Surviving historical Patagonian landscapes and climate: molecular insights from Galaxias maculatus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The dynamic geological and climatic histories of temperate South America have played important roles in shaping the contemporary distributions and genetic diversity of endemic freshwater species. We use mitochondria and nuclear sequence variation to investigate the consequences of mountain barriers and Quaternary glacial cycles for patterns of genetic diversity in the diadromous fish Galaxias maculatus in Patagonia (approximately 300 individuals from 36 locations).

Results

Contemporary populations of G. maculatus, east and west of the Andes in Patagonia, represent a single monophyletic lineage comprising several well supported groups. Mantel tests using control region data revealed a strong positive relationship when geographic distance was modeled according to a

SUBMITTER: Zemlak TS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2838892 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature