Chromosomal dynamics in space and time: evolutionary history of Mycetophylax ants across past climatic changes in the Brazilian Atlantic coast.

ABSTRACT: Fungus-farming ants of the genus Mycetophylax exhibit intra and interspecific chromosome variability, which makes them suitable for testing hypotheses about possible chromosomal rearrangements that endure lineage diversification. We combined cytogenetic and molecular data from Mycetophylax populations from coastal environments to trace the evolutionary history of the clade in light of chromosomal changes under a historical and geographic context. Our cytogenetic analyses revealed chromosomal differences within and among species. M. morschi exhibited three distinct karyotypes and considerable variability in the localization of 45S rDNA clusters. The molecular phylogeny was congruent with our cytogenetic findings. Biogeographical and divergence time dating analyses estimated that the most re

SUBMITTER: Micolino R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6906305 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature