Quaternary range-shift history of Japanese wingnut (Pterocarya rhoifolia) in the Japanese Archipelago evidenced from chloroplast DNA and ecological niche modeling

ABSTRACTBased on organelle DNA phylogeographic analyses and ecological niche modeling (ENM), we investigated the range-shift history of the Japanese wingnut (Pterocarya rhoifolia) during the Quaternary climatic oscillations with particular emphasis on the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Phylogeographic patterns of this species were determined using 376 individuals from 53 populations for chloroplast DNA sequencing of three spacers. Spatial analysis of molecular variance revealed that the current phylogeographic structure would be sculptured by multiple range shifts from each glacial refugium, which would have been repeated several times during the Quaternary climatic oscillations. High haplotype diversity and private haplotypes were detected in southwestern Japan, where wingnut is currently infrequent and found mainly in high mountains, whereas in northernmost Japan, haplotype diversity was low though this plant is quite common at present. According to ENM approach, during the LGM, the climatically suitable d...