Back to Search Start Over

Genetic population structure of the alpine species Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum sensu lato (Ericaceae) inferred from chloroplast and nuclear DNA

Authors :
Wang Wei-Kuang
Lin Hung-Du
Huang Jao-Ching
Hwang Chi-Chuan
Hung Kuo-Hsiang
Huang Chi-Chun
Wu Pei-Yin
Hsu Tsai-Wen
Chiang Tzen-Yuh
Source :
BMC Evolutionary Biology, Vol 11, Iss 1, p 108 (2011)
Publication Year :
2011
Publisher :
BMC, 2011.

Abstract

Abstract Background A complex of incipient species with different degrees of morphological or ecological differentiation provides an ideal model for studying species divergence. We examined the phylogeography and the evolutionary history of the Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum s. l. Results Systematic inconsistency was detected between gene genealogies of the cpDNA and nrDNA. Rooted at R. hyperythrum and R. formosana, both trees lacked reciprocal monophyly for all members of the complex. For R. pseudochrysanthum s.l., the spatial distribution of the cpDNA had a noteworthy pattern showing high genetic differentiation (FST = 0.56-0.72) between populations in the Yushan Mountain Range and populations of the other mountain ranges. Conclusion Both incomplete lineage sorting and interspecific hybridization/introgression may have contributed to the lack of monophyly among R. hyperythrum, R. formosana and R. pseudochrysanthum s.l. Independent colonizations, plus low capabilities of seed dispersal in current environments, may have resulted in the genetic differentiation between populations of different mountain ranges. At the population level, the populations of Central, and Sheishan Mountains may have undergone postglacial demographic expansion, while populations of the Yushan Mountain Range are likely to have remained stable ever since the colonization. In contrast, the single population of the Alishan Mountain Range with a fixed cpDNA haplotype may have experienced bottleneck/founder's events.

Subjects

Subjects :
Evolution
QH359-425

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14712148
Volume :
11
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
BMC Evolutionary Biology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.6195a4efdea54919bd525a5936d70bc2
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-11-108