The migration history of the Kamchatka rhododendron (Therorhodion camtschaticum s.l.) indicates two distinct dispersal routes towards Eastern Beringia

New research reveals that the Kamchatka rhododendron (Therorhodion camtschaticum s.l.) split into two distinct species, each following separate migration routes from western Beringia to eastern Beringia during ancient times. The study used genetic analysis of 33 populations, including plastid DNA and nuclear microsatellites, to identify these lineages. One lineage, Therorhodion glandulosum, migrated northward through East Asia to northern Alaska, while the other, T. camtschaticum, took a southern path via the Sikhote-Alin ridge, Sakhalin Island, and the Kuril Islands before reaching the Aleutian Islands and southeast Alaska. The divergence between these species predates the Last Glacial Maximum, suggesting a complex evolutionary history shaped by historical climate shifts.

Polezhaeva, M. A., Modorov, M. V., Mochalova, O. A., & Ickert-Bond, S. M. (2024). The migration history of the Kamchatka rhododendron (Therorhodion camtschaticum s.l.) indicates two distinct dispersal routes towards Eastern Beringia. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 207(2), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae041