Abstract Detail

Genetics Section

Massatti, Rob [1], Knowles, Lacey [2].

Microhabitat differences impact phylogeographic concordance of co-distributed species: genomic evidence in montane sedges (Carex L.) from the Rocky Mountains.

By selecting co-distributed, closely related montane sedges from the Rocky Mountains that are similar in virtually all respects but one – their microhabitat affinities – we test predictions about how patterns of genetic variation are expected to differ between Carex nova, an inhabitant of wetlands, and Carex chalciolepis, an inhabitant of drier meadows, slopes, and ridges. Although contemporary populations of the taxa are similarly isolated, the distribution of glacial moraines suggests that their past population connectedness would have differed. Sampling of co-distributed population pairs from different mountain ranges combined with the resolution provided by over 22,000 SNP loci supports microhabitat-mediated differences in the patterns of genetic variation between the sedge species that are consistent with predicted differences in the degree of isolation of ancestral source populations of the taxa. Our results highlight how microhabitat differences can interact with glaciations to produce fundamental differences in the past distributions of presently co-distributed species. We discuss the implications of these findings for generalizing the impacts of climate-induced distributional shifts for communities, as well as for the prospects of gaining insights about species-specific deterministic processes, not just community level responses, from comparative phylogeographic study.

1 - University of Michigan, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 2089 Museums Building, 1109 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
2 - University of Michigan, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 2085 Museums Building, 1109 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

Keywords:
comparative phylogeography
Cyperaceae
SNPs
Last Glacial Maximum.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 22
Location: Rapids/Grove
Date: Tuesday, July 29th, 2014
Time: 9:00 AM
Number: 22001
Abstract ID:142
Candidate for Awards:Margaret Menzel Award