Australian Journal of Zoology 58(3) 165-181 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO10016
Submitted: 27 February 2010  Accepted: 15 July 2010   Published: 23 September 2010

Abstract

The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) shows considerable variation in external morphology and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity across its distribution in New Guinea and Australia. Here we investigate the phylogeography ofP. breviceps in Australia using data from two mitochondrial genes (ND2 andND4) and a nuclear gene (ω-globin). Phylogenetic analyses revealed the existence of two divergent mtDNA clades that are distributed over distinct geographical regions, one from coastal New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland and a second over the remaining distributional range of the species in Australia. The two groups generally had distinct ω-globin haplotypes that differed by one or two mutational steps. Analyses of Molecular Variation further supported the presence of at least two populations, accounting for 84.8% of the total mtDNA variation and 44% of the ω-globin variation. The general concordance of phylogeographic and population analyses suggests that population subdivision, possibly resulting from the combined influences of aridification after the Pliocene and uplift of the Great Dividing Range has impacted the evolution ofP. breviceps. Our results also show that the geographical distribution of the two evolutionary lineages does not correspond with the distribution of the current morphological subspecies and we further propose that they be considered as separate Evolutionarily Significant Units for the purposes of conservation management.

Additional keywords: Evolutionarily Significant Unit, population structure.

We acknowledge the following people for providing the samples and specimens used in this study: Dennis O’Meally (Australian Museum), David Stemmer and Cath Kemper (South Australian Museum), Dan Harley, Trish Kendal, Andrea Taylor, Rodney van der Ree and Meredeth Brown. We also thank Terry Bertozzi and Kathy Saint for laboratory assistance. Finally, we acknowledge two anonymous reviewers for detailed comments that have considerably improved the manuscript. This research was supported by funding from The Department of Environment and Heritage (Wildlife Conservation Fund) in South Australia, ANZ Holsworth Wildlife Research Fund, Mark Mitchell Foundation, Hancock Victorian Timber Plantations, The University of Adelaide and South Australian Museum.

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Appendix 1.  Locality data, DNA IDs and accession numbers forP. breviceps and outgroup specimens sequenced and phylogenetically analysed
DNA IDs are provided from the Australian Biological Tissue Collection (ABTC, at the South Australian Museum), the Australian Museum (M), and the Queensland Museum (QM). Accession numbers with asterisks are from Malekianet al. (2010)