On the road: postglacial history and recent expansion of the annual Atriplex tatarica in Europe

Aim: The Holocene history of annual plant species is at best shadowy because, for most, the palaeobotanical data is scarce or absent. Hence, there is limited information on their glacial refugia and postglacial colonisation pathways. Also, little is known how human activity has affected their expansion. Here, we outline the joint influences of postglacial colonisation and recent expansions on the genetic diversity of the continental, sub-halophyte species Atriplex tatarica during the late Pleistocene and the Holocene. Location: Europe. Taxon: Atriplex tatarica (Amaranthaceae) Methods: We analysed 780 individuals from 80 populations throughout the current European distribution range, employing chloroplast DNA sequences and microsatellite markers.
Results: Five haplotype lineages were recognised based on the results of the cpDNA phylogenetic analyses. These lineages originated 0.43−0.22 my BP. Bayesian clustering analyses divided populations of A. tatarica into two clusters: (i) populati...