Genome-wide assessment elucidates connectivity and the evolutionary history of the highly dispersive marine invertebrate Littoraria flava (Littorinidae: Gastropoda)

Abstract An important goal of marine population genetics is to understand how spatial connectivity patterns are influenced by historical and evolutionary factors. In this study, we evaluate the demographic history structure Littoraria flava, a highly dispersive gastropod in Brazilian intertidal zone. To test hypotheses that species has (1) historically high levels gene flow on macrogeographical scale (2) distribution rocky shores consists subpopulations, collected specimens along coastline combined different sets genetic markers (mitochondrial DNA, ITS-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms) with niche-based modelling predict its palaeodistribution. Low was observed, as well over long distances. The analyses suggest L. flava had periods bottlenecks followed expansion. According both palaeodistribution coalescent simulations, these expansion events occurred during Pleistocene interglacial cycles (21 kya) associated climatic changes were probable drivers species. This first phylogeographical study South American coast based genomic niche modelling.