Cryptic Diversity of African Tigerfish (Genus Hydrocynus) Reveals Palaeogeographic Signatures of Linked Neogene Geotectonic Events

The geobiotic history of landscapes can exhibit controls by tectonics over biotic evolution. This causal relationship positions ecologically specialized species as biotic indicators to decipher details of landscape evolution. Phylogeographic statistics that reconstruct spatio-temporal details of evolutionary histories of aquatic species, including fishes, can reveal key events of drainage evolution, notably where geochronological resolution is insufficient. Where geochronological resolution is insufficient, phylogeographic statistics that reconstruct spatio-temporal details of evolutionary histories of aquatic species, notably fishes, can reveal key events of drainage evolution. This study evaluates paleo-environmental causes of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) based phylogeographic records of tigerfishes, genus Hydrocynus, in order to reconstruct their evolutionary history in relation to landscape evolution across Africa. Strong geographical structuring in a cytochrome b (cyt-b) gene phylogeny confirms the established morphological diversity of Hydrocynus and reveals the existence of five previously unknown lineages, with Hydrocynus tanzaniae sister to a clade comprising three previously unknown lineages (Groups B, C and D) and H. vittatus. The dated phylogeny constrains the principal cladogenic events that have structured Hydrocynus diversity from the late Miocene to the Plio-Pleistocene (ca. 0–16 Ma). Phylogeographic tests reveal that the diversity and distribution of Hydrocynus reflects a complex history of vicariance and dispersals, whereby range expansions in particular species testify to changes to drainage basins. Principal divergence events in Hydrocynus have interfaced closely with evolving drainage systems across tropical Africa. Tigerfish evolution is attributed to dominant control by pulses of geotectonism across the African plate. Phylogenetic relationships and divergence estimates among the ten mtDNA lineages illustrates where and when local tectonic events modified Africa's Neogene drainage. Haplotypes shared amongst extant Hydrocynus populations across northern Africa testify to recent dispersals that were facilitated by late Neogene connections across the Nilo-Sahelian drainage. These events in tigerfish evolution concur broadly with available geological evidence and reveal prominent control by the African Rift System, evident in the formative events archived in phylogeographic records of tigerfish

Use of the geochemical and biological sedimentary record in establishing palaeo-environments and climate change in the Lake Ngami basin, NW Botswana

Sediment samples from a continuous 4.6 m profile in the dry bed of Lake Ngami in NW Botswana were analysed for geochemistry and dated using both 14C and TL methods. Certain units in the profile were found to be diatom rich and these, with the geochemical results, were used as indicators of high and low lake levels within the basin. The Lake Ngami sediments contain a high proportion of SiO2 (51–92.5 wt%, avg. 72.4 wt%) and variable levels of Al2O3 (2.04–17.2 wt%, avg. 8.88 wt%). Based on elevated Al2O3 and organic matter (LOIorgC ) results, lacustrine conditions occurred at ca. 42 ka until 40 ka and diatom results suggest that relatively deep but brackish conditions prevailed. At 40 ka, the lacustrine sedimentary record was terminated abruptly, possibly by tectonic activity. At ca. 19 ka, shallow, aerobic, turbulent conditions were prevalent, but lake levels were at this time increasing to deeper water conditions up until ca. 17 ka. This period coincides with the Late Glacial Maximum, a period of increased aridity in the central southern Africa region. Generally, increasing Sr/Ca ratios and decreasing LOIorgC and Al2O3, from ca. 16 to 5 ka, suggest decreasing inflow into the basin and declining lake levels. Based on the enrichment of LREE results, slightly alkaline conditions prevailed at ca. 12 ka. Diatom results also support shallow alkaline conditions around this time. These lake conditions were maintained primarily by local rainfall input as the region experienced a warmer, wetter phase between 16 and 11 ka. Lake levels rose rapidly by 4 ka, probably in response to enhanced rainfall in the Angolan catchment. These results indicate that lake levels in the Lake Ngami basin are responding to rainfall changes in the Angolan catchment area and local rainfall. The results confirm that the present-day anti-phase rainfall relationship between southern Africa and regions of equatorial Africa was extant during the late Quaternary over the Angolan highlands and NW Botswana

Regional review: the hydrology of the Okavango Delta, Botswana-processes, data and modelling

ISSN:1431-2174ISSN:1435-015