Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone
Abstract Climate change poses several challenges to biological communities including changes in the frequency of encounters between closely related congeners as a result of range shifts. When climate change leads to increased hybridization, hybrid dysfunction or genetic swamping may increase extinct...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6653 |
| _version_ | 1818429795026862080 |
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| author | Robert B. Page Claire Conarroe Diana Quintanilla Andriea Palomo Joshua Solis Ashley Aguilar Kelly Bezold Andrew M. Sackman David M. Marsh |
| author_facet | Robert B. Page Claire Conarroe Diana Quintanilla Andriea Palomo Joshua Solis Ashley Aguilar Kelly Bezold Andrew M. Sackman David M. Marsh |
| author_sort | Robert B. Page |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Climate change poses several challenges to biological communities including changes in the frequency of encounters between closely related congeners as a result of range shifts. When climate change leads to increased hybridization, hybrid dysfunction or genetic swamping may increase extinction risk—particularly in range‐restricted species with low vagility. The Peaks of Otter Salamander, Plethodon hubrichti, is a fully terrestrial woodland salamander that is restricted to ~18 km of ridgeline in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and its range is surrounded by the abundant and widespread Eastern Red‐backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus. In order to determine whether these two species are hybridizing and how their range limits may be shifting, we assessed variation at eight microsatellite loci and a 1,008 bp region of Cytochrome B in both species at allopatric reference sites and within a contact zone. Our results show that hybridization between P. hubrichti and P. cinereus either does not occur or is very rare. However, we find that diversity and differentiation are substantially higher in the mountaintop endemic P. hubrichti than in the widespread P. cinereus, despite similar movement ability for the two species as assessed by a homing experiment. Furthermore, estimation of divergence times between reference and contact zone populations via approximate Bayesian computation is consistent with the idea that P. cinereus has expanded into the range of P. hubrichti. Given the apparent recent colonization of the contact zone by P. cinereus, future monitoring of P. cinereus range limits should be a priority for the management of P. hubrichti populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:23:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f6f34809768427bb7a8a304df26a86b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:23:11Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f6f34809768427bb7a8a304df26a86b2022-12-21T22:56:05ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-09-0110189948996710.1002/ece3.6653Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zoneRobert B. Page0Claire Conarroe1Diana Quintanilla2Andriea Palomo3Joshua Solis4Ashley Aguilar5Kelly Bezold6Andrew M. Sackman7David M. Marsh8Department of Life Sciences Texas A&M University‐San Antonio San Antonio TX USADepartment of Biology Washington and Lee University Lexington VA USADepartment of Life Sciences Texas A&M University‐San Antonio San Antonio TX USADepartment of Life Sciences Texas A&M University‐San Antonio San Antonio TX USADepartment of Life Sciences Texas A&M University‐San Antonio San Antonio TX USADepartment of Life Sciences Texas A&M University‐San Antonio San Antonio TX USADepartment of Biology Washington and Lee University Lexington VA USADepartment of Biology Washington and Lee University Lexington VA USADepartment of Biology Washington and Lee University Lexington VA USAAbstract Climate change poses several challenges to biological communities including changes in the frequency of encounters between closely related congeners as a result of range shifts. When climate change leads to increased hybridization, hybrid dysfunction or genetic swamping may increase extinction risk—particularly in range‐restricted species with low vagility. The Peaks of Otter Salamander, Plethodon hubrichti, is a fully terrestrial woodland salamander that is restricted to ~18 km of ridgeline in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and its range is surrounded by the abundant and widespread Eastern Red‐backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus. In order to determine whether these two species are hybridizing and how their range limits may be shifting, we assessed variation at eight microsatellite loci and a 1,008 bp region of Cytochrome B in both species at allopatric reference sites and within a contact zone. Our results show that hybridization between P. hubrichti and P. cinereus either does not occur or is very rare. However, we find that diversity and differentiation are substantially higher in the mountaintop endemic P. hubrichti than in the widespread P. cinereus, despite similar movement ability for the two species as assessed by a homing experiment. Furthermore, estimation of divergence times between reference and contact zone populations via approximate Bayesian computation is consistent with the idea that P. cinereus has expanded into the range of P. hubrichti. Given the apparent recent colonization of the contact zone by P. cinereus, future monitoring of P. cinereus range limits should be a priority for the management of P. hubrichti populations.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6653approximate Bayesian computationgenetic differentiationgenetic diversitymountaintop endemicPlethodon cinereusPlethodon hubrichti |
| spellingShingle | Robert B. Page Claire Conarroe Diana Quintanilla Andriea Palomo Joshua Solis Ashley Aguilar Kelly Bezold Andrew M. Sackman David M. Marsh Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone Ecology and Evolution approximate Bayesian computation genetic differentiation genetic diversity mountaintop endemic Plethodon cinereus Plethodon hubrichti |
| title | Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone |
| title_full | Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone |
| title_fullStr | Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone |
| title_short | Genetic variation in Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone |
| title_sort | genetic variation in plethodon cinereus and plethodon hubrichti from in and around a contact zone |
| topic | approximate Bayesian computation genetic differentiation genetic diversity mountaintop endemic Plethodon cinereus Plethodon hubrichti |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6653 |
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