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Social Amoebae: Environmental Factors Influencing Their Distribution and Diversity Across South-Western Europe

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Abstract

The social amoebae (dictyostelids) are the only truly multicellular lineage within the superkingdom Amoebozoa, the sister group to Ophistokonts (Metazoa+Fungi). Despite the exceptional phylogenetic and evolutionary value of this taxon, the environmental factors that determine their distribution and diversity are largely unknown. We have applied statistical modeling to a set of data obtained from an extensive and detailed survey in the south-western of Europe (The Iberian Peninsula including Spain and Portugal) in order to estimate some of the main environmental factors influencing the distribution and diversity of dictyostelid in temperate climates. It is the first time that this methodology is applied to the study of this unique group of soil microorganisms. Our results show that a combination of climatic (temperature, water availability), physical (pH) and vegetation (species richness) factors favor dictyostelid species richness. In the Iberian Peninsula, dictyostelid diversity is highest in colder and wet environments, indicating that this group has likely diversified in relatively cold places with high levels of water availability.

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Acknowledgements

We want to thank María Aguilar (Royal Botanical Garden, Madrid) for the help with the species accumulation curve and Allison Perrigo (EBC, Uppsala University, Sweden) for the linguistic assistance. This research was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (0027-2007) to M. Romeralo, with funding also coming from the project CGL2005-00320/BOS and CGL2008-0720/BOS of this Ministry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systematic Biology, EBC, University of Uppsala, Norbyvagen 18D, SE-75420, Uppsala, Sweden

    Maria Romeralo

  2. Cantabrian Institute of Biodiversity (ICAB), Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo-Principado de Asturias, Catedrático Rodrigo Uría, s/n, 33006, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

    Jordi Moya-Laraño

  3. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo, 2, 28014, Madrid, Spain

    Carlos Lado

  4. Department of Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden

    Maria Romeralo

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  1. Maria Romeralo
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Correspondence to Maria Romeralo.

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Romeralo, M., Moya-Laraño, J. & Lado, C. Social Amoebae: Environmental Factors Influencing Their Distribution and Diversity Across South-Western Europe. Microb Ecol 61, 154–165 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-010-9715-5

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