Extreme mito-nuclear discordance in a peninsular lizard: the role of drift, selection, and climate.

Nuclear and mitochondrial genomes coexist within cells but are subject to different tempos and modes of evolution. Evolutionary forces such as drift, mutation, selection, and migration are expected to play fundamental roles in the origin and maintenance of diverged populations; however, divergence may lag between genomes subject to different modes of inheritance and functional specialization. Herein, we explore whole mitochondrial genome data and thousands of nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms to evidence extreme mito-nuclear discordance in the small black-tailed brush lizard, Urosaurus nigricaudus, of the Peninsula of Baja California, Mexico and southern California, USA, and discuss potential drivers.

Genetic evidence supports (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) as a subspecies of .

Since Sylvilagus bachmani (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) from the Baja California Peninsula and S. mansuetus from San Jose Island, Mexico, display an allopatric distribution and are closely related, their taxonomy is unclear. The phylogenetic relationships among specimens of both species were evaluated using two mitochondrial genes (Cyt b, COI) and the beta-fibrinogen nuclear gene intron 7 (β-fib I7).

Assessment of Trace Metals in Soil, Vegetation and Rodents in Relation to Metal Mining Activities in an Arid Environment.

Areas where abandoned metal-extraction mines are located contain large quantities of mineral wastes derived from environmentally unsafe mining practices. These wastes contain many pollutants, such as heavy metals, which could be released to the environment through weathering and leaching, hence becoming an important source of environmental metal pollution. This study evaluates differences in the levels of lead, iron, nickel, manganese, copper and cadmium in rodents sharing the same type of diet under different microhabitat use in arid areas with past mining activities.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the black-tailed brush lizard Urosaurus nigricaudus (Reptilia, Squamata, Phrynosomatidae).

Previous studies using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes suggest the black-tailed brush lizard, Urosaurus nigricaudus, which is a small-sized lizard from the peninsula of Baja California, Mexico, has 4 deeply isolated mtDNA lineages with sequence divergence ranging from 4% to 11.2%. We present its complete mitochondrial genome.

The endemic insular and peninsular species Chaetodipus spinatus (Mammalia, Heteromyidae) breaks patterns for Baja California.

The Baja California peninsula is the second longest, most geographically isolated peninsula on Earth. Its physiography and the presence of many surrounding islands has facilitated studies of the underlying patterns and drivers of genetic structuring for a wide spectrum of organisms. Chaetodipus spinatus is endemic to the region and occurs on 12 associated islands, including 10 in the Gulf of California and two in the Pacific Ocean.

Phylogenetic structure of the Thomomys bottae-umbrinus complex in North America.

The phylogeography of the Thomomys bottae-umbrinus complex in the United States and Mexico was assessed with sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. These sequences were obtained from 225 individuals representing 108 locations over the range, including 56 sequences from GenBank. 110 (500bp) sequences were used for Bayesian inference and neighbor-joining analyses, and 34 (1140bp) specimens from the main clades obtained from the Bayesian inference were used in maximum-parsimony and maximum-likelihood analyses.

Geographic genetic architecture of pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) populations in Baja California, Mexico.

Phylogenetic analyses of complete mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences support the monophyly of pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) populations from the 1000 km length of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, relative to other geographical segments of the species range in western North America. The Baja California peninsula is an area that encompasses considerable ecomorphological and infraspecific diversity within this pocket gopher species. However, detailed population analyses encompassing 35 localities distributed over the southern half of the peninsula reveal only trivial phylogeographical structure.