Madeiran Arabidopsis thaliana Reveals Ancient Long-Range Colonization and Clarifies Demography in Eurasia.

ABSTRACT: The study of model organisms on islands may shed light on rare long-range dispersal events, uncover signatures of local evolutionary processes, and inform demographic inference on the mainland. Here, we sequenced the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana samples from the oceanic island of Madeira. These samples include the most diverged worldwide, likely a result of long isolation on the island. We infer that colonization of Madeira happened between 70 and 85 ka, consistent with a propagule dispersal model (of size ≥10), or with an ecological window of opportunity. This represents a clear example of a natural long-range dispersal event in A. thaliana. Long-term effective population size on the island, rather than the founder effect, had the greatest impact on levels of diversity, and rates of co

SUBMITTER: Fulgione A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5850838 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature