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Phylogenetic history underlies elevational biodiversity patterns in tropical salamanders
John J Wiens1, Gabriela Parra-Olea, Mario García-París
1Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245, USA. wiensj@life.bio.sunysb.edu
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 8, 2007
Summary
Mid-elevation habitats accumulate more species over longer colonization times, explaining diversity patterns in tropical salamanders. This suggests older habitats may hold greater phylogenetic diversity, crucial for conservation efforts.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biogeography
Background:
- Elevational gradients show ubiquitous variation in species richness, a key factor for conservation.
- The mid-elevation diversity hump is a common pattern, but its evolutionary drivers (speciation, extinction, dispersal) are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary causes of the mid-elevational diversity hump in tropical bolitoglossine salamanders.
- To determine if diversification rates or colonization history explain species richness patterns along elevational gradients.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a new phylogeny for bolitoglossine plethodontids using DNA sequences from 13 genera and 137 species.
- Analyzed the relationship between clade diversification rates and elevational distribution.
- Correlated species richness in elevational zones with estimated colonization times.
Main Results:
- No correlation was found between clade diversification rates and their elevational distribution.
- No evidence supported a rapid 'species pump' in tropical montane regions.
- Species richness in elevational zones strongly correlated with the estimated time of initial colonization, with mid-elevations colonized earliest.
Conclusions:
- The mid-elevational diversity hump is primarily explained by longer occupation times, not higher diversification rates.
- Early colonization of mid-elevation habitats by bolitoglossine salamanders led to greater species accumulation over time.
- This pattern suggests that older habitats may harbor more species and greater phylogenetic diversity, with implications for conservation strategies.
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