1. Population Genetic Divergence among Worldwide Gene Pools of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.
- Author
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Ouagajjou, Yassine, Aghzar, Adil, and Presa, Pablo
- Subjects
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MYTILUS galloprovincialis , *MYTILIDAE , *MICROSATELLITE repeats , *MUSSELS , *SPECIES distribution , *CLIMATE change - Abstract
Simple Summary: The smooth-shelled marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis maintains its genetic integrity as a species on a worldwide scale. Current population genetic analyses confirm the largest divergence of M. trossulus compared to the rest of congeneric species and place M. chilensis as an intermediate taxon between M. galloprovincialis and M. edulis. Unlike previous reports, M. galloprovincialis from the Atlantic Northeast is the most likely source of exotic settlements worldwide. As a super-adaptive species, M. galloprovincialis should not be considered invasive in a human-like supremacist manner, but rather as a flexible evolutionary species (FES). The worldwide distribution of this species suggests that it is naturally endowed with plastic adaptation. Therefore, it could counteract stressful conditions and provide intergeneric ecological opportunities in the face of climatic rarefaction of world coasts. The Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is distributed in both hemispheres either natively or introduced. The updated population genetic distribution of this species provides a useful knowledge against which future distribution shifts could be assessed. This study, performed with seven microsatellite markers and three reference species (M. edulis, M. chilensis and M. trossulus), aimed to determine the scenario of genetic divergence between 15 samples of M. galloprovincialis from 10 localities in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America and South America. In agreement with previous data, M. trossulus was the most divergent taxon of the genus, but M. chilensis appeared as an intermediate taxon between M. edulis and M. galloprovincialis, though closer to this latter. M. galloprovincialis from the Atlantic Northeast appears as the most likely source of worldwide exotic settlements instead of the previously thought Mediterranean population. The successful worldwide establishment of M. galloprovincialis suggests it is a flexible evolutionary species (FES), i.e., a species or population whose genetic background allows it to rapidly adapt to changing environments. This natural endowed plastic adaptation makes it a candidate resilient species amidst the ongoing climatic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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