Journal article
Giant Tree Frog diversification in West and Central Africa: Isolation by physical barriers, climate, and reproductive traits
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, v 31(15), pp 3979-3998
Aug 2022
PMID: 34516675
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Secondary sympatry amongst sister lineages is strongly associated with genetic and ecological divergence. This pattern suggests that for closely related species to coexist in secondary sympatry, they must accumulate differences in traits that mediate ecological and/or reproductive isolation. Here, we characterized inter- and intraspecific divergence in three giant tree frog species whose distributions stretch across West and Central Africa. Using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism data, we demonstrated that species-level divergence coincides temporally and geographically with a period of large-scale forest fragmentation during the late Pliocene. Our environmental niche models further supported a dynamic history of climatic suitability and stability, and indicated that all three species occupy distinct environmental niches. We found modest morphological differentiation amongst the species with significant divergence in tympanum diameter and male advertisement call. In addition, we confirmed that two species occur in secondary sympatry in Central Africa but found no evidence of hybridization. These patterns support the hypothesis that cycles of genetic exchange and isolation across West and Central Africa have contributed to globally significant biodiversity. Furthermore, divergence in both ecology and reproductive traits appear to have played important roles in maintaining distinct lineages. At the intraspecific level, we found that climatic refugia, precipitation gradients, marine incursions, and potentially riverine barriers generated phylogeographic structure throughout the Pleistocene and into the Holocene. Further studies examining phenotypic divergence and secondary contact amongst these geographically structured populations may demonstrate how smaller scale and more recent biogeographic barriers contribute to regional diversification.
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Details
- Title
- Giant Tree Frog diversification in West and Central Africa: Isolation by physical barriers, climate, and reproductive traits
- Publication Details
- MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, v 31(15), pp 3979-3998
- Publisher
- WILEY; HOBOKEN
- Number of pages
- 19
- Grant note
- For fieldwork we thank: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, and the Direction de la Faune et des Aires Protegees for permits, the Wildlife Conservation Society for logistical support, and field companions T. Essone, B. Hylayre, P. Minko, F. Moiniyoko (Gabon); Universidad Nacional de Guinea Equatorial and J. M. Esara Echube for permits, the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program, ExxonMobil Foundation, and Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc. for logistical support (Equatorial Guinea); Management of Nigerian National Park Service for permits (NPH/GEN/121/XXV/461) and field companion R. Oluchukwu Mbatugosi (Nigeria); Ministere des Forets et de la Faune and Ministere de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Innovation for permits, Congo Basin Institute for logistical support, and field companions D. Fotibu, B. Freiermuth, L. Scheinberg, R. Tarvin (Cameroon); Instituto Nacional da Biodiversidade e Areas de Conservacao, Ministerio do Ambiente, Republica de Angola and the Gabinete Provincial da Agricultura, Pecuaria e Pescas do Uige for permits (122/INBAC. MINAMB/2013, no. 17/014, no. 02/018; no. 05/2019), M.F. Branquima, J. Lau, T. Lautenschlager, and the University of Kimpa Vita, Uige for logistical support (Angola); Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles and Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature for permits, and field companions Mwenebatu M. Aristote and Wandege M. Muninga (Democratic Republic of Congo); Forestry Development Authority of the Republic of Liberia for permits (Ref: MD/037/2018/11) and the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia for logistical support (Liberia); and Ministere de l'Enseignement Superieur et de la Recherche Scientifique for permits (Cote d'Ivoire). Genetic data collection was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) awards DEB-1456098 (A.D. L) and DEB-1457232 (M.K. F.), a Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Research Grant (R.C. B.), and Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) UIDB/50027/2020 (N.L.B.). K.E. J. was supported by the NMNH Natural History Research Experience REU program (NSF-OCE:1560088). E. A.M. was supported by an NMNH Peter Buck and Rathbone Bacon Fellowship. N.L.B. was supported by FCT SFRH/PD/BD/140810/2018. R.E. was supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). G. F. M.J. was supported by an NSERC fellowship (PGSD2/516563-2018). Fieldwork was funded by the National Geographic Society award no. 8556-08 (E.G.), the NSF (DEB-1145459, E.G.; DEB-1202609, D.C.B.), the DFG VE 183/4-1 & RO 3064/1-2 (M.O.R.), BMBF-Project W08 BIOTA-West, 01LC0017 (M.O.R.), Conservation International (M.O. R.), the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (M.O. R.), the Declining Amphibian Population Task Force (M.O.R.), the Czech Science Foundation GACR 15-13415Y (V.G.), the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic DKRVO 2019-2023/6.VII.c, National Museum, 00023272 (V.G.), and the Ministerio do Ambiente-Instituto Nacional da Biodiversidade e Areas de Conservacao (INBAC). Specimens borrowed from BYU were collected with funding from NSF award EF-1241885. We thank L. Scheinberg, J. Vindum, C. Spencer, J. Rosado, J. Sites for providing access to specimens and J. Streicher at NHM, London for graciously measuring type specimens of L. millsoni. We thank T. J. Finerno for assisting with ddRADseq data collection, M. Jirku, D. Modry and M.; Dolinay for providing additional material for study, and Bryan Carstens and two anonymous reviewers for thoughtful suggestions during peer review. Portions of the laboratory and computer work were conducted in and with the support of the L. A. B. facilities of the NMNH. This is Smithsonian Institution, Gabon Biodiversity Programme contribution number 201.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000700497800001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85115857665
- Other Identifier
- 991021860753704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology