Historical biogeography and mitogenomics of two endemic Mediterranean gorgonians (Holaxonia, Plexauridae)

Citation: Poliseno, Angelo and Altuna, Alvaro and Cerrano, Carlo and Wörheide, Gert and Vargas, Sergio: Historical biogeography and mitogenomics of two endemic Mediterranean gorgonians (Holaxonia, Plexauridae). 28. April 2016. Open Data LMU. 10.5282/ubm/data.89

Abstract

Among the Mediterranean plexaurids, four species are endemics and despite their ecological importance comprehensive studies on the evolution and biogeography of these organisms are lacking. Here we explore the mitogenomic variability of two endemic, ecologically important Mediterranean Paramuricea species. We assess their phylogenetic relationships and provide first insights into their evolution and biogeography. Complete mitogenome sequences of Paramuricea clavata and Paramuricea macrospina were obtained using long range PCR, primer-walking and Sanger sequencing. For an enlarge sample of Paramuricea species, maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic trees of the mitochondrial gene mtMutS were obtained and used to study the biogeographic history of Paramuricea through a statistical Dispersal-Vicariance method (S-DIVA). Divergence time was estimated under a strict molecular clock model in BEAST using published octocoral mutation rates. Our results revealed high nucleotide diversity (2.6%) among the two Mediterranean endemics; the highest mutation rates were found in the mtMutS, Nad4 and Nad5. In addition, we found length polymorphisms in several intergenic regions and diversity in mitochondrial genome size. The red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata was closely related to the Eastern Atlantic P. grayi rather than its Mediterranean congener, P. macrospina. Our biogeographic results provide evidence for the independent speciation of the Mediterranean species and point to a Miocene origin of the two endemics, highlighting the role played by the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the evolutionary history of Mediterranean Paramuricea.

Keywords

endemic species, Mediterranean, mitogenomics, Paramuricea, phylogeography, vicariance

• Item Type: Other
• Contact Person: Vargas, Sergio and Poliseno, Angelo
• E-Mail of Contact: sergio.vargas at lmu.de
• Subjects: Faculty of Geosciences
• Dewey Decimal Classification: 600 Natural sciences and mathematics > 570 Life sciences; 600 Natural sciences and mathematics > 590 Zoological sciences