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Yes / Buruli ulcer (BU) is an insidious neglected tropical disease. Cases are reported around the world but the rural regions of West and Central Africa are most affected. How BU is transmitted and spreads has remained a mystery, even though the causative agent, Mycobacterium ulcerans, has been known for more than 70 years. Here, using the tools of population genomics, we reconstruct the evolutionaryhistoryofM. ulceransbycomparing165isolatesspanning48yearsandrepresenting11endemiccountriesacrossAfrica. The genetic diversity of African M. ulcerans was found to be restricted due to the bacterium’s slow substitution rate coupled with its relatively recent origin. We identified two specific M. ulcerans lineages within the African continent, and inferred that M. ulcerans lineage Mu_A1 existed in Africa for several hundreds of years, unlike lineage Mu_A2, which was introduced much more recently, approximately during the 19th century. Additionally, we observed that specific M. ulcerans epidemic Mu_A1 clones were introduced during the same time period in the three hydrological basins that were well covered in our panel. The estimated time span of the introduction events coincides with the Neo-imperialism period, during which time the European colonial powers divided the African continent among themselves. Using this temporal association, and in the absence of a known BU reservoir or—vector on the continent, we postulate that the so-called "Scramble for Africa" played a significant role in the spread of the disease across the continent. / K.V. was supported by a PhD-grant of the Flemish Interuniversity Council—University Development Cooperation (Belgium). B.d.J. and C.M. were supported by the European Research Council-INTERRUPTB starting grant (no. 311725). T.P.S. was supported by a fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (1105525). Funding for this work was provided by the Department of Economy, Science and Innovation of the Flemish Government, the Stop Buruli Consortium supported by the UBS Optimus Foundation, and the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (Belgium) (FWO grant no. G.0321.07N). The computational resources used in this work were provided by the HPC core facility CalcUA and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the University of Antwerp, the Hercules Foundation and the Flemish Government—department EWI. Aspects of the research in Cameroon and Benin were funded by the Raoul Follereau Fondation France.

<p>Because species respond individually to climate change, understanding community assembly requires examination of multiple species from a diversity of forest niches. I present the post-glacial phylogeographic history of an understory, parasitic herb (<italic>Epifagus virginiana</italic>, beechdrop) that has an obligate and host specific relationship with a common eastern North American hardwood tree (<italic>Fagus grandifolia</italic>, American beech). The migration histories of the host and parasite are compared to elucidate potential limits on the parasite's range and to understand their responses to shared climate change. Two chloroplast DNA regions were sequenced and 9 microsatellite loci genotyped from parasite specimens collected throughout the host's range. These data were compared with available cpDNA sequences from the host (McLachlan et al. 2005) and host fossil pollen records from the last 21,000 years (Williams et al. 2004). Analyses of genetic diversity reveal high population differentiation in the parasite's southern range, a possible result of long term isolation within multiple southern glacial refuges. Estimates of migration rates and divergence times using Bayesian coalescent methods show the parasite initiating its post-glacial range expansion by migrating northward into the northeast from southern areas, then westward into the midwest, a pattern consistent with the development of high density beech forests. This result is strongly confirmed through spatial linear regression models, which show host density plays a significant role in structuring parasite populations, while the initial migration routes of the host are irrelevant to parasite colonization patterns. Host density is then used as a proxy for the parasite's habitat quality in an effort to identify the geographic locations of its migration corridors. Habitat cost models are parameterized through use of the parasite's genetic data, and landscape path analyses based on the habitat map show a major migration corridor south of the Great Lakes connecting the northeast and midwest. Host density was the major determinant controlling the parasite's range expansion, suggesting a lag time between host and parasite colonization of new territory. Parasites and other highly specialized species may generally migrate slower due to their complex landscape requirements, resulting in disassociation of forest assemblages during these times. From these results, the low migration capacities of highly specialized species may be insufficient to outrun extirpation from their current ranges.</p> / Dissertation

Uses mitochondrial DNA sequence data to examine the degree of genetic differentiation among sky island populations of two subspecies of pygmy nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea melanotis and Sitta pygmaea leuconucha) occurring in Southern California. Assesses the hypothesis that sky islands are genetically isolated and that migration (gene flow) is restricted among them. Eleven sampling locations throughout Southern California were selected based on representation of subspecies, availability of specimens, and feasibility of collection. Results indicate that pygmy nuthatch populations fragmented in the disjunct mountain ranges of Southern California exhibit low but significant levels of genetic differentiation.

[Truncated abstract] Southwestern Australia is a global biodiversity hotspot. The region contains a high number of endemic species, ranging from Gondwanan relicts to more recently evolved plant and animal species. Biogeographic models developed primarily for plants suggest a prominent role of Quaternary climatic fluctuations in the rampant speciation of endemic plants. Those models were not based on explicit spatial analysis of genetic structure, did not estimate divergence dates and may be a poor predictor of patterns in endemic vertebrates. Myobatrachid frogs have featured heavily in the limited investigations of the biogeography of the regions fauna. Myobatrachid frogs are diverse in southwestern Australia, and while we know they have speciated in situ, we know little about the temporal and spatial patterning of speciation events. In order to gain insight into the biogeographic history and potential speciation patterns of Myobatrachid frogs in the southwest I conducted a comparative phylogeography of four frog species spanning three life history strategies. I aimed to: 1) assess the biogeographic history of individual species, 2) determine where patterns of regional diversity exist using a comparative framework, 3) determine whether congruent patterns across species enable the development of explicit biogeographic hypotheses for frogs, and 4) compare patterns of diversity in plants with the models I developed for frogs. I conducted fine-scale intraspecific phylogeographies on four species. ... Geocrinia leai: deep divergences, coincident with late Miocene arid onset, divide this species into western and southeast coastal lineages, with a third only found within the Shannon-Gardner River catchments. Phylogeographic history within each lineage has been shaped by climatic fluctuations from the Pliocene through to the present. Arenophryne shows the first evidence of geological activity in speciation of a Shark Bay endemic. Divergence patterns between the High Rainfall and Southeast Coastal Provinces within C. georgiana are consistent with patterns between Litoria moorei and L. cyclorhynchus and plant biogeographic regions. Subdivision between drainage systems along the southern coast (in M. nichollsi, G. leai and the G. rosea species complex) reflect the relative importance of distinct catchments as refuges during arid maxima, similarly the northern Darling Escarpment is identified as a potential refugium (C. georgiana and G. leai). Divergences in Myobatrachid frogs are far older than those inferred for plants with the late Miocene apparently an important time for speciation of southwestern frogs. Speciation of Myobatrachids broadly relates to the onset of aridity in Australia in the late Miocene, with the exception of earlier/contemporaneous geological activity in Arenophryne. The origins of subsequent intraspecific phylogeographic structure are coincident with subsequent climatic fluctuations and correlated landscape evolution. Divergence within frogs in the forest system may be far older than the Pleistocene models developed for plants because of the heavy reliance on wet systems by relictual frog species persisting in the southwestern corner of Australia.

Dans l’hémisphère Nord, le climat des deux derniers millions d’années a été marqué par une alternance de périodes froides et de brefs intervalles chauds. Cette succession d’évènements a laissé des traces durables au niveau de l’arrangement spatial de la diversité et de la structure génétique au sein des espèces.<p>En décrivant la répartition spatiale des lignées d’une espèce au moyen d’informations génétiques, la phylogéographie vise à identifier les processus évolutifs responsables de cette répartition. La phylogéographie comparée permet de gagner en compréhension en confrontant les patrons de variation génétique présents chez plusieurs espèces codistribuées :en étudiant des espèces partageant une même histoire au moyen de plusieurs sources d’information indépendantes (par exemple, plusieurs fragments d’ADN ou des données bioclimatiques historiques externes), il est possible de mettre en évidence des éléments de cette histoire commune tels que des refuges glaciaires ou des routes de recolonnisation post-glaciaires. Par contre, il est aussi possible que les caractéristiques biologiques intrinsèques à chaque espèce, telles que des stratégies dispersives ou reproductives différentes, engendrent une différenciation dans la structure et la diversité de cette variation génétique. <p>Dans cette thèse de doctorat nous nous sommes intéressés à deux espèces inféodées à un même hôte (Picea abies) et appartenant à une même sous-famille taxonomique (Coleoptera :Curculionidae, Scolytinae). Il sagit du typographe, Ips typographus et du dendroctone, Dendroctonus micans. Au moyen de plusieurs fragments génétiques spécialement identifiés pour cette étude ainsi que par le recours à des modèles bioclimatiques et des tests statistiques basés sur la théorie de la coalescence, nous avons étudié la phylogéographie de ces espèces.<p>Les résultats obtenus au cours de ce travail ont permis de mettre en évidence l’influence contrastée de stratégies écologiques différentes sur l’arrangement de la variation génétique. Une espèce opportuniste aux capacités de dispersion élevées telle qu’I. typographus présente un patron génétique peu structuré (des variants génétiques appelés haplotypes sont présents dans des régions très disparates) et un degré de polymorphisme nucléaire relativement élevé. Au contraire, une espèce parasitique adaptée à un environnement stable et caractérisée par une stratégie de dispersion limitée telle que D. micans présente un patron génétique très structuré (un nombre restreints et spécifiques d’haplotypes sont observés dans des régions géographiquement proches) et un degré de polymorphisme nucléaire dramatiquement faible.<p>Par ailleurs la comparaison de nos résultats à ceux de leur hôte, l’épicéa, ainsi qu’à ceux d’autres espèces partageant une même niche écologique (ex. Rhizophagus grandis), nous a permis de mettre en évidence des éléments communs dans l’histoire de ces espèces boréo-montagnardes :les populations européennes et asiatiques présentent une même divergence ancienne (antérieure à la dernière glaciation) et les populations européennes affichent des traces de structure génétique. Ces éléments nous ont permis de reconsidérer l’histoire de ces deux espèces en proposant et testant de nouveaux scénarios historiques./In the North Hemisphere, the climate of the last two million years has been paced by<p>the alternation of ice ages and warm interglacial periods. This succession of events has markedly shaped the present-day spatial arrangement of genetic diversity and structure within species. <p>By analyzing the geographical distribution of genetic variation within species, Phylogeography aims to identify evolutionary processes responsible for the current spatial patterns in the distribution of populations. Comparative phylogeography is used to gain insights into the understanding of driving evolutionary processes by co-analyzing the current genetic variation patterns of several co-distributed species; the study of species sharing a same history by several independent sources of information (e.g. different DNA fragments or historical bioclimatic data) allows to identify similar historical events such as glacial refugia or post-glacial recolonization pathways. However differences in life-history traits related to specific ecological strategies may also influence contrasting patterns of genetic structure and diversity. <p>In this PhD thesis, we focused on two insect associated with a same host (Picea abies) and belonging to a same taxonomic sub-familly (Coleoptera :Curculionidae, Scolytinae). The two insects are the Eurasian spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus, and the great spruce bark beetle, Dendroctonus micans. By the use of several genetic markers specifically designed for the purpose of this study and by bioclimatic modeling approach combined with coalescent-based statistical method, we have studied the phylogeography of both species. <p>Our results enable us to highlight the influence of contrasting ecological strategies on the spatial arrangement of genetic variation. On the one hand, opportunistic species characterized by high dispersal capacities, such as I. typographus, exhibits poor genetic structure (same genetic variants named haplotypes are found in really distant geographic regions) and a relatively high polymorphism level. On the other hand, parasitic species well-adapted to stable environmental conditions and characterized by limited dispersal strategy, such as D. micans, exhibits high genetic structure (same specific haplotypes found in same or neighboring geographic countries) and an extremely low polymorphism level.<p>Moreover, the comparison of our results with those of their specific host plant Picea abies and of other sympatric species (e.g. Rhizophagus grandis), has enable us to identify common patterns typical of boreo-montane species :a same old divergence between european and asiatic populations (older than the last glaciation) and genetic structure in european populations. These findings have been used to infer past of both species by identifying and testing new historical scenarii.<p><p> / Doctorat en Sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The Quaternary climate has known dramatic global variations oscillating between long glacial and shorter interglacial periods of approximately 100 000 and 20 000 years, respectively with the last succession as an example. During the glacial episodes the continental ice sheet expansion and sea level drop, in turn, have locally disturbed the environment (at least in the northern hemisphere). These climatic and environmental disturbances caused changes in the geographic distributions of animal and plant species. For each species, the changes possibly took the form of demographic events like population extinction or fragmentation associated with genetic bottlenecks (loss in genetic diversity) and, inversely, population expansions sometimes with inherent founder effects (stochastic sampling of the source genetic diversity) and/or contact between diverged groups (secondary contact zone) resulting in genetic diversity gradients through the geographic range of the species. We therefore understand that the demographic history of a species can be reconstruct through the investigation of genetic signature(s) it possibly left and that are still observed in the genome of that species. For European taxa, phylogeographic studies taking advantage of these signatures have mainly focused their attention on temperate species; pieces of knowledge for species adapted to cold environments are too scarce although their response to climate change could not only simply follow an inverse tendency compare to temperate climate species.<p><p>As a whole, this thesis project intended to study the evolutionary history of four sister species of cold-adapted leaf beetles investigating their response to past global climatic changes. The four species share many traits (life cycle, dispersal capacity, morphology, feeding behavior.) but their geographic distributions differ, further calling for interest in the factors that shaped them. Furthermore, leaf beetles are specialist insect herbivores each feeding only on one or a few different plant species. This host plant specialization offers an additional dimension to the study of climatic change impacts to understand the evolution of the insect-host relationship. The study of this species complex thus also aimed at understanding processes like speciation possibly driven through diet specialization. The project connects three main axes briefly described here after.<p><p>The first axe of the project allowed us to gain sufficient knowledge of the four species sub-genus Goniomena (Chrysomelidae, Gonioctena). We have defined some important barriers separating each four species among them. The analysis of five independent molecular markers sequences obtained for many individuals sampled through the entire species ranges allowed us to characterize four genetically distinct groups corresponding to the four species, to precisely identify their host plant(s) and their geographic distribution. The second axe was realized on the same multi-locus dataset and aimed at exploiting an array of methods to reconstruct the demographic history of the four species; the methods consist of some commonly used and some promising ones used in synergy hoping to strengthen our interpretations on the species history. For this purpose, we combined the species distribution modeling (SDM) techniques to infer current and past geographic range for the leaf beetles and for their host(s) in order to generate the most realistic historical hypotheses. Subsequently, the different hypotheses were evaluated with two different complementary approaches, Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) and a spatial coalescence simulation-based method, allowing for outputs comparison. Finally, the third axe focus on the study of a commonly used program designed for demographic parameters inference (including divergence times, effective populations sizes, migration rates). We created non-empiric datasets obtained with three largely used simulation programs to investigate the inference performances of the program.<p><p>We hope this project will help to better understand the way species currently present in cold environments in Europe responded to climatic changes. It certainly demonstrated and allowed to isolate some specific character of such respons while suggesting certain common patterns. Our findings are rich and varied; the current distribution of genetic diversity in the four sister species of leaf beetles involves processes like introgression and hybridization, competition and invasion, allopatric and possibly sympatric speciation, dispersal limitation and response differentiation against climatic changes. In the light of our results, further investigations are encouraged; the mechanisms driving or underlying the different speciation settings, the host plant specialization, the niche differentiation and the hybridization in secondary contact zones are planned to be investigated with biological material and analytic resources we already own. Practically, we explored promising analyses procedures using the resources of our multilocus multispecies dataset. All along, we emphasize on the need to work with multispecies empiric datasets at least equivalent to the one in this project (number of molecular markers investigated and sample sizes) if the aim is to study the evolutionary history of a species. We also caution on certain methodological limitations that need to be considered to enlighten a study project from experimental design to result interpretation.<p>/Durant le Quaternaire, le climat de la Terre entière a été marqué par des oscillations importantes entre périodes glaciaires relativement longues et interglaciaires plus courtes d’environ 100 000 et 20 000 ans, respectivement, si l’on prend l’exemple de la dernière succession. Pendant les épisodes glaciaires, la calotte glaciaire continentale et la baisse du niveau des mers et des océans ont, à leur tour, affecté localement les conditions environnementales, au moins en ce qui concerne l’hémisphère nord. Ces perturbations climatiques et environnementales ont provoqué des changements dans la distribution géographique des espèces animales et végétales. Spécifiquement, ces changements ont pris la forme d’événements démographiques tels que l’extinction ou la fragmentation des populations associées à des goulots d’étranglements (réduction de la diversité génétique) ou, à l’inverse, des expansions de populations parfois accompagnées d’un effet fondateur (échantillonnage aléatoire à partir de la diversité génétique source) et/ou de la rencontre subséquente entre des groupes génétiquement différenciés (zone de contact secondaire) résultant en des gradients de diversité génétique à travers toute la distribution actuelle de l’espèce. On comprend dès lors que l’histoire démographique d’une espèce peut être reconstruite en étudiant les signatures qu’une telle histoire a pu laisser dans son génome. En ce qui concerne les taxa européens, les études phylogéographiques, qui utilisent ces signatures, se sont principalement intéressées aux espèces des régions tempérées; les connaissances acquises dans le domaine pour les espèces adaptées aux environnements plus froids sont plus rares bien que leur réponse envers les changements climatiques pourrait ne pas simplement avoir une tendance inverse par rapport à celle des espèces tempérées.<p><p>Dans son ensemble, l’objectif du présent projet de thèse est d’étudier l’histoire évolutive d’un groupe de quatre espèces sœurs de chrysomèles adaptées à un environnement froid dans le but de comprendre leur réponse face aux changements climatiques passés. Les quatre espèces partagent de nombreux traits en commun (cycle de vie, capacité de dispersion, morphologie générale) mais présentent des distributions géographiques qui se différencient incitant encore plus à s’intéresser aux facteurs qui ont pu les structurer. De plus, les chrysomèles sont des insectes herbivores très spécialisés, chaque espèce d’insecte ne se nourrissant que d’une ou quelques espèces de plantes bien précises. Cette spécialisation ajoute une dimension supplémentaire à l’étude de l’impact des changements climatiques pour comprendre l’évolution de la relation insecte-plante hôte. L’étude de ce complexe d’espèces avait donc également pour but de comprendre des processus tels que ceux de spéciation qui a pu être induite via une spécialisation alimentaire ou de séparation géographique suite à un changement des distributions. Le projet s’articule autour de trois axes décrits ci-dessous.<p><p>Le premier axe du projet a permis d’acquérir une connaissance plus fine des quatre espèces de chrysomèle appartenant au sous-genre Goniomena (Chrysomelidae, Gonioctena). Nous avons défini les barrières importantes séparant les quatre espèces. L’analyse des séquences d’ADN de cinq marqueurs moléculaires indépendants obtenues pour un grand nombre d’individus échantillonnés sur toute l’aire de répartition de chacune des quatre espèces nous a permis de définir quatre groupes génétiquement distincts, d’identifier précisément leur(s) espèce(s) de plante(s) hôte(s) ainsi que leur distribution géographique. Le second axe a été réalisé sur le même jeu de données multilocus et avait pour but d’exploiter un éventail de méthodes communément utilisées ainsi que d’autres prometteuses en étude phylogéographique dont on exploite la synergie afin de renforcer les interprétations concernant l’histoire de chaque espèce. Pour cela, nous avons combiné la modélisation des distributions passées et présentes des quatre espèces et de leur(s) plante(s) hôte(s) pour générer des hypothèses les plus réalistes possibles. Ensuite, les différentes hypothèses historiques ont été évaluées via deux approches différentes, une méthode d’approximation de calcul bayésien approché (Approximate Bayesian Computation, ABC) et une autre basée sur des simulations spatiales de coalescence, permettant d’ensuite comparer les résultats. Enfin, avec le troisième axe, nous nous sommes intéressés à un programme d’inférence de paramètres démographiques (temps de divergence, taille effective des populations, taux de migration) communément utilisé. Nous avons créés des jeux de données non empiriques, construits avec trois simulateurs également très répandus dans les analyses de génétique des populations, pour explorer les performances d’inférence du programme.<p><p>Nous espérons que ce projet va aider à mieux comprendre la façon dont les espèces adaptées à un climat froid en Europe répondent aux changements climatiques. Il a démontré et permis d’isoler des traits spécifiques dans ces réponses tout en suggérant néanmoins certains schémas communs. Nos résultats sont riches et variés; la distribution contemporaine de la diversité génétique chez les quatre espèces soeurs de chrysomèle implique des processus tels que l’introgression et l’hybridation, la compétition et l’invasion, la spéciation allopatrique et sympatrique, le potentiel de dispersion et la différentiation des réponses aux changements climatiques. Au vu de ces résultats, d’autres recherches sont envisagées; les mécanismes donnant lieu ou sous-jacents aux différents types de spéciation, à la spécialisation alimentaire, à la différentiation de niche et à l’hybridation dans les zones de contact secondaire seront explorés à l’aide de matériel biologique et de ressources analytiques déjà acquises. En pratique, nous avons réalisé notre étude en explorant des procédures d’analyses prometteuses tout en exploitant les ressources d’un jeu de données multi-locus et multi-espèces. Tout au long du projet, nous mettons l’accent sur la nécessité de travailler avec des jeux de données empiriques multi-espèces au moins équivalents à celui de ce projet (en termes de nombre de marqueurs, de taille d’échantillons) si on vise à réaliser une telle étude sur l’histoire évolutive d’une espèce. Nous mettons également en garde sur certaines limites méthodologiques qui doivent être considérées pour la conception d’un projet d’étude allant de la mise en œuvre expérimentale jusqu’à l’interprétation des résultats.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Biology / Samantha Wisely / Habitat fragmentation and destruction are the most ubiquitous and serious environmental threats confronting the long-term survival of plant and animal species worldwide. However, some native or exotic species can take advantages of these alterations and expand their range, placing endemic species at risk of extinction by changing the composition of biotic communities and altering ecosystem. Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) are a widely distributed rodent throughout most of South and Central America, but restricted to areas of standing water. As the Gran Chaco ecosystem of Paraguay has been converted from dry tropical forest to pastureland, I hypothesized that this habitat alteration created potential for invasion by capybara into newly fragmented areas. I used ecological niche modeling to generate hypotheses about how the distribution of capybara has been affected by land use change, and tested those hypotheses with phylogeographic analyses. To understand the mechanisms that have allowed the invasion, I investigated home range, habitat use and thermoregulation of capybara via radiotelemetry in a deforested area in which capybara had recently invaded. Genetic analyses confirm a rapid range expansion scenario with evidence of secondary contact between two distinct phylogroups which had previously been disjunct. Modeling results indicated that conversion of forest to pastureland allowed the expansion to occur. Capybara selected water significantly more than it was available to them, and avoided shrub forest. I found a significant positive correlation between body temperature and distance from water, and a significant negative correlation between distance from water and Chaco ambient temperature. Capybara proximity to water appeared to be tightly linked to body thermoregulation. These results suggest that although capybara have expanded into the Chaco forest as it is converted to pastureland, the presence of permanent water sources in those pastures are the mechanism that allow capybara to persist in this habitat. This is the first study to characterize capybara in a xeric habitat without a year round water source, and scarce natural grasslands. My results show how anthropogenic habitat modification has allowed capybara to thrive. Understanding how capybara invade and utilize the deforested Central Dry Chaco will provide valuable information for the future management of the species and the Chaco ecosystem.

Thesis (MSc (Botany and Zoology))--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The comparative phylogeography of the host-parasite relationship of the southern African endemic dark shyshark, Haploblepharus pictus and its nematode parasite, Proleptus obtusus was investigated. To date, no studies have been conducted on the population structure of catsharks and their species specific parasites and little is known about the population dynamics of these species. A total of 116 catsharks and 201 parasites were analysed from seven South African localities. The mitochondrial marker COI was used and species specific primers were designed for both the host and parasite. Haplotype networks were constructed and no strong geographically structured groupings were found for either species. Pairwise st values for the parasite and host found Gansbaai to be significantly differentiated from the other sites. Fu’s Fs were significantly negative for both host and parasite indicating population disequilibrium. Proleptus obtusus displayed a pattern of population expansion which was confirmed by the mismatch distribution. Mismatch distributions failed to indicate population expansion for the sharks. Other factors such as selection, migration or genetic drift are likely the cause of the population disequilibrium detected. Interestingly, no barrier to gene flow was found around Cape Point, a known break for other species such as the clinid, Clinus cottoides and the caridean shrimp Palaemon peringueyi. The outcome of this study suggests that levels of gene flow in H. pictus are high enough to suggest that the documented site fidelity is not as strong as originally proposed. The parasite, being dependent on the host, shows a similarly high level of gene flow among sampling sites. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vergelykende filogeografie van die gasheer-parasiet verhouding tussen die endemiese suider-Afrikaanse donker skaamhaai, Haploblepharus pictus en sy nematode parasiet, Proleptus obtusus is ondersoek. Huidiglik is daar nog geen ander studies uitgevoer met betrekking tot die populasie struktuur van skaamhaaie en hul spesies-spesefieke parasiete nie en min is bekend oor die populasie dinamiek van hierdie spesies. In hierdies studie is ‘n totaal van 116 skaamhaaie en 201 parasiete vanaf sewe lokaliteite geanaliseer. Die mitikondriale merker COI is hiervoor gebruik en spesie spesefieke inleiers is vir beide gasheer en parasiet ontwerp. Haplotipe netwerke is saamgestel vir beide spesies en het geen duidelike geografies gestruktureerde groepe aangedui nie. Paarsgewyse st waardes van beide parasiet en gasheer het daarop gedui dat Gansbaai geneties gedifferensieerd is van alle ander lokaliteite. Fu se Fs was statisties betekenisvol met ‘n negatiewe waarde vir beide spesies, wat dui op populasie disekwilibrium. Proleptus obtusus het ‘n patroon van populasie groei getoon, wat deur Fu se Fs en die misparing verspreiding bevestig is. Die misparing verspreiding het nie populasie toename vir die skaamhaaie aangedui nie. Die waargeneemde populasie disekwilibrium is waarskynlik die gevolg van seleksie, migrasie of genetiese drywing. Geen genetiese breuk is by Kaap Punt, wat ‘n genetiese breuk vir verskeie ander spesies soos Clinus cottoides en Palaemon peringueyi is, gevind nie. Die uitkomstes van hierdie studie stel voor dat vlakke van geen vloei in H. picuts hoog genoeg is om ‘n patroon van genetiese vermenging tussen lokaliteite, op die mitokondriale DNS vlak, tot gevolg te hê. Dit beteken moontlik dat die gedokumenteerde gebied gebondenheid van hierdie spesie nie so sterk, soos oorspronklik voorgestel, is nie. Die parasiet, waarskynlik aangesien hy van sy gasheer afhanklik is, toon ‘n soortgelyke hoë vlak van geen vloei tussen lokaliteite. Dus toon beide spesies ‘n algehele afwesigheid van genetiese struktuur, met die isolasie van Gansbaai van alle ander lokaliteite.