Ancient landscapes of the Namib Desert harbor high levels of genetic variability and deeply divergent lineages for Collembola

Abstract

Dispersal events, although rare, may be facilitated by environmental events such as prevailing onshore winds or occasional flow of rainwater to the coast. We conclude that the high genetic diversity we observed is the result of ancient springtail lineages, patchy distribution of suitable habitats, and limited dispersal (gene flow) among habitable locations.