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Local Climate Heterogeneity Shapes Population Genetic Structure of Two Undifferentiated Insular Scutellaria Species
- Source :
- Frontiers in Plant Science
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media SA, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Spatial climate heterogeneity may not only affect adaptive gene frequencies but could also indirectly shape the genetic structure of neutral loci by impacting demographic dynamics. In this study, the effect of local climate on population genetic variation was tested in two phylogenetically close Scutellaria species in Taiwan. Scutellaria taipeiensis, which was originally assumed to be an endemic species of Taiwan Island, is shown to be part of the widespread species S. barbata based on the overlapping ranges of genetic variation and climatic niches as well as their morphological similarity. Rejection of the scenario of “early divergence with secondary contact” and the support for multiple origins of populations of S. taipeiensis from S. barbata provide strong evolutionary evidence for a taxonomic revision of the species combination. Further tests of a climatic effect on genetic variation were conducted. Regression analyses show nonlinear correlations among any pair of geographic, climatic, and genetic distances. However, significantly, the bioclimatic variables that represent the precipitation from late summer to early autumn explain roughly 13% of the genetic variation of our sampled populations. These results indicate that spatial differences of precipitation in the typhoon season may influence the regeneration rate and colonization rate of local populations. The periodic typhoon episodes explain the significant but nonlinear influence of climatic variables on population genetic differentiation. Although, the climatic difference does not lead to species divergence, the local climate variability indeed impacts the spatial genetic distribution at the population level.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine
Scutellaria
Population
Plant Science
Biology
precipitation
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
03 medical and health sciences
taxonomy
Genetic variation
climate heterogeneity
Endemism
education
Original Research
Ecological niche
education.field_of_study
Ecology
Regression
030104 developmental biology
typhoon
Typhoon
Genetic structure
genetic variation
Taxonomy (biology)
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1664462X
- Volume :
- 8
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Plant Science
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....70bbfc8da337d1f2a22464a8fe2e19dd
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00159