The effects of climate and geology in the diversification and ecology of Neotropical water frogs from Lithobates palmipes species group (Ranidae).
Biogeography; Climatic niche; Neotropics; Phylogeography; Ranidae
Understand which factors caused species diversification is fundamental to know the history of life on Earth. The neotropics is one the richest regions and much remains to be known about the processes underlying diversification in this region. Central and South America formation was marked by dramatic geological and climatic changes. In this study, we tested the effects of geological and climatic changes on amphibian from Ranidae Family diversification in neotropics. In chapter 1, we tested if allopatric speciation due to geological changes, or ecological speciation due to new environments, played a main role in Lithobates palmipes group diversification. Using ancestral range estimative and phyloclimatic analysis, we found that L. palmipes group diversification is related to dispersal to new areas followed by climatic niche divergence, suggesting the prevalence of ecological speciation. In chapter 2, we tested the effects of the connections between the Atlantic and Amazon Forest on the diversification and ecology of the L. palmipes species through phylogeographic, phyloclimatic analyzes and niche modeling. L. palmipes comprises a species genetically structured by biome. Phylogenetic relationships, and niche modeling indicate the usage of northeast connection during the Pleistocene, which caused rapid niche divergence between groups in each biome. Despite the structure by biome, one of the mitochondrial lineages is composed by individuals from eastern Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest, while the other is composed by western Amazonia individuals. Based on our result, the diversification of the L. palmipes species group is the result of the interaction between geological and climatic changes in the Neotropics.