2006; Triponez et al. 2011; Kropf et al. 2012). Genetic links are known with the
Pyrenees (e.g. Descimon 1995; Ronikier et al. 2008b (however, these two species
are not typical alpine elements); Schmitt et al. 2014) and the western Alps (Kramp
et al. 2009 (but referring to a boreo-montane species); Triponez et al. 2011).
However, the latter link seems to be less frequent than the former, thus supporting
the idea that the isolating power of the Rhone valley was stronger than that of the
hilly regions between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees.
The Apennines, a long stretch of mountains with some interspersed insular high
mountain areas, harbours some high mountain endemics, especially in its central
and southern parts (e.g. the plants Adonis distorta, Androsace mathildae, Aquilegia
bertoloni, Soldanella calabrella), hence supporting the evolutionary independence
of this area. However, many taxa also show high similarity with counterparts in the
south-western Alps and offer evidence of glacial gene flow between these mountain
ranges during cold phases (Moore et al. 2013; Louy et al. 2014b). A particularly
interesting case involves representatives of the beetle species complex Oreina
alpestris/speciosa. In this example, the populations of the northern Apennines show
much higher similarity with ones from the south-western Alps than with those of
the central Apennines (Triponez et al. 2011), thus indicating several colonisation
waves from the south-western Alps to the Apennines, with the older ones preserved
in the more southern mountains, the younger ones more to the North.
The mountains north of the Alps, if they have high mountain species sensu
stricto at all, in most cases share their genetic lineages with the Alps, i.e. they are
derived from the same refugia as the nearby Alpine populations (e.g. Pauls et al.
2006; Schmitt et al. 2006; Mardulyn et al. 2009; Triponez et al. 2011; Alvarez et al.
2012; Charrier et al. 2014). Exceptions to this rule are the caddisfly Drusus discolor
with a genetic lineage restricted to Jura, Vosges and Black Forest (Pauls et al. 2006)
and the butterfly Erebia manto with the genetically strongly differentiated taxon
vogesiaca endemic to the Vosges (Schmitt et al. 2014).
The Cantabrian mountains, being the westernmost range with alpine zonation,
also harbour some endemic lineages, thus underlining their independent biogeographic status (e.g. Kropf et al. 2003; Pauls et al.2006). In the majority of cases,
however, close genetic links with the Pyrenees exist, indicating the presence of
glacial refugia between both mountain ranges and resultant genetic intermixing (e.g.
Kropf et al. 2002; Vila et al. 2011).
The Carpathians and Balkan high mountain systems have in many respects
distinct alpine floras and faunas. Nevertheless, they sometimes share identical
typical species, such as the butterflies Erebia melas and Coenonympha rhodopensis
(Tshikolovets 2011). However, even identical genetic lineages were recorded in
some cases, thus presenting evidence for a recent (most likely Würm glacial)
exchange between both regions. This was for example shown for the mountain
forests butterfly Erebia euryale (Schmitt and Haubrich 2008) and the
boreo-montane plant Ranunculus platanifolius (Stachurska-Swakon et al. 2013).
For the stonefly Arcynopteryx dichroa, distinct genetic lineages exist in both areas,
but rare occurrences of the Carpathian haplotype group in the Bulgarian high
3 Molecular Biogeography of the High Mountain Systems …
69
Pyrenees (e.g. Descimon 1995; Ronikier et al. 2008b (however, these two species
are not typical alpine elements); Schmitt et al. 2014) and the western Alps (Kramp
et al. 2009 (but referring to a boreo-montane species); Triponez et al. 2011).
However, the latter link seems to be less frequent than the former, thus supporting
the idea that the isolating power of the Rhone valley was stronger than that of the
hilly regions between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees.
The Apennines, a long stretch of mountains with some interspersed insular high
mountain areas, harbours some high mountain endemics, especially in its central
and southern parts (e.g. the plants Adonis distorta, Androsace mathildae, Aquilegia
bertoloni, Soldanella calabrella), hence supporting the evolutionary independence
of this area. However, many taxa also show high similarity with counterparts in the
south-western Alps and offer evidence of glacial gene flow between these mountain
ranges during cold phases (Moore et al. 2013; Louy et al. 2014b). A particularly
interesting case involves representatives of the beetle species complex Oreina
alpestris/speciosa. In this example, the populations of the northern Apennines show
much higher similarity with ones from the south-western Alps than with those of
the central Apennines (Triponez et al. 2011), thus indicating several colonisation
waves from the south-western Alps to the Apennines, with the older ones preserved
in the more southern mountains, the younger ones more to the North.
The mountains north of the Alps, if they have high mountain species sensu
stricto at all, in most cases share their genetic lineages with the Alps, i.e. they are
derived from the same refugia as the nearby Alpine populations (e.g. Pauls et al.
2006; Schmitt et al. 2006; Mardulyn et al. 2009; Triponez et al. 2011; Alvarez et al.
2012; Charrier et al. 2014). Exceptions to this rule are the caddisfly Drusus discolor
with a genetic lineage restricted to Jura, Vosges and Black Forest (Pauls et al. 2006)
and the butterfly Erebia manto with the genetically strongly differentiated taxon
vogesiaca endemic to the Vosges (Schmitt et al. 2014).
The Cantabrian mountains, being the westernmost range with alpine zonation,
also harbour some endemic lineages, thus underlining their independent biogeographic status (e.g. Kropf et al. 2003; Pauls et al.2006). In the majority of cases,
however, close genetic links with the Pyrenees exist, indicating the presence of
glacial refugia between both mountain ranges and resultant genetic intermixing (e.g.
Kropf et al. 2002; Vila et al. 2011).
The Carpathians and Balkan high mountain systems have in many respects
distinct alpine floras and faunas. Nevertheless, they sometimes share identical
typical species, such as the butterflies Erebia melas and Coenonympha rhodopensis
(Tshikolovets 2011). However, even identical genetic lineages were recorded in
some cases, thus presenting evidence for a recent (most likely Würm glacial)
exchange between both regions. This was for example shown for the mountain
forests butterfly Erebia euryale (Schmitt and Haubrich 2008) and the
boreo-montane plant Ranunculus platanifolius (Stachurska-Swakon et al. 2013).
For the stonefly Arcynopteryx dichroa, distinct genetic lineages exist in both areas,
but rare occurrences of the Carpathian haplotype group in the Bulgarian high
3 Molecular Biogeography of the High Mountain Systems …
69