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When gaps really are gaps: statistical phylogeography of hydrothermal vent invertebrates

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 11:06 authored by Asta AudzijonyteAsta Audzijonyte, Vrijenhoek, RC
The invertebrate animals endemic to deep-sea hydrothermal vents are distributed intermittently along relatively linear oceanic ridge axes. A one-dimensional stepping-stone model, therefore, provides a reasonable starting hypothesis of population structure for these species. Nevertheless, population genetic studies of many species from eastern Pacific vents did not detect the expected signatures of isolation-by-distance (IBD). Instead, distinct patterns of geographical subdivision have been attributed to the unique dispersal modes of individual species, topographical discontinuities of the ridge axes, nonequilibrium metapopulation scenarios and cryptic species. Here, we reexamined these inferences in light of expectations generated by computer simulations of a one-dimensional stepping-stone model. We evaluated whether the previously inferred subdivisions are statistically robust to an alternative explanation that continuous stepping-stone migration has occurred along the ridge axes but discontinuities in the sampling design (gaps) have generated the apparent disjunctions. We found that previous inferences about barriers to gene flow (vicariance) were supported in many cases, but that failures to detect evidence for IBD could be explained by low statistical power associated with the sampling effort. The simulation approaches presented here might be useful for testing the significance of inferred phylogeographic gaps in other species.

History

Publication title

Evolution

Volume

64

Issue

8

Pagination

2369-2384

ISSN

0014-3820

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Soc Study Evolution

Place of publication

810 E 10Th Street, Lawrence, USA, Ks, 66044

Rights statement

Copyright 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation Copyright 2010 The Society for the Study of Evolution

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Marine biodiversity

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