Data from: Phylogeographic analysis reveals northerly refugia for the riverine amphibian Triturus dobrogicus (Caudata: Salamandridae)

We investigated the recent evolutionary history of the Danube crested newt, Triturus dobrogicus through reconstructions of: (1) the number and position of refugia at the last glacial maximum, (2) the role of major central European rivers in pattern of post-glacial dispersal, and (3) the present-day distribution pattern. We analysed sequences of mitochondrial DNA (ND2, 1065 bp) and six microsatellite loci in 363 T. dobrogicus individuals from 58 populations covering the range of the species. Our analyses suggested that T. dobrogicus survived the last glacial maximum in two separate refugia positioned in northwestern Pannonia and in Southern Pannonia from where its range expanded along the Danube and Tisza Rivers. Our findings also confirmed that rivers played an important role in shaping the evolutionary history of amphibian species in Central Europe. We compared the T. dobrogicus range with another lowland amphibian, the fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina, using species distribution modelling. In line with these models, the isolated mountains inside Pannonia are occupied not by B. bombina, but by its mountain-dwelling sister-species B. variegata. However, in contrast to the model, crested newts (including T. dobrogicus) are absent from these mountains. We attribute this biogeographical discrepancy to the positioning of the species’ refugia at the last glacial maximum.

本研究以多瑙河冠螈（Triturus dobrogicus）为研究对象，探究其近期演化历史，通过重构以下三方面内容开展系统分析：(1) 末次冰盛期（last glacial maximum）避难所（refugia）的数量与分布位置；(2) 中欧主要河流在冰后扩散格局中的作用；(3) 该物种当前的分布模式。我们对覆盖该物种全分布范围的58个种群共363个个体的线粒体DNA（mitochondrial DNA）序列（ND2基因，长度1065 bp）以及6个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci）进行了分析。分析结果显示，多瑙河冠螈在末次冰盛期存活于两处独立避难所，分别位于潘诺尼亚西北部与潘诺尼亚南部，随后其分布范围沿多瑙河与蒂萨河向外扩张。本研究同时证实，河流在塑造中欧两栖动物的演化历史中发挥了关键作用。我们还借助物种分布模型（species distribution modelling），将多瑙河冠螈的分布范围与另一种低地两栖动物——东方铃蟾（Bombina bombina）进行了对比。与模型预测结果一致的是，潘诺尼亚内部的孤立山地并未被东方铃蟾占据，而是由其山地栖息的姊妹物种（sister-species）斑铃蟾（Bombina variegata）所占据。但与模型结果相悖的是，冠螈类（包括多瑙河冠螈）并未在这些山地中出现。我们将这一生物地理差异（biogeographical discrepancy）归因于该物种在末次冰盛期的避难所位置。