Genetic and Historical Colonization Analyses of an Endemic Savanna Tree, Qualea grandiflora, Reveal Ancient Connections Between Amazonian Savannas and Cerrado Core.

ABSTRACT: The evolutionary processes underlying the high diversity and endemism in the Cerrado, the most extensive Neotropical savanna, remain unclear, including the factors promoting the presence and evolution of savanna enclaves in the Amazon forest. In this study, we investigated the effects of past climate changes on genetic diversity, dynamics of species range and the historical connections between the savanna enclaves and Cerrado core for Qualea grandiflora, a tree species widely distributed in the biome. Totally, 40 populations distributed in the Cerrado core and Amazon savannas were analyzed using chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences. We used phylogeographic, coalescent and ecological niche modeling approaches. Genetic data revealed a phylogeographic structure shaped by Pleistocene c

SUBMITTER: Buzatti RSO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6056688 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature