Meeting Abstract

P1.162  Saturday, Jan. 4 15:30  Phylogeography and ecological niche modeling of the wide-ranging scorpions species, Paruroctonus boreus, in the western US MILLER, AL*; MAKOWSKY, RA; COX, CL; FORMANOWICZ, DR; University of Tampa; University of Texas at Arlington; University of Virginia; University of Texas at Arlington abraham.miller@ut.edu

Phylogeographic studies in western North America have revealed how a varied topography across the landscape coupled with historic climatic fluctuations can shape the genetic diversity within a species, create genetically isolated populations and affect dispersal and range expansion. Generally, the phylogenetics of taxa in the region are molded to varying degrees by both vicariance and dispersal. However, the influence of historical fluctuations in the climate is not well understood. The recent availability of historical climate data and the use of ecological niche modeling allowed us to more fully address the processes that have shaped the genetic diversity observed in a species. We modeled the distribution of a wide-ranging but poorly known vaejovid scorpion, Paruroctonus boreus, under current climatic conditions and two historic climatic conditions. We tested how historical distributions could shape the phylogeographic diversity in a species across a landscape with dynamic topography. We thoroughly sampled across the geographic range using ample sampling of mitochondrial DNA, and used maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian Inference to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships. Our findings show P. boreus has complex genetic relationships among populations, likely created by sequential range expansion and contraction with population isolation and contact brought about by historical climatic fluctuations. Our findings demonstrate how historical climatic variation can potentially create cryptic biodiversity and complex genetic relationships in a wide-ranging species that exhibits altitudinal restrictions.