mtDNA, phenotype), and discordance is explained by biological processes (e.g., ontogeny, hybridization). In contrast, climatic data did not produce biologically meaningful clusters that were congruent with any intrinsic dataset, but rather corresponded to regional differences in atmospheric circulation and climate, indicating an absence of inherent taxonomic signal in these data. Surrogating climate for physiological tolerances adds artificial weight to evidence of species boundaries, as these data are irrelevant for that purpose. Based on the evidence from congruent clustering of intrinsic datasets, we recommend that three subspecies of C. mitchellii be recognized as species: C. angelensis, C. mitchellii, and C. Pyrrhus. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:42:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52133dc8f53b433090f18372dbe90305 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:42:13Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-52133dc8f53b433090f18372dbe903052022-12-21T23:32:07ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01106e013143510.1371/journal.pone.0131435Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes.Jesse M MeikJeffrey W StreicherA Michelle LawingOscar Flores-VillelaMatthew K FujitaPhenotypes, DNA, and measures of ecological differences are widely used in species delimitation. Although rarely defined in such studies, ecological divergence is almost always approximated using multivariate climatic data associated with sets of specimens (i.e., the "climatic niche"); the justification for this approach is that species-specific climatic envelopes act as surrogates for physiological tolerances. Using identical statistical procedures, we evaluated the usefulness and validity of the climate-as-proxy assumption by comparing performance of genetic (nDNA SNPs and mitochondrial DNA), phenotypic, and climatic data for objective species delimitation in the speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii) complex. Ordination and clustering patterns were largely congruent among intrinsic (heritable) traits (nDNA, mtDNA, phenotype), and discordance is explained by biological processes (e.g., ontogeny, hybridization). In contrast, climatic data did not produce biologically meaningful clusters that were congruent with any intrinsic dataset, but rather corresponded to regional differences in atmospheric circulation and climate, indicating an absence of inherent taxonomic signal in these data. Surrogating climate for physiological tolerances adds artificial weight to evidence of species boundaries, as these data are irrelevant for that purpose. Based on the evidence from congruent clustering of intrinsic datasets, we recommend that three subspecies of C. mitchellii be recognized as species: C. angelensis, C. mitchellii, and C. Pyrrhus.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4479545?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Jesse M Meik Jeffrey W Streicher A Michelle Lawing Oscar Flores-Villela Matthew K Fujita Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes. PLoS ONE |
| title | Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes. |
| title_full | Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes. |
| title_fullStr | Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes. |
| title_short | Limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries: insights from speckled rattlesnakes. |
| title_sort | limitations of climatic data for inferring species boundaries insights from speckled rattlesnakes |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4479545?pdf=render |
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