Bruning Paulina, Archaumbault Phillippe, Garrido Ignacio, de Lecea Ander M, Morley Simon A, Brante Antonio, Ortiz Paula, Cárdenas Leyla
Takuvik, Quebec Ocean, Department of Biology Université Laval Québec Quebec Canada.
Centro FONDAP de Investigación en Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL) Punta Arenas Chile.
Ecol Evol. 2024 Dec 2;14(12):e70522. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70522. eCollection 2024 Dec.
The Antarctic marine environment has a unique geologic and climatic history that has contributed to the evolution of high species diversity. Given the current trend of environmental warming, understanding the history of Antarctic species is crucial for predicting the impact of climate change on ecosystem function. Soft corals are a group of striking presence in the benthic marine assemblages in the Southern Ocean, which is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. DNA sequences (Cox1, mtMutS, and 28S rDNA) were utilized for molecular phylogenetic reconstructions, species delimitations, and divergence estimations to investigate the spatial patterns of genetic diversity in species in the southern South American-Antarctic region. Significant genetic divergence was observed between regions, with a clear genetic break between South America and the West Antarctic Peninsula and the identification of four putative species. Divergence time estimates indicated that 's diversification began about 41.1 million years ago (Ma), coinciding with the opening of the Drake Passage and the formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC, ~42 Ma). This indicates that has persisted in situ for an extensive period, enduring a wide range of environmental conditions.
南极海洋环境拥有独特的地质和气候历史，这促进了高物种多样性的演化。鉴于当前环境变暖的趋势，了解南极物种的历史对于预测气候变化对生态系统功能的影响至关重要。软珊瑚是南大洋底栖海洋群落中引人注目的一类生物，南大洋被认为是一个生物多样性热点地区。利用DNA序列（Cox1、mtMutS和28S rDNA）进行分子系统发育重建、物种界定和分歧估计，以研究南美洲 - 南极地区物种遗传多样性的空间格局。各区域之间观察到显著的遗传分歧，南美洲与南极半岛西部之间存在明显的遗传间断，并鉴定出四个假定物种。分歧时间估计表明，该物种的多样化始于约4110万年前（百万年），与德雷克海峡的打开和南极绕极流（ACC，约42百万年）的形成同时发生。这表明该物种在原地持续存在了很长一段时间，经受了广泛的环境条件。
