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Discordant patterns of evolutionary differentiation in two Neotropical treefrogs
Jeanne M Robertson1, M Catherine Duryea, Kelly R Zamudio
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. jmrobertson@uidaho.edu
Molecular Ecology
|April 17, 2009
Summary
Two frog species show different responses to historical events shaping their populations. Microevolutionary processes and species-specific traits drive distinct diversification patterns in Central America.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biogeography
Background:
- Comparative studies of codistributed taxa reveal how historical processes influence population structure.
- Discordant lineage divergence patterns suggest species respond differently to common historical events.
- The Isthmus of Central America's complex geology offers a unique setting to study vicariance and biogeographic impacts on population history.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare divergence patterns between two codistributed Neotropical frogs, Dendropsophus ebraccatus and Agalychnis callidryas.
- To investigate how phenotypic and genetic divergence differ among populations of these species.
- To understand the role of microevolutionary processes and species-specific traits in diversification.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of phenotypic (color pattern) and genetic divergence in two frog species.
- Assessment of gene flow and phylogenetic history among populations.
- Evaluation of biogeographic barriers in Costa Rica and Panama influencing diversification.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in phenotypic and genetic divergence were found between Dendropsophus ebraccatus and Agalychnis callidryas.
- Color pattern in D. ebraccatus did not correlate with genetic or geographic distance, unlike in A. callidryas where it co-varied with gene flow.
- Species exhibited distinct phylogenetic histories, gene flow patterns, and responses to biogeographic barriers.
Conclusions:
- Alternate microevolutionary processes explain the unique diversification patterns observed in each frog taxon.
- Differences in selective regimes and species-specific ecological/life-history traits maintain spatial diversification patterns.
- This study highlights the importance of species-specific factors in shaping population structure and evolutionary trajectories.
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