Niche conservatism in Gynandropaa frogs on the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

ABSTRACT: The role of ecological niche in lineage diversification has been the subject of long-standing interest of ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Gynandropaa frogs diversified into three independent clades endemic to the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Here, we address the question whether these clades kept the same niche after separation, and what it tells us about possible diversification processes. We applied predictions in geographical (G)-space and tests of niche conservatism in environmental (E)-space. Niche models in G-space indicate separate regions with high suitability for the different clades, with some potential areas of sympatry. While the pair of central and eastern clades displayed the largest niche overlap for most variables, and strict niche equivalency was rejected

SUBMITTER: Hu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5013482 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature