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Population structure in Neotropical plants: integrating pollination biology, topography and climatic niches
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  • Agnes Dellinger,
  • Ovidiu Paun,
  • Juliane Baar,
  • Eva Temsch,
  • Diana Fernández-Fernández,
  • Jürg Schönenberger
Agnes Dellinger
University of Colorado Boulder

Corresponding Author:agnes.dellinger@univie.ac.at

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Ovidiu Paun
University of Vienna
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Juliane Baar
University of Vienna
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Eva Temsch
University of Vienna
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Diana Fernández-Fernández
Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
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Jürg Schönenberger
University of Vienna
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Abstract

Animal pollinators mediate gene flow among plant populations, but, in contrast to well-studied topographic and (Pleistocene) environmental isolating barriers, their impact on population genetic differentiation remains largely unexplored. Comparatively investigating how these multifarious factors drive microevolutionary histories is, however, crucial for better resolving macroevolutionary patterns of plant diversification. We here combined genomic analyses with landscape genetics and niche modelling across six related Neotropical plant species (424 individuals across 33 localities) differing in pollination strategy to test the hypothesis that highly mobile (vertebrate) pollinators more effectively link isolated localities than less mobile (bee) pollinators. We found consistently higher genetic differentiation (FST) among localities of bee- than vertebrate-pollinated species with increasing geographic distance, topographic barriers and historic climatic instability. High admixture among montane populations further suggested relative climatic stability of Neotropical montane forests during the Pleistocene. Overall, our results indicate that pollinators may differentially impact the potential for allopatric speciation, thereby critically influencing diversification histories at macroevolutionary scales.
09 Nov 2021Submitted to Molecular Ecology
10 Nov 2021Submission Checks Completed
10 Nov 2021Assigned to Editor
24 Nov 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
17 Jan 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Jan 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
31 Jan 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
31 Jan 20221st Revision Received
09 Feb 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
10 Feb 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 Feb 20222nd Revision Received
11 Feb 2022Editorial Decision: Accept
Apr 2022Published in Molecular Ecology volume 31 issue 8 on pages 2264-2280. 10.1111/mec.16403