Impact of Geography and Climate on the Genetic Differentiation of the Subtropical Pine Pinus yunnanensis.

ABSTRACT: Southwest China is a biodiversity hotspot characterized by complex topography, heterogeneous regional climates and rich flora. The processes and driving factors underlying this hotspot remain to be explicitly tested across taxa to gain a general understanding of the evolution of biodiversity and speciation in the region. In this study, we examined the role played by historically neutral processes, geography and environment in producing the current genetic diversity of the subtropical pine Pinus yunnanensis. We used genetic and ecological methods to investigate the patterns of genetic differentiation and ecological niche divergence across the distribution range of this species. We found both continuous genetic differentiation over the majority of its range, and discrete isolated local clust

SUBMITTER: Wang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3693954 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature