Radiating on oceanic islands: patterns and processes of speciation in the land snail genus Theba (Risso 1826).

ABSTRACT: Island radiations have played a major role in shaping our current understanding of allopatric, sympatric and parapatric speciation. However, the fact that species divergence correlates with island size emphasizes the importance of geographic isolation (allopatry) in speciation. Based on molecular and morphological data, we investigated the diversification of the land snail genus Theba on the two Canary Islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Due to the geological history of both islands, this study system provides ideal conditions to investigate the interplay of biogeography, dispersal ability and differentiation in generating species diversity. Our analyses demonstrated extensive cryptic diversification of Theba on these islands, probably driven mainly by non-adaptive allopatric different

SUBMITTER: Greve C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3321021 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature