The European Raja clavata and the South African R. straeleni are marine skates which exhibit highly conserved morphological and ecological traits. Owing to this, taxonomic and evolutionary relationships between the two taxa have not yet fully elucidated. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that restricted gene Xow and genetic divergence between these taxa might be associated with climatic/oceanographic discontinuities by surveying genetic variation in ten geographical samples at control region (CR) and ampliWed fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci. The clustering of CR haplotypes in two reciprocally monophyletic clades consistent with taxon zoogeography and the signiWcant AFLP F values between the European and South African populations indicated the two taxa as recently diverged peripatric sibling species. Within each species, signiWcant spatial genetic heterogeneity among samples at both markers revealed population structuring. We argued that structured populations and isolated sibling species might represent two stages of geographical speciation.
P. Pasolini, C. Ragazzini, Z. Zaccaro, A. Cariani, G. Ferrara, E. G. Gonzalez, et al. (2011). Quaternary geographical sibling speciation and population structuring in the Eastern Atlantic skates (suborder Rajoidea) Raja clavata and R. straeleni. MARINE BIOLOGY, 158(10), 2173-2186 [10.1007/s00227-011-1722-7].
Quaternary geographical sibling speciation and population structuring in the Eastern Atlantic skates (suborder Rajoidea) Raja clavata and R. straeleni
PASOLINI, PAOLA;ZACCARO, ZELIA;CARIANI, ALESSIA;FERRARA, GIORGIA;LANDI, MONICA;MILANO, ILARIA;STAGIONI, MARCO;GUARNIERO, ILARIA;TINTI, FAUSTO
2011
Abstract
The European Raja clavata and the South African R. straeleni are marine skates which exhibit highly conserved morphological and ecological traits. Owing to this, taxonomic and evolutionary relationships between the two taxa have not yet fully elucidated. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that restricted gene Xow and genetic divergence between these taxa might be associated with climatic/oceanographic discontinuities by surveying genetic variation in ten geographical samples at control region (CR) and ampliWed fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci. The clustering of CR haplotypes in two reciprocally monophyletic clades consistent with taxon zoogeography and the signiWcant AFLP F values between the European and South African populations indicated the two taxa as recently diverged peripatric sibling species. Within each species, signiWcant spatial genetic heterogeneity among samples at both markers revealed population structuring. We argued that structured populations and isolated sibling species might represent two stages of geographical speciation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.