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Guillory WX, de Medeiros Magalhães F, Coelho FEA, Bonatelli IAS, Palma-Silva C, Moraes EM, Garda AA, Burbrink FT, Gehara M. Geoclimatic drivers of diversification in the largest arid and semi-arid environment of the Neotropics: Perspectives from phylogeography. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17431. [PMID: 38877815 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
The South American Dry Diagonal, also called the Diagonal of Open Formations, is a large region of seasonally dry vegetation extending from northeastern Brazil to northern Argentina, comprising the Caatinga, Cerrado, and Chaco subregions. A growing body of phylogeography literature has determined that a complex history of climatic changes coupled with more ancient geological events has produced a diverse and endemic-rich Dry Diagonal biota. However, the exact drivers are still under investigation, and their relative strengths and effects are controversial. Pleistocene climatic fluctuations structured lineages via vegetation shifts, refugium formation, and corridors between the Amazon and Atlantic forests. In some taxa, older geological events, such as the reconfiguration of the São Francisco River, uplift of the Central Brazilian Plateau, or the Miocene inundation of the Chaco by marine incursions, were more important. Here, we review the Dry Diagonal phylogeography literature, discussing each hypothesized driver of diversification and assessing degree of support. Few studies statistically test these hypotheses, with most support drawn from associating encountered phylogeographic patterns such as population structure with the timing of ancient geoclimatic events. Across statistical studies, most hypotheses are well supported, with the exception of the Pleistocene Arc Hypothesis. However, taxonomic and regional biases persist, such as a proportional overabundance of herpetofauna studies, and the under-representation of Chaco studies. Overall, both Pleistocene climate change and Neogene geological events shaped the evolution of the Dry Diagonal biota, though the precise effects are regionally and taxonomically varied. We encourage further use of model-based analyses to test evolutionary scenarios, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations to progress the field beyond its current focus on the traditional set of geoclimatic hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilson X Guillory
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University Newark, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University Newark, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | | | | | - Isabel A S Bonatelli
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Clarisse Palma-Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Evandro M Moraes
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adrian Antonio Garda
- Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Frank T Burbrink
- Department of Herpetology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Marcelo Gehara
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University Newark, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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Fonseca EM, Pope NS, Peterman WE, Werneck FP, Colli GR, Carstens BC. Genetic structure and landscape effects on gene flow in the Neotropical lizard Norops brasiliensis (Squamata: Dactyloidae). Heredity (Edinb) 2024; 132:284-295. [PMID: 38575800 PMCID: PMC11166928 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00682-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
One key research goal of evolutionary biology is to understand the origin and maintenance of genetic variation. In the Cerrado, the South American savanna located primarily in the Central Brazilian Plateau, many hypotheses have been proposed to explain how landscape features (e.g., geographic distance, river barriers, topographic compartmentalization, and historical climatic fluctuations) have promoted genetic structure by mediating gene flow. Here, we asked whether these landscape features have influenced the genetic structure and differentiation in the lizard species Norops brasiliensis (Squamata: Dactyloidae). To achieve our goal, we used a genetic clustering analysis and estimate an effective migration surface to assess genetic structure in the focal species. Optimized isolation-by-resistance models and a simulation-based approach combined with machine learning (convolutional neural network; CNN) were then used to infer current and historical effects on population genetic structure through 12 unique landscape models. We recovered five geographically distributed populations that are separated by regions of lower-than-expected gene flow. The results of the CNN showed that geographic distance is the sole predictor of genetic variation in N. brasiliensis, and that slope, rivers, and historical climate had no discernible influence on gene flow. Our novel CNN approach was accurate (89.5%) in differentiating each landscape model. CNN and other machine learning approaches are still largely unexplored in landscape genetics studies, representing promising avenues for future research with increasingly accessible genomic datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel M Fonseca
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nathaniel S Pope
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - William E Peterman
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Fernanda P Werneck
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Programa de Coleções Científicas Biológicas, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Guarino R Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Bryan C Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Ishihara MA, Domingos FMCB, Gomides SC, Novelli IA, Colli GR, Vargas SM. Genetic structure of Enyalius capetinga (Squamata, Leiosauridae) in Central Cerrado and transitional areas between the Cerrado and the Atlantic forest, with updated geographic distribution. Genetica 2022; 150:367-377. [PMID: 36229707 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-022-00170-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Brazilian Cerrado is considered a biodiversity hotspot highly threatened by human activities. Recently, many studies have demonstrated how underestimated is Cerrado's biodiversity considering squamate species, and the identification of divergent and cryptic lineages is essential for the formulation of effective conservation strategies. The transition areas between the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest are even less known and, consequently, often dismissed in conservation policies. As previous studies suggested the presence of cryptic diversity within E. capetinga, we investigated patterns and processes in the geographic distribution of its genealogical lineages. We used DNA sequences from individuals collected in six localities and sequences publicly available from three mitochondrial markers (CYT-B, 16S and ND4) and one nuclear marker (C-Mos). We tested if the core and ecotone regions of the Cerrado show differences in biotic and abiotic characteristics that could promote genetic structure and divergence among lineages within E. capetinga. We found evidence for divergent lineages within the species, but not congruent with our hypothesis. Similar divergent patterns were observed in other Cerrado lizards, including interspecific divergences within the Enyalius genus. Molecular characterization of field-collected individuals (previously identified as E. bilineatus), allowed us to update the geographic distribution of the species to include the ecotone between the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest, an area where species distribution overlap.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Ishihara
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Genética E Evolução Molecular, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil.
- Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil.
| | - F M C B Domingos
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980, Brazil
| | - S C Gomides
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Campus Oriximiná, Rodovia PA-254, 257, Oriximiná, PA, 68270-000, Brazil
| | - I A Novelli
- Laboratório de Zoologia, Centro Universitário de Lavras - UNILAVRAS, Lavras, MG, 37203-593, Brazil
| | - G R Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - S M Vargas
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Genética E Evolução Molecular, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
- Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
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Diversity patterns of lizard assemblages from a protected habitat mosaic in the Brazilian Cerrado savanna. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Differences in habitat complexity and structure can directly influence the composition, diversity, and structure of species assemblages. Measurements of functional and phylogenetic diversity complement the commonly used measurements of taxonomic diversity, elucidating the relationships between species, their traits, and their evolutionary history. In this study, we evaluated how the mosaic of open and forested formations in a federal conservation unit in the western portion of the Brazilian Cerrado savanna influences the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic structure of lizard assemblages. Lizards were sampled for 15 months using pitfall traps set in open and forested formations. We recorded 292 lizards distributed among 16 species from eight families, with species composition differing among the formations. Richness was greater in the assemblages from open formations, while functional diversity and phylogenetic variability were greater in those of forested formations. Lizard assemblages in open formations were functionally and phylogenetically clustered, probably as a result of environmental filters acting on species, while the assemblages from forested formations were randomly structured. Different environmental and historical mechanisms have apparently shaped the current diversity of lizards in the region. This study shows that Cerrado vegetation mosaics can promote wide variation in different aspects of the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic structure from the lizard assemblages.
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Barros RA, Dorado‐Rodrigues TF, Strüssmann C. Taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of lizard assemblages across habitats and seasons in a Brazilian Cerrado area. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Assis Barros
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367 Cuiabá 78060‐900 Brazil
- Laboratório de Herpetologia Centro de Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367 Cuiabá 78060900 Brazil
| | - Tainá Figueras Dorado‐Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Herpetologia Centro de Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367 Cuiabá 78060900 Brazil
| | - Christine Strüssmann
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367 Cuiabá 78060900 Brazil
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Weisenberg EW, Mori GM. Digest: A lizard evolutionary history illustrates a past Neotropical dispersal route. Evolution 2020; 74:2170-2171. [PMID: 32686107 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Extensive lineage interchanges among Neotropical biomes are key to understanding their remarkable biodiversity. At a population level, one could expect to observe past cross-regional connections. The description of the phylogeographic history of a forest-associated lizard by Ledo et al. (2020) revealed a likely interbiome dispersal route through networks of riparian forests surrounded by dry habitats. We anticipate that future studies focusing on understudied widespread organisms like plants will build on these findings to better describe the origins of Neotropical diversity.
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