Radiating on Oceanic Islands: Patterns and Processes of Speciation in the Land Snail Genus Theba (Risso 1826)

Island radiations have played a major role in shaping our current understanding of allopatric, sympatric and parapatric speciation. However, the fact that species divergence correlates with island size emphasizes the importance of geographic isolation (allopatry) in speciation. Based on molecular and morphological data, we investigated the diversification of the land snail genus Theba on the two Canary Islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Due to the geological history of both islands, this study system provides ideal conditions to investigate the interplay of biogeography, dispersal ability and differentiation in generating species diversity. Our analyses demonstrated extensive cryptic diversification of Theba on these islands, probably driven mainly by non-adaptive allopatric differentiation and secondary gene flow. In a few cases, we observed a complete absence of gene flow among sympatrically distributed forms suggesting an advanced stage of speciation. On the Jandía peninsula genome scans suggested genotype-environment associations and potentially adaptive diversification of two closely related Theba species to different ecological environments. We found support for the idea that genetic differentiation was enhanced by divergent selection in different environments. The diversification of Theba on both islands is therefore best explained by a mixture of non-adaptive and adaptive speciation, promoted by ecological and geomorphological factors

Molecular approaches to the assessment of biodiversity in limnic gastropods (Cerithioidea, Thiaridae) with perspectives on a Gondwanian origin

Da limnische Gastropoden eng an ihre isolierten aquatischen Habitate gebunden sind, bewahren sie Verbreitungsmuster über lange Perioden und stellen geeignete Modelle zur Rekonstruktion geographisch und klimatisch bedingter Veränderungen des Lebensraumes dar. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit besteht in der Rekonstruktion der Besiedlungsgeschichte des australischen Kontinents durch eine Familie Süßwassergastropoden (Thiaridae) unter Verwendung molekularer Marker (mitochondrialer und im Kerngenom basierter Genfragmente inklusive der AFLP-Technik). Viele der heute in Australien vorkommenden biotischen Elemente wurden als junge Einwanderer aus dem indo-malayischen Archipel eingestuft. Es werden jedoch immer mehr Fälle bekannt, die von diesem Standardszenario abweichen. Um zu testen, ob es sich bei Thiariden tatsächlich um Einwanderer aus dem Norden handelt, oder ob ihr Ursprung auf dem australischen Kontinent liegt, wurden die evolutionären Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse innerhalb der Familie, sowie ihre Position im phylogenetischen Stammbaum der Superfamilie Cerithioidea analysiert. Mit der Aufdeckung der stammesgeschichtlichen Beziehungen zu nicht-australischen Verwandten, durch Altersbestimmung der phylogenetischen Verzweigungen mittels „molekularer Uhr“ sowie der detaillierten Analyse der aktuellen Vorkommnisse und möglichen historischen Areale, konnte ein asiatischer Ursprung der Thiariden widerlegt werden. Ein Abriss hinsichtlich Dispersion und/oder Vikarianz ist hier vor dem Hintergrund der Rekonstruktion plattentektonischer Ereignisse dargestellt. Demnach hat die Besiedlung Asiens ihren Ausgang ursprünglich im australischen Raum genommen und der Kontinent wurde nicht wie bislang angenommen von Asien aus besiedelt. Mit der Aufdeckung eines gondwanischen Ursprungs repräsentieren Thiariden ein vielversprechendes Modellsystem in der Speziationsforschung, welches Einblicke in die Dynamik der Mechanismen der Artbildung unter dem Einfluss von klimatischen Veränderungen ermöglicht.Due to their limited potential of dispersal and habitat fidelity, limnic gastropods tend to preserve distribution patterns over long periods of time and are suitable organisms in biogeographical research. In this thesis intensive investigations into the phylogeography of Australian freshwater snails are provided, presenting the first molecular study of the Thiaridae (Caenogastropoda: Cerithioidea) based on DNA sequence markers and amplified fragment length polymorphisms. The aim of this study is to determine the historical events that may have influenced their presence on the Australian continent. In general, the origin of Australian freshwater faunal elements and the directionality and timing of colonizations are still controversial. Conventionally, many biotic elements found in Australia today are considered to be recent invaders from the Indo-Malay archipelago but more and more cases have become known that deviate from this standard scenario. In order to test whether the thiarids represent recent invaders or if they originated on the Australian continent, the evolutionary relationships within the family as well as its phylogenetic position in the superfamily Cerithioidea is analysed. A molecular clock approach is applied so that the dispersal events can be related to historical tectonical changes. By comparison of the molecular phylogenies, as well as the distributional data, the fossil record and divergence date estimates in conjunction with the excellent record of Earth history the long-held view that the thiarid fauna is an appendage to the southeast Asian biota can be rejected. Instead, an Australian continental, i.e. East-Gondwanian origin is found to be the most parsimonious explanation of the present distribution. With their now assumed long history on the continent, thiarids represent an important model system in speciation research which provides details of the dynamics of the underlying mechanisms of speciation under the influence of climate change

A glimpse in the dark? A first phylogenetic approach in a widespread freshwater snail from tropical Asia and northern Australia (Cerithioidea, Thiaridae)

Volume: 95Start Page: 373End Page: 39

Overview of character matrices and quality estimates.

<p>Selected character matrices are indicated in <b>bold</b>, original character matrices in <i>italics</i>.</p>*<p> = Nei-Li distances were used for resolution score, principal coordinate and stemminess analyses.</p><p>♦ = Uncorrected distances were used for resolution score, principal coordinate and stemminess analyses.</p><p>▪ = percentage of variation explained by the first three axes of the principle coordinate analyses (PCoA).</p