Phylogeography, evolutionary history and effects of glaciations in a species (Zootoca vivipara) inhabiting multiple biogeographic regions

• Published in: Journal of Biogeography
• Main Authors: Horreo, Jose L., Pelaez, Maria L., Suarez, Teresa, Breedveld, Merel Cathelijne, Heulin, Benoit, Surget-Groba, Yann, Oksanen, Tuula A., Fitze, Patrick S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: ddc:570; Institut für Biochemie und Biologie; permafrost
• Online Access: https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/opus4-ubp/frontdoor/index/index/docId/52614; https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13349

Location Eurasia. Methods We generated the largest molecular dataset to date of Z. vivipara, ran phylogenetic analyses, reconstructed its evolutionary history, determined the location of glacial refuges and reconstructed ancestral biogeographic regions. Results The phylogenetic analyses revealed a complex evolutionary history, driven by expansions and contractions of the distribution due to glacials and interglacials, and the colonization of new biogeographic regions by all lineages of Z. vivipara. Many glacial refugia were detected, most were located close to the southern limit of the Last Glacial Maximum. Two subclades recolonized large areas covered by permafrost during the last glaciation: namely, Western and Northern Europe and North-Eastern Europe and Asia.