Abstract
The modern-day distribution of freshwater fishes throughout multiple rivers is likely the result of past migration during times when currently separate drainages were once connected. Here, we used mitochondrial and microsatellite analyses for 248 individuals of Rhodeus notatus collected from seven different rivers to obtain better understand historical gene flow of freshwater fish on the Korean Peninsula. Based on our phylogenetic analyses, this Korean species originated through the paleo-Yellow River from China and first colonized near the west coast. These genetic data also provided evidence of estuary coalescences among the rivers flowing to the west and southwest coast on well-developed continental shelf. In addition, the pattern of population structure revealed the biogeodispersal route from the west coast to the south coast. It could be inferred that massive migration was not involved in the formation of southern populations, since the signature of historical genetic drift was clearly observed. Our study is the first genetic attempt to confirm hypotheses describing the migration of freshwater species towards the end of East Asia, which have previously been developed using only geological reasoning.
Highlights
The modern-day distribution of freshwater fishes throughout multiple rivers is likely the result of past migration during times when currently separate drainages were once connected
Six mitochondrial and eight microsatellite loci were analyzed to estimate the level of intrapopulation genetic diversity, genetic structure among all major populations found on the Korean Peninsula and phylogenetic placement of R. notatus (Fig. 1)
The results of these analyses were used to test four specific hypotheses about the geological and biogeographical history of freshwater ecosystem formation on the Korean Peninsula: i) R. notatus on the Korean Peninsula has originated from the paleo-Yellow River system, ii) the populations located in the rivers flowing into the west coast have genetic and phylogenetic signatures of estuary coalescence, iii) the populations of rivers flowing into the south coast where the continental shelf is not well-developed have signatures of history isolated from the western populations, and iv) the populations of the rivers flowing to the south coast, which probably formed through small-scale migration, have signatures of historical genetic drift
Summary
The modern-day distribution of freshwater fishes throughout multiple rivers is likely the result of past migration during times when currently separate drainages were once connected. Six mitochondrial and eight microsatellite loci were analyzed to estimate the level of intrapopulation genetic diversity, genetic structure among all major populations found on the Korean Peninsula and phylogenetic placement of R. notatus (Fig. 1) The results of these analyses were used to test four specific hypotheses about the geological and biogeographical history of freshwater ecosystem formation on the Korean Peninsula: i) R. notatus on the Korean Peninsula has originated from the paleo-Yellow River system, ii) the populations located in the rivers flowing into the west coast have genetic and phylogenetic signatures of estuary coalescence, iii) the populations of rivers flowing into the south coast where the continental shelf is not well-developed have signatures of history isolated from the western populations, and iv) the populations of the rivers flowing to the south coast, which probably formed through small-scale migration, have signatures of historical genetic drift
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