Review of oak gall wasps phylogeographic patterns in Turkey suggests a main role of the Anatolian diagonal

Abstract

Distribution of genetic variation across a species range is shaped both by historical and contemporary factors such as topographical barriers, presence of diverse micro- and macrohabitats, complex geologic history and past climatic fluctuations. Signatures of the past events and the varied topography can be observed not only in plant taxa but also in the obligate parasites of plants such as oak gall wasps. The mountain barriers in Anatolia running from the southeastern towards the northern part of Turkey is accepted as a major faunistic and floristic belt, and is thought to underlie much of the genetic diversity in the region. Current findings show that complicated geologic history and a variety of mountainous areas have left imprints on the phylogenies and phylogeography of oak gall wasp taxa. Indeed, several oak gall wasp species studied across Turkey revealed the presence of this notorious pattern into west and east division of the genetic variation with respect to the location of the Turkish highlands. A number of published studies on the distribution and the allocation of the genetic diversity of several oak gall wasp species in Anatolia, which is located at the junction of several phytogeographic provinces, express the importance of an apparent genetic break in the examined oak gall wasp species.

Keywords

• -
• -
• -