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Speciation in Hawaiian angiosperm lineages: cause, consequence, and mode
Jonathan P Price1, Warren L Wagner
1Department of Botany, MRC-166, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA. price.jonathan@nmnh.si.edu
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|November 26, 2004
Summary
Hawaiian plant lineages show that bird dispersal, especially external, leads to more species than abiotic dispersal. Speciation modes, like allopatric and parapatric, are linked to ecological and biogeographic traits.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Ecology
- Biogeography
Background:
- Hawaiian Islands' biota originates from long-distance dispersal and subsequent in situ speciation.
- Species form monophyletic lineages that diverge under similar environmental pressures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between species number (S) and various traits in Hawaiian angiosperm lineages.
- To assess the influence of dispersal mechanisms, pollination, and growth form on lineage diversification.
Main Methods:
- Partitioning the Hawaiian angiosperm flora into distinct lineages.
- Assessing morphological, ecological, and biogeographic characteristics of these lineages.
- Analyzing speciation modes using sister species pairs.
Main Results:
- Lineages with external bird dispersal were significantly more species-rich than those with abiotic dispersal.
- Pollination mode and growth form did not significantly affect species number.
- Species richness correlated positively with lineage range size but negatively with local abundance.
Conclusions:
- Dispersal mechanisms play a crucial role in the diversification of Hawaiian flora.
- Speciation modes, including allopatric and parapatric, are integral to trait evolution and diversification.
- Understanding speciation is key to explaining the formation of regional species pools.