Contrasting patterns of historical colonization in white oaks (Quercus spp.) in California and Europe

Phylogeography allows the inference of evolutionary processes that have shaped the current distribution of genealogical lineages across a landscape. In this perspective, comparative phylogeographical analyses are useful in detecting common historical patterns by either comparing different species within the same area within a continent or by comparing similar species in different areas. Here, we analyse one taxon (the white oak, genus Quercus, subgenus Quercus, section Quercus) that is widespread worldwide, and we evaluate its phylogeographical pattern on two different continents: western North America and Western Europe. The goals of the present study are: (i) to compare the chloroplast genetic diversity found in one California oak species vs. that found in the extensively studied European oak species (in France and the Iberian Peninsula); (ii) to contrast the geographical structure of haplotypes between these two taxa and test for a phylogeographical structure for the California species. For this purpose, we used the same six maternally inherited chloroplast microsatellite markers and a similar sampling strategy. The haplotype diversity within site as well as the differentiation among sites was alike in both taxa, but the Californian species has higher allelic richness with a greater number of haplotypes (39 vs. 11 in the European white oak complex). Furthermore, in California these 39 haplotypes are distributed locally in patches while in the European oaks haplotypes are distributed into lineages partitioned longitudinally. These contrasted patterns could indicate that gene movement in California oak populations have been more stable in response to past climatic and geological events, in contrast to their European counterparts

Contrasting patterns of historical colonization in white oaks (Quercus spp.) in California and Europe

Phylogeography allows the inference of evolutionary processes that have shaped the current distribution of genealogical lineages across a landscape. In this perspective, comparative phylogeographical analyses are useful in detecting common historical patterns by either comparing different species within the same area within a continent or by comparing similar species in different areas. Here, we analyse one taxon (the white oak, genus Quercus , subgenus Quercus , section Quercus ) that is widespread worldwide, and we evaluate its phylogeographical pattern on two different continents: western North America and Western Europe. The goals of the present study are: (i) to compare the chloroplast genetic diversity found in one California oak species vs. that found in the extensively studied European oak species (in France and the Iberian Peninsula); (ii) to contrast the geographical structure of haplotypes between these two taxa and test for a phylogeographical structure for the California species. For this purpose, we used the same six maternally inherited chloroplast microsatellite markers and a similar sampling strategy. The haplotype diversity within site as well as the differentiation among sites was alike in both taxa, but the Californian species has higher allelic richness with a greater number of haplotypes (39 vs. 11 in the European white oak complex). Furthermore, in California these 39 haplotypes are distributed locally in patches while in the European oaks haplotypes are distributed into lineages partitioned longitudinally. These contrasted patterns could indicate that gene movement in California oak populations have been more stable in response to past climatic and geological events, in contrast to their European counterparts

A set of primers for the amplification of chloroplast microsatellites in Quercus

International audienceThe increase in demand for the certification of oak seed lots, as well as control of the geographical origin of oak wood, has led us to develop powerful genetic markers permitting us to discriminate among provenance regions. With the aim of detecting new chloroplast variants, we have identified 17 potential cpSSRs motifs from available oak sequences and tested their variability among French oak populations. Six loci were polymorphic at the intraspecific level in Quercus petraea and Q. robur . Moreover, conservation of the primer pairs was checked on a set of 21 forest tree species and they were all shown to work well on several Quercus species, and even within Fagacaea

A set of primers for the amplification of chloroplast microsatellites in Quercus

International audienceThe increase in demand for the certification of oak seed lots, as well as control of the geographical origin of oak wood, has led us to develop powerful genetic markers permitting us to discriminate among provenance regions. With the aim of detecting new chloroplast variants, we have identified 17 potential cpSSRs motifs from available oak sequences and tested their variability among French oak populations. Six loci were polymorphic at the intraspecific level in Quercus petraea and Q. robur . Moreover, conservation of the primer pairs was checked on a set of 21 forest tree species and they were all shown to work well on several Quercus species, and even within Fagacaea

Allozyme variation of oleaster populations (wild olive tree) (Olea europaea L.) in the Mediterranean Basin

International audienceAs a result of the early domestication and extensive cultivation of the olive tree throughout the Mediterranean Basin, the wild-looking forms of olive (oleasters) presently observed constitute a complex, potentially ranging from wild to feral forms. Allozyme variation was analysed at 10 loci in 31 large and 44 small oleaster populations distributed in various habitats of the Mediterranean Basin and in two populations of the wild subspecies Olea europaea subsp (ssp) guanchica, endemic to the Canary islands and closely related to oleasters. At eight polymorphic loci, 25 alleles were identified. Genetic evidence that nondomesticated oleasters still survive locally was provided by the occurrence of four and one alleles shared exclusively by the eight western and two eastern oleaster populations, respectively, which were collected in forests potentially containing genuinely wild forms according to environmental, historical and demographic criteria. As reported previously from cytoplasmic and RAPDs analysis, substantial genetic differentiation was observed between the eastern oleaster populations genetically close to most olive clones cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin, and the western populations that are related to the wild Canarian populations. In addition, the occurrence of significantly lower heterozygosity in cultivated olive than in oleasters, whatever their origin, suggests that intensive selection involving inbreeding has taken place under cultivation to obtain particular characteristics in the olive cultivars

Chloroplast-DNA variation in cultivated and wild olive (Olea europaea L.)

International audiencePolymorphism in the lengths of restriction fragments of the whole cpDNA molecule was studied in cultivated olive and in oleaster (wild olive) over the whole Mediterranean Basin. Seventy two olive cultivars, 89 very old trees cultivated locally, and 101 oleasters were scored for ten endonucleases. Moreover, maternal inheritance of cpDNA in olive was shown by analysing the progeny of a controlled cross between two parents which di!ered in their cpDNA haplotypes. In the whole species, three site- and three length-mutations were observed, corresponding to "ve distinct chlorotypes. The same chlorotype (I) was predominant in both oleasters and cultivated olive trees, con"rming that these are closely related maternally. Three other chlorotypes (II, III and IV) were observed exclusively in oleaster material and were restricted either to isolated forest populations or to a few individuals growing in mixture with olive trees possessing the majority chlorotype. An additional chlorotype (V) was characterised by three mutations located in distinct parts the cpDNA molecule but which were never observed to occur separately. This chlorotype, more widely distributed than the other three, in both cultivated and wild olive, and occurring even in distant populations, was observed exclusively in male-sterile trees showing the same speci"c pollen anomaly. However, in the present study, no evidence was provided for a direct relationship between the occurrence of the cpDNA mutations and male sterility. It is suggested that the large geographic distribution of chlorotype V may be related to the high fruit production usually observed on male-sterile trees. These may be very attractive for birds which are fond of olive fruit and spread the stones e$ciently. Probably for the same reason, people preserved male-sterile oleasters for long periods and, in several places, used male-sterile cultivars over large areas

Mégalithes et "tumulus" géants. Tumulus C de Péré à Prissé-la-Charrière

National audienc

G. Goude, D. C. Salazar-García, R. C. Power, L. Gourichon, A. Varalli, M. Rivollat, M.-F. Deguilloux, G. André, S. Provost, D. Binder, Documenting diet and mobility at the onset of farming: multi-proxy analyses at the Les Bréguières site (6th-5th mill cal. BC, Southeastern France), Réunion Scientifique de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris (janvier 2017, Paris). Communication orale.

International audienc