Authors: FLANDERS, JON¹; JONES, GARETH¹; BENDA, PETR²; DIETZ, CHRISTIAN³; ZHANG, SHUYI⁴; LI, GANG⁴; SHARIFI, MOZAFAR⁵; ROSSITER, STEPHEN J.⁶

Source: Molecular Ecology, Volume 18, Number 2, January 2009 , pp. 306-318(13)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

Phylogeographical studies are typically based on haplotype data, occasionally on nuclear markers such as microsatellites, but rarely combine both. This is unfortunate because the use of markers with contrasting modes of inheritance and rates of evolution might provide a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of a species' history. Here we present a detailed study of the phylogeography of the greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, using 1098 bp of the mitochondrial ND2 gene from 45 localities from across its Palaearctic range to infer population history. In addition, we re-analysed a large microsatellite data set available for this species and compared the results of both markers to infer population relationships and the historical processes influencing them. We show that mtDNA, the most popular marker in phylogeography studies, yielded a misleading result, and would have led us to conclude erroneously that a single expansion had taken place in Europe. Only by combining the mitochondrial and microsatellite data sets are we able to reconstruct the species' history and show two colonization events in Europe, one before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and one after it. Combining markers also revealed the importance of Asia Minor as an ancient refugium for this species and a source population for the expansion of the greater horseshoe bat into Europe before the LGM.

Keywords: demographic history; glacial refugia; greater horseshoe bat; microsatellites; mitochondrial DNA; phylogeography

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.04021.x

Affiliations: 1: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK 2: Department of Zoology, National Museum (Natural History), Václavské nám. 68, 115 79 Praha 1, Czech Republic 3: Animal Physiology, Zoological Institute, Tübingen University, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany 4: School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China 5: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Center for Environmental Studies, Razi University, Baghabrisham 67149, Kermanshah, Iran 6: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, UK

Publication date: 2009-01-01

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