| Abstract Detail
Population Genetics Oleas, Nora [1], Meerow, Alan [2], Francisco-Ortega, Javier [3]. Population genetics in a geographic context, the Phaedranassa (Amaryllidaceae) case study. Speciation can be understood as a continuum occuring at different levels, from populations to species. The recent molecular revolution in population genetics has opened a pathway towards understanding species evolution. At the same time, these patterns can be better explained by incorporating a geographic context, which can now be accomplished with the use of geographic information systems (GIS). Phaedranassa (Amaryllidaceae) is a genus restricted to one of the most biodiverse hotspots, the Northern Andes. We studied seven Phaedranassa species (Amaryllidaceae) from Ecuador. Six of these species are endemic to the country. The topographic complexity of the Andes, which creates local microhabitats ranging from moist slopes to dry valleys, might explain the patterns of species differentiation. With a Bayesian approach, we assessed the genetic structure of the genus throughout Ecuador using twelve microsatellite loci. We also used bioclimatic variables and species coordinates under a Maximum Entropy approach to generate distribution models of the species (niche models). Our results show that Phaedranassa species are genetically well differentiated. Furthermore, with the exception of two species, all Phaedranassa species showed non-overlapping distributions, which suggests that allopatric divergence could be the driver of genetic differenciation. P. viridiflora and P. glauciflora were the only species that had a broad species distribution based on niche models, but this pattern seems to be related to species delimitation issues in both. Broader Impacts:
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1 - FIU, 11200 Sw 8th St. OE167, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
2 - USDA-ARS-SHRS, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 13601 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL, 33158, USA
3 - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 11935 Old Cutler Road , Coral Gables, Miami, FL, 33156, USA
Keywords:
population genetics
microsatellites
Ecological niche modeling
Andes
Amaryllidaceae.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 26
Location: Portland Room/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Time: 11:00 AM
Number: 26012
Abstract ID:521 |
