Data from: Using genetic variation to infer associations with climate in the common frog, Rana temporaria

Recent and historical species' associations with climate can be inferred using molecular markers. This knowledge of population and species-level responses to climatic variables can then be used to predict the potential consequences of ongoing climate change. The aim of this study was to predict responses of Rana temporaria to environmental change in Scotland by inferring historical and contemporary patterns of gene flow in relation to current variation in local thermal conditions. We first inferred colonization patterns within Europe following the last glacial maximum by combining new and previously published mitochondrial DNA sequences. We found that sequences from our Scottish samples were identical to (92%), or clustered with, the common haplotype previously identified from Western Europe. This clade showed very low mitochondrial variation, which did not allow inference of historical colonization routes but did allow interpretation of patterns of current fine-scale population structure without consideration of confounding historical variation. Second, we assessed fine-scale microsatellite-based patterns of genetic variation in relation to current altitudinal temperature gradients. No population structure was found within altitudinal gradients (average FST = 0.02), despite a mean annual temperature difference of 4.5 °C between low- and high-altitude sites. Levels of genetic diversity were considerable and did not vary between sites. The panmictic population structure observed, even along temperature gradients, is a potentially positive sign for R. temporaria persistence in Scotland in the face of a changing climate. This study demonstrates that within taxonomic groups, thought to be at high risk from environmental change, levels of vulnerability can vary, even within species.

借助分子标记（molecular marker），可推断物种在当代与历史时期与气候的关联模式。基于种群及物种水平对气候变量的响应规律，可进一步预测当前气候变化可能带来的潜在影响。本研究旨在通过推断与当地当前热环境变化相关的历史及当代基因流模式，预测欧洲林蛙（Rana temporaria）在苏格兰境内对环境变化的响应。首先，本研究整合全新测序数据与已发表的线粒体DNA（mitochondrial DNA）序列，重建末次冰盛期后欧洲境内的物种定殖模式。研究发现，苏格兰样本中的序列有92%与此前在西欧鉴定出的共享单倍型（haplotype）完全一致，其余序列则聚类至该单倍型演化支（clade）。该演化支的线粒体遗传变异水平极低，虽无法据此推断历史定殖路径，但可在排除历史混淆变量的前提下，解析当前精细尺度的种群结构模式。其次，本研究针对当前海拔温度梯度，评估了基于微卫星（microsatellite）标记的精细尺度遗传变异模式。尽管低海拔与高海拔样点间的年均温差达4.5℃，但海拔梯度范围内未检测到种群结构，平均FST值为0.02。各样点的遗传多样性水平均较高，且组间无显著差异。即便在温度梯度下仍观测到泛交种群结构，这对于欧洲林蛙在苏格兰应对气候变化并维持种群存续而言，是一项潜在的积极信号。本研究表明，即便是被认为面临极高环境变化风险的类群，其种群脆弱性水平也可能存在差异，甚至在同一物种种群内亦是如此。