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Spatial phenotypic variability is higher between island populations than between mainland populations worldwide
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  • Anna Maria Csergo,
  • Kevin Healy,
  • Darren O'Connell,
  • Maude Baudraz,
  • D. Kelly,
  • Fionn Ó'Marcaigh,
  • Annabel Smith,
  • Jesus Villellas,
  • Cian White,
  • Qiang Yang,
  • Buckley Yvonne
Anna Maria Csergo
Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Budai Campus

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Kevin Healy
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Darren O'Connell
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Maude Baudraz
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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D. Kelly
Trinity College Dublin
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Fionn Ó'Marcaigh
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Annabel Smith
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Jesus Villellas
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Cian White
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Qiang Yang
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Buckley Yvonne
Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Science
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Abstract

Spatial isolation is a key driver of population-level variability in traits and genotypes worldwide. Geographical distance between populations typically increases isolation, but organisms face additional environmental barriers when dispersing between suitable habitat patches. Despite the predicted universal nature of the causes of isolation, global comparisons of isolation effects across taxa and geographic systems are few. We assessed the strength of isolation due to geographic and macroclimatic distance for paired marine island and paired mainland populations within the same species. Our meta-analysis included published measurements of phenotypic traits and neutral genetic diversity from 1832 populations of 112 plant and animal species at a global scale. As expected, phenotypic differentiation was higher between marine islands than between populations on the mainland, but spatial patterns of neutral genetic diversity did not vary between the two systems. Geographic distance had comparatively weak effects on the spatial patterns of phenotypes and neutral genetic diversity, but only phenotypic trait variability showed signal of system-dependence. These results suggest that spatial patterns of phenotypic variation are determined by system-dependent eco-evolutionary pressures, while the spatial variability of neutral genetic diversity might be universal. Our approach demonstrates that global biodiversity models that include island biology studies may progress our understanding of the interacting effects of spatial habitat structure, geographic- and environmental distances on biological processes underlying spatial population variability. We formulate future research directions for empirical tests and global syntheses in the field.
03 Feb 2023Submitted to Ecography
03 Feb 2023Submission Checks Completed
03 Feb 2023Assigned to Editor
03 Feb 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 Feb 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
16 Apr 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
02 Jun 20231st Revision Received
05 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
05 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
05 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
07 Jun 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
21 Jul 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
25 Aug 20232nd Revision Received
28 Aug 2023Submission Checks Completed
28 Aug 2023Assigned to Editor
28 Aug 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
28 Aug 2023Editorial Decision: Accept