Climatic suitability, isolation by distance and river resistance explain genetic variation in a Brazilian whiptail lizard

Spatial patterns of genetic variation can help understand how environmental factors either permit or restrict gene flow and create opportunities for regional adaptations. Organisms from harsh environments such as the Brazilian semiarid Caatinga biome may reveal how severe climate conditions may affect patterns of genetic variation. Herein we combine information from mitochondrial DNA with physical and environmental features to study the association between different aspects of the Caatinga landscape and spatial genetic variation in the whiptail lizard Ameivula ocellifera. We investigated which of the climatic, environmental, geographical and/or historical components best predict: (1) the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, and (2) the genetic differentiation among populations. We found that genetic variation in A. ocellifera has been influenced mainly by temperature variability, which modulates connectivity among populations. Past climate conditions were important for shaping cur...

遗传变异的空间格局有助于解析环境因子如何调控或限制基因流，并为局域适应创造契机。栖息于巴西半干旱卡廷加生物群区（Caatinga biome）等严苛环境中的生物，可揭示极端气候条件如何影响遗传变异格局。本研究整合线粒体DNA（mitochondrial DNA）相关数据与物理、环境特征，探究卡廷加景观的不同维度与鞭尾蜥（whiptail lizard）*Ameivula ocellifera* 种群空间遗传变异之间的关联。我们旨在明确以下哪些气候、环境、地理及/或历史因子可最优预测：（1）遗传多样性的空间分布，（2）种群间的遗传分化。本研究发现，*Ameivula ocellifera* 的遗传变异主要受温度变异性影响，该因子可调控种群间的连通性。古气候条件对于塑造当前（原文未完成）具有重要作用。