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DNA Barcoding and geographical scale effect: The problems of undersampling genetic diversity hotspots.
Álvaro Gaytán1,2, Johannes Bergsten3, Tara Canelo4
1Department of Ecology Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden.
Ecology and Evolution
|October 19, 2020
Summary
Geographic bias in DNA barcoding data, particularly low sampling in southern Europe, complicates species identification. This study highlights the General Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) model
Area of Science:
- Molecular Ecology
- Biodiversity Informatics
- Taxonomy and Systematics
Background:
- Accurate species identification using DNA barcoding relies on comprehensive intraspecific genetic divergence data.
- Existing DNA barcode databases often suffer from limited geographic coverage, especially in regions like southern Europe.
- Geographically restricted sampling can lead to misidentification when query sequences from undersampled areas exhibit high intraspecific divergence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of geographical bias in DNA barcoding data on species identification in European Quercus herbivores.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of species delimitation methods, including the General Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC), for identifying cryptic lineages in poorly inventoried regions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of DNA barcode data for European Quercus moths, focusing on geographical distribution and intraspecific genetic divergence.
- Application of the General Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) single-threshold model for species delimitation.
- Comparison of GMYC results with other methods such as ABGD and jMOTU.
Main Results:
- A significant underrepresentation of DNA barcodes from southern Europe was observed in public databases.
- Intraspecific genetic divergence increased with spatial distance, and was notably higher for samples involving southern European sites.
- The GMYC single-threshold model identified distinct clusters of Iberian haplotypes, suggesting potential cryptic species, with results comparable to ABGD and jMOTU.
Conclusions:
- Geographical sampling bias in DNA barcoding hinders accurate species delimitation, particularly for southern European fauna.
- The GMYC model is a valuable tool for species delimitation in under-surveyed regions with high genetic diversity.
- Future DNA barcoding efforts in Europe should prioritize latitudinal gradients and southern peninsulas to improve taxonomic resolution.
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