Mastacembelid eels support Lake Tanganyika as an evolutionary hotspot of diversification.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lake Tanganyika (LT) is the oldest of the African Rift Lakes and is one of the richest freshwater ecosystems on Earth, with high levels of faunal diversity and endemism. The endemic species flocks that occur in this lake, such as cichlid fishes, gastropods, catfish and crabs, provide unique comparative systems for the study of patterns and processes of speciation. Mastacembelid eels (Teleostei: Mastacembelidae) are a predominately riverine family of freshwater fish, occurring across Africa and Asia, but which also form a small species flock in LT.

Methods

Including 25 species across Africa, plus Asian representatives as outgroups, we present the first molecular phylogenetic analysis for the group, focusing particularly on the evolutionary history and biodiversity

SUBMITTER: Brown KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2903574 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature