Article
Ecology
Scott A. Martin, William E. Peterman, Gregory J. J. Lipps Jr, H. Lisle Gibbs
Summary: Assessing environmental factors for species movement is crucial for identifying conservation actions that connect isolated populations. However, direct observations are limited, so alternate approaches like landscape genetic analyses are necessary. This study uses such analysis to assess the impact of landscape features on the movement of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. The findings highlight the importance of land-cover and inherent landscape features on current connectivity, and provide valuable information for guiding future habitat modification and land acquisition actions to connect isolated populations.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Hai Ngoc Ngo, Dennis Roedder, Lee Grismer, Truong Quang Nguyen, Minh Duc Le, Shuo Qi, Thomas Ziegler
Summary: Based on phylogenetic analyses, the first divergence date of Goniurosaurus was estimated to be in the Eocene (approximately 45.3 million years ago). Diversification within four monophyletic species groups began in the mid-Miocene (approximately 13.4 to 7.7 million years ago) and continued until at least the early Pleistocene (approximately 2 million years ago). The ancestral regions of each monophyletic Goniurosaurus species group were predicted to be contiguous continental Eastern Asia. The assessments of their niche evolution can provide insights into vulnerability to climate change and improve conservation measures for Goniurosaurus species in the future.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Oscar M. Vargas, Santiago Madrinan, Beryl Simpson
Summary: This study aims to test whether the endemic genus Linochilus undergoes more speciation through geographic isolation. The results show that 80% of recent speciation events are driven by geographic isolation, while only 6.7% are attributed to parapatric ecological speciation.
Article
Ecology
Pablo Fernando Cuervo, Fernando Sebastian Flores, Jose Manuel Venzal, Santiago Nava
Summary: This study investigated the ecological niches of the Amblyomma maculatum group of ticks, revealing evidence of niche differentiation among closely related taxa leading to geographical variation. It suggests niche conservatism for some pairs traditionally associated with allopatric speciation, while incipient niche divergence is observed in other comparisons, supporting the hypothesis of habitat conditions driving tick evolution.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Giovanni Laudanno, Bart Haegeman, Daniel L. Rabosky, Rampal S. Etienne
Summary: This article introduces different models and inference methods for phylogenetic trees with varying diversification rates, proposing a new framework for calculating likelihood that has been shown to be more accurate through simulations. The corrected likelihood can also be applied to models with multiple rate shifts, resolving the recent debate on unobserved shifts in diversification rates.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jennifer J. Freer, Rupert A. Collins, Geraint A. Tarling, Martin A. Collins, Julian C. Partridge, Martin J. Genner
Summary: This study investigates the roles of geography, habitat use, and lateral photophores in lanternfish speciation using phylogenetic, ecological, and morphological data. The results suggest that large-scale oceanographic features structure the diversity of lanternfish communities and that speciation within this family might not require geographical isolation, but instead relies on divergent habitat use and differences in photophore patterns.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Monica Paez-Vacas, Daryl R. Trumbo, W. Chris Funk
Summary: The study examined phenotypic and genetic divergence in 35 populations of Epipedobates anthonyi poison frogs along elevational gradients in the Ecuadorian Andes. Despite low genetic divergence, phenotypic divergence was observed and explained by landscape resistance and environmental differences, suggesting both isolation-by-resistance and isolation-by-environment mechanisms. Environmental variation has a dual effect on population divergence, affecting gene flow and selective pressures on phenotypic traits.
Article
Biology
Oriol Lapiedra, Ferran Sayol, Joan Garcia-Porta, Daniel Sol
Summary: This study examines how ecological niche shifts on islands shaped biological diversification on continents, using the evolutionary radiation of Columbiformes. It found that colonization of islands by continental, terrestrial-foraging lineages led to the exploitation of a new ecological niche, associated with new morphological adaptations and increased speciation rates on islands. Results challenge the view of islands as mere sinks of evolutionary diversity and highlight the importance of studying diversification processes on islands for a full understanding of diversification on continents.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David A. Lopez-Cordova, Jorge Avaria-Llautureo, Patricio M. Ulloa, Heather E. Braid, Liam J. Revell, Dirk Fuchs, Christian M. Ibanez
Summary: Coleoids are the most diverse group of cephalopod mollusks, originating in the Mesozoic and showing an increasing diversification rate during the Cenozoic. Analyses revealed abrupt increases in diversification rate before and after the K-Pg boundary.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Somaye Vaissi, Sahar Rezaei
Summary: The study found that the two regional clades of the Hyrcanian wood frog, WRC and ERC, have undergone substantial niche divergence and are constrained by a unique set of climatic and macro-environmental conditions. This research based on phylogenetic data provides new insights into species diversification processes in the Hyrcanian forests.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ingrid Olivares, Sergio Tusso, Maria Jose Sanin, Marylaure de La Harpe, Oriane Loiseau, Jonathan Rolland, Nicolas Salamin, Michael Kessler, Kentaro K. Shimizu, Margot Paris
Summary: Traditionally, differences between species have been associated with morphological variation. However, the discovery of cryptic diversity suggests that the evolution of distinct lineages can occur without morphological differences. Through genetic analysis, we found that a tropical montane plant lineage is composed of numerous unrecognized genetic groups that are not morphologically distinct. Geographic distance and topography play a crucial role in determining the genetic divergence of these groups.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biology
Elisa Barreto, Marisa C. W. Lim, Danny Rojas, Liliana M. Davalos, Rafael O. Wuest, Antonin Machac, Catherine H. Graham
Summary: We investigated the impact of traits on speciation in hummingbirds, a clade with diverse speciation rates, morphology, and niches. Two hypotheses were tested, suggesting that speciation rates are influenced by either trait conservatism or trait divergence. The findings showed that smaller hummingbirds with shorter bills, living at higher elevations and experiencing greater temperature ranges, exhibit faster speciation. Additionally, speciation was found to increase with rates of divergence in niche traits, but not in morphological traits.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Evan Miller, Averee Luhrs, Amanda Mancini, Mary E. Blair, Luca Pozzi
Summary: Cryptic species complexes consist of closely related species that were once classified as a single species. The diversification mechanisms of these complexes are often driven by environmental factors, which may lead to ecological speciation. This study used niche-based distribution modeling to examine the ecological divergence within a species complex in East Africa. The results showed that the extent of niche overlap between species was consistent with allopatric speciation processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rhett M. Rautsaw, Tristan D. Schramer, Rachel Acuna, Lindsay N. Arick, Mark DiMeo, Kathryn P. Mercier, Michael Schrum, Andrew J. Mason, Mark J. Margres, Jason L. Strickland, Christopher L. Parkinson
Summary: The study reveals high intraspecific gene flow within the Nerodia fasciata-clarkii complex in Florida, but reduced gene flow is observed between inland and coastal lineages. The results demonstrate that ecological differences, particularly those caused by salinity, lead to divergent selection and promote species divergence despite significant gene flow.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Xiaming ZHU, Lei HUA, Mengchao FANG, Yu DU, Chixian LIN, Longhui LIN, Xiang JI
Summary: Genetic diversity, population structure, evolutionary history, and migration patterns were studied in Reeves' butterfly lizard using mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite loci. Two lineages were identified, with evidence of niche shifts and conservatisms, indicating a complex niche pattern between the two lineages.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2021)