4.7 Article

Phylogeography and genetic structure of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa): more evidence for refugia within the Iberian glacial refugium

Journal

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY
Volume 20, Issue 12, Pages 2628-2642

Publisher

WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05111.x

Keywords

control region; Last Glacial Maximum; management unit; microsatellite; Pleistocene; refugia-within-refugia

Funding

  1. Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha [PREG05-017, PREG07-020]
  2. Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha
  3. European Social Fund
  4. Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BPD/65464/2009]
  5. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BPD/65464/2009] Funding Source: FCT

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The Pleistocene climatic oscillations promoted the diversification in avian species during the last glacial period. The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa, Family Phasianidae) has a large natural distribution extending from the Mediterranean to humid temperate zones. However, the genetic structure for this species is unknown. The present study investigates the phylogeography, genetic structure and demographic history of A. rufa across its distribution, employing both mitochondrial DNA control region sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci. Our results propose that this species was greatly affected by Pleistocene glaciations. The mismatch analyses suggest that the current populations resulted from post-glacial expansion and subsequent differentiation resulting in five diagnosable genetic clusters: Southwestern, Central-eastern, Northwestern, Balearic and French and Italian. Further, we found evidence of three glacial refugia within the currently recognized Iberian glacial refugium. The intraspecific structure revealed by both maternal and biparental phylogeographic analyses was not resolved in the phylogenetic analyses. Based on all considerations, we recommended that five management units be recognized.

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