Phylogeographical patterns shed light on evolutionary process in S outh A merica

• Published in: Molecular ecology Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 1193 - 1213
• Main Authors: Turchetto‐Zolet, A. C., Pinheiro, F., Salgueiro, F., Palma‐Silva, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.03.2013
• ISSN: 0962-1083; 1365-294X
• DOI: 10.1111/mec.12164

Abstract The S outh A merican continent is composed of several biogeographical regions harbouring the highest biodiversity on the globe, encompassing five of the world's biodiversity ‘hot spots’. Nonetheless, the patterns and processes responsible for shaping its astonishing species diversity are largely unknown. Here, we present a review of current S outh A merican phylogeographical knowledge based on published articles on this topic. An appraisal of the literature reveals emerging phylogeographical patterns in the biota of S outh A merica. The striking phylogeographical divergence observed among organism lineages in S outh A merican studies is suggestive of high levels of undocumented species diversity. The interplay between Pleistocene climatic oscillations and Pliocene/Miocene orogenic events has contributed to shaping the current diversity and distribution of modern lineages in both the tropical and temperate regions of S outh A merica. Although older divergence times were observed for a range of species, most herpetofauna underwent an intraspecific lineage split much earlier than other organisms. The geographical ranges of species associated with forest habitats were reduced mainly during glacial cycles, whereas species associated with open vegetation domains have shown variable responses to climatic oscillations. The results suggest a highly complex mosaic of phylogeographical patterns in S outh A merica. We suggest future research directions to promote a better understanding of the origin and maintenance of the S outh A merican biota.