Background:

The topographic and climatic diversity of the Mexican Transition Zone (MTZ) has favored species richness, disjunctions and endemism. Tigridia durangensis is an endemic geophyte with disjunct distribution in the MTZ.

Questions and / or Hypotheses:

What is the genetic diversity of Tigridia durangensis? Does it have genetic and phylogeographic structure? Were there any changes in its demographic history? Did the Quaternary climatic oscillations affect its area of distribution?

Methods:

The cpDNA regions ndhF-rpL32, rpL32-trnL, and 3´trnV-ndhC of 55 individuals from 10 populations were sequenced. The genetic diversity and the genetic structure were estimated with Hd, π and F ST. The parameters G ST and N ST determined the phylogeographic structure. The genealogical relationships were inferred with a haplotype net. Phylogenetic hypotheses were generated with Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood. The demographic history was determined by means of neutrality tests, analyses of mismatch distribution (AMD) and Bayesian skyline plot. The paleodistribution was estimated with ecological niche models (ENMs).

Results:

Tigridia durangensis showed genetic and phylogeographic structure. Nine haplotypes were identified; H1 and H2-H9 formed two intraspecific lineages. The neutrality tests were not significant. The AMD plot was congruent with the haplotype net. Tigridia durangensis experienced a bottleneck in the recent past and the ENMs displayed a disjunct distribution in all scenarios.

Conclusions:

In Tigridia durangensis, the bottleneck and the interruption of the gene flow between the haplogroups might have been associated with orogenic processes and volcanism of the Transmexican Volcanic Belt.

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