Macrogenetics through DNA barcodes

Macrogenetics explore the pattern and predictors of Intraspecific Genetic Variation (IGV) across many taxa, at broad taxonomic, spatial and/or temporal scales. IGV is a key biodiversity facet that reflect the evolutionary history, biological connectivity, adaptability and viability of populations, species and communities. We are collecting thousands of butterfly DNA barcodes (COI) that are freely available in IO Database. This is aimed at understanding changes and dynamics of intraspecific and genetic diversity at regional and continental scales.

Using these data we demonstrated that mitochondrial differentiation among populations is correlated with species traits, with more mobile and generalist species showing lower diversification at large (European) scale and over single sea straits separating Mediterranean islands from the mainland

Moreover, using a complete DNA-barcoding library for Europe we showed that Southern populations are characterised by a higher number of mitochondrial haplotypes, a pattern expected by the "southern richness and northern purity" paradigm.

Finally, we are investigating the possibility to apply bioregionalisation procedures to intraspecific genetic variation in order to identify the glacial refugia where lineages diversified along the long cold periods of the Quaternary

We are representing Italy on iBOL's Science Committee, you can find our lab's page here

https://ibol.org/news/university-of-florences-zen-lab-joins-ibol/