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Data from: Divergent lineages in a semi-arid mallee species, Eucalyptus behriana, correspond to a major geographic break in south-eastern Australia

Cite this dataset

Fahey, Patrick et al. (2021). Data from: Divergent lineages in a semi-arid mallee species, Eucalyptus behriana, correspond to a major geographic break in south-eastern Australia [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw6sm

Abstract

Aim: To infer relationships between populations of the semi-arid, mallee eucalypt, Eucalyptus behriana, to build hypotheses regarding evolution of major disjunctions in the species’ distribution and to expand understanding of the biogeographical history of south-eastern Australia.

Location: South-eastern Australia

Taxon: Eucalyptus behriana (Myrtaceae, Angiospermae)

Methods: We developed a large dataset of anonymous genomic loci for 97 samples from 11 populations of E. behriana using double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq), to determine genetic relationships between the populations. These relationships, along with species distribution models, were used to construct hypotheses regarding environmental processes that have driven fragmentation of the species’ distribution.

Results: Greatest genetic divergence was between populations on either side of the Lower Murray Basin. Populations west of the Basin showed greater genetic divergence between one another than the eastern populations. The most genetically distinct population in the east (Long Forest) was separated from others by the Great Dividing Range. A close relationship was found between the outlying northernmost population (near West Wyalong) and those in the Victorian Goldfields despite a large disjunction between them.

Conclusions: Patterns of genetic variation are consistent with a history of vicariant differentiation of disjunct populations. We infer that an early disjunction to develop in the species distribution was that across the Lower Murray Basin, an important biogeographical barrier separating many dry sclerophyll plant taxa in south-eastern Australia. Additionally, our results suggest that the western populations fragmented earlier than the eastern ones, with this fragmentation, both west and east of the Murray Basin, likely tied to climatic changes associated with glacial-interglacial cycles, although major geological events including uplift of the Mount Lofty Ranges and basalt flows in the Newer Volcanics Province possibly also played a role.

Usage notes

  • Supplementary tables.docx - Tables containing information on Ipyrad parameters and individual samples in the dataset used for analyses
  • Concatenated_alignment.nex - nexus format concatenated alignment of all loci generated by ipyrad used in phylogenetic analyses
  • One_SNP_per_5000bp_Egrandis_reference_genepop.txt - Genepop format file containing filtered SNP dataset containing no more than one SNP per 5000 bp of the E. grandis reference genome used to assemble loci in ipyrad.

Funding

Eucalypt Australia, Award: 2016-42

Eucalypt Australia, Award: 2016-42