Global hotspots in the present-day distribution of ancient animal and plant lineages

2015

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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Southern Africa boasts a wealth of endemic fauna and flora, comprising both massive recent radiations such as those characteristic of the Cape flora, and solitary ancient species such as the peculiar desert gymnosperm Welwitschia. This study was undertaken to identify ancient biological lineages (tetrapod and vascular plant lineages of Eocene age or older) endemic to southern Africa, and to map their distribution across the region. Twenty-seven (17 plant and ten animal) lineages were identified, and distribution maps were generated for each of them across 74 operational geographic units, which were then combined into total endemism and corrected weighted endemism per unit area. Total endemism peaked along South Africa's coast and Great Escarpment, but in the case of weighted endemism high values were also recorded along other portions of the Great Escarpment further north. A review of the lineages sister to southern African ancient endemic lineages showed that these are often globally widespread, and many of them differ substantially from the southern African ancient lineages in terms of morphology and ecology. The mechanisms of ancient lineage survival in the region are discussed, and their importance for conservation in southern Africa is emphasised.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns in the diversity and endemism of extant Eocene age lineages across southern Africa

Padayachee

2015

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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“…Species colonisation of islands or new habitats is probably better described as lineage colonisation, and this assists with appreciating the distinction between the number of colonisation events and subsequent diversification. The latitudinal gradient in species richness can be illustrated equally well with multi-species lineages (Davies and Buckley, 2012;Procheş et al, 2015) and with measures of genetic diversity within species (Adams and Hadly, 2012;Araújo and Costa-Pereira, 2013). Simulated genetic and species diversity measures are strongly matched under a variety of modelled scenarios (Vellend, 2005), and this has been tested with real-world data across sites.…”

Section: Alternativesmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The idea of mapping them may be rooted in basal versus derived lineage comparisons (Hawkins et al, 2006), and true equal-age lineages were first mapped by Davies and Buckley (2012; 'local lineages through time'). Such maps can illustrate lineage survival from specific age intervals, and provide a picture of refugial value (Procheş et al, 2015;Padayachee and Procheş, 2016) that cannot be encapsulated by phylogenetic diversity, where recent diversifications can add up to match the values derived from ancient lineages (Forest et al, 2007).…”

Section: Fig 1 Modelo Conceptual Para Hacer Un Seguimiento De La Idmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does biogeography need species?

2020

Anim. Biodiv. Conserv.

The non–equivalence of species defined using different species concepts has recently been highlighted as a serious impediment for conservation efforts. The question arises then, to what extent biogeographical studies, and especially macroecological studies, might also be hampered by the numerous problems pertaining to multi–species datasets. An examination of what is meant by species across spatial scales reveals an important discontinuity. Over and above the much–debated species concepts the word ‘species’ describes, in fact, two distinct ideas. One, applicable at the local scale, is critical in a community ecology context. The second refers to non–equivalent units in the global inventory of biodiversity, useful for reference purpose, but problematic where analysis is concerned. The majority of biogeographical studies are in fact relevant to those intermediate spatial scales where neither meaning truly applies. Multi–species lineages that are comparable in one or another respect (such as equal–age lineages and similar–range lineages) are probably more accurate units for testing biogeographical hypotheses

“…Southeast Asia possesses a broad selection of the world's ancient plant and animal lineages (Procheş, Ramdhani, Perera, Ali, & Gairola, 2015) and also contains large areas of humid lowlands. This region combines latitudinally driven high biodiversity (Tang et al, 2014) with relatively high terrestrial connectivity as a result of both tectonic and sea-level patterns (for animal lineages, see Procheş & Ramdhani, 2013).…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The subdivision of the plant phylogenetic tree into ancient lineages was done by drawing a line intersecting the branches of the calibrated trees at 120 Mya. Therefore, the ages of lineages are neither stem nor crown ages, but represent intermediate values (Procheş et al, 2015). In many cases (mostly angiosperms), such a lineage included several families (meaning that the families themselves are younger than 120 Mya).…”

Section: Plant and Soil Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil niche of rain forest plant lineages: Implications for dominance on a global scale

Journal of Biogeography

Sukri

Jaafar

et al. 2019

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Aim Why some lineages are species‐rich and widespread, while others are species‐poor and localized, is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology and ecology. Diversification and range expansion relate to lineage‐specific niche characters, but this link has seldom been quantified across multiple lineages and environments. This study explored the link between local dominance and soil niche in rain forest plants, and tested the hypothesis that local soil niche patterns can be used to predict the global diversity and occupancy of equal‐aged plant lineages. Location The study was carried out in Brunei Darussalam (Borneo) and projected worldwide. Methods Our approach involved the subdivision of vascular plants into the lineages found 120 Mya, a time preceding the explosive radiation of the eudicots. We quantified the representation of the 120 Mya lineages in different forest types associated with dramatically different soils, but sharing the same climatic conditions. The forest types included primary and secondary lowland rain forest, flooded and nutrient‐impoverished inland forests, and mangroves. Niche breadth and position, estimated from the soil types that a lineage occupied, were used to predict global diversity and occupancy patterns, after accounting for relatedness to the dominant eudicots. Results Despite marked differences in soil characteristics among the forest types, three eudicot lineages (Malvidae, Fabidae, Asteridae) were consistently dominant over the other 28 lineages present. A broad, intermediate soil niche, relatedness to eudicots, and the interaction between these factors were found to be strong predictors of global diversity and occupancy. Main conclusions We show that vegetation plot data from one of the world's most diverse regions (in terms of plant species richness and ancient lineage representation) can be used to successfully predict lineage diversity and occupancy on a global scale. However, because lineage dominance likely depends on the interaction between soil niche and above‐ground factors, including above‐ground niche features should improve the accuracy of predicting global distribution and diversity—particularly when explaining eudicot dominance.