Phylogeographic structure of the dunes sagebrush lizard, an endemic habitat specialist

Phylogeographic divergence and population genetic diversity within species reflect the impacts of habitat connectivity, demographics, and landscape level processes in both the recent and distant past. Characterizing patterns of differentiation across the geographic range of a species provides insigh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2020-09, Vol.15 (9), p.e0238194-e0238194
Main Authors: Chan, Lauren M, Painter, Charles W, Hill, Michael T, Hibbitts, Toby J, Leavitt, Daniel J, Ryberg, Wade A, Walkup, Danielle, Fitzgerald, Lee A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Biodiversity
Biological evolution
Biology and Life Sciences
Blowouts
Conservation
Conservation biology
Demographics
Demography
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Differentiation
Distribution
Divergence
DNA
Dunes
Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Ecosystem biology
Endangered & extinct species
Evolutionary genetics
Genetic aspects
Genetic diversity
Genetic structure
Genotypes
Habitat availability
Habitats
Haplotypes
History
Lizards
Natural history
Natural resources
Nucleotide sequence
Phrynosomatidae
Phylogeny
Phylogeography
Population
Population genetics
Populations
Sand
Sceloporus arenicolus
Species
Species diversity
Stability
Supervision
Wildlife conservation
Zoological research
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Summary:Phylogeographic divergence and population genetic diversity within species reflect the impacts of habitat connectivity, demographics, and landscape level processes in both the recent and distant past. Characterizing patterns of differentiation across the geographic range of a species provides insight on the roles of organismal and environmental traits in evolutionary divergence and future population persistence. This is particularly true of habitat specialists where habitat availability and resource dependence may result in pronounced genetic structure as well as increased population vulnerability. We use DNA sequence data as well as microsatellite genotypes to estimate range-wide phylogeographic divergence, historical population connectivity, and historical demographics in an endemic habitat specialist, the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus). This species is found exclusively in dune blowouts and patches of open sand within the shinnery oak-sand dune ecosystem of southeastern New Mexico and adjacent Texas. We find evidence of phylogeographic structure consistent with breaks and constrictions in suitable habitat at the range-wide scale. In addition, we find support for a dynamic and variable evolutionary history across the range of S. arenicolus. Populations in the Monahans Sandhills have deeply divergent lineages consistent with long-term demographic stability. In contrast, populations in the Mescalero Sands are not highly differentiated, though we do find evidence of demographic expansion in some regions and relative demographic stability in others. Phylogeographic history and population genetic differentiation in this species has been shaped by the configuration of habitat patches within a geologically complex and historically dynamic landscape. Our findings identify regions as genetically distinctive conservation units as well as underscore the genetic and demographic history of different lineages of S. arenicolus.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0238194