Dataset Information

Species Delimitation of the Cycas segmentifida Complex (Cycadaceae) Resolved by Phylogenetic and Distance Analyses of Molecular Data.

ABSTRACT: The Cycas segmentifida complex consists of eight species whose distributions overlap in a narrow region in Southwest China. These eight taxa are also morphologically similar and are difficult to be distinguished. Consequently, their taxonomic status has been a matter of discussion in recent years. To study this species complex, we sequenced four plastid intergenic spacers (cpDNA), three nuclear genes and genotyped 12 microsatellites for the eight taxa from 19 different localities. DNA sequences were analyzed using Maximum Likelihood (ML) method and Bayesian Inference (BI), and microsatellites were analyzed using the Neighbor-joining (NJ) and structure inference methods. Results of cpDNA, nuclear gene GTP and microsatellites all rejected the hypotheses that this complex consisted of eight taxa or one distinct lineage (species) but two previously described species were adopted: Cycas guizhouensis K. M. Lan et R. F. Zou and Cycas segmentifida D. Y. Wang et C. Y. Deng. Cycas longlinensis H. T. Chang et Y. C. Zhong was included in C. guizhouensis and the other five taxa were included in C. segmentifida. Our species delimitation inferred from molecular data largely corresponds to morphological differentiation. However, the other two nuclear genes were unable to resolve species boundaries for this complex independently. This study offered evidences from different genomes for dealing with the species boundaries and taxonomical treatment of the C. segmentifida complex in an integrated perspective.

SUBMITTER: Feng X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4753401 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Species Delimitation of the Cycas segmentifida Complex (Cycadaceae) Resolved by Phylogenetic and Distance Analyses of Molecular Data.

Feng Xiuyan X Liu Jian J Gong Xun X

Frontiers in plant science 20160215

The Cycas segmentifida complex consists of eight species whose distributions overlap in a narrow region in Southwest China. These eight taxa are also morphologically similar and are difficult to be distinguished. Consequently, their taxonomic status has been a matter of discussion in recent years. To study this species complex, we sequenced four plastid intergenic spacers (cpDNA), three nuclear genes and genotyped 12 microsatellites for the eight taxa from 19 different localities. DNA sequences ...[more]

PMID: 26913044

Similar Datasets

Project description:Delimitating species boundaries could be of critical importance when evaluating the species' evolving process and providing guidelines for conservation genetics. Here, species delimitation was carried out on three endemic and endangered Cycas species with resembling morphology and overlapped distribution range along the Red River (Yuanjiang) in China: Cycas diananensis Z. T. Guan et G. D. Tao, Cycas parvula S. L. Yang and Cycas multiovula D. Y. Wang. A total of 137 individuals from 15 populations were genotyped by using three chloroplastic (psbA-trnH, atpI-atpH, and trnL-rps4) and two single copy nuclear (RPB1 and SmHP) DNA sequences. Basing on the carefully morphological comparison and cladistic haplotype aggregation (CHA) analysis, we propose all the populations as one species, with the rest two incorporated into C. diannanensis. Genetic diversity and structure analysis of the conflated C. diannanensis revealed this species possessed a relative lower genetic diversity than estimates of other Cycas species. The higher genetic diversity among populations and relative lower genetic diversity within populations, as well as obvious genetic differentiation among populations inferred from chloroplastic DNA (cpDNA) suggested a recent genetic loss within this protected species. Additionally, a clear genetic structure of C. diannanensis corresponding with geography was detected based on cpDNA, dividing its population ranges into "Yuanjiang-Nanhun" basin and "Ejia-Jiepai" basin groups. Demographical history analyses based on combined cpDNA and one nuclear DNA (nDNA) SmHP both showed the population size of C. diannanensis began to decrease in Quaternary glaciation with no subsequent expansion, while another nDNA RPB1 revealed a more recent sudden expansion after long-term population size contraction, suggesting its probable bottleneck events in history. Our findings offer grounded views for clarifying species boundaries of C. diannanensis when determining the conservation objectives. For operational guidelines, the downstream populations which occupy high and peculiar haplotypes should be given prior in-situ conservation. In addition, ex-situ conservation and reintroduction measures for decades of generations are supplemented for improving the population size and genetic diversity of the endemic and endangered species.

Project description:Species delimitation is essential to informing conservation policy and understanding ecological and evolutionary processes. Most of our recent gains in knowledge on animal diversity rely on morphological characteristics and mitochondrial (mt) DNA variation. Concordant results based on both have led to an unprecedented acceleration in the identification of new species and enriched the field of taxonomy. However, discordances are also found commonly between morphological and mtDNA evidence. This confounds species delimitation, especially when gene flow or mt genome introgression has occurred. Here, we illustrate how mt genome introgression among species of the Odorrana grahami complex confounds species delimitation using the combined evidence of morphological characters, mt variation, and thousands of nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Fifty-eight samples across the distribution of the O. grahami complex were included. The mtDNA matrilineal genealogy indicated 2 clades, with O. grahami and Odorrana junlianensis clustered together. In contrast, all nuclear evidence including gene trees, species trees, and genetic structure analyses based on GBS data support 3 species with distinct genetic clusters. These 3 distinct genetic clusters also correspond to distinct morphological characters. They affirm the distinct taxonomic entities of both O. grahami and O. junlianensis, as well as a third clade distinct from either. Which species the third clade belongs to remains unclear and will require further testing. The nuclear genomic loci contradict the COI evidence, with indications of rampant historical mt genome introgression among the species of the O. grahami complex. These discordant signals previously confused species delimitation efforts in this group. Based on these findings, we recommend the integration of independent data, especially nuclear genomic evidence, in species delimitation so as to be robust against the pitfalls of mt introgression.

Dataset Information

Species Delimitation of the Cycas segmentifida Complex (Cycadaceae) Resolved by Phylogenetic and Distance Analyses of Molecular Data.

Publications

Species Delimitation of the Cycas segmentifida Complex (Cycadaceae) Resolved by Phylogenetic and Distance Analyses of Molecular Data.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets