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The integration of multiple independent data reveals an unusual response to P leistocene climatic changes in the hard tick I xodes ricinus
Author(s) -
Porretta Daniele,
Mastrantonio Valentina,
Mona Stefano,
Epis Sara,
Montagna Matteo,
Sassera Davide,
Bandi Claudio,
Urbanelli Sandra
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.12203
Subject(s) - biology , allopatric speciation , ecology , ixodes ricinus , glacial period , phylogeography , pleistocene , ricinus , interglacial , sympatry , environmental niche modelling , sympatric speciation , generalist and specialist species , ecological niche , tick , evolutionary biology , habitat , population , paleontology , phylogenetics , biochemistry , demography , sociology , gene , botany
In the last few years, improved analytical tools and the integration of genetic data with multiple sources of information have shown that temperate species exhibited more complex responses to ice ages than previously thought. In this study, we investigated how Pleistocene climatic changes affected the current distribution and genetic diversity of European populations of the tick I xodes ricinus, an ectoparasite with high ecological plasticity. We first used mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to investigate the phylogeographic structure of the species and its P leistocene history using coalescent‐based methods; then we used species distribution modelling to infer the climatic niche of the species at last glacial maximum; finally, we reviewed the literature on the I . ricinus hosts to identify the locations of their glacial refugia. Our results support the scenario that during the last glacial phase, I . ricinus never experienced a prolonged allopatric divergence in separate glacial refugia, but persisted with interconnected populations across S outhern and C entral E urope. The generalist behaviour in host choice of I . ricinus would have played a major role in maintaining connections between its populations. Although most of the hosts persisted in separate refugia, from the point of view of I . ricinus, they represented a continuity of ‘bridges’ among populations. Our study highlights the importance of species‐specific ecology in affecting responses to P leistocene glacial–interglacial cycles. Together with other cases in Europe and elsewhere, it contributes to setting new hypotheses on how species with wide ecological plasticity coped with P leistocene climatic changes.