Effects of Mitochondrial DNA Rate Variation on Reconstruction of Pleistocene Demographic History in a Social Avian Species, Pomatostomus superciliosus

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106267
• Publication Date: 2014-09-02T18:00:23Z
• Authors: Janette A. Norman; Caroline J. Black...; Meaghan Rourke; Les Christidis
• Keywords: Molecular clock; Demographic history; Effective population size

Mitochondrial sequence data is often used to reconstruct the demographic history of Pleistocene populations in an effort understand how species have responded past climate change events. However, departures from neutral equilibrium conditions can confound evolutionary inference with structured or those that experienced periods population expansion decline. Selection affect patterns mitochondrial DNA variation and variable mutation rates among genes compromise inferences drawn single markers. We investigated contribution these factors estimates time most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) for two clades a co-operatively breeding avian species, white-browed babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus. Both protein-coding ND3 gene hypervariable domain I control region sequences showed expectations within superciliosus clade, two-fold difference TMRCA estimates. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis provided evidence departure strict clock model molecular evolution I, leading over-estimation clade at this marker. Our results suggest studies attempt histories should rigorously evaluate expectations, including across multiple Failure do so lead serious errors estimation parameters subsequent concerning role as driver change. These effects may be especially pronounced complex social structures occupying heterogeneous environments. propose environmentally driven differences structure explain observed rate sequences, resulting longer than expected retention times matriarchal lineages clade.