Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)

Abstract The delimitation of species boundaries, particularly those obscured by reticulation, is a critical step in contemporary biodiversity assessment. It is especially relevant for conservation and management of indigenous fishes in western North America, represented herein by two species with di...

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Main Authors: Max R. Bangs, Marlis R. Douglas, Tyler K. Chafin, Michael E. Douglas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-07-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6384
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author Max R. Bangs
Marlis R. Douglas
Tyler K. Chafin
Michael E. Douglas
author_facet Max R. Bangs
Marlis R. Douglas
Tyler K. Chafin
Michael E. Douglas
author_sort Max R. Bangs
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The delimitation of species boundaries, particularly those obscured by reticulation, is a critical step in contemporary biodiversity assessment. It is especially relevant for conservation and management of indigenous fishes in western North America, represented herein by two species with dissimilar life histories codistributed in the highly modified Colorado River (i.e., flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus latipinnis; bluehead sucker, C. (Pantosteus) discobolus). To quantify phylogenomic patterns and examine proposed taxonomic revisions, we first employed double‐digest restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD), yielding 39,755 unlinked SNPs across 139 samples. These were subsequently evaluated with multiple analytical approaches and by contrasting life history data. Three phylogenetic methods and a Bayesian assignment test highlighted similar phylogenomic patterns in each, but with considerable difference in presumed times of divergence. Three lineages were detected in bluehead sucker, supporting elevation of C. (P.) virescens to species status and recognizing C. (P.) discobolus yarrowi (Zuni bluehead sucker) as a discrete entity. Admixture in the latter necessitated a reevaluation of its contemporary and historic distributions, underscoring how biodiversity identification can be confounded by complex evolutionary histories. In addition, we defined three separate flannelmouth sucker lineages as ESUs (evolutionarily significant units), given limited phenotypic and genetic differentiation, contemporary isolation, and lack of concordance (per the genealogical concordance component of the phylogenetic species concept). Introgression was diagnosed in both species, with the Little Colorado and Virgin rivers in particular. Our diagnostic methods, and the agreement of our SNPs with previous morphological, enzymatic, and mitochondrial work, allowed us to partition complex evolutionary histories into requisite components, such as isolation versus secondary contact.
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spelling doaj.art-7594ffa7b3b746c099d35187754d20122022-12-21T22:10:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-07-0110136477649310.1002/ece3.6384Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)Max R. Bangs0Marlis R. Douglas1Tyler K. Chafin2Michael E. Douglas3Department of Biological Sciences Florida State University Tallahassee FL USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville AR USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville AR USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville AR USAAbstract The delimitation of species boundaries, particularly those obscured by reticulation, is a critical step in contemporary biodiversity assessment. It is especially relevant for conservation and management of indigenous fishes in western North America, represented herein by two species with dissimilar life histories codistributed in the highly modified Colorado River (i.e., flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus latipinnis; bluehead sucker, C. (Pantosteus) discobolus). To quantify phylogenomic patterns and examine proposed taxonomic revisions, we first employed double‐digest restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD), yielding 39,755 unlinked SNPs across 139 samples. These were subsequently evaluated with multiple analytical approaches and by contrasting life history data. Three phylogenetic methods and a Bayesian assignment test highlighted similar phylogenomic patterns in each, but with considerable difference in presumed times of divergence. Three lineages were detected in bluehead sucker, supporting elevation of C. (P.) virescens to species status and recognizing C. (P.) discobolus yarrowi (Zuni bluehead sucker) as a discrete entity. Admixture in the latter necessitated a reevaluation of its contemporary and historic distributions, underscoring how biodiversity identification can be confounded by complex evolutionary histories. In addition, we defined three separate flannelmouth sucker lineages as ESUs (evolutionarily significant units), given limited phenotypic and genetic differentiation, contemporary isolation, and lack of concordance (per the genealogical concordance component of the phylogenetic species concept). Introgression was diagnosed in both species, with the Little Colorado and Virgin rivers in particular. Our diagnostic methods, and the agreement of our SNPs with previous morphological, enzymatic, and mitochondrial work, allowed us to partition complex evolutionary histories into requisite components, such as isolation versus secondary contact.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6384CatostomusddRADhybridizationintrogressionphylogenomicsspecies delimitation
spellingShingle Max R. Bangs
Marlis R. Douglas
Tyler K. Chafin
Michael E. Douglas
Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)
Ecology and Evolution
Catostomus
ddRAD
hybridization
introgression
phylogenomics
species delimitation
title Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)
title_full Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)
title_fullStr Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)
title_full_unstemmed Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)
title_short Gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of Western North America: Flannelmouth (Catostomus latipinnis) and Bluehead sucker (C. Pantosteus discobolus)
title_sort gene flow and species delimitation in fishes of western north america flannelmouth catostomus latipinnis and bluehead sucker c pantosteus discobolus
topic Catostomus
ddRAD
hybridization
introgression
phylogenomics
species delimitation
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6384
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