Genetic data from algae sedimentary DNA reflect the influence of environment over geography.
Genetic investigations on eukaryotic plankton confirmed the existence of modern biogeographic patterns, but analyses of palaeoecological data exploring the temporal variability of these patterns have rarely been presented. Ancient sedimentary DNA proved suitable for investigations of past assemblage turnover in the course of environmental change, but genetic relatedness of the identified lineages has not yet been undertaken. Here, we investigate the relatedness of diatom lineages in Siberian lakes along environmental gradients (i.e. across treeline transects), over geographic distance and through time (i.e. the last 7000 years) using modern and ancient sedimentary DNA. Our results indicate that closely-related Staurosira lineages occur in similar environments and less-related lineages in dissimilar environments, in our case different vegetation and co-varying climatic and limnic variables across treeline transects. Thus our study reveals that environmental conditions rather than geographic distance is reflected by diatom-relatedness patterns in space and time. We tentatively speculate that the detected relatedness pattern in Staurosira across the treeline could be a result of adaptation to diverse environmental conditions across the arctic boreal treeline, however, a geographically-driven divergence and subsequent repopulation of ecologically different habitats might also be a potential explanation for the observed pattern.
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
Kathleen R
KR
Stoof-Leichsenring
1] Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473 Potsdam, Germany [2] University of Potsdam, Institute of Earth and Environmental Science, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
Ulrike
U
Herzschuh
North-Eastern Federal University of Yakutsk, Department for Geography and Biology, ul. Belinskogo 58, 677000 Yakutsk, Russia.
Luidmila A
LA
Pestryakova
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
Juliane
J
Klemm
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
Laura S
LS
Epp
University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
Ralph
R
Tiedemann
D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D058086:Microalgae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny
D018744:DNA, Plant