Role of paleoclimatic and paleohydrological processes in lineage divergence in freshwater organisms: A snippet from lentic genus Pila

• Published in: Molecular phylogenetics and evolution Vol. 181; p. 107723
• Main Authors: Sil, Maitreya, Roy, Abhisikta, Bhat, H.N. Poorna, Palden, Tenzin, Karanth, K. Praveen, Aravind, N.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-04-2023
• Subjects: Allopatric divergence; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Ecosystem; Fresh Water; Freshwater snail; Genetics, Population; Integrative taxonomy; Miocene; Phylogeny; Phylogeography; River basin; River capture; River basin; Miocene; Allopatric divergence; River capture; Freshwater snail; Integrative taxonomy
• ISSN: 1055-7903; 1095-9513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107723

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•Freshwater snail Pila globosa and Pila virens contain several lineages.•The lineages are genetically and ecologically divergent but morphologically cryptic.•The lineages occupy different river basins in India.•Lineage divergence was likely driven by paleohydrological changes.•Climatic oscillations during the Miocene also played a role in speciation.
The Indian subcontinent is extremely diverse in terms of its flora and fauna. However, only a handful of studies have aimed to understand the diversity of freshwater invertebrates using multiple lines of evidence in recent times. Here we aimed to estimate the cryptic diversity of two widespread freshwater snail species within the genus Pila (Röding, 1798) and uncover the processes behind lineage diversification in these species. We sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear markers from a comprehensive sampling of specimens from different river basins in India. We implemented an integrative taxonomy approach to delimit the lineages in these groups, employing phylogenetic, geometric morphometric and niche modelling-based methods. Then, we investigated the drivers of lineage divergence in these species using population genetic tools in conjunction with divergence time estimation. We found that both species consist of several genetically and ecologically distinct lineages. The genetic data showed that several of these lineages are restricted to a single or a few river basins. The divergence time estimation analyses indicated that the time frame of divergence within the species coincided with paleohydrological and paleoclimatic events in the Miocene. The diversification was primarily driven by allopatric isolation into different river basins. To conclude, the study sheds light on the complex interaction between the habitat preference of the species and the environment in shaping the diversification patterns in this group.