Identifying the paths leading to variation in geographical range size in western North American monkeyflowers

Aim Closely related species can vary tremendously in size of geographical range, yet the causes of such variation are poorly understood. Prominent hypotheses about range size emphasize effects of niche properties and habitat connectivity via the amount and occupancy of suitable habitat, respectively. Previous studies have examined single hypotheses in isolation; however, we assessed the relative importance of these effects along with their potential interactions, using monkeyflower species (genus Mimulus) as a study system.