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Long‐term endemism of two highly divergent lineages of the amphibian‐killing fungus in the A tlantic F orest of B razil
Author(s) -
Rodriguez D.,
Becker C. G.,
Pupin N. C.,
Haddad C. F. B.,
Zamudio K. R.
Publication year - 2014
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.12615
Subject(s) - biology , endemism , amphibian , population , population genetics , enzootic , ecology , chytridiomycosis , epizootic , pathogen , evolutionary biology , zoology , genetics , demography , virus , sociology
The recent global spread of the amphibian‐killing fungus [ B atrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd )] has been closely tied to anthropogenic activities; however, regional patterns of spread are not completely understood. Using historical samples, we can test whether B d was a spreading or endemic pathogen in a region within a particular time frame, because those two disease states provide different predictions for the regional demographic dynamics and population genetics of B d . Testing historical patterns of pathogen prevalence and population genetics under these predictions is key to understanding the evolution and origin of B d . Focusing on the A tlantic F orest ( AF ) of B razil, we used q PCR assays to determine the presence or absence of B d on 2799 preserved postmetamorphic anurans collected between 1894 and 2010 and used semi‐nested PCR s to determine the frequency of r RNA ITS 1 haplotypes from 52 samples. Our earliest date of detection was 1894. A mean prevalence of 23.9% over time and spatiotemporal patterns of B d clusters indicate that B d has been enzootic in the B razilian AF with no evidence of regional spread within the last 116 years. ITS 1 haplotypes confirm the long‐term presence of two divergent strains of B d ( B d GPL and B d‐Brazil ) and three spatiotemporally broad genetic demes within B d GPL , indicating that B d was not introduced into southeast B razil by the bullfrog trade. Our data show that the evolutionary history and pathogen dynamics of B d in B razil is better explained by the endemic pathogen hypothesis.