Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation

Aim: To reconstruct the colonisation dynamics of silver fir in the Pyrenees during the Holocene using genetic and paleoecological data. Location:Abies alba forests in the Pyrenees and Northeastern Iberia. Taxon: Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Methods: Palaeoecological data from 43 pollen diagrams we...

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Authors: Pèlachs, Albert, Scotti-Saintagne, Caroline, Sánchez-Morales, Marc, Nadal-Tersa, Jordi, Fady, Bruno, Pérez Haase, Aaron, Carracedo-Martín, Virginia, Camarero Martínez, Jesús Julio, Roig, Anne, Cunill Artigas, Raquel, García-Amorena, Ignacio, Pérez-Obiol, Ramón
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2026
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/227520
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227520
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Pirineus
Canvi climàtic
Biodiversitat
Pyrenees
Climatic change
Biodiversity
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spelling Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward ColonisationPèlachs, AlbertScotti-Saintagne, CarolineSánchez-Morales, MarcNadal-Tersa, JordiFady, BrunoPérez Haase, AaronCarracedo-Martín, VirginiaCamarero Martínez, Jesús JulioRoig, AnneCunill Artigas, RaquelGarcía-Amorena, IgnacioPérez-Obiol, RamónPirineusCanvi climàticBiodiversitatPyreneesClimatic changeBiodiversityAim: To reconstruct the colonisation dynamics of silver fir in the Pyrenees during the Holocene using genetic and paleoecological data. Location:Abies alba forests in the Pyrenees and Northeastern Iberia. Taxon: Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Methods: Palaeoecological data from 43 pollen diagrams were used to elucidate the appearance and persistence of silver fir during the Holocene. Additionally, 43 forests were sampled in the southern Pyrenees to perform genetic analyses using 65 SNPs derived from a total of 273 SNPs sourced from a transcriptome assembly. Linear regressions of pairwise population statistics (FST) against geographical distances were performed to examine the presence of isolation by distance. An assumption-free approach was also employed to explore the genetic structure of the populations and coalescence analyses were carried out to infer past demography history. Results: We identified Pyrenean eastern and western genetic groups, which originated from an ancestral population located in the eastern Pyrenees. From this population, a westward colonisation took place, during which isolation by distance led to genetic divergence among populations. The eastern group diverged from a common ancestor shared with Alpine populations approximately 110,250 years (3150 generations) ago. The divergence between the eastern and western groups began around 40,250 years ago, coinciding with a reduction in effective population size to 1/2 of its ancestral value. Subsequently, a secondary contact occurred approximately 8575 years ago, resulting in admixed populations in the central Pyrenees. Main Conclusions: We identified a single eastern origin for Pyrenean silver fir populations, followed by westward expansion and spatial differentiation, with recent gene flow between previously isolated genetic groups. This scenario aligns with palaeoecological evidence and shows how the Pyrenees acted as a longitudinal corridor for postglacial colonisation. The resilience and genetic diversity of Pyrenean silver fir populations underscore their importance for the conservation of the species in Europe.John Wiley & Sons2026202620262026info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion22 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/227520Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70166Journal of Biogeography, 2026, vol. 53, p. 1-22https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70166cc-by-nc (c) Pèlachs, Albert et al., 2026https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/2275202026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
title Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
spellingShingle Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
Pèlachs, Albert
Pirineus
Canvi climàtic
Biodiversitat
Pyrenees
Climatic change
Biodiversity
title_short Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
title_full Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
title_fullStr Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
title_full_unstemmed Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
title_sort Phylogeography of Silver Fir in the Pyrenees Based on Palaeoecological and Genetic Data Shows Westward Colonisation
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Pèlachs, Albert
Scotti-Saintagne, Caroline
Sánchez-Morales, Marc
Nadal-Tersa, Jordi
Fady, Bruno
Pérez Haase, Aaron
Carracedo-Martín, Virginia
Camarero Martínez, Jesús Julio
Roig, Anne
Cunill Artigas, Raquel
García-Amorena, Ignacio
Pérez-Obiol, Ramón
author Pèlachs, Albert
author_facet Pèlachs, Albert
Scotti-Saintagne, Caroline
Sánchez-Morales, Marc
Nadal-Tersa, Jordi
Fady, Bruno
Pérez Haase, Aaron
Carracedo-Martín, Virginia
Camarero Martínez, Jesús Julio
Roig, Anne
Cunill Artigas, Raquel
García-Amorena, Ignacio
Pérez-Obiol, Ramón
author_role author
author2 Scotti-Saintagne, Caroline
Sánchez-Morales, Marc
Nadal-Tersa, Jordi
Fady, Bruno
Pérez Haase, Aaron
Carracedo-Martín, Virginia
Camarero Martínez, Jesús Julio
Roig, Anne
Cunill Artigas, Raquel
García-Amorena, Ignacio
Pérez-Obiol, Ramón
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Pirineus
Canvi climàtic
Biodiversitat
Pyrenees
Climatic change
Biodiversity
topic Pirineus
Canvi climàtic
Biodiversitat
Pyrenees
Climatic change
Biodiversity
description Aim: To reconstruct the colonisation dynamics of silver fir in the Pyrenees during the Holocene using genetic and paleoecological data. Location:Abies alba forests in the Pyrenees and Northeastern Iberia. Taxon: Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Methods: Palaeoecological data from 43 pollen diagrams were used to elucidate the appearance and persistence of silver fir during the Holocene. Additionally, 43 forests were sampled in the southern Pyrenees to perform genetic analyses using 65 SNPs derived from a total of 273 SNPs sourced from a transcriptome assembly. Linear regressions of pairwise population statistics (FST) against geographical distances were performed to examine the presence of isolation by distance. An assumption-free approach was also employed to explore the genetic structure of the populations and coalescence analyses were carried out to infer past demography history. Results: We identified Pyrenean eastern and western genetic groups, which originated from an ancestral population located in the eastern Pyrenees. From this population, a westward colonisation took place, during which isolation by distance led to genetic divergence among populations. The eastern group diverged from a common ancestor shared with Alpine populations approximately 110,250 years (3150 generations) ago. The divergence between the eastern and western groups began around 40,250 years ago, coinciding with a reduction in effective population size to 1/2 of its ancestral value. Subsequently, a secondary contact occurred approximately 8575 years ago, resulting in admixed populations in the central Pyrenees. Main Conclusions: We identified a single eastern origin for Pyrenean silver fir populations, followed by westward expansion and spatial differentiation, with recent gene flow between previously isolated genetic groups. This scenario aligns with palaeoecological evidence and shows how the Pyrenees acted as a longitudinal corridor for postglacial colonisation. The resilience and genetic diversity of Pyrenean silver fir populations underscore their importance for the conservation of the species in Europe.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
2026
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227520
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227520
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70166
Journal of Biogeography, 2026, vol. 53, p. 1-22
https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70166
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by-nc (c) Pèlachs, Albert et al., 2026
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by-nc (c) Pèlachs, Albert et al., 2026
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 22 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv John Wiley & Sons
publisher.none.fl_str_mv John Wiley & Sons
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869411091898957824
score 15,812455

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