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Dryad

History of the terrestrial isopod genus Ligidium in Japan based on phylogeographic analysis

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Jun 20, 2023 version files 22.49 MB

Abstract

Background

Phylogeographical approaches explain the genetic diversity of local organisms in the context of their geological and geographic environments. Thus, genetic diversity can be a proxy for geological history. Here we propose a genus of woodland isopod, Ligidium, as a marker of geological history in relation to orogeny and the Quaternary glacial cycle.

Results

Mitochondrial analysis of 721 individuals from 97 sites across Japan revealed phylogenetic divergence between the northeastern and southwestern Japan arcs from 7 to 3.5 million years ago. It also showed repeated population expansions in northeastern Japan in response to Quaternary glacial and interglacial cycles. Genome-wide analysis of 83 selected individuals revealed multiple genetic nuclear clusters. The genomic groupings were consistent with the local geographic distribution, indicating that the Ligidium phylogeny reflects its migration history.

Conclusion

Ligidium DNA sequence analysis can provide insight into the geological, geographical, and paleoenvironmental history of the studied region.