Phylogeography of an endangered disjunct herb: long-distance dispersal, refugia and colonization routes.

ABSTRACT: Quaternary glacial cycles appear to have had a consistent role in shaping the genetic diversity and structure of plant species. Despite the unusual combination of the characteristics of the western Mediterranean-Macaronesian area, there are no studies that have specifically examined the effects of palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographic factors on the genetic composition and structure of annual herbs. Astragalus edulis is a disjunct endemic found in the easternmost Canary Islands and the semi-arid areas of north-eastern Africa and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. This endangered species shows no evident adaptations to long-distance dispersal. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data and plastid DNA sequences were analysed from a total of 360 individuals distributed throughout

SUBMITTER: Bobo-Pinilla J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6150253 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature