Genetic diversity and structure of Hypochaeris catharinensis Cabrera (Asteraceae), an endemic species of Southern Brazil

Abstract

The genus Hypochaeris was likely introduced into South America by a unique long-distance dispersal event from an ancestral Northwest African species, with subsequent radiation and diversification throughout the temperate zones of the continent. Hypochaeris catharinensis is an endemic species of Southern Brazil growing mostly in high-elevation grasslands with dry, rocky, and shallow soils. Here, we used nine microsatellite loci and a total sample of 441 individuals to assess genetic variability patterns within and among 13 H. catharinensis populations. The results showed a total of 215 alleles in the nine loci tested, the expected and observed heterozygosities average were 0.31 and 0.43, respectively, and allelic richness varied from 4.09 to 7.23. The levels of allelic richness showed that genetic variability is maintained by gene flow, thus ensuring that these populations are not genetically isolated. We found no correlation between geographic and genetic distances, with high levels of genetic variability within, rather than among, populations. The low levels of genetic structure in the species are consistent with recent evolutionary processes of the Hypochaeris genus in South America; after adaptive radiation and species differentiation, dispersal to similar habitats led to the establishment of new populations. Along with initial founder effects, the existence of gene flow explains the current genetic variation across the H. catharinensis populations. In addition, historic environmental changes reported for Southern Brazil may explain the current clustered distribution of the species.