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Do ecological communities disperse across biogeographic barriers as a unit?
Jordan D Satler1,2, Bryan C Carstens1
1Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Molecular Ecology
|April 9, 2017
Summary
Ecological interdependence drives codiversification. Commensal arthropods and their host plant, Sarracenia alata, show shared responses to the Mississippi River barrier, indicating synchronized dispersal.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Biogeographic barriers are key drivers of diversification.
- Species interactions can lead to shared responses to historical events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate codiversification of commensal arthropods with their host plant across the Mississippi River.
- To determine if ecological dependence influences phylogeographic patterns.
Main Methods:
- Collected single nucleotide polymorphism data from five arthropods and the Sarracenia alata pitcher plant.
- Analyzed population genetic structure and estimated divergence times.
- Compared phylogeographic patterns between ecologically dependent and independent species.
Main Results:
- Three of five arthropods showed population genetic structures mirroring the host plant.
- The pitcher plant moth (Exyra semicrocea) and a flesh fly (Sarcophaga sarraceniae) likely dispersed synchronously across the Mississippi River with the plant.
- Dispersal patterns suggest movement from east to west.
- Less dependent species exhibited discordant phylogeographic patterns.
Conclusions:
- Ecological relationships are significant predictors of codiversification.
- Organismal traits are crucial for comparative phylogeographic studies.
- Shared responses to biogeographic barriers are influenced by species interdependence.