312V Poster Online - Virtual Posters
Tuesday June 07, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Authors:
Astrid Munoz-Ortiz; Laura Campos

Affiliation: Universidad de La Salle

Keywords:
Speciation & hybridization

We studied the genetic structure between populations of the liverwort Cheilolejeunea rigidula (Lejeuneaceae), which occurred four lowland rain forest sites from Colombian Amazon (Amazonas, Caquetá, Putumayo, and Vaupés). In addition to 65 successfully sequenced samples from the study sites, we included individuals of C. rigidula from Guiana and Brazil (Manaus and Tapajos) to investigate the connectivity and genetic structure of this species across the Amazon region. Each site in Colombia, Brazil and Guiana was considered a subpopulation. The sequenced chloroplast markers (partial atpB gene, partial psbA gene/psbA-trnH spacer) showed little variation across the Amazon. The nuclear marker (ITS) showed a spatial structure indicating genetic differentiation of subpopulations across the Amazon, but again little genetic structure along trees. The gradient across the Amazon shows a relationship between genetic distance and geographic distance, indicating limitations not only in dispersal (P<0.001). Our results suggests that dispersal can have a dominant effect on populations and communities at local and regional scales, increasing connectivity.