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Region-specific diversification dynamics and biogeographic history of one of the most diverse families of insects

Ghanavi, Hamid Reza LU orcid ; Chazot, Nicolas LU ; Sanmartín, Isabel ; Murillo-Ramos, Leidys LU orcid ; Duchêne, Sebastián ; Sihvonen, Pasi ; Brehm, Gunnar and Wahlberg, Niklas LU (2025) In Systematic Entomology 50(1). p.206-220
Abstract

A long-standing question in evolutionary biology is how historical biogeographic processes have shaped the current diversity of organisms, especially for highly diverse groups. We study the diversification dynamics and biogeographic processes of one of the most diverse families of Lepidoptera, Geometridae, with over 24,000 described species and a worldwide distribution. Despite the cosmopolitan distribution of the family, most species of Geometridae have limited distribution ranges. We present the largest historical biogeography and diversification study on the current diversity patterns and distribution ranges of Geometridae. We use a multi-locus dataset of 1200 taxa to estimate the historical biogeography of Geometridae, implementing... (More)

A long-standing question in evolutionary biology is how historical biogeographic processes have shaped the current diversity of organisms, especially for highly diverse groups. We study the diversification dynamics and biogeographic processes of one of the most diverse families of Lepidoptera, Geometridae, with over 24,000 described species and a worldwide distribution. Despite the cosmopolitan distribution of the family, most species of Geometridae have limited distribution ranges. We present the largest historical biogeography and diversification study on the current diversity patterns and distribution ranges of Geometridae. We use a multi-locus dataset of 1200 taxa to estimate the historical biogeography of Geometridae, implementing a Bayesian approach of the Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogenesis (DEC) model that incorporates palaeographic-based dispersal graphs with uncertainty in geological ages in RevBayes. We also implement a Bayesian time-variable, episodic birth–death model and a model that allows branch-specific speciation rates to estimate the diversification dynamics in the family. Our results suggest that the most recent common ancestor of Geometridae was distributed in the New World, with the Neotropics being the most likely ancestral area. An increase in diversification rates occurred circa 30–40 million years ago (Mya), coinciding with a time of a major global climate cooling in the Eocene. Clade-specific shifts in speciation rates also occurred around 10–15 Mya, coincident with another period of major climate change in the Oligocene. Our results point to different biogeographical and evolutionary histories per area to show the differences of the diversification rates in different biogeographical regions through time, showing the relative importance of each region in the diversification history of Geometridae.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
branch-specific diversification, Geometridae, historical biogeography, Lepidoptera
in
Systematic Entomology
volume
50
issue
1
pages
15 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85204180795
ISSN
0307-6970
DOI
10.1111/syen.12651
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Systematic Entomology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Entomological Society.
id
cf7d2132-333f-4dc0-91c1-60f62a980c77
date added to LUP
2024-10-08 11:59:26
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:29:27
@article{cf7d2132-333f-4dc0-91c1-60f62a980c77,
  abstract     = {{<p>A long-standing question in evolutionary biology is how historical biogeographic processes have shaped the current diversity of organisms, especially for highly diverse groups. We study the diversification dynamics and biogeographic processes of one of the most diverse families of Lepidoptera, Geometridae, with over 24,000 described species and a worldwide distribution. Despite the cosmopolitan distribution of the family, most species of Geometridae have limited distribution ranges. We present the largest historical biogeography and diversification study on the current diversity patterns and distribution ranges of Geometridae. We use a multi-locus dataset of 1200 taxa to estimate the historical biogeography of Geometridae, implementing a Bayesian approach of the Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogenesis (DEC) model that incorporates palaeographic-based dispersal graphs with uncertainty in geological ages in RevBayes. We also implement a Bayesian time-variable, episodic birth–death model and a model that allows branch-specific speciation rates to estimate the diversification dynamics in the family. Our results suggest that the most recent common ancestor of Geometridae was distributed in the New World, with the Neotropics being the most likely ancestral area. An increase in diversification rates occurred circa 30–40 million years ago (Mya), coinciding with a time of a major global climate cooling in the Eocene. Clade-specific shifts in speciation rates also occurred around 10–15 Mya, coincident with another period of major climate change in the Oligocene. Our results point to different biogeographical and evolutionary histories per area to show the differences of the diversification rates in different biogeographical regions through time, showing the relative importance of each region in the diversification history of Geometridae.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ghanavi, Hamid Reza and Chazot, Nicolas and Sanmartín, Isabel and Murillo-Ramos, Leidys and Duchêne, Sebastián and Sihvonen, Pasi and Brehm, Gunnar and Wahlberg, Niklas}},
  issn         = {{0307-6970}},
  keywords     = {{branch-specific diversification; Geometridae; historical biogeography; Lepidoptera}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{206--220}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Systematic Entomology}},
  title        = {{Region-specific diversification dynamics and biogeographic history of one of the most diverse families of insects}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/syen.12651}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/syen.12651}},
  volume       = {{50}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}