| Title | Exploring ecological specialization in pipefish using genomic, morphometric and ecological evidence |
| Abstract | Aim: Theory predicts that ecological specialization should be rare in marine ecosystems, given that dispersal barriers are less effective in the vastness of the sea compared with those in terrestrial settings. This paradigm, however, hardly fits with classical theories of local adaptation, raising the question of how marine diversity originates in a highly interconnected system. In the present study, we investigated how ecological specialization arises in a widely distributed marine species, the seaweed pipefish Syngnathus schlegeli. Location: Chinese coastal waters. Methods: We integrated morphological (geometric morphometry), genetic (RADseq) and ecological (species distribution models and n-dimensional hypervolumes) evidence to shed light on population structuring in S. schlegeli. Results: We revealed the existence of a north-to-south phenotypic gradient in eye size among S. schlegeli populations. This morphological differentiation was paralleled by genetic divergence, with South China Sea populations emerging as relatively independent. We further investigated the ecological differentiation of S. schlegeli populations. We observed high niche differentiation among northern, central and southern populations, resulting from both niche expansion and niche shift processes. Projected habitat suitability onto the Last Glacial Maximum revealed the existence of historical barriers to dispersal between the South and East China seas. Main conclusions: We showed that the effect of this historical segregation, in concert with niche-driven ecological differentiation, might lead to the establishment of three distinct clades across the widely distributed marine pipefish. Ultimately, our study demonstrates that even the high connected sea environment maintains the potential for ecological specialization. |
| Source | Diversity and distributions (Print) |
| Keywords | genetic divergenceLast Glacial Maximummorphological variationRADseqspecies distribution modelSyngnathus schlegeli |
| Journal | Diversity and distributions (Print) |
| Editor | Blackwell Science., Oxford, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1111/ddi.13286 |
| Authors | Wang, Xin; Zhang, Zhixin; Mammola, Stefano; Ho, Adeljean L.F.C.; Zhang, Yanhong; Qin, Geng; Lin, Qiang |
| Text | 453965 2021 10.1111/ddi.13286 Scopus 2 s2.0 85105073763 genetic divergence Last Glacial Maximum morphological variation RADseq species distribution model Syngnathus schlegeli Exploring ecological specialization in pipefish using genomic, morphometric and ecological evidence Wang, Xin; Zhang, Zhixin; Mammola, Stefano; Ho, Adeljean L.F.C.; Zhang, Yanhong; Qin, Geng; Lin, Qiang Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; South China Seas Institute of Oceanography Chinese Academy of Sciences; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Hokkaido University; Florida Institute of Technology; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory Guangzhou Aim Theory predicts that ecological specialization should be rare in marine ecosystems, given that dispersal barriers are less effective in the vastness of the sea compared with those in terrestrial settings. This paradigm, however, hardly fits with classical theories of local adaptation, raising the question of how marine diversity originates in a highly interconnected system. In the present study, we investigated how ecological specialization arises in a widely distributed marine species, the seaweed pipefish Syngnathus schlegeli. Location Chinese coastal waters. Methods We integrated morphological geometric morphometry , genetic RADseq and ecological species distribution models and n dimensional hypervolumes evidence to shed light on population structuring in S. schlegeli. Results We revealed the existence of a north to south phenotypic gradient in eye size among S. schlegeli populations. This morphological differentiation was paralleled by genetic divergence, with South China Sea populations emerging as relatively independent. We further investigated the ecological differentiation of S. schlegeli populations. We observed high niche differentiation among northern, central and southern populations, resulting from both niche expansion and niche shift processes. Projected habitat suitability onto the Last Glacial Maximum revealed the existence of historical barriers to dispersal between the South and East China seas. Main conclusions We showed that the effect of this historical segregation, in concert with niche driven ecological differentiation, might lead to the establishment of three distinct clades across the widely distributed marine pipefish. Ultimately, our study demonstrates that even the high connected sea environment maintains the potential for ecological specialization. Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 85105073763 origin=inward Main text 2021_WANG ET AL. DDI.pdf Articolo in rivista Blackwell Science. 1366 9516 Diversity and distributions Print Diversity and distributions Print Divers. distrib. Print Diversity and distributions Print stefano.mammola MAMMOLA STEFANO |
