Genome size variation within Crithmum maritimum: Clues on the colonization of insular environments

Angiosperms present an astonishing diversity of genome sizes that can vary intra- or interspecifically. The remarkable new cytogenomic data shed some light on our un-derstanding of evolution, but few studies were performed with insular and mainland populations to test possible correlations with dispersal, speciation, and adaptations to insular environments. Here, patterns of cytogenomic diversity were assessed among geographic samples (ca. 114) of Crithmum maritimum (Apiaceae), collected across the Azores and Madeira archipelagos, as well as in adjacent continental areas of Portugal. Using flow cytometry, the results indicated a significant intraspecific genome size variation, spanning from reduced sizes in the insular populations to larger ones in the mainland populations. Moreover, there was a tendency for an increase in genome size along the mainland populations, associated with lower temperatures, higher precipita-tion, and lower precipitation seasonality. However, this gradient might be the result of historic phylogeographical events associated with previous dispersal and extinc-tion of local populations. Overall, our findings provided evidence that smaller genomesizes might play a critical role in the colonization of islands, corroborating other stud-ies that argue that organisms with smaller genomes use fewer resources, having a selective advantage under insular environments. Although further studies are neededto improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying genome size evolution on islands, conservation strategies must be promoted to protect the rich cytogenomic diversity found among C. maritimum populations, which occur in coastal areas that are particularly threatened by human activity, pollution, invasive species, and climatechanges.

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion