engleski

Disentangling the diversification of <i>Dianthus sylvestris</i> Wulfen s.l. on the Balkan Peninsula using an integrative approach

Dianthus sylvestris s.l. is a group comprising morphologically highly variable taxa distributed in central Mediterranean, with the highest taxonomic diversity described in Italy. Another diversity centre is the Balkan Peninsula, from where six taxa mostly treated as subspecies of D. sylvestris have been described: subsp. alboroseus, subsp. bertisceus, subsp. kozjakensis, subsp. nodosus, subsp. sylvestris and subsp. tergestinus. Their identification is challenging due to great morphological variability and complex patterns of variation with respect to ecological preferences. In an ongoing study, we are combining an array of methods ranging from nomenclatural revision and morphometrics, over cytological and genome size estimation, to environmental niche analyses and population genetic analyses to disentangle relationships within D. sylvestris s.l. on the Balkan Peninsula. The morphometric analyses revealed a continuous variability of quantitative morphological characters and an absence of clear-cut qualitative morphological differences among the subspecies. In addition, the niche overlap assessment indicated that niche similarity is more common among the six subspecies, than niche divergence. Population genetics analyses suggest that D. sylvestris subsp. tergestinus presents a separate evolutionary lineage, while other populations on the Balkan Peninsula form a cline of genetic differentiation in the SE-NW direction. Finally, the relative genome size estimation using flow cytometry, with confirmatory chromosome counts, revealed polyploidisation in the NW Balkan Peninsula, as the tetraploid populations (2n =4x =60) are restricted to the Istrian Peninsula and Kvarner in Croatia and Italy. All the remaining Balkan populations were diploid (2n =2x =30).

integrative taxonomy ; morphometrics ; population genomics ; Balkan Peninsula

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