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Independent evolutionary histories in allopatric populations of a threatened Caribbean land mammal

Independent evolutionary histories in allopatric populations of a threatened Caribbean land mammal
Independent evolutionary histories in allopatric populations of a threatened Caribbean land mammal

Aim:
To determine the evolutionary history, relationships and distinctiveness of allopatric populations of Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), a highly threatened Caribbean ‘relict’ mammal, to understand spatio-temporal patterns of gene flow and the distribution of diversity across complex large island landscapes and inform spatial conservation prioritization.

Location:
Historical and modern-day solenodon specimens were analysed from sampling localities across Hispaniola, representing this geotectonically complex island's distinct northern, south-eastern and south-western biogeographic provinces.

Methods:
We successfully amplified mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region sequences from 34 solenodon samples. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were applied to assess the relationship between these sequence data, and coalescent simulation and approximate Bayesian computation were used to identify which model of solenodon intra-island demographic history best explains the observed patterns of variation. We also conducted morphometric analysis of 110 solenodon specimens to investigate whether allopatric Hispaniolan populations can be differentiated using craniodental characteristics.

Results:
Unique haplotypes were identified in solenodon samples from each biogeographic region, with no haplotype sharing between regions. Higher marginal posterior probability values were found for a three-population model comprising allopatric northern, south-eastern and south-western Hispaniolan populations, with exceptionally low migration rates inferred between all populations, indicating that they are genetically isolated. Modal estimates of long-term effective female population size are extremely low for south-western and south-eastern populations. Morphometric differentiation is observed between all three populations.

Main conclusions:
Evolutionary differentiation of Hispaniolan solenodons into three distinct populations is congruent with phylogenetic patterns observed in several other Hispaniolan species, with population isolation possibly associated with past marine transgression. We interpret these populations as distinct subspecies, with the two genetically impoverished southern subspecies particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Our improved understanding of Hispaniolan solenodon evolutionary history provides an important baseline for identifying wider patterns of intra-island diversification and prioritizing conservation attention for evolutionarily significant populations.
coalescent modelling, conservation genetics, Hispaniolan solenodon, historical biogeography, palaeo-islands, Solenodon paradoxus
1366-9516
589-602
Turvey, Samuel T.
94878b58-7a92-4081-a8a3-f47181f240a9
Peters, Stuart
401278f6-97cb-489f-8242-4d803c256a82
Brace, Selina
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Young, Richard P.
69212dd5-407a-44c8-af77-fa5d2d5d437a
Crumpton, Nick
fb6a437c-5283-49df-bd1d-17e3d7f94c06
Hansford, James
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Nuñez-Miño, Jose M.
ba5c4d02-0d4b-4888-ae7e-3c3713f719ee
King, Gemma
5bfcb2e2-7d34-409d-b14d-1cc1de901364
Tsalikidis, Katrina
8253083e-3c90-4986-9e24-be8485069989
Ottenwalder, José A.
86bbbce4-871d-4bc6-b732-f040511b7ea7
Timpson, Adrian
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Funk, Stephan M.
ab537914-06b8-499f-a78f-77587df6bb36
Brocca, Jorge L.
d281ef55-5a15-4be6-88b5-77e59df76005
Thomas, Mark G.
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Barnes, Ian
1df81cbb-ce54-4582-8c4d-e27a27964340
Austin, Jeremy
073e68fa-6bdf-4ce5-b141-6d0f6e1e611f
Turvey, Samuel T.
94878b58-7a92-4081-a8a3-f47181f240a9
Peters, Stuart
401278f6-97cb-489f-8242-4d803c256a82
Brace, Selina
85e4c3ad-7a47-4599-aefc-06487883a68c
Young, Richard P.
69212dd5-407a-44c8-af77-fa5d2d5d437a
Crumpton, Nick
fb6a437c-5283-49df-bd1d-17e3d7f94c06
Hansford, James
e6171635-c273-46b7-aa2e-fbbb2ffdcb79
Nuñez-Miño, Jose M.
ba5c4d02-0d4b-4888-ae7e-3c3713f719ee
King, Gemma
5bfcb2e2-7d34-409d-b14d-1cc1de901364
Tsalikidis, Katrina
8253083e-3c90-4986-9e24-be8485069989
Ottenwalder, José A.
86bbbce4-871d-4bc6-b732-f040511b7ea7
Timpson, Adrian
c8b19b1b-a1d6-4558-91c3-a103ce7ea16f
Funk, Stephan M.
ab537914-06b8-499f-a78f-77587df6bb36
Brocca, Jorge L.
d281ef55-5a15-4be6-88b5-77e59df76005
Thomas, Mark G.
2f745c26-b5c8-4084-992f-8de85d98dbd1
Barnes, Ian
1df81cbb-ce54-4582-8c4d-e27a27964340
Austin, Jeremy
073e68fa-6bdf-4ce5-b141-6d0f6e1e611f

Turvey, Samuel T., Peters, Stuart, Brace, Selina, Young, Richard P., Crumpton, Nick, Hansford, James, Nuñez-Miño, Jose M., King, Gemma, Tsalikidis, Katrina, Ottenwalder, José A., Timpson, Adrian, Funk, Stephan M., Brocca, Jorge L., Thomas, Mark G., Barnes, Ian and Austin, Jeremy (2016) Independent evolutionary histories in allopatric populations of a threatened Caribbean land mammal. Diversity and Distributions, 22 (5), 589-602. (doi:10.1111/ddi.12420).

Record type: Article

Abstract


Aim:
To determine the evolutionary history, relationships and distinctiveness of allopatric populations of Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), a highly threatened Caribbean ‘relict’ mammal, to understand spatio-temporal patterns of gene flow and the distribution of diversity across complex large island landscapes and inform spatial conservation prioritization.

Location:
Historical and modern-day solenodon specimens were analysed from sampling localities across Hispaniola, representing this geotectonically complex island's distinct northern, south-eastern and south-western biogeographic provinces.

Methods:
We successfully amplified mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region sequences from 34 solenodon samples. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were applied to assess the relationship between these sequence data, and coalescent simulation and approximate Bayesian computation were used to identify which model of solenodon intra-island demographic history best explains the observed patterns of variation. We also conducted morphometric analysis of 110 solenodon specimens to investigate whether allopatric Hispaniolan populations can be differentiated using craniodental characteristics.

Results:
Unique haplotypes were identified in solenodon samples from each biogeographic region, with no haplotype sharing between regions. Higher marginal posterior probability values were found for a three-population model comprising allopatric northern, south-eastern and south-western Hispaniolan populations, with exceptionally low migration rates inferred between all populations, indicating that they are genetically isolated. Modal estimates of long-term effective female population size are extremely low for south-western and south-eastern populations. Morphometric differentiation is observed between all three populations.

Main conclusions:
Evolutionary differentiation of Hispaniolan solenodons into three distinct populations is congruent with phylogenetic patterns observed in several other Hispaniolan species, with population isolation possibly associated with past marine transgression. We interpret these populations as distinct subspecies, with the two genetically impoverished southern subspecies particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Our improved understanding of Hispaniolan solenodon evolutionary history provides an important baseline for identifying wider patterns of intra-island diversification and prioritizing conservation attention for evolutionarily significant populations.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 27 January 2016
Published date: May 2016
Keywords: coalescent modelling, conservation genetics, Hispaniolan solenodon, historical biogeography, palaeo-islands, Solenodon paradoxus
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 386629
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/386629
ISSN: 1366-9516
PURE UUID: c2f2d6e2-ab1d-4a8d-a509-91585a29f14e

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 29 Jan 2016 10:31
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 22:34

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Contributors

Author: Samuel T. Turvey
Author: Stuart Peters
Author: Selina Brace
Author: Richard P. Young
Author: Nick Crumpton
Author: James Hansford
Author: Jose M. Nuñez-Miño
Author: Gemma King
Author: Katrina Tsalikidis
Author: José A. Ottenwalder
Author: Adrian Timpson
Author: Stephan M. Funk
Author: Jorge L. Brocca
Author: Mark G. Thomas
Author: Ian Barnes
Author: Jeremy Austin

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