Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles
Abstract The phylogeny and species boundaries of Gazella subgutturosa and G. marica have been long debated. The achievements of past conservation efforts have been compromised by a lack of knowledge about the phylogeny and taxonomic status of different populations. We integrated the recent genetic f...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6789 |
| _version_ | 1818940463745335296 |
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| author | Mahmoud‐Reza Hemami Rasoul Khosravi Colin Groves Mohsen Ahmadi |
| author_facet | Mahmoud‐Reza Hemami Rasoul Khosravi Colin Groves Mohsen Ahmadi |
| author_sort | Mahmoud‐Reza Hemami |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The phylogeny and species boundaries of Gazella subgutturosa and G. marica have been long debated. The achievements of past conservation efforts have been compromised by a lack of knowledge about the phylogeny and taxonomic status of different populations. We integrated the recent genetic findings by previous studies with morphometric analyses and ecological niche modeling (ENM) to assess discreteness among populations of these gazelle species in Asia. Taxonomic diversity of gazelles was investigated by using principal components analysis (PCA) based on 14 cranial measures of male skulls. Ecological niche divergence was examined based on a PCA on climatic factors and a species distribution modeling (SDM) with environmental variables. Morphometric results indicated substantial differentiation in size between skulls of the western Zagros Mountains including west and south‐western Iran and Arabian Peninsula from all other samples east of the Zagros Mountains from Iran to China. ENM also revealed that gazelles in the east and west of Zagros Mountains occupy distinct niches and that there are apparent areas of disconnection across the goitered gazelle suitable range. A complete divergent niche occupation was also observed between goitered gazelles of northern Mongolia and other populations of the species, except those in China. Taking the inferences from ENM and morphology together with previous genetics results, we conclude that gazelles in the west and south‐west of Iran may represent G. marica. Also, our combined analyses revealed divergence among gazelles of Iran, Central Asia, and Mongolia/China. These results may pave the way for future studies and have conservation implications particularly for reintroduction/supplementation programs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:40:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a33fd0c85b05456f8eb81f9fb54c80d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:40:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-a33fd0c85b05456f8eb81f9fb54c80d02022-12-21T19:49:53ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-10-011020115351154810.1002/ece3.6789Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazellesMahmoud‐Reza Hemami0Rasoul Khosravi1Colin Groves2Mohsen Ahmadi3Department of Natural Resources Isfahan University of Technology Isfahan 8415683111 IranDepartment of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Agriculture Shiraz University Shiraz 7144165186 IranSchool of Archaeology and Anthropology Australian National University Canberra ACT AustraliaDepartment of Natural Resources Isfahan University of Technology Isfahan 8415683111 IranAbstract The phylogeny and species boundaries of Gazella subgutturosa and G. marica have been long debated. The achievements of past conservation efforts have been compromised by a lack of knowledge about the phylogeny and taxonomic status of different populations. We integrated the recent genetic findings by previous studies with morphometric analyses and ecological niche modeling (ENM) to assess discreteness among populations of these gazelle species in Asia. Taxonomic diversity of gazelles was investigated by using principal components analysis (PCA) based on 14 cranial measures of male skulls. Ecological niche divergence was examined based on a PCA on climatic factors and a species distribution modeling (SDM) with environmental variables. Morphometric results indicated substantial differentiation in size between skulls of the western Zagros Mountains including west and south‐western Iran and Arabian Peninsula from all other samples east of the Zagros Mountains from Iran to China. ENM also revealed that gazelles in the east and west of Zagros Mountains occupy distinct niches and that there are apparent areas of disconnection across the goitered gazelle suitable range. A complete divergent niche occupation was also observed between goitered gazelles of northern Mongolia and other populations of the species, except those in China. Taking the inferences from ENM and morphology together with previous genetics results, we conclude that gazelles in the west and south‐west of Iran may represent G. marica. Also, our combined analyses revealed divergence among gazelles of Iran, Central Asia, and Mongolia/China. These results may pave the way for future studies and have conservation implications particularly for reintroduction/supplementation programs.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6789cranial measurementsecological niche modelinggoitered gazellesand gazellespatial niche overlap |
| spellingShingle | Mahmoud‐Reza Hemami Rasoul Khosravi Colin Groves Mohsen Ahmadi Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles Ecology and Evolution cranial measurements ecological niche modeling goitered gazelle sand gazelle spatial niche overlap |
| title | Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles |
| title_full | Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles |
| title_fullStr | Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles |
| title_short | Morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles |
| title_sort | morphological diversity and ecological niche divergence in goitered and sand gazelles |
| topic | cranial measurements ecological niche modeling goitered gazelle sand gazelle spatial niche overlap |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6789 |
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