title: Clonal reproduction shapes evolution in the lizard malaria parasite Plasmodium floridense.
abstract: The preponderant clonal evolution hypothesis (PCE) predicts that frequent clonal reproduction (sex between two clones) in many pathogens capable of sexual recombination results in strong linkage disequilibrium and the presence of discrete genetic subdivisions characterized by occasional gene flow. We expand on the PCE and predict that higher rates of clonal reproduction will result in: (1) morphologically cryptic species that exhibit (2) low within-species variation and (3) recent between-species divergence. We tested these predictions in the Caribbean lizard malaria parasite Plasmodium floridense using 63 single-infection samples in lizards collected from across the parasite's range, and sequenced them at two mitochondrial, one apicoplast, and five nuclear genes. We identified 11 provisionally cryptic species within P. floridense, each of which exhibits low intraspecific variation and recent divergence times between species (some diverged approximately 110,000 years ago). Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that clonal reproduction can profoundly affect diversification of species capable of sexual recombination, and suggest that clonal reproduction may have led to a large number of unrecognized pathogen species. The factors that may influence the rates of clonal reproduction among pathogens are unclear, and we discuss how prevalence and virulence may relate to clonal reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics and Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024.|U.S. Geological Survey, Daniel Beard Center, Everglades National Park, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, Florida, 33034.
authors.forename: Bryan G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, The University of Kansas, 2041 Haworth Hall, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Glor
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics and Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Perkins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017691:Caribbean Region; D051456:Gene Flow; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008116:Lizards / Q000469:parasitology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D014774:Virulence
keywords: Cryptic species; Haemosporidia; genetic variation; preponderant clonal evolution; recent speciation