Iberian Lineage Research Articles

Genetic characterization of domestic pigs in the core zone of swine production of Argentina.

Argentina is a small player in the global pork market, contributing only 0.7% of the total production. With increasing global demand for meat, there is an opportunity for countries with an agricultural profile to grow their pork production. However, there is a need to understand the current state of the pork production sector in all aspects to inform decision-making. The aim of this study was to genetically characterize pig herds from different production strata in the primary region for pork production in the country. For this purpose, phylogenetic and genetic variability analyses were performed using the mitochondrial control region marker (n=95 pig samples). Moreover, genotyping of ryr1 and PRKAG3 genes (n=108 pig samples) were performed to evaluate the frequency of deleterious alleles for meat quality traits in the region. The results showed high levels of genetic variability in the pig herds (Hd= 0.840 ± 0.031 and π= 0.010 ± 0.001), with a creole sow and Iberian lineage standing out in the phylogeny. The genotyping of the ryr1 marker revealed the presence of the deleterious t allele in all analyzed strata. However, the RN-allele of the PRKAG3 gene was detected only in the two lower strata. This study represents the first analysis of the phylogenetic relationships among domestic pigs from Argentina and provides an initial assessment of genetic variability in the region. Additionally, the results present, for the first time, the frequency of deleterious alleles for pig production in the productive core area, demonstrating their prevalence.

Geographical Structuring of Quercus robur (L.) Chloroplast DNA Haplotypes in Lithuania: Recolonization, Adaptation, or Overexploitation Effects?

We studied the maternally inherited chloroplast DNA polymorphism at three microsatellite loci of 157 Quercus robur trees from 38 native populations in Lithuania. We found high diversity of eight haplotypes from the Balkan lineage A (frequency 0.75) and the “German” subbranch of the Balkan lineage A (freq. 0.12), western and eastern Italian lineages C (freq. 0.05 and 0.06, respectively), and Iberian lineage B (freq. 0.03). The haplotypes were geographically well structured (among population differentiation index PhiPT = 0.30, the p-value < 0.001) that is unexpected for such a small territory as Lithuania. We raised a hypothesis on historical overexploitation of oaks by eliminating certain haplotypes in Lithuania, following a drastic felling of oak forests over the last few centuries.

Unravelling the Extent of Diversity within the Iberian Medicinal Leeches (Hirudinea: Hirudo) Using Molecules and Morphology.

Simple SummaryDuring the last decade, our understanding of the biogeography of Western-Palaearctic leeches (genus Hirudo) has begun to unravel, unveiling their diversity in practically all of Europe, except for its westernmost peninsula, Iberia. We discovered for the first time H. verbana in Spain and conducted an integrative approach (combining morphology, anatomy, ecology with genetics) to characterize the newly recorded Iberian populations. We found two endemic and geographically separated Iberian lineages of H. verbana. One of them is easily distinguished by its distinctive colour-pattern and is described as H. verbana bilineata ssp. nov. We established its phylogenetic relationships with other European Hirudo spp. and confirmed the presence of a second species in Iberia, H. troctina. The provided distribution pattern of medicinal leeches contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of the Iberian Peninsula as a glacial refugium/cradle for endemisms, sheltering species populations that began to settle throughout the Pleistocene. Finally, we highlight the urgent need for implementing conservation measures to reverse the evident decline of Iberian populations of medicinal leeches.Until the beginning of the 21st century, the famous medicinal leech was thought to be represented by only one species, Hirudo medicinalis. However, recent publications have demonstrated that under that name, at least five different species of medicinal leeches were hidden. During the last decade, the biogeography of Western-Palaearctic leeches has begun to unravel, untangling their diversity in practically all of Europe, except for its westernmost peninsula, Iberia. Hirudo medicinalis has been repeatedly reported from Iberia, but those records were considered questionable. We discovered H. verbana in northern Spain, constituting its first record in Iberia. Using an integrative approach (combining morpho-anatomical data and molecular analyses using three genes, COI,12S rRNA, and ITS2), two endemic and geographically separated Iberian lineages have been found. One of them is easily distinguished by its distinctive colour-pattern and is described as H. verbana bilineata ssp. nov. We characterized the new subspecies morphologically, ecologically, and genetically. We also established its phylogenetic relationships with other European Hirudo spp. and confirm the presence of H. troctina in Iberia, occurring as far as 43° lat. N. Iberian H. verbana records constitute its westernmost known distribution to date. The provided distribution pattern of H. verbana contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of Iberia as a glacial refugium/cradle for endemisms, harbouring populations with a high degree of genetic structure that began to settle throughout the Pleistocene. Iberian Hirudo populations are declining in recent decades and there is an urgent need to assess their conservation status and to initiate conservation measures to reverse their decline.

Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the land snail subfamily Leptaxinae (Gastropoda: Hygromiidae)

The subfamily Leptaxinae is included within the highly diverse land snail family Hygromiidae. In the absence of clear diagnostic morphological differences, the subfamily status is currently based solely on molecular information and includes three disjunctly distributed tribes, Leptaxini, Cryptosaccini and Metafruticicolini. However, the phylogenetic relationships among these tribes are not fully resolved and the clustering of some of the genera to the tribes is not statistically supported. To resolve the relationships within Leptaxinae and their position within Hygromiidae, we reconstructed their phylogeny using a multi-locus approach with two mitochondrial genes and eight nuclear markers. The phylogeny was further calibrated and an analysis of ancestral area estimation was carried out to infer the biogeographic history of the group. We elevated Metafruticicolini to subfamily level (Metafruticicolinae) and we restricted Leptaxinae to Cryptosaccini and Leptaxini. The Lusitanian genus Portugala was moved to Leptaxini, previously containing only the Macaronesian genus Leptaxis. Within Cryptosaccini, a new genus strictly confined to the Sierra de la Cabrera (Spain) is described, Fractanella gen. nov. According to our results, Leptaxinae originated in the Early Miocene in the Iberian Peninsula, from which the Macaronesian Islands were colonized. Due to the old split recovered for the divergence between Macaronesian and Iberian lineages, we hypothesize that this colonization may have occurred via the once emerged seamounts located between the archipelagos and the European and African continents, although this could also have occurred through the oldest now emerged islands of Macaronesia. In the Iberian Peninsula, the climatic shift that began during the Middle Miocene, changing progressively from subtropical climate towards the present-day Mediterranean climate, was identified as an important factor shaping the subfamily's diversification, along with Pleistocene climatic fluctuations.

Use of genetic, climatic, and microbiological data to inform reintroduction of a regionally extinct butterfly.

Species reintroductions are increasingly used as means of mitigating biodiversity loss. Besides habitat quality at the site targeted for reintroduction, the choice of source population can be critical for success. The butterfly Melanargia russiae (Esper´s marbled white) was extirpated from Hungary over 100 years ago, and a reintroduction program has recently been approved. We used museum specimens of this butterfly, mitochondrial DNA data (mtDNA), endosymbiont screening, and climatic-similarity analyses to determine which extant populations should be used for its reintroduction. The species displayed 2 main mtDNA lineages across its range: 1 restricted to Iberia and southern France (Iberian lineage) and another found throughout the rest of its range (Eurasian lineage). These 2 lineages possessed highly divergent wsp alleles of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia. The century-old Hungarian specimens represented an endemic haplotype belonging to the Eurasian lineage, differing by one mutation from the Balkan and eastern European populations. The Hungarian populations of M. russiae occurred in areas with a colder and drier climate relative to most sites with extant known populations. Our results suggest the populations used for reintroduction to Hungary should belong to the Eurasian lineage, preferably from eastern Ukraine (genetically close and living in areas with the highest climatic similarity). Materials stored in museum collections can provide unique opportunities to document historical genetic diversity and help direct conservation.

Evolution and genome specialization of Brucella suis biovar 2 Iberian lineages

BackgroundSwine brucellosis caused by B. suis biovar 2 is an emergent disease in domestic pigs in Europe. The emergence of this pathogen has been linked to the increase of extensive pig farms and the high density of infected wild boars (Sus scrofa). In Portugal and Spain, the majority of strains share specific molecular characteristics, which allowed establishing an Iberian clonal lineage. However, several strains isolated from wild boars in the North-East region of Spain are similar to strains isolated in different Central European countries.ResultsComparative analysis of five newly fully sequenced B. suis biovar 2 strains belonging to the main circulating clones in Iberian Peninsula, with publicly available Brucella spp. genomes, revealed that strains from Iberian clonal lineage share 74% similarity with those reference genomes. Besides the 210 kb translocation event present in all biovar 2 strains, an inversion with 944 kb was presented in chromosome I of strains from the Iberian clone. At left and right crossover points, the inversion disrupted a TRAP dicarboxylate transporter, DctM subunit, and an integral membrane protein TerC. The gene dctM is well conserved in Brucella spp. except in strains from the Iberian clonal lineage. Intraspecies comparative analysis also exposed a number of biovar-, haplotype- and strain-specific insertion-deletion (INDELs) events and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that could explain differences in virulence and host specificities. Most discriminative mutations were associated to membrane related molecules (29%) and enzymes involved in catabolism processes (20%). Molecular identification of both B. suis biovar 2 clonal lineages could be easily achieved using the target-PCR procedures established in this work for the evaluated INDELs.ConclusionWhole-genome analyses supports that the B. suis biovar 2 Iberian clonal lineage evolved from the Central-European lineage and suggests that the genomic specialization of this pathogen in the Iberian Peninsula is independent of a specific genomic event(s), but instead driven by allopatric speciation, resulting in the establishment of a new ecovar.

Integrative inference of population history in the Ibero-Maghrebian endemic Pleurodeles waltl (Salamandridae)

Inference of population histories from the molecular signatures of past demographic processes is challenging, but recent methodological advances in species distribution models and their integration in time-calibrated phylogeographic studies allow detailed reconstruction of complex biogeographic scenarios. We apply an integrative approach to infer the evolutionary history of the Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), an Ibero-Maghrebian endemic with populations north and south of the Strait of Gibraltar. We analyzed an extensive multilocus dataset (mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences and ten polymorphic microsatellite loci) and found a deep east-west phylogeographic break in Iberian populations dating back to the Plio-Pleistocene. This break is inferred to result from vicariance associated with the formation of the Guadalquivir river basin. In contrast with previous studies, North African populations showed exclusive mtDNA haplotypes, and formed a monophyletic clade within the Eastern Iberian lineage in the mtDNA genealogy. On the other hand, microsatellites failed to recover Moroccan populations as a differentiated genetic cluster. This is interpreted to result from post-divergence gene flow based on the results of IMA2 and Migrate analyses. Thus, Moroccan populations would have originated after overseas dispersal from the Iberian Peninsula in the Pleistocene, with subsequent gene flow in more recent times, implying at least two trans-marine dispersal events. We modeled the distribution of the species and of each lineage, and projected these models back in time to infer climatically favourable areas during the mid-Holocene, the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the last interglacial (LIG), to reconstruct more recent population dynamics. We found minor differences in climatic favourability across lineages, suggesting intraspecific niche conservatism. Genetic diversity was significantly correlated with the intersection of environmental favourability in the LIG and LGM, indicating that populations of P. waltl are genetically more diverse in regions that have remained environmentally favourable through the last glacial cycle, particularly southern Iberia and northern Morocco. This study provides novel insights into the relative roles of geology and climate on the biogeography of a biodiversity hotspot.

Whole-genome mapping reveals a large chromosomal inversion on Iberian Brucella suis biovar 2 strains

Optical mapping is a technology able to quickly generate high resolution ordered whole-genome restriction maps of bacteria, being a proven approach to search for diversity among bacterial isolates. In this work, optical whole-genome maps were used to compare closely-related Brucella suis biovar 2 strains. This biovar is the unique isolated in domestic pigs and wild boars in Portugal and Spain and most of the strains share specific molecular characteristics establishing an Iberian clonal lineage that can be differentiated from another lineage mainly isolated in several Central European countries. We performed the BamHI whole-genome optical maps of five B. suis biovar 2 field strains, isolated from wild boars in Portugal and Spain (three from the Iberian lineage and two from the Central European one) as well as of the reference strain B. suis biovar 2 ATCC 23445 (Central European lineage, Denmark). Each strain showed a distinct, highly individual configuration of 228–231 BamHI fragments. Nevertheless, a low divergence was globally observed in chromosome II (1.6%) relatively to chromosome I (2.4%). Optical mapping also disclosed genomic events associated with B. suis strains in chromosome I, namely one indel (3.5kb) and one large inversion (944kb). By using targeted-PCR in a set of 176 B. suis strains, including all biovars and haplotypes, the indel was found to be specific of the reference strain ATCC 23445 and the large inversion was shown to be an exclusive genomic marker of the Iberian clonal lineage of biovar 2.

Iberian red deer: paraphyletic nature at mtDNA but nuclear markers support its genetic identity.

Red deer populations in the Iberian glacial refugium were the main source for postglacial recolonization and subspecific radiation in north-western Europe. However, the phylogenetic history of Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) and its relationships with northern European populations remain uncertain. Here, we study DNA sequences at the mitochondrial control region along with STR markers for over 680 specimens from all the main red deer populations in Spain and other west European areas. Our results from mitochondrial and genomic DNA show contrasting patterns, likely related to the nature of these types of DNA markers and their specific processes of change over time. The results, taken together, bring support to two distinct, cryptic maternal lineages for Iberian red deer that predated the last glacial maximum and that have maintained geographically well differentiated until present. Haplotype relationships show that only one of them contributed to the northern postglacial recolonization. However, allele frequencies of nuclear markers evidenced one main differentiation between Iberian and northern European subspecies although also supported the structure of both matrilines within Iberia. Thus, our findings reveal a paraphyletic nature for Iberian red deer but also its genetic identity and differentiation with respect to northern subspecies. Finally, we suggest that maintaining the singularity of Iberian red deer requires preventing not only restocking practices with red deer specimens belonging to other European populations but also translocations between both Iberian lineages.

Ecophysiology Tracks Phylogeny and Meets Ecological Models in an Iberian Gecko

Because fitness of ectotherms, including reptiles, is highly dependent on temperature and water availability, the study of ecophysiological traits, such as preferred temperature (T p) and water loss rates (WLRs), may provide mechanistic evidence on the restricting factors to the species ranges. The Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica, is a species complex with a circum-Mediterranean distribution. In the Iberian Peninsula, two sister parapatric forms of the complex, known as the Iberian and the European clades, are found. Ecological models previously performed using presence records and bioclimatic variables suggest niche divergence between both lineages correlated with precipitation rather than with temperature. In this study, we test this correlative hypothesis using ecophysiological evidence. In the laboratory, we analyzed the T p and WLRs for 84 adult males from seven distinct populations ascribed to one of the two lineages present in Iberia. Specifically, we evaluated the existence of trait conservatism versus adaptation among populations, lineages, or both. In addition, we tested for a trade-off between water and thermal traits and assessed whether climate regime of sampling localities had any influence on the ecophysiological patterns found. We found that T p is quite conserved at both the population and lineage levels and independent from body size. In contrast, water loss experiments revealed some variation among populations, but the regression analysis failed to detect correlation between T p and WLR at any level. Overall, the European lineage displayed a trend for higher water loss and was more diverse among populations when compared with the Iberian lineage. The lack of correspondence between ecophysiological traits and local climatic conditions favors phylogenetic signal versus adaptation. This suggests divergent evolutionary responses to the environment, mainly acting on water ecology, in both lineages, which may account for the differences in their range expansion.

Late Miocene origin of an Ibero‐Maghrebian clade of ground beetles with multiple colonizations of the subterranean environment

AbstractAimTo test different biogeographical scenarios for the evolution of the ground beetles of the Trechus fulvus group, a lineage with many narrowly distributed flightless subterranean species, highly suitable for tracing their biogeographical history.LocationThe Western Palaearctic, focusing on the Betic–Rifean area between south‐east Iberia and north Morocco.MethodsWe sequenced 3.3 kb of four mitochondrial and two nuclear genes of 30 individuals of 15 species of the T. fulvus group, plus 29 outgroups. We reconstructed their phylogeny and estimated divergence times using Bayesian probabilities and a priori evolutionary rates, and their ancestral distribution using maximum likelihood.ResultsThe phylogenetic reconstruction uncovered multiple independent colonizations of the subterranean environment within the T. fulvus group, a scenario also supported by variation in troglomorphic characters. Most of the Moroccan and south‐east Iberian species form a clade with strong geographical structure, including the former genus Antoinella. The biogeographical model best fitting the current distribution and phylogeny of the group was a late Miocene palaeogeographical scenario with isolated populations on the Betic and Rifean areas and a south‐eastern Iberian origin of the north Moroccan species. The widespread T. fulvus was sister to a central Moroccan species, suggesting a second Iberian–North African vicariance event within the group. One of the species, T. lallemantii, expanded its range to the east (Algeria and Tunisia) and the north (extreme south of the Iberian Peninsula) during the Pleistocene.Main conclusionsThe T. fulvus group originated in the early Miocene, and the south‐eastern Iberian lineage in the Tortonian. The lineage dispersed to Morocco during the Messinian, diversifying in rapid succession in the Atlas and the Rif and colonizing the subterranean environment multiple times. The geography of the Betic–Rifean region at the end of the Miocene can still be traced from the distribution of the extant species of the group.

Morphology matches mtDNA lineages in the southern smooth snake (Coronella girondica) from Iberia

The rise of molecular techniques in the study of evolutionary histories has resulted in a gradual abandonment of morphological characters as the only sources of phylogenetic inference. However, morphological characters may be valuable for phylogenetic reconstruction, especially for tracking adaptive changes across phylogeographic groups defined by genetic markers. We examined the discriminative power of morphological characters between four mitochondrial clades covering almost the entire distribution area of the smooth snake Coronella girondica in the Western Mediterranean. We detected three characters showing sexual dimorphism (relative tail length, number of ventral and of subcaudal scale counts) and, more interestingly, two characters (number of subcaudal and of dorsal rows) displaying interclade differences. Almost all C. girondica examined had 21 dorsal rows except those from a narrow coastal belt in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula, which had 19 dorsal rows. The distribution of these specimens matches a mitochondrial clade that originated approximately 1.4–2.0 million years ago. Both of these morphological characters support a Betic lineage with a rather well-defined contact zone with the other Iberian lineage, which has been maintained even without the existence of current geographic barriers. The long-term survival of the Betic lineage throughout the Pleistocene climatic oscillations suggests a systematic revision within C. girondica.

Phylogeny, molecular ecology and taxonomy of southern Iberian lineages of Triops mauritanicus (Crustacea: Notostraca)

We investigated the phylogeography of the main lineages in the tadpole shrimp Triops mauritanicus Ghigi in the south-western Iberian Peninsula, using mitochondrial 12S and 16S rDNA sequences. Our results indicate that a fourth, hitherto unknown main phylogenetic lineage occurs in Iberia, so that in total, the species is divided into six distinct clades, comprising T. m. mauritanicus, T. m. simplex Ghigi, and four as yet unnamed lineages that appear to be endemic to Iberia. Percentages of sequence divergence among the main clades in T. mauritanicus reach the range reported for recognized species in other notostracan lineages. A thorough morphological investigation also revealed that the differentiation among these lineages is higher than previously thought, and that populations of three of the main clades within T. mauritanicus can be reliably separated from each other and from the remaining lineages based on the morphology of adult males. The remaining clades also show a significant level of morphological differentiation, but include a certain proportion of populations for which the additional application of molecular methods is needed for a reliable determination. The geographic distributions of 12S haplotypes are indicative of frequent dispersal events and gene flow among populations belonging to the same main lineage, but give no evidence of recent migration events among different main lineages, suggesting that there is no gene flow among the latter. Our data thus suggest that the six main lineages within T. mauritanicus represent distinct species. We therefore describe the Iberian lineages as T. baeticus Korn n. sp., T. emeritensis Korn & Pérez-Bote n. sp., T. gadensis Korn & García-de-Lomas n. sp., and T. vicentinus Korn, Machado, Cristo & Cancela da Fonseca n. sp., and reinstate T. simplex Ghigi to full species status. Our data confirm the general, previously recognized pattern of a lower dispersal probability in gonochoric Triops taxa. However, we found evidence that passive dispersal in Triops may be further complicated by a strong habitat dependence of dispersal probability, mediated by prevailing dispersal vectors.

The role of topography in structuring the demographic history of the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)

AbstractAim We investigated the Quaternary history of the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa, an oligophagous insect currently expanding its range. We tested the potential role played by mountain ranges during the post‐glacial recolonization of western Europe.Location Western Europe, with a focus on the Pyrenees, Massif Central and western Alps.Methods Maternal genetic structure was investigated using a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. We analysed 412 individuals from 61 locations and performed maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony phylogenetic analyses and hierarchical analysis of molecular variance, and we investigated signs of past expansion.Results A strong phylogeographic pattern was found, with two deeply divergent clades. Surprisingly, these clades were not separated by the Pyrenees but rather were distributed from western to central Iberia and from eastern Iberia to the Italian Peninsula, respectively. This latter group consisted of three shallowly divergent lineages that exhibited strong geographic structure and independent population expansions. The three identified lineages occurred: (1) on both sides of the Pyrenean range, with more genetically diverse populations in the east, (2) from eastern Iberia to western France, with a higher genetic diversity in the south, and (3) from the western Massif Central to Italy. Admixture areas were found at the foot of the Pyrenees and Massif Central.Main conclusions The identified genetic lineages were geographically structured, but surprisingly the unsuitable high‐elevation areas of the main mountainous ranges were not responsible for the spatial separation of genetic groups. Rather than acting as barriers to dispersal, mountains appear to have served as refugia during the Pleistocene glaciations, and current distributions largely reflect expansion from these bottlenecked refugial populations. The western and central Iberian clade did not contribute to the northward post‐glacial recolonization of Europe, yet its northern limit does not correspond to the Pyrenees. The different contributions of the identified refugia to post‐glacial expansion might be explained by differences in host plant species richness. For example, the Pyrenean lineage could have been trapped elevationally by tracking montane pines, while the eastern Iberian lineage could have expanded latitudinally by tracking thermophilic lowland pine species.

Jews in the Early Modern World (review)

Jews in Early Modern by Dean Phillip Bell. Lanham: Rowman OC Littlefield Publishers, 2008. 301 pp. $79.00 (c); $29.95 (p). Dean Phillip Bell's book is an overview of of Jews in early modern period, defined, somewhat arbitrarily, as 1400-1700. The book consists of five thematic chapters, plus an introduction and conclusions. The long bibliography and a section of Suggested Readings should be very helpful for students and teachers. Chapter One discusses medieval period, attempting to paint background for what is to follow in Chapters Two through Five, which cover Settlement and Demography, Community and Social Life, Identity: Religion and Culture, and with Other. The aurhor took upon himself a very difficult task: to write a book that would provide a broad overview of of Jews from Middle Ages through end of seventeenth century; and, as with any such broad studies, limited space has forced him to make hard choices of what to include or exclude. One of most valuable aspects of book is its expansion of geographic perspective to include a discussion of Jewish communities in places beyond Europe and Ottoman Empire, such as the New World, as well as India and China. The chapter on Settlement and Demography is useful in giving an overview of trends in early modern period. But extensive use of numbers, derived from Encyclopedia Judaica, a source used extensively in book, is most problematic. Although author acknowledges that demographic information is nororiously difficult to secure for premodern history (p. 35), book nonetheless provides authoritative-looking tables with population numbers for periods as remote as 1300s. The chapter also unnecessarily simplifies division of Jewish population into Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews (pp. 35-36). While such division has been common, scholars are now more sensitive to communities that existed independently of Germanic (Ashkenazic) or Iberian (Sephardic) lineage, including Italian, Iraqi, or Persian Jews. The chapter on Settlement and Demography overlaps with chapter on Relations with Other. The latter outlines legal status of Jews. Demographic patterns are obviously related to Jews' legal status, and it would have been useful to have two discussed together, rather than placing two in separate chapters far removed from each other. Although complexity is perhaps most frequently used word in book, book actually shies away from it. The chapter on Community and Social Life tends to focus on internal community developments, without linking them with non-Jewish world. There is no question that internal community needs were crucial for maintenance of a communal structure (courts, synagogues, mikvaot etc), yet recent scholarship, especially on Italy and Poland (e.g. Teller, Cooperman, Siegmund), has raised questions about extent of Jewish autonomy, signaling that even creation of certain bodies of what appears to be autonomous communal governance was often a result of political and economic policies of non-Jewish governments. The chapter Community and Social Life, about communal structures, focuses on male Jewish functions (rabbis, parnasim, courts, etc.); same is true of chapter onIdentity: Religion and Culture. Although author rightfully says that women were integral members of Jewish community and family (p. …

Strait of Gibraltar: an effective gene‐flow barrier for wind‐pollinated Carex helodes (Cyperaceae) as revealed by DNA sequences, AFLP, and cytogenetic variation

The Strait of Gibraltar is the most important barrier disconnecting the landmasses of Europe and Africa on the western Mediterranean extreme. Carex helodes is a wind-pollinated species endemic to the western Mediterranean. Because molecular and cytogenetic data allow the inference of its evolutionary history, we analyzed variations in chromosome number, including meiotic chromosome behavior, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints, and nucleotide substitutions in plastid and nuclear DNA sequences. Cytogeographic results showed that the African populations have stabilized at a single chromosome number of 2n = 74, whereas the most frequent cytotype in Iberia is 2n = 72. Phylogenetic reconstructions of 17 sequences from nine closely related species revealed that C. helodes is monophyletic and that the Moroccan populations are embedded in the Iberian lineages. The haplotype network is also consistent with a European origin of the northern African haplotype. AFLP analysis also revealed hierarchical levels of genetic variation compatible with a founder effect process responsible for the African populations. All sources of evidence support the hypothesis that the Strait of Gibraltar has been an effective gene-flow barrier, generating two isolated evolutionary lineages after their dispersal. Recent connections between the two lineages appear unlikely, whereas active gene flow occurs among populations within the two lineages.

Genetic diversity in the gecko Tarentola mauritanica within the Iberian Peninsula

AbstractThe Mediterranean gecko Tarentola mauritanica is one of the most abundant reptile species in the western Mediterranean Basin. We use mitochondrial DNA sequences, 12sRNA and 16sRNA, to analyse the patterns of distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. The results show three well defined lineages. The first one, already known to be widespread throughout Europe, is distributed along the eastern coast and southern areas of the Iberian Peninsula. The second one, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, is widely found in central regions; and the third lineage, found so far only in two southern localities is unrelated to the other Iberian lineages, but rather to a Northern Moroccan clade. The genetic variability found within the Iberian haplogroup and the existence of a single haplotype within the European lineage suggests a complex pattern of rapid radiations and anthropogenic introductions. The third clade seems to be the result of a natural colonization from North Africa. All the data indicate that T. mauritanica is a species complex. The Iberian Peninsula, due to its geological complex history, appears to be both a hotspot and a melting pot of biodiversity, with several studies of diverse herpetofauna indicating that cryptic species occur there. More studies of additional species will be needed to develop a comparative phylogeographic framework for the region.

How far to the east was the migration of white oaks from the Iberian refugium?

The goal of this study was to investigate the postglacial recolonization pathways of the white oaks Quercus robur and Quercus petrea in Poland, and especially to evaluate the impact of Iberian refugium in this part of Europe. Chloroplast DNA polymorphism of 310 individuals older than 200 years was analyzed. Six haplotypes in total were found to differentiate three maternal lineages: the Balkan (haplotypes 4, 5, and 7), the Apennine (haplotypes 1 and 2), and the Iberian (haplotype 12). The most abundant were members of the Balkan (71.5% of all samples) and the Apennine lineage (23.1%), and only 5.4% of individuals were of Iberian origin. The geographic distribution of the three lineages is clearly structured. The northernmost territories of Poland are occupied by Apennine (haplotype 1) and Iberian (haplotype 12) lineages, whereas samples in central and southern Poland represents the Balkan lineage. The population structure might be the result of competitive colonization among lineages after migration from different refugia. It is likely that colonization of northernmost parts of Poland by the Balkan lineage was halted or at least hampered due to the arrival of the Apennine populations. The most significant result of this study concerns the presence and status of the Iberian lineage in Poland, which is most likely of natural origin.

The fourth paradigm pattern of post‐glacial range expansion of European terrestrial species: the phylogeography of the Marbled White butterfly (Satyrinae, Lepidoptera)

AbstractAim Three paradigm patterns of post‐glacial dispersal are known for terrestrial species in Europe. However, the possibility of a fourth arises with the Italian and the Balkan lineages expanding to central Europe and the Iberian one being trapped by the Pyrenees. We test this hypothesis by analysing the molecular biogeography of the Marbled White butterfly.Location Twelve populations distributed over a major part of the European range of Melanargia galathea and M. lachesis.Methods We studied 18 allozyme loci of 403 individuals from 12 populations. Butterflies were sampled in the field, frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored under these conditions until analysis. We used cellulose acetate plates for allozyme electrophoresis.Results We detected three major genetic lineages within the M. galathea/lachesis complex. The M. lachesis sample from the southern Pyrenees was strongly genetically differentiated from M. galathea (FCT: 0.312). Melanargia galathea splits into two major genetic lineages (FCT: 0.115), which both were found in post‐glacially invaded regions. The further differentiation within these lineages was comparably low (FSC: 0.028). The genetic diversity within populations was high compared with other butterfly species.Main conclusions Our findings support the existence of a fourth pattern with only the Iberian lineage not contributing considerably to the post‐glacial colonization of central Europe. Preliminary studies in other butterfly species of dry grasslands support the importance of this pattern possibly representing a fourth paradigm. The high genetic diversity within populations might be one reason for the recently observed expansions at the northern distribution limits.

Testing freshwater Lago Mare dispersal theory on the phylogeny relationships of iberian cyprinid genera <i>Chondrostoma</i> and <i>Squalius</i> (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae)

A phylogeny of the species in the genera Chondrostoma and Squalius was constructed based on the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1140pb). The molecular phylogeny was used to test the effect of the Mediterranean Lago Mare dispersal theory on the processes of divergence and speciation of European freshwater fishes. Phylogenetic relationships among Squalius samples and the molecular clock revealed that the ancestor of the current Iberian Squalius species inhabited a wide geographic area in the central and southwestern part of the former Iberian Peninsula during the Miocene before the Lago Mare phase. Similarly, the four main Iberian lineages of the genus Chondrostoma originated in the Middle-Upper Miocene. Hence, the Lago Mare phase of the Mediterranean Sea seems to have been a too recent paleogeographic event to have had any major impact on the dispersion of Squalius and Chondrostoma species. However, the reduction of the water-bodies during the Tortonian and Messinian may have intensified the isolation of populations. The Operational Biogeographic Units recovered from the Squalius and Chondrostoma phylogenies also reject the Lago Mare dispersal theory and support the idea that the differentiation processes were due to both the formation of the current hydrographical basin during the Plio-Pleistocene as well as to an earlier endorrheism event that occurred prior to hydrographical configuration.