Contrasting Roles of the Multiple Seas in East Asia on Population Divergence of <i>Smilax sieboldii</i> (Smilacaceae).

ABSTRACT: Multiple seas in East Asia have played distinct roles during the Quaternary climatic cycles, which have repeatedly isolated and reconnected temperate forest species, while it remains unclear whether their roles differ. In this study, we used Smilax sieboldii, a widely distributed species along the eastern coast of East Asia, to simultaneously evaluate the roles of multiple seas, including the East China Sea, the Yellow-Bohai Sea, the Korea-Tsushima Strait, and the Taiwan Strait, as geographic barriers and dispersal corridors during historical sea-level fluctuations. We employed Bayesian clustering analysis and demographic simulations to elucidate the genetic structure and evolutionary history. The effects of spatial or environmental differences on population structure were examined

SUBMITTER: Ru YL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12304436 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature