Original Article
The Southwestern Indian Ocean as a potential marine evolutionary hotspot: perspectives from comparative phylogeography of reef brittle-stars
Thierry B. Hoareau,
Emilie Boissin,
Gustav Paulay,
J. Henrich Bruggemann,
Corresponding Author
Thierry B. Hoareau
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Programme, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Université de La Réunion, Laboratoire ECOMAR – FRE CNRS 3560, Labex CORAIL, CS 92003, 97744 Saint-Denis, La Réunion, France
Correspondence: Thierry B. Hoareau, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa.
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorEmilie Boissin
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Programme, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
USR3278-CRIOBE-CNRS-EPHE, Laboratoire d'excellence ‘CORAIL’, Université de Perpignan-CBETM, 66860 Perpignan Cedex, France
Search for more papers by this authorGustav Paulay
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800 USA
Search for more papers by this authorJ. Henrich Bruggemann
Université de La Réunion, Laboratoire ECOMAR – FRE CNRS 3560, Labex CORAIL, CS 92003, 97744 Saint-Denis, La Réunion, France
Search for more papers by this authorThierry B. Hoareau,
Emilie Boissin,
Gustav Paulay,
J. Henrich Bruggemann,
Corresponding Author
Thierry B. Hoareau
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Programme, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Université de La Réunion, Laboratoire ECOMAR – FRE CNRS 3560, Labex CORAIL, CS 92003, 97744 Saint-Denis, La Réunion, France
Correspondence: Thierry B. Hoareau, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa.
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorEmilie Boissin
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Programme, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
USR3278-CRIOBE-CNRS-EPHE, Laboratoire d'excellence ‘CORAIL’, Université de Perpignan-CBETM, 66860 Perpignan Cedex, France
Search for more papers by this authorGustav Paulay
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800 USA
Search for more papers by this authorJ. Henrich Bruggemann
Université de La Réunion, Laboratoire ECOMAR – FRE CNRS 3560, Labex CORAIL, CS 92003, 97744 Saint-Denis, La Réunion, France
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Aim
The global biodiversity crisis requires the identification of regions with high evolutionary potential, i.e. evolutionary hotspots (evospots). We created an analytical framework based on comparative phylogeography and coalescent methods to assess the dynamics of diversification and population persistence in the reef ecosystem of a little-studied region: the Southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO).
Location
Coral reefs of the SWIO, with comparative data from the Pacific Ocean.
Methods
We generated sequences of mitochondrial DNA (COI and 16S) for 10 widespread brittle-stars (345 specimens) from 21 localities (8 in the SWIO). We analysed them by combining comparative phylogeography approaches, coalescent-based methods, molecular clocks and the concept of evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) to draw conclusions about the drivers of biodiversity in the region.
Results
Cryptic diversity was prevalent, increasing lineage diversity within the 10 nominal species by 70% within the SWIO and by 200% across the Indo-West Pacific. All seven new SWIO lineages meet the criteria for ESUs and at least six are biological species. We detected likely intraregional diversifications dating to the Plio-Pleistocene, supporting the SWIO as a generator of biodiversity. Geographical restriction of ESUs, long coalescent times (> 80 ka) and old in situ diversification (> 1 Ma) point to the persistence of populations over multiple glacio-eustatic cycles. We provide data suggesting demographic expansion during sea-level high stands. Regional connectivity was lower, and cryptic differentiation higher in lecithotrophs than in planktotrophs.
Main conclusions
The analytical framework based on a biodiversity survey makes it possible to identify evospots by assessing the potential of a region to maintain and generate biodiversity and by evaluating the evolutionary processes and potential drivers at play.
Supporting Information
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| jbi12155-sup-0001-AppendixS1.docxWord document, 74.8 KB | Appendix S1 Characteristics of the specimens used in the analyses including the nominal species name, ESU, haplotype, collection location, and GenBank IDs for both COI and 16S sequences. |
| jbi12155-sup-0002-AppendixS2.docxWord document, 27.4 KB | Appendix S2 Summary statistics and demographic parameters of reef brittle-stars nominal species in the Southwestern Indian Ocean. |
| jbi12155-sup-0003-AppendixS3.docxWord document, 362.6 KB | Appendix S3 Mismatch distributions for the eight species/ESUs displaying departure from mutation-drift equilibrium (Appendix S2). |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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