Gene flow, drift and populations of Sardinian Aquilegia

The Mediterranean Basin is an important region for plant biodiversity, but there are relatively few studies of fine-scale genetic variation. Garrido et al. assess the spatial genetic structure of all known locations of the three Sardinian endemic species of Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae) and determine that genetic drift has been historically more influential than gene flow on population structure. They conclude that the spatial genetic structure found is not fully compatible with current taxonomic affiliations of Sardinian Aquilegia taxa.