Calluna vulgaris (Ericaceae) is the most widespread and prevalent woody species of the European dry heathland, from the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar to northern Europe. However, previous biogeographic analyses of this species have ignored the western Mediterranean region, despite its preponderant role as a major glacial refugium for European biota. Here, we explore the existence of further Pleistocene glacial refugia for C. vulgaris in the Iberian Peninsula and the Strait of Gibraltar area and provide new insights into the post-glacial colonization of Europe by this emblematic heathland species. We carried out phylogeographical analyses of C. vulgaris samples from 44 locations using four plastid markers (matK, trnH-psbA, trnL-F and rpl16). We built palaeodistribution models using MAXENT to identify possible refugia for C. vulgaris during the mid-Pliocene, Last Interglacial (LIG), Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and mid-Holocene. Our results identified a genetic lineage exclusive to the Strait of Gibraltar area s.l. (south-western Iberian Peninsula and north-western tip of Africa) as the most probable close to the clade of origin of the species. This lineage also had more private haplotypes than more recent, Eurosiberian clades. The obtained data highlighted two main refugia for C. vulgaris during the LGM, one around the Strait of Gibraltar and another in the north-western Iberian Peninsula. The Strait of Gibraltar area is a major centre of origin or glacial refugium for the heather C. vulgaris. However, the north-western Iberian Peninsula seems to have acted as a secondary glacial refugium for the more recent, Eurosiberian lineage of this species. This study stresses the importance of the Strait of Gibraltar area in the biogeographic history and conservation of the heather and, by extension, the European heathland habitat.

中文翻译：

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从直布罗陀海峡到北欧：更新世避难所和石南花的生物地理历史（Calluna vulgaris，Ericaceae）

Calluna vulgaris (Ericaceae) 是从直布罗陀海峡的非洲一侧到北欧的欧洲干旱荒地最广泛和普遍的木本物种。然而，以前对该物种的生物地理学分析忽略了西地中海地区，尽管它作为欧洲生物群的主要冰川避难所发挥了重要作用。在这里，我们探索了伊比利亚半岛和直布罗陀海峡地区 C. vulgaris 进一步更新世冰川避难所的存在，并为这种标志性的荒地物种对欧洲的后冰川殖民提供了新的见解。我们使用四种质体标记（matK、trnH-psbA、trnL-F 和 rpl16）对来自 44 个地点的 C. vulgaris 样品进行了系统地理分析。我们使用 MAXENT 建立了古分布模型来识别 C. 上新世中期、末次间冰期（LIG）、末次盛冰期（LGM）和全新世中期。我们的研究结果确定了直布罗陀海峡地区 sl（伊比利亚半岛西南部和非洲西北端）独有的遗传谱系，最可能接近该物种的起源进化枝。这个谱系也比最近的欧洲西伯利亚进化枝有更多的私人单倍型。获得的数据突出了 LGM 期间 C. vulgaris 的两个主要避难所，一个在直布罗陀海峡周围，另一个在伊比利亚半岛西北部。直布罗陀海峡地区是石南花 C. vulgaris 的主要起源中心或冰川避难所。然而，伊比利亚半岛西北部似乎已成为该物种最近的欧洲西伯利亚血统的次生冰川避难所。