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Evolutionary history of Nasutitermes kemneri (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae), a termite from the South American diagonal of open formations

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Author(s):
Kohari, Karolina S. ; Palma-Onetto, Valeria ; Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. ; Vasconcellos, Alexandre ; Cancello, Eliana M. ; Santos, Rafaella G. ; Carrijo, Tiago F.
Total Authors: 7
Document type: Journal article
Source: FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION; v. 10, p. 9-pg., 2022-12-22.
Abstract

Little is known about the phylogeography of termites in the Neotropical region. Here, we explored the genetic patterns and phylogeographical processes in the evolutionary history of Nasutitermes kemneri, an endemic termite of the South American diagonal of open formations (DOF) formed by the Chaco, Cerrado, and Caatinga phytogeographic domains. We sampled 60 individuals across the three domains of the DOF, and using the mitochondrial genes 16S, COI, and COII, as well as the nuclear gene ITS, evaluated the genetic diversity and divergence time of the populations, along with their genetic structure. The results show a strong genetic and spatial structure within the samples, evidencing the existence of two well-differentiated genetic groups: the Northeastern and the Southwestern populations, which diverged about 2.5 Mya, during the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary. The Northeastern population, which encompasses Caatinga and northern portions of Cerrado, has an intricate structure and seems to have suffered repetitive retraction-expansion events due to climactic fluctuations during the Quaternary. The Southwestern population, which ranges from central-south Cerrado to the northeast peripherical portions of the Chaco, displays a star-shaped haplotype structure, indicating that this region may have acted as a refugia during interglacial periods. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/20068-9 - Phylogeography of two neotropical termites (Isoptera) species with different life styles
Grantee:Eliana Marques Cancello
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
FAPESP's process: 13/03767-0 - Phylogeography of the Heterotermes tenuis (Hagen, 1858) species complex (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)
Grantee:Tiago Fernandes Carrijo
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 20/06041-4 - Apicotermitinae (Blattaria, Isoptera, Termitidae) from the upper Madeira River region, Rondônia, Brazil: taxonomy and dimensions of diversity
Grantee:Tiago Fernandes Carrijo
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants