Gondwana biogeography: a phylogenetic approach

Phylogenetic Systematics and Biogeography: Using Cladograms in Historical Biogeography Methods

Genetic and phylogenetic consequences of island biogeography.

Island biogeography theory predicts that the number of species on an island should increase with island size and decrease with island distance to the mainland. These predictions are generally well supported in comparative and experimental studies. These ecological, equilibrium predictions arise as a result of colonization and extinction processes. Because colonization and extinction are also im...

The genus Cyphophthalmus (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) in Europe: a phylogenetic approach to Balkan Peninsula biogeography.

In this study, we present phylogenetic data to characterize the relationships among sironids centered in the Balkan region, and use these results to discuss biogeographical aspects of sironid evolution. Analysis of ca. 4.5 kb of sequence data from three nuclear and two mitochondrial genes reveals monophyly of a Balkan clade for which we resurrect the name Cyphophthalmus, considered a junior syn...

Origin, Evolution, and Biogeography of Juglans L: a Phylogenetic Perspective

Phylogenetic analyses of extant species of Juglans (Juglandaceae) with the New and Old World distributions were performed using five cpDNA intergenic spacer (IGS) sequences (trnT-trnF, psbA-trnH, atpB-rbcL, trnV-16S rRNA, and trnS-trnfM) to elucidate the origin, diversification, historical biogeography, and evolutionary relationships within the genus. Overall, 3848 characters were sampled, yiel...

Goodbye Gondwana? New Zealand biogeography, geology, and the problem of circularity.

Vicariance is potentially a key biogeographic process (Rosen, 1978) that physically disrupts populations— typically through geological upheaval—and leads to genetic divergence and speciation (Avise, 2000). One of the most dramatic and best-known cases of vicariance is the perceived role of plate tectonics in mediating the widespread “Gondwanan” distribution of taxa currently limited to southern...