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.

本研究针对多瑙河冠螈（Triturus dobrogicus）的近期演化历史展开探究，通过重建以下三方面内容实现：（1）末次冰盛期（Last Glacial Maximum）冰期避难所的数量与分布位置；（2）中欧主要河流在冰后扩散格局中的作用；（3）当前的物种分布格局。我们对覆盖该物种全分布范围的58个种群的363个多瑙河冠螈个体，分析了线粒体DNA（mitochondrial DNA）ND2基因片段（1065 bp）与6个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci）的序列。分析结果表明，多瑙河冠螈在末次冰盛期存活于潘诺尼亚西北部与潘诺尼亚南部两处独立的冰期避难所，并由此沿多瑙河与蒂萨河（Tisza River）扩张了自身的分布范围。本研究同时证实，河流在塑造中欧两栖动物的演化历史过程中发挥了关键作用。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——火腹铃蟾（Bombina bombina）的分布范围进行了对比。模型结果显示，潘诺尼亚内部的孤立山地并未被火腹铃蟾占据，而是由其山地栖息的姊妹物种（sister-species）斑铃蟾（B. variegata）所占据。但与模型预测相悖的是，冠螈类（包括多瑙河冠螈）并未出现在上述山地中。我们将这一生物地理学差异归因于该物种在末次冰盛期的避难所分布位置。