Diversification Processes in Lizards and Snakes from the Middle São Francisco River Dune Region, Brazil

Recoder, Renato Sousa; Rodrigues, Miguel Tréfaut

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-31167-4_26

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Due to xeric conditions, most rivers in the Caatinga, with the exception of the perennial São Francisco River (SFR), are ephemeral or reduced during the dry season (Pereira et al, 2007). The SFR has long been considered a biogeographical barrier because its course limits the distribution of multiple taxa (Menezes et al, 2016;Recoder & Rodrigues, 2020;Rodrigues, 1996); however, exceptions are common (Caetano et al, 2008;Magalhaes et al, 2014;Oliveira et al, 2015;Thomé et al, 2016). Unfortunately, the geologic history of SFR is not well resolved (Potter, 1997) and the few existing investigations support major and minor course shifts and an endorheic period (Werneck et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genomic data from the Brazilian sibilator frog reveal contrasting pleistocene dynamics and regionalism in two South American dry biomes

Thomé

Carstens

Rodrigues

et al. 2021

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim: Knowledge about the Neotropical dry formations, particularly the Caatinga, remains rudimentary compared to other biotas in the region. Here we address several biogeographical hypotheses by combining intense geographical and genomic sampling obtained for the Brazilian sibilator frog. We specifically test predictions related to the putative roles of past climate shifts (Pleistocene and Holocene) and local geographical barriers (past and current courses of the São Francisco River, SFR) in causing population differentiation in this species. Location: Caatinga and eastern Cerrado.Taxon: Brazilian sibilator frog Leptodactylus troglodytes. Methods:We sequenced up to ~15,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms for 159 samples from 61 locations. We inferred genetic structure using spatial clustering and examined population sizes through time. We estimated the relationship among populations using phylogenetic reconstruction, estimated historical distributions with ecological niche modelling and inferred demographic history under isolation-with-migration models. Results: Genetic diversity in L. troglodytes corresponds to biome boundaries, with one population in the Cerrado and two populations in the Caatinga, separated by the SFR. Demographic model selection indicates the Caatinga populations expanded since the end of the Pleistocene while the Cerrado population declined. Within the Caatinga, population expansion began earlier and was more extreme in the north. A continuous stability area maintained the two Caatinga populations, which share a common origin and began diverging in the mid-Pleistocene, first with symmetric gene flow and later under pronounced migration from the north. Main conclusions:We could not reject a role of past climate change in causing diversification of relictual populations in the Cerrado, but we found no evidence of multiple refuges or long-term isolation within the Caatinga. Instead, diversification in this biome appears to be caused by the SFR acting as a 'soft barrier' that constrains migration over an extended period of time.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genomic data from the Brazilian sibilator frog reveal contrasting pleistocene dynamics and regionalism in two South American dry biomes

Thomé

Carstens

Rodrigues

et al. 2021

Journal of Biogeography

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“…In this study, we found 27 out of 51(53%) lizard species reported from Caatinga habitats (Gonçalves-Sousa et al River, such as the gymnophthalmids Calyptommatus leiolepis and Procellosaurinus tetradactylus and the tropidurid Eurolophosaurus divaricatus (Recoder & Rodrigues, 2020;Rodrigues, 1996), leads to such dissimilarity.…”

Section: Species Richness and Compositionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…The soils of Casa Nova are sandy, influenced by Paleo quaternary dunes on the banks of the São Francisco River, the most important river of the Brazilian semiarid region. The São Francisco river is an important historical factor for lizard assemblage structure at regional scale (Gonçalves‐Sousa et al, 2022; Recoder & Rodrigues, 2020). The north of the São Francisco River represents the most severe subregion of the Brazilian semiarid region.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of resource use in lizard assemblages from the semiarid Caatinga, Brazil

et al. 2022

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Nonsessile animals could partition the use of resources in different axes, reducing the effects of competition and allowing coexistence. Here, we investigated the spatial and trophic niche dimensions in four lizard assemblages in the Neotropical semiarid Caatinga to investigate the determinants of resource use and the extent to which lizards partition their niches. We sampled each lizard assemblage once, for 10 days, in the dry season of 2017 and 2018. In two lizard assemblages, we detected nonrandom niche overlap patterns that were higher or lower than expected by chance. The high niche overlap patterns suggest that either there is intense current competition for available microhabitats or an abundance of microhabitats. The lower niche overlap may be influenced by the presence of species adapted to sandy habitats (psammophilous), suggesting that spatial partitioning detected has historical basis, which is supported by the pPCA results and by the lack of patterns in the realized niche distribution of species across niche space. We detected trophic niche partitioning in three lizard assemblages. In one assemblage, we discovered random spatial and trophic niche overlap patterns, revealing that competition is not a determining factor in the structure of that assemblage. In fact, phylogenetic effects were predominantly the main determinants of resource use in the four studied lizard assemblages. Arid and semiarid habitats cover about one third of land surface of the world. Comparisons between our findings and those from other regions of the world may aid identify general trends in the lizard ecology of dry environments.

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“…In our study, the SFr acted as a barrier to 47% of the lizard species sampled, supporting the hypothesis that the SFr is an effective barrier for lizards. The barrier effect on the SFr is more evident on sand dunes of each bank, promoting speciation of psammophilous species (Recoder & Rodrigues, 2020; Rodrigues, 1996). Several studies have corroborated the riverine barrier hypothesis for some species of amphibians (Dias‐Terceiro et al, 2015; Moraes et al, 2016), birds (Hayes & Sewlal, 2004; Oliveira et al, 2017) and primates (Aliaga‐Samanez et al, 2020; Harcourt & Wood, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, riverine barriers have been major predictors of assemblage structure for a wide variety of organisms in South America, because they limit or block dispersal and gene flow (Aliaga‐Samanez et al, 2020; Dias‐Terceiro et al, 2015; Oliveira et al, 2017). Specifically, in the Brazilian semi‐arid, the São Francisco River (SFr) represents an important biographical barrier for lizards (Recoder & Rodrigues, 2020) and rodents (Nascimento et al, 2011). Despite the SFr delimiting similar areas in geographical size, the northern and southern regions of this river are environmentally quite distinct.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riverine barrier and aridity effects on taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversities of lizard assemblages from a semi‐arid region

Sousa

Fraga

Menezes

et al. 2022

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim: Disentangling historical and ecological effects on different components of species diversity is key to understanding the assembly and maintenance of communities over space and time. Historical factors may be stronger predictors of the community composition at regional scales, while ecological factors may be more important predictors at local scales. Here, we evaluate multiple biodiversity dimensions to investigate riverine barrier and aridity effects on the assembly and structure of lizard assemblages.Location: Semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Taxon: Lacertilia (lizards).Methods: We used data describing 63 lizard assemblages from Caatinga habitats to investigate the effects of a riverine barrier and eight environmental gradients on estimates of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity. At the regional scale, we compared communities between the banks of the SFr, assuming that differences could emerge from regionally interrupted dispersal in some of the sampled species.At local scales, we evaluated the patterns of phylogenetic and functional structure of the lizard assemblages from Caatinga, and investigated the influence of aridity-related gradients on species richness, taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity.Results: Lizard assemblages were regionally structured by the SFr acting as a barrier to 47% of the species sampled. We detected phylogenetic signal in 88% of the functional traits. Lizard assemblages were phylogenetic and functionally overdispersed.Moreover, we detected evidence of aridity gradients intensifying the overdispersion of phylogenies and functional traits.Main conclusions: Lizard assemblages showed high variation at both regional and local scales. Riverine barriers played a stronger role as a historical factor structuring assemblages on a regional scale. The interaction of historical constraints with competition enhanced by aridity on a local scale may play a role in structuring lizard assemblages across multiple scales.

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Diversification Processes in Lizards and Snakes from the Middle São Francisco River Dune Region, Brazil

Cited by 6 publications

References 77 publications

Genomic data from the Brazilian sibilator frog reveal contrasting pleistocene dynamics and regionalism in two South American dry biomes

Genomic data from the Brazilian sibilator frog reveal contrasting pleistocene dynamics and regionalism in two South American dry biomes

Determinants of resource use in lizard assemblages from the semiarid Caatinga, Brazil

Riverine barrier and aridity effects on taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversities of lizard assemblages from a semi‐arid region

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