Ecology has contrasting effects on genetic variation within species versus rates of molecular evolution across species in water beetles.

ABSTRACT: Comparative analysis is a potentially powerful approach to study the effects of ecological traits on genetic variation and rate of evolution across species. However, the lack of suitable datasets means that comparative studies of correlates of genetic traits across an entire clade have been rare. Here, we use a large DNA-barcode dataset (5062 sequences) of water beetles to test the effects of species ecology and geographical distribution on genetic variation within species and rates of molecular evolution across species. We investigated species traits predicted to influence their genetic characteristics, such as surrogate measures of species population size, latitudinal distribution and habitat types, taking phylogeny into account. Genetic variation of cytochrome oxidase I in water beetles

SUBMITTER: Fujisawa T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4286044 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature