Evolutionary history of soil-feeding Neotropical termites reveals recent divergences linked to geologic-climatic influences

Résumé fourni par la source

Abstract The Neotropics harbor a diverse array of flora and fauna shaped by a complex geological and climatic history. It includes marine invasions, pulses of Andean uplift, glaciations, and the uplift of the Panama Isthmus. These events have shaped organism distribution, which can be described by methods of historical phylogeography. However, the evolutionary history of nonvertebrate organisms in the Neotropics is still largely unknown. This applies to termites, which are particularly diverse and ecologically important. The phylogeography of the soil-feeding termites Embiratermes neotenicus and Embiratermes chagresi (Termitidae: Syntermitinae) was studied across their whole distribution range, using samples of 243 colonies from eight countries. Analyses based on mitochondrial DNA fragments, microsatellite loci, and complete mitochondrial genomes revealed 4 major mitochondrial haplogroups (H1–H4). The H4 haplogroup occurs in northeastern Brazil and diverged first. The other groups appear to be associated with the Pebas System and marine invasions during the Miocene, which may have contributed to the separation of the ancestral population along a north–south axis. The H1 haplogroup was affiliated with E. chagresi. The phylogenomic analysis estimated the divergence of E. chagresi from the other groups to 5 million years ago, aligning with the northern cordillera uplift during the Miocene. Microsatellite data highlighted the isolation of E. neotenicus populations in Suriname and French Guiana, possibly linked to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. Our study provides insights into the evolutionary history of these species, contributing to a better understanding of how geological and climatic events have influenced species evolution in the Neotropics.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.