Abstract Detail

Biogeography

Brindley, Josh [1], Roalson, Eric [2].

Comparitive phylogeography of Baja California Eucnide (Loasaceae) using RAD_Seq.

Eucnide (Loasaceae) is a small genus of flowering plants with four species, E. tenella, E. rupestris, E. aurea, and E. cordata, inhabiting the Baja Peninsula. Three species, E. tenella, E. rupestris, and E. aurea comprise the monophyletic section Sympetaleia, and together occupy the entire Baja Peninsula. E. cordata has a range encompassing the entire Baja Peninsula as well as a substantial area of coastal Sonora but is nested in a clade of species restricted to the Sonoran Desert. The Baja Peninsula, while geologically young, has been subject to dramatic geological changes since the formation of it began ~12 million years ago. Phylogeographic studies have identified three major vicariance events to have played a role is shaping the distribution of many organisms of the Baja Peninsula. These proposed vicariance events -the formation of the Sea of Cortez, an Isthmus of La Paz seaway, and a putative mid-peninsular seaway- have been shown to effect the distribution of genetic diversity in mammals, reptiles, birds, arachnids, insects, and plants. Using RAD-Seq data, generated sampling E. cordata and Eucnide section Sympetaleia, this study; 1) Tested for the effects of a suit of vicariance hypotheses: the formation of the Sea of Cortez, the Isthmus of La Paz seaway hypothesis, and the putative mid-peninsular seaway hypothesis, 2) Tested for signatures of range expansion, with populations originating on the Baja Peninsula and migrating to Sonora, or vice versa, and 3) Looked for evidence of any Baja Peninsula glacial refugia and the potential effects of climate cycling associated with the last glacial maxima on the current distribution of the species under investigation. This system allows a unique chance to use comparative phylogeographic techniques with closely related organisms to elucidate the factors driving patterns of genetic diversity on the Baja Peninsula.

1 - 605 NW Fisk St. Trlr. 45, Pullman, WA, 99163, United States
2 - Washington State University, School of Biological Sciences, Abelson Hall 339, Pullman, WA, 99163, United States

Keywords:
phylogeography
RAD-seq
Baja Peninsula
Loasaceae
Eucnide
Mexico
desert
genomics.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: BIOGIII, BIOGEOGRAPHY III
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Time: 3:15 PM(EDT)
Number: BIOGIII002
Abstract ID:974
Candidate for Awards:None