Island trees have more genetic diversity than their mainland counterparts. Reported by the Japanese University of Tsukuba.
The population of the islands is often different from the mainland due to geographic isolation. For a long time it was believed that this led to the limitation of genetic diversity, but recent research shows that this is not the case.
The research team studied European beech populations. (F.crenata) on Okushiri Island in the Sea of ​​Japan, which is believed to have separated from the mainland in the Middle Pleistocene (700-100 thousand years ago) and always remained isolated. The northern spread of this species began on the mainland about 6,000 years ago, after the end of the last glacial maximum. The researchers studied the genetics of the island’s tree population and nearby areas and found that the island’s beeches were highly genetically diverse and may have evolved from several waves of colonization.
The populations of Okushiri Island had comparable numbers of unique alleles (genetic sequences found in one population and virtually absent in other populations) to trees of the neighboring great island of Hokkaido. From this it follows that an ancient remnant population of these trees is preserved in Okushiri, which existed even before the present one appeared.
Scientists have found that some ancient populations F.crenata refugia – places with special local conditions, where the species can survive despite changes in the general climate of the region.
“Our data suggest that populations of this species already existed on Okushiri Island before the Glacial Maximum and remained there longer than previously thought,” the authors explain.
This study proves that island populations can not only be more complex than mainland populations, but also help to study gene flow from island to mainland and back.
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Source: Gazeta
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