engleski

Genetic structure of threatened freshwater crayfish Austropotamobius italicus from the eastern Adriatic coast

Within species Austropotamobius italicus four subspecies are recognized based on molecular phylogeny analyses: A. i. carinthiacus, A. i. italicus, A. i. meridionalis and A. i. carsicus. The two latter are distributed in the Adriatic Sea drainage. A. i. meridionalis is distributed from Venezia Friuli Giulia region (Italy) to Montenegro and A. i. carsicus only in Istria (Croatia) and Slovenian Littoral. The aim of our research was to examine genetic and geographical distribution pattern of these subspecies. 172 specimens from 51 localities were examined and different phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses on 16s and COI mitochondrial genes were performed. The most important result was the finding of fine genetic structure within A. i. meridionalis. Altogether, 6 subgroups inside A. i. meridionalis were found. Five subgroups are distributed on the eastern Adriatic coast and only one subgroup is widely distributed in the Central and Southern Italy. The result of molecular clock analysis showed that the oldest split within subspecies occurred during Late Pleistocene. Our results support the hypothesis that the complex distribution of these subgroups was caused by sea level oscillations and Paleo-Po River drainage that probably had a crucial role for the observed distribution pattern.

white-clawed crayfish; phylogeography; Paleo-Po drainage; Pleistocene

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