2025/01/01 by Ruth Percino‐Daniel, Kara S. Jones, Thomas A. Maigret +2 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · Psychology · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Bat Biology and Ecology Studies #Primate Behavior and Ecology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/evolinnean/kzaf003
openalex publication_date 2025/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26
Abstract Abiotic factors are important for defining population structure and limiting gene flow, especially in ectotherm species. In amphibians, abiotic factors like temperature and precipitation can either facilitate or restrict gene flow. The challenge is identifying if these factors can lead to a pattern of isolation by environment. Our study aims to quantify the extent to which divergence is driven by abiotic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and elevation. To do so, we used a direct-developing frog species, Craugastor loki, that occurs along a steep elevation gradient. Using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) from individuals collected from 100 m to 2250 m of elevation across 13 localities at Sierra Madre de Chiapas in southern Mexico, we described population structure using a variety of model-based clustering and landscape genomics approaches. We found that populations sampled at higher elevation probably correspond to an undescribed new species of Craugastor, and that populations of Craugastor loki between 120 m and 1500 m are clustered in two different genetic groups: a Pacific slope group and a Central Depression slope group. We found signatures of isolation by environment more important than isolation by distance in contributing to genetic divergence in this group of frogs at a fine scale. The environmental variables such as: mean temperature of wettest and warmest quarter, annual mean temperature, and seasonality in temperature and precipitation play an important role on population differentiation. Our results underscore the importance of abiotic factors as drivers of genetic differentiation and highlight the use of different approaches to illuminate fine scale population divergence given the complexity of disentangling the contribution of both patterns of isolation.