Contrasting phylogeography of sandy vs. rocky supralittoral isopods in the megadiverse and geologically dynamic Gulf of California and adjacent areas.

ABSTRACT: Phylogeographic studies of animals with low vagility and restricted to patchy habitats of the supralittoral zone, can uncover unknown diversity and shed light on processes that shaped evolution along a continent's edge. The Pacific coast between southern California and central Mexico, including the megadiverse Gulf of California, offers a remarkable setting to study biological diversification in the supralittoral. A complex geological history coupled with cyclical fluctuations in temperature and sea level provided ample opportunities for diversification of supralittoral organisms. Indeed, a previous phylogeographic study of Ligia, a supralittoral isopod that has limited dispersal abilities and is restricted to rocky patches, revealed high levels of morphologically cryptic diversity. Herein

SUBMITTER: Hurtado LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3699670 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature