Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile
The Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains, known for their ‘Sky Islands’ ecosystems, offer a unique opportunity to study genomic differentiation of endemic plants. While there is growing research on the genetic mechanisms underlying the distinctiveness of species in these regions, gaps remain in under...
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000721 |
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| author | Hum Kala Rana Santosh Kumar Rana Hang Sun Dong Luo |
| author_facet | Hum Kala Rana Santosh Kumar Rana Hang Sun Dong Luo |
| author_sort | Hum Kala Rana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains, known for their ‘Sky Islands’ ecosystems, offer a unique opportunity to study genomic differentiation of endemic plants. While there is growing research on the genetic mechanisms underlying the distinctiveness of species in these regions, gaps remain in understanding the specific genomic processes shaping the “island-like” genetic structure of Rheum nobile. This study investigates R. nobile, a distinctive glasshouse plant native to the alpine-subnival belt, to uncover the genetic dynamics contributing to its “island-like” structure and genetic diversity in these unique ecosystems. We analyzed plastome and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences from 104 R. nobile samples, revealing significant genetic structure with significant unique alleles across populations. Three phylogroups were identified, corresponding to the floristic regionalization of the Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains. The three main lineages diverged allopatrically around 7.38–4.19 million years ago (Mya). Notably, a significant population bottleneck occurred between 0.18–0.016 Mya (plastome) and 0.38–0.031 Mya (ITS). There was no correlation between genetic patterns and geographic or environmental distances. Gene flow was limited across three phylogroups. Ensemble Species Distribution Modelling suggested multiple refugia during or even before the Last Glacial Maximum, indicating a complex historical distribution. The “island-like” genetic patterns of Rheum nobile results from fragmented habitats and prolonged isolation during the Quaternary glaciation. This study highlights the species’ evolutionary trajectory shaped by ecological adaptation, and climatic fluctuations, providing valuable insights for future conservation and management efforts in its native environment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-87ae04b619f54efc919c038269f9a411 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj-art-87ae04b619f54efc919c038269f9a4112025-02-08T05:00:33ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-04-0158e03471Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobileHum Kala Rana0Santosh Kumar Rana1Hang Sun2Dong Luo3Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming 650201, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaArkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USAKey Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming 650201, China; Corresponding authors.Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming 650201, China; Corresponding authors.The Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains, known for their ‘Sky Islands’ ecosystems, offer a unique opportunity to study genomic differentiation of endemic plants. While there is growing research on the genetic mechanisms underlying the distinctiveness of species in these regions, gaps remain in understanding the specific genomic processes shaping the “island-like” genetic structure of Rheum nobile. This study investigates R. nobile, a distinctive glasshouse plant native to the alpine-subnival belt, to uncover the genetic dynamics contributing to its “island-like” structure and genetic diversity in these unique ecosystems. We analyzed plastome and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences from 104 R. nobile samples, revealing significant genetic structure with significant unique alleles across populations. Three phylogroups were identified, corresponding to the floristic regionalization of the Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains. The three main lineages diverged allopatrically around 7.38–4.19 million years ago (Mya). Notably, a significant population bottleneck occurred between 0.18–0.016 Mya (plastome) and 0.38–0.031 Mya (ITS). There was no correlation between genetic patterns and geographic or environmental distances. Gene flow was limited across three phylogroups. Ensemble Species Distribution Modelling suggested multiple refugia during or even before the Last Glacial Maximum, indicating a complex historical distribution. The “island-like” genetic patterns of Rheum nobile results from fragmented habitats and prolonged isolation during the Quaternary glaciation. This study highlights the species’ evolutionary trajectory shaped by ecological adaptation, and climatic fluctuations, providing valuable insights for future conservation and management efforts in its native environment.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000721Alpine-subnival beltEnsemble species distribution modellingHengduan MountainsPlastomeRefugiaSky Islands |
| spellingShingle | Hum Kala Rana Santosh Kumar Rana Hang Sun Dong Luo Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile Global Ecology and Conservation Alpine-subnival belt Ensemble species distribution modelling Hengduan Mountains Plastome Refugia Sky Islands |
| title | Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile |
| title_full | Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile |
| title_fullStr | Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile |
| title_short | Genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo-climate unveil the “island-like” pattern in the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile |
| title_sort | genomic signatures of habitat isolation and paleo climate unveil the island like pattern in the glasshouse plant rheum nobile |
| topic | Alpine-subnival belt Ensemble species distribution modelling Hengduan Mountains Plastome Refugia Sky Islands |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000721 |
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