Phylogeography and population structure of two Brachistosternus species (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae) from the Chilean coastal desert ? the perils of coastal living

ANDRES ALEJANDRO OJANGUREN AFFILASTRO; SARA CECCARELLI; JAIME PIZARRO ARAYA

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016

0024-4066

Coastal deserts are geologically dynamic areas of the Earth, affected by historical changes in sea levels and in some cases also by fault-line tectonic activity. An example of such a dynamic area is the Chilean coastal desert of the Antofagasta and Atacama regions, which harbours many endemic species, such as the bothriurid scorpion species Brachistosternus paposo and Brachistosternus roigalsinai. In this work, we carry out phylogeographic and population genetic analyses on these scorpions, using two mitochondrial (COI and cyt b) and two nuclear (Actin 5C and wingless) markers to identify species and population structuring, and link these findings to the geologicalhistory of the area. The geographical feature separating the two species is identified as the Huasco River, and distinguishing morphological features for these scorpions are presented. Population genetic and phylogeographic outcomes reflect an unstable history across this region for B. paposo and B. roigalsinai, related to sea-level changes affecting coastal habitats, including nearby islands.