Premise of the study: Studies on genetic structure of plant populations help us understand the history of local flora and vegetation. In this study, we focus on the temperate-boreal herb Cardamine scutata from northeast Asia, an area with scarce phylogeographic studies. We explore patterns of genetic variation within this species, with an aim to infer its (post-) glacial history with reference to colonization routes and migrations via land bridges. •
Methods: We analyzed 46 populations sampled in Japan, Kamchatka, and Korea using AFLP and cpDNA sequence data. •
Key results: Two intraspecific genetic groups were resolved, distributed in the northeastern and southwestern part of the study area, most likely reflecting lineages isolated from each other during (at least) the last glaciation. A zone of secondary contacts was found in central/northern Honshu, and a few cases of long-distance dispersal were observed. We detected efficient gene flow across the marine straits, supporting the role of land bridges created by sea level decline during the last glacial period. The cpDNA data indicated extensive recent expansion and diversification within both lineages. We inferred recent colonization of Kamchatka from Hokkaido, associated with genetic impoverishment. •
Conclusions: The pattern of north-south genetic differentiation found in C. scutata is rather common among several other plant species studied in Japan, despite their distinct biological features. We assume that different processes and factors may have brought about this similarity. Overall, this study contributes to better understanding of the biogeography of northeast Asia.