Gene flow assessment helps to distinguish strong genomic structure from speciation in an Iberian ant-eating spider

0567815 - ÚBO 2024 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Ortiz, D. - Pekár, S. - Bryjová, Anna
Gene flow assessment helps to distinguish strong genomic structure from speciation in an Iberian ant-eating spider.
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Roč. 180, MAR (2023), č. článku 107682. ISSN 1055-7903. E-ISSN 1095-9513
Research Infrastructure: e-INFRA CZ - 90140
Institutional support: RVO:68081766
Keywords : Ancestral range estimation * Gdi * Gene flow analyses * Integrative taxonomy * Multispecies coalescent * Species delimitation
OECD category: Biology (theoretical, mathematical, thermal, cryobiology, biological rhythm), Evolutionary biology
Impact factor: 4.1, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790322002950?via%3Dihub

Although genomic data is boosting our understanding of evolution, we still lack a solid framework to perform reliable genome-based species delineation. This problem is especially critical in the case of phylogeographically structured organisms, with allopatric populations showing similar divergence patterns as species. Here, we assess the species limits and phylogeography of Zodarion alacre, an ant-eating spider widely distributed across the Iberian Peninsula. We first performed species delimitation based on genome-wide data and then validated these results using additional evidence. A commonly employed species delimitation strategy detected four distinct lineages with almost no admixture, which present allopatric distributions. These lineages showed ecological differentiation but no clear morphological differentiation, and evidence of introgression in a mitochondrial barcode. Phylogenomic networks found evidence of substantial gene flow between lineages. Finally, phylogeographic methods highlighted remarkable isolation by distance and detected evidence of range expansion from south-central Portugal to central-north Spain. We conclude that despite their deep genomic differentiation, the lineages of Z. alacre do not show evidence of complete speciation. Our results likely shed light on why Zodarion is among the most diversified spider genera despite its limited distribution and support the use of gene flow evidence to inform species boundaries.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0339053