Phylogeography, Dispersal and Movement of Fleay's Barred Frog, Mixophyes Fleayi
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Phylogeography, Dispersal and Movement of Fleay's Barred Frog, Mixophyes fleayi Author Doak, Naomi C Published 2005 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School School of Environmental and Applied Science DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/3482 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365483 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Phylogeography, dispersal and movement of Fleay’s Barred Frog, Mixophyes fleayi. Naomi C Doak B.Sc. (Hons) – JCU, Townsville, QLD. School of Environmental and Applied Sciences Griffith University Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 2005 This image has been removed. Male Mixophyes fleayi, Cunningham’s Gap, south-east Queensland (Photo: Harry Hines). i Abstract This thesis investigates historical and current dispersal in Mixophyes fleayi, an endangered, wet forest-restricted frog species, found exclusively on the Great Dividing Range of mid-eastern Australia. The phylogeographic structuring and genetic divergence among isolated forest fragments and the presence of multiple populations within continuous forest is used to investigate historical connectivity of populations and current dispersal. Indirect genetic methods as well as field based direct methods are also used to investigate dispersal and movement. These results are used to explore the consequences of dispersal in terms of conservation and management of the species. Few studies have investigated genetic differentiation between upland mesic rainforest areas in southern parts of Queensland, which potentially acted as historical refugia for rainforest dependant species. The broad scale investigation of genetic diversity and structure in M. fleayi, using sequence variation within the mitochondrial ND2 gene, revealed two scales of genetic structure. Two deeply divergent and geographically isolated lineages were found to group populations across the Brisbane River Valley, with isolation of the Conondale Range in the north from all other populations to the south. This can be attributed to regional isolation of rainforest fragments during the Pliocene. Lower levels of genetic variation and sequence divergence were found across forest fragments within the southern distribution of the species (Springbrook, Mount Barney, McPherson, Main, Upper Richmond and Nightcap Ranges), resulting from more recent fragmentation and restricted dispersal related to expansion and contraction of rainforest habitat during the Pleistocene. Genetic structure among populations indicates that comparatively high levels of genetic differentiation exist on very small geographic scales relative to other amphibian species. These data suggest isolation by distance within forest fragments and significant genetic structuring between populations separated by more than two kilometres. Despite the relatively low vagility of individuals, terrestrial dispersal occurs among nearby streams, both within as well as across major catchments. The extent of shared subcatchment boundary between nearby streams provided some indication of the probability and magnitude of gene flow, with sites that share more subcatchment boundaries showing lower levels of genetic differentiation. iii Abstract The indirect genetic evidence of restricted dispersal within the species is supported by mark-recapture, spooling and radio-tracking investigations of movements made by individual M. fleayi in the field. The activity of both sexes is characterized by intervals of small, localized movements. In adult females this behaviour is punctuated by large movements that generally displace individuals away from breeding habitat after relatively short amounts of time spent at the stream. While migration of females between breeding sites was not detected, the movements made by adult females are large enough to enable dispersal between breeding sites, although such dispersal events are probably infrequent. Adult males are extremely philopatric and remain within the breeding area, rarely moving away from the stream, making exchange of adult males between populations extremely unlikely. The management of M. fleayi is particularly important given the potential impact recent declines in both population size and number may have had on genetic variation. Intraspecific genetic divergence, across the Brisbane River Valley, highlights the need to conserve populations in isolated forest fragments both north and south of this putative barrier. Within fragments of continuous forest habitat, evidence of restricted, infrequent terrestrial dispersal of individuals suggests colonization of vacant habitat is unlikely, particularly among streams that do not share subcatchment boundaries. To maintain important, albeit low levels of gene flow and movement between nearby streams, it is critical that habitat connectivity between populations is maintained. iv Table of Contents DECLARATION ...............................................................................................II ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... III TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................................V LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................ VIII LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................IX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................X CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Dispersal and movement of amphibians ........................................................1 1.2 Methods of investigating dispersal in amphibians ........................................4 1.2.1 Direct methods ...................................................................................................... 4 1.2.1.1 Mark-recapture 4 1.2.1.2 Radio-tracking 5 1.2.1.3 Spooling 6 1.2.2 Indirect methods ................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Species introduction.........................................................................................9 1.4 Aims and structure of the thesis ...................................................................12 CHAPTER 2. BROAD SCALE GENETIC VARIATION OF MIXOPHYES FLEAYI 15 2.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................15 2.2 Methods............................................................................................................17 2.2.1 Specimen collection and sampling strategy.................................................... 17 2.2.2 Molecular techniques ......................................................................................... 20 2.2.2.1 Extraction of DNA and PCR Reactions 20 2.2.2.2 DNA sequencing and sequence alignment 21 2.2.3 Analysis................................................................................................................ 21 2.2.3.1 Mitochondrial DNA sequences 21 2.2.3.2 Broad scale genetic structure 22 2.2.3.3 Nested clade analysis 23 v Table of Contents 2.3 Results............................................................................................................. 26 2.3.1 Haplotype distribution and composition ..........................................................26 2.3.2 Broad scale genetic structure............................................................................30 2.3.3 Nested clade analysis .........................................................................................31 2.4 Discussion ...................................................................................................... 38 2.4.1 Broad scale genetic variation - northern and southern forest fragments ...........................................................................................................38 2.4.2 The influence of population declines on genetic structure of M. fleayi .........................................................................................................................39 2.4.3 Implications for wet forest history.....................................................................41 CHAPTER 3. FINE SCALE GENETIC STRUCTURE OF MIXOPHYES FLEAYI 45 3.1 Introduction..................................................................................................... 45 3.2 Methods........................................................................................................... 47 3.2.1 Specimen collection and sampling strategy ....................................................47 3.2.2 Molecular techniques..........................................................................................48 3.2.2.1 Extraction of DNA and PCR reactions 48 3.2.2.2 Haplotype screening 48 3.2.2.3 DNA sequencing and sequence alignment 52 3.2.3 Analysis................................................................................................................52 3.2.3.1 Mitochondrial DNA sequences 52 3.2.3.2 Fine scale genetic structure 52 3.3 Results............................................................................................................. 54 3.3.1 Haplotype distribution and composition ..........................................................54 3.3.2 Fine scale genetic structure...............................................................................60