Demographic expansion of two Tamarix species along the Yellow River caused by geological events and climate change in the Pleistocene.

ABSTRACT: The geological events and climatic fluctuations during the Pleistocene played important roles in shaping patterns of species distribution. However, few studies have evaluated the patterns of species distribution that were influenced by the Yellow River. The present work analyzed the demography of two endemic tree species that are widely distributed along the Yellow River, Tamarix austromongolica and Tamarix chinensis, to understand the role of the Yellow River and Pleistocene climate in shaping their distribution patterns. The most common chlorotype, chlorotype 1, was found in all populations, and its divergence time could be dated back to 0.19 million years ago (Ma). This dating coincides well with the formation of the modern Yellow River and the timing of Marine Isotope Stages 5e-6 (MIS

SUBMITTER: Liang HY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5758526 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature