Quantitative palaeobiogeography: GIS, phylogenetic biogeographical analysis, and conservation insights

Abstract

Aim The utility of GIS‐based and phylogenetic biogeographical analysis in palaeobiogeography is reviewed with reference to its ability to elucidate patterns of interest for modern conservation biology, specifically the long‐term effects of invasive species. Location Emphasis is on biogeographical patterns in the Appalachian basin and mid‐continent of North America during the Devonian. Global palaeobiogeographical patterns of the Cambrian are also considered. Methods Palaeobiogeographical patterns are assessed within a GIS framework, including both direct range reconstruction and niche modelling methods, and within phylogenetic biogeographical analysis. Biogeographical patterns are considered within multiple clades of fossil invertebrates, including trilobites, crustaceans, brachiopods, and bivalves. Results GIS‐based analysis (including niche modelling methods) of Devonian invertebrates demonstrates a tightly correlated relationship between sea‐level rises and range expansion, dispersal events, and species invasions. The predominance of range expansion and species invasions during the Late Devonian reduced opportunities for vicariant speciation during this interval. Comparison of phylogenetic biogeographical patterns between Cambrian and Devonian trilobites allows discernment of the relative roles of tectonics and eustacy in driving biogeographical patterns. Main conclusions GIS analysis and phylogenetic biogeography are powerful tools for analysing the coevolution of the Earth and its biota. Analyses can identify episodes of vicariance and geo‐dispersal and produce testable hypotheses for further analysis within the fossil record.

Historical Biogeography: Evolution in Time and Space

“…But for many decades, these two explanations were viewed as competing hypotheses in historical biogeography, with proponents of one or another engaged in a polarized and sometimes heated debate (review in Cox andMoore 2010 andLomolino et al 2006). The current tendency is to accept both dispersal and vicariance explanations as equally likely hypotheses and use other information sources (e.g., the fossil record, information on past climates and geography, or the ecological tolerance of the group) to discriminate between them (Stigall and Lieberman 2006;Ronquist and Sanmartín 2011). In this review, I use the example of ratites to show how incorporating new sources of evidence into biogeographic reconstructions has allowed researchers to address a wider range of evolutionary questions than the simple search for congruent distribution patterns.…”

“…For example, they are often used in paleontological research (Lieberman 2000;Stigall and Lieberman 2006;Maguire and Stigall 2008;Prieto-Marquez 2010). Moreover, time can be incorporated indirectly in DIVA by separating events into time bins (Sanmartín et al 2001), or in phylogenetic paleobiogeography (Maguire and Stigall 2008), by using a "temporally calibrated cladogram" in which time is given by the stratigraphic age and position of the fossil lineage in the phylogeny.…”

The Geography of Evolution and the Evolution of Geography

“…One GIS-based methodology that figures to be especially important in helping to lead to future biogeographic discoveries in the area of paleontology is ecological niche modeling. This approach can be used to consider a variety of interesting biogeographic questions including ecological changes at speciation (Peterson et al 1999), what abiotic and biotic factors control species ranges (Stigall and Lieberman 2006;Maguire and Stigall 2009), and also how species niches change through time (Dudei and Stigall 2010). Integrating these new methodological developments with polygons show the ranges for the mosasaur Tylosaur.…”

Species’ Geographic Distributions Through Time: Playing Catch-up with Changing Climates

“…Insights.-Several studies have used ENM to study species' biogeography in deep time (e.g., (Stigall Rode and Lieberman 2005;Stigall and Lieberman 2006b;Maguire and Stigall 2009;Dudei and Stigall 2010). For more recent periods, the emerging suite of studies that have Nyári et al 2010;Premoli et al 2010;Varela et al 2010) has begun to perceive some generalities that are quite interesting.…”

“…First, more powerful approaches are under development that link paleontological evidence with paleoenvironmental data in a niche modeling framework. This advance includes initial explorations (Stigall and Lieberman 2006a;Stigall 2008) that proved concepts. Now, more detailed applications to a variety of paleontological hypotheses are now appearing in the literature (Dudei and Stigall 2010;Myers and Lieberman 2010;Walls and Stigall 2011).…”