1. Population genetics of the ribbon worm Lineus sanguineus (Heteronemertea: Lineidae) from the Southwestern Atlantic.
- Author
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Jordan, Dione O., Mendes, Cecili B., Sobral-Souza, Thadeu, and Andrade, Sónia C. S.
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CYTOCHROME oxidase , *POPULATION genetics , *GENETIC variation , *ECOLOGICAL niche , *ECOLOGICAL models , *MITOCHONDRIAL DNA - Abstract
Characterizing the genetic diversity of a species is crucial for understanding the factors that influence its local dispersion and population dynamics. Additionally, it provides insights into local processes that may affect the distribution of other species. Lineus sanguineus (Rathke, 1799) is a widely distributed species commonly found on fouling fauna along rocky shores. This species can reproduce asexually by fissiparity, and its pilidium larva facilitates dispersal, similar to other heteronemerteans. The present study utilized a population genetics approach combined with Ecological Niche Modeling analysis to evaluate L. sanguineus populations along the Brazilian coast. We used sequences from two mtDNA regions, 16S ribosomal RNA (16SrRNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), and one nuclear region, Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS-1), from 85 specimens sampled in nine locations. Genetic diversity analysis revealed greater genetic variation for the ITS-1 marker compared to mtDNA, as evidenced by higher intrapopulation diversity values. There was no clear geographic pattern, and the AMOVA analysis revealed low to moderate genetic structuring and high connectivity among sampled localities, with most of the genetic variation contained within populations. The pairwise FST results indicate high genetic structuring between the Northeast and localities along the South and Southeast of Atlantic coastlines. This pattern suggests that Brazilian oceanic currents play an important role in species connectivity. The paleodistribution pattern demonstrated that the colonization could have occured from the South to the Northeast of the continent. These results reinforce that sexual reproduction and larval dispersion play a vital role in the connectivity of these Southwest Atlantic populations and that oceanographic currents, rafting and artificial transport facilitate these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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