Phylogeography of Eupodes minutus (Acari: Prostigmata) on sub-Antarctic Marion Island reflects the impact of historical events

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Mortimer E., Jansen Van Vuuren B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: environmental impact; genetic structure; glaciation; historical ecology; mite; mitochondrial DNA; phylogeography; population structure; range expansion; refugium; Africa; Cape Town; Indian Ocean; Indian Ocean islands; Marion Island; Prince Edward Islands; South Africa; Southern Africa; Southern Ocean; Sub-Saharan Africa; Western Cape; Acari; Eupodes minutus; Prostigmata; Antarctic; Indian; Antarc*; Polar Biology; Mite
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/11633; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-006-0205-7

Marion Island, situated ∼2,300 km south-east of Cape Town, South Africa, has experienced multiple volcanic and glaciation events during its history. To better understand the impact of these events on species' genetic structure, we determined the phylogeographic population structure of the mite, Eupodes minutus. We included 57 individuals sampled from 11 localities across the island. Our analyses based on the mitochondrial COI gene suggest a population expansion as would typically be expected when species recover after being confined to refugia. Standard phi (Φ) statistics and a spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA) identified unique populations on the south-western and south-eastern sides of the island. We argue that multiple volcanic events on the southern side of Marion, in combination with glaciations, effectively isolated these populations from each other. © 2006 Springer-Verlag. Article