Pliocene diversification within the South American Forest falcons (Falconidae: Micrastur)

• Published in: Molecular phylogenetics and evolution Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 398 - 407
• Main Authors: Fuchs, Jérôme, Chen, Steven, Johnson, Jeff A., Mindell, David P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2011
• Subjects: Amazonian basin; Animals; Central America; Diversification; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Endemism; Falconidae; Falconiformes - classification; Falconiformes - genetics; falcons; Forest-falcons; Genetic Speciation; Micrastur; Models, Genetic; Neotropics; Phylogeny; Phylogeography; rain; Sequence Analysis, DNA; South America; species diversity; tropical rain forests; tropics; Andes region; South America; Central America; Forest-falcons; Amazonian basin; Micrastur; Diversification; Neotropics; Endemism
• ISSN: 1055-7903; 1095-9513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.05.008

[Display omitted] ► Micrastur forest-falcons diversified during the Pliocene. ► The seven Micrastur species cluster in two species groups in agreement with size and plumage. ► Timing of diversification does not fit traditional hypotheses that aimed to explained the origin of the biodiversity in the Neotropics. The Neotropics are one of the most species rich regions on Earth, with over 3150 species of birds. This unrivaled biodiversity has been attributed to higher proportions of mountain ranges, tropical rain forest or rain fall in the forest than in any other major biogeographic regions. Five primary hypotheses aim to explain processes of diversification within the Neotropics; (1) the Pleistocene refuge hypothesis, (2) the riverine barrier hypothesis, (3) the Miocene marine incursions hypothesis, (4) the ecological gradient hypothesis, and (5) the impact of the last Andean uplift serving as a barrier between eastern and western population Andean populations. We assessed these hypotheses to see which best explained the species richness of the forest-falcons (Micrastur), a poorly known lineage of birds that inhabit lowland and mid-elevation humid forest. Our analyses suggest all speciation events within the genus Micrastur probably occurred in the last 2.5–3.6myrs, at or before the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary, with the basal split within the genus being 7myrs old. Hence our data allow us to formerly reject the classical Pleistocene refuge for Micrastur, Our divergence time estimates are younger that dates for the Miocene marine incursions, the riverine barrier and the Andean uplift hypotheses.