Integrative taxonomy clarifies the evolution of a cryptic primate clade.

ABSTRACT: Global biodiversity is under accelerating threats, and species are succumbing to extinction before being described. Madagascar's biota represents an extreme example of this scenario, with the added complication that much of its endemic biodiversity is cryptic. Here we illustrate best practices for clarifying cryptic diversification processes by presenting an integrative framework that leverages multiple lines of evidence and taxon-informed cut-offs for species delimitation, while placing special emphasis on identifying patterns of isolation by distance. We systematically apply this framework to an entire taxonomically controversial primate clade, the mouse lemurs (genus Microcebus, family Cheirogaleidae). We demonstrate that species diversity has been overestimated primarily due to the int

SUBMITTER: van Elst T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11726463 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature