The phylogeographic importance of the Strait of Gibraltar as a gene flow barrier in terrestrial arthropods: a case study with the scorpion Buthus occitanus as model organism.

摘要: The phylogenetic relationship between Buthus occitanus populations across the Strait of Gibraltar was investigated using nuclear 18S/ITS-1 DNA sequences and mitochondrial 16S COI sequences. All analyses showed that European samples are highly separated from North African samples, also suggest existence three main groups within this species complex, i.e., an European, Atlas (=Moroccan samples) a Tell-Atlas group (=Tunisian samples). clade subdivided into distinct subclades. application previous calibration molecular clock another buthid suggested most detected lineages including about times older than re-opening Strait, consequently, other vicariant events responsible for observed phylogeographic structure complex. Concerning Moroccan discordance gene markers observed. tree could not resolve relationships among B. subspecies closely related atlantis, whereas genes co-existence several old in Morocco. We hypothesized difference may be explained by male-biased flow conversion at tandemly repeated regions.