Soldanella (Primulaceae) is a small genus of orophytes represented in the southern Apennines (Italy) by three metapopulations on some of the highest peaks of the area (Gelbison, Sila and Aspromonte massifs). Their disjointed and fragmented distribution poses intriguing questions about their phylogeny, evolutionary ecology and biogeography, here investigated through a comparative approach based on the study of molecular, morphological and ecological characteristics of 8, 5 and 2 populations on the Gelbison, Sila and Aspromonte massifs, respectively. Specifically, their phylogeny, based on nuclear (total ITS) and plastid (rbcL and trnL) markers, was derived using maximum likelihood and Bayesian techniques, their glandular hair and leaf morphometry was analysed, and their environment was characterised for altitude, forest canopy composition and soil pH, C, N and organic matter. The availability of ITS sequences for the almost entirety of Soldanella species allowed also to delineate the evolution of the genus in Europe, with a special focus on the early diversification events and on the evolution of the southern Apennines populations. According to our multispecies coalescent model, the Soldanella lineage of southern Italy diverged from the Carpathians one during the early diversification of the genus in the Middle Pleistocene, and underwent an evolutionary radiation during the Late Pleistocene. The populations of the Sila and Aspromonte massifs diverged from those of the Gelbison massif around 380000 years ago, likely through vicariance, with shifts in morphology and ecological niche, and are probably undergoing a differentiation due to their isolation. The unique molecular, morphological and ecological traits of the metapopulation of Soldanella on the Gelbison massif clearly demonstrate its belonging to a new taxonomic unit at the species level, which we named Soldanella sacra A. & L. Bellino from the name of the massif on which it was discovered, the “Holy Mountain”.

The evolutionary ecology of Soldanella (Primulaceae) in the southern Apennines (Italy)

BELLINO, ALESSANDRO;BALDANTONI, Daniela;
2017-01-01

Abstract

Soldanella (Primulaceae) is a small genus of orophytes represented in the southern Apennines (Italy) by three metapopulations on some of the highest peaks of the area (Gelbison, Sila and Aspromonte massifs). Their disjointed and fragmented distribution poses intriguing questions about their phylogeny, evolutionary ecology and biogeography, here investigated through a comparative approach based on the study of molecular, morphological and ecological characteristics of 8, 5 and 2 populations on the Gelbison, Sila and Aspromonte massifs, respectively. Specifically, their phylogeny, based on nuclear (total ITS) and plastid (rbcL and trnL) markers, was derived using maximum likelihood and Bayesian techniques, their glandular hair and leaf morphometry was analysed, and their environment was characterised for altitude, forest canopy composition and soil pH, C, N and organic matter. The availability of ITS sequences for the almost entirety of Soldanella species allowed also to delineate the evolution of the genus in Europe, with a special focus on the early diversification events and on the evolution of the southern Apennines populations. According to our multispecies coalescent model, the Soldanella lineage of southern Italy diverged from the Carpathians one during the early diversification of the genus in the Middle Pleistocene, and underwent an evolutionary radiation during the Late Pleistocene. The populations of the Sila and Aspromonte massifs diverged from those of the Gelbison massif around 380000 years ago, likely through vicariance, with shifts in morphology and ecological niche, and are probably undergoing a differentiation due to their isolation. The unique molecular, morphological and ecological traits of the metapopulation of Soldanella on the Gelbison massif clearly demonstrate its belonging to a new taxonomic unit at the species level, which we named Soldanella sacra A. & L. Bellino from the name of the massif on which it was discovered, the “Holy Mountain”.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11386/4695079
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