Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode
Historical climate disturbances such as glacial cycling and fluctuating stream, lake, and sea levels strongly influence the distribution and evolutionary trajectories of Antarctic terrestrial species. Antarctic invertebrates, including the ubiquitous sentinel nematode species Scottnema lindsayae, ar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1295369/full |
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| author | Abigail C. Jackson Steven D. Leavitt Steven D. Leavitt Dorota Porazinska Diana H. Wall Thomas O. Powers Timothy S. Harris Byron J. Adams Byron J. Adams |
| author_facet | Abigail C. Jackson Steven D. Leavitt Steven D. Leavitt Dorota Porazinska Diana H. Wall Thomas O. Powers Timothy S. Harris Byron J. Adams Byron J. Adams |
| author_sort | Abigail C. Jackson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Historical climate disturbances such as glacial cycling and fluctuating stream, lake, and sea levels strongly influence the distribution and evolutionary trajectories of Antarctic terrestrial species. Antarctic invertebrates, including the ubiquitous sentinel nematode species Scottnema lindsayae, are especially sensitive to climate disturbances. We tested hypotheses associated with the historical geographic and population genetic structure of this species as it occurs across the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. To reconstruct the influence of climate disturbance and ecological conditions on this species, partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene sequences were analyzed from individual S. lindsayae collected from sites across the McMurdo Dry Valleys reflecting opposing gradients of climate disturbance during the Last Glacial Maximum. We found that populations were strongly demarcated by geomorphic barriers, with distinct haplotypes associated with valleys except among valleys that experienced glacial advance and retreat during the LGM. Our work shows that contemporary populations of these animals are strongly structured by prior climate history and reinforced by subsequent ecological conditions. Such findings can be useful for understanding the processes that shape the distribution and abundance of these ecologically important animals and interpreting long-term monitoring of demographic shifts in response to changing climate trends in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-60426648f28646cd8a8bc9b5c16f3a13 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-60426648f28646cd8a8bc9b5c16f3a132025-08-20T03:18:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2025-07-011310.3389/fevo.2025.12953691295369Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematodeAbigail C. Jackson0Steven D. Leavitt1Steven D. Leavitt2Dorota Porazinska3Diana H. Wall4Thomas O. Powers5Timothy S. Harris6Byron J. Adams7Byron J. Adams8Department of Biology, and Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United StatesDepartment of Biology, and Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United StatesMonte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United StatesDepartment of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesDepartment of Biology and School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesDepartment of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United StatesDepartment of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United StatesDepartment of Biology, and Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United StatesMonte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United StatesHistorical climate disturbances such as glacial cycling and fluctuating stream, lake, and sea levels strongly influence the distribution and evolutionary trajectories of Antarctic terrestrial species. Antarctic invertebrates, including the ubiquitous sentinel nematode species Scottnema lindsayae, are especially sensitive to climate disturbances. We tested hypotheses associated with the historical geographic and population genetic structure of this species as it occurs across the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. To reconstruct the influence of climate disturbance and ecological conditions on this species, partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene sequences were analyzed from individual S. lindsayae collected from sites across the McMurdo Dry Valleys reflecting opposing gradients of climate disturbance during the Last Glacial Maximum. We found that populations were strongly demarcated by geomorphic barriers, with distinct haplotypes associated with valleys except among valleys that experienced glacial advance and retreat during the LGM. Our work shows that contemporary populations of these animals are strongly structured by prior climate history and reinforced by subsequent ecological conditions. Such findings can be useful for understanding the processes that shape the distribution and abundance of these ecologically important animals and interpreting long-term monitoring of demographic shifts in response to changing climate trends in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1295369/fullAntarcticabiogeographyclimate disturbanceevolutionMcMurdo Dry Valleyspopulation genetics |
| spellingShingle | Abigail C. Jackson Steven D. Leavitt Steven D. Leavitt Dorota Porazinska Diana H. Wall Thomas O. Powers Timothy S. Harris Byron J. Adams Byron J. Adams Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Antarctica biogeography climate disturbance evolution McMurdo Dry Valleys population genetics |
| title | Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode |
| title_full | Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode |
| title_fullStr | Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode |
| title_short | Effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode |
| title_sort | effect of climate history on the genetic structure of an antarctic soil nematode |
| topic | Antarctica biogeography climate disturbance evolution McMurdo Dry Valleys population genetics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1295369/full |
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