title: Munroa argentina, a Grass of the South American Transition Zone, Survived the Andean Uplift, Aridification and Glaciations of the Quaternary.
abstract: The South American Transition Zone (SATZ) is a biogeographic area in which not only orogeny (Andes uplift) and climate events (aridification) since the mid-Miocene, but also Quaternary glaciation cycles had an important impact on the evolutionary history of the local flora. To study this effect, we selected Munroa argentina, an annual grass distributed in the biogeographic provinces of Puna, Prepuna and Monte. We collected 152 individuals from 20 localities throughout the species' range, ran genetic and demographic analyses, and applied ecological niche modeling. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses based on cpDNA and AFLP data identified three phylogroups that correspond to the previously identified subregions within the SATZ. Molecular dating suggests that M. argentina has inhabited the SATZ since approximately 3.4 (4.2-1.2) Ma and paleomodels predict suitable climate in these areas during the Interglacial period and the Last Glacial Maximum. We conclude that the current distribution of M. argentina resulted from the fragmentation of its once continuous range and that climate oscillations promoted ecological differences that favored isolation by creating habitat discontinuity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sarsfield 1611-X5016GCA, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Leonardo D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Amarilla
authors.affiliation: Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sarsfield 1611-X5016GCA, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Anton
authors.affiliation: Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sarsfield 1611-X5016GCA, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jorge O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Chiapella
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Recursos Biológicos, INTA, Castelar, 1712 Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Manifesto
authors.affiliation: Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología AC, Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
authors.forename: Diego F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Angulo
authors.affiliation: Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología AC, Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sosa
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005828:Genetics, Population; D058974:Phylogeography; D006109:Poaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D013020:South America
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant