DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hmgqnk9v6
title: Data from: Variation in Ricasolia amplissima (Scop.) De Not. in Norway and Europe – a mere response to climate?

description: Observations of two apparent phenotypic expressions (morphodemes) of the
 composite thallus of the lichen-forming ascomycete species Ricasolia
 amplissima (Scop.) De Not. (formerly Lobaria amplissima (Scop.) Forss.)
 inspired us to investigate the morphological and genetic variation of the
 species in Norway. The morphodemes differ in thallus shape and occurrence
 of apothecia and/or cephalodia, each dominating in climatically different
 parts of southern Norway. We investigated the morphology of herbarium
 collections as well as fresh samples from various areas, including
 localities where the two morphodemes occur together. The nrITS barcode
 marker was sequenced to investigate the genetic variation along the
 climatic gradient of the Hardangerfjord area. We also included barcode
 sequences of specimens from other parts of the world in order to establish
 if the Norwegian pattern of variation has a wider geographical
 significance. Results suggest that the genetic variation found in
 Ricasolia amplissima corresponds to morphology independently of
 geography/climate. The two haplotype groups clusters in two distinct
 sister clades, however, the within-species variation is too small to
 justify taxonomic recognition. Specimens with the cephalodiate morphodeme
 and its haplotypes are mainly found in the oceanic west, whereas specimens
 with apotheciate morphodemes and its haplotypes occur mainly in the drier
 eastern parts. The results can be interpreted as 1) immigration to Norway
 from different gene pools in separate glacial refugia, or, 2) natural
 selection for water efficient cephalodiate morphodemes in the oceanic west
 and apotheciate (sexually reproducing) in drier suboceanic east parts of
 Norway. We argue that within-species genetic variation should always be
 considered before conservation actions such as transplants of lichen
 thalli are taken.
description: To explore the genetic variation of the two morphodemes and to
 reveal any correlation with the studied morphological traits, we sampled
 fresh material of <em>R</em>. <em>amplissima</em>
 at 10 localities (Fig. 2 in the article) with most samples from localities
 where both morphodemes occurred. Twelve samples were DNA extracted and the
 ITS amplified and sequenced using standard methods in the DNA Lab, UiB
 (Øvstedal et al. 2018). In addition eight samples were sequenced within
 the NorBOL project at the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding
 (www.dnabarcoding.ca). Sequence assembly and manual curation, alignment
 calculation, and estimation of genetic distances (observed p-distance)
 were carried out in Geneious Prime 2022.0.2 (Biomatters Inc.,
 CA).
description: # Variation in Ricasolia amplissima (Scop.) De Not. in Norway and Europe –
 a mere response to climate?
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hmgqnk9v6](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hmgqnk9v6) **Description of the data and file structure** **File**: Nucleotide_alignment_NOR.txt (Fasta format) **Description**: This dataset contains the data required to replicate the TCS analysis in Lindblom & Blom  (in press). It is an ITS data set to study genetic variation in *Ricasolia* *amplissima* in Norway. To explore the genetic variation of the two morphodemes and to reveal any correlation with the studied morphological traits, we sampled fresh material of *R*. *amplissima* at 10 localities with most samples from localities where both morphodemes occurred. Twelve samples were DNA extracted and the ITS amplified and sequenced using standard methods in the DNA Lab, UiB (Øvstedal et al. 2018). In addition, eight samples were sequenced within the NorBOL project at the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding ([www.dnabarcoding.ca](http://www.dnabarcoding.ca)). Sequence assembly and manual curation, alignment calculation, and estimation of genetic distances (observed p-distance) were carried out in Geneious Prime 2022.0.2 (Biomatters Inc., CA). The resulting alignment was collapsed into sequence haplotypes and a phylogenetic statistical parsimony network generated in TCS v. 1.21 (Clement et al. 2000). **Software** Sequence assembly and manual curation, alignment calculation, and estimation of genetic distances (observed p-distance) were carried out in Geneious Prime 2022.0.2 (Biomatters Inc., CA). The resulting alignment was collapsed into sequence haplotypes and a phylogenetic statistical parsimony network generated in TCS v. 1.21 (Clement et al. 2000). **Access information** Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * Sequences are deposited in GenBank (NCBI) after publication