Tempo and rates of diversification in the South American cichlid genus Apistogramma (Teleostei: Perciformes: Cichlidae).

ABSTRACT: Evaluating biodiversity and understanding the processes involved in diversification are noticeable conservation issues in fishes subject to large, sometimes illegal, ornamental trade purposes. Here, the diversity and evolutionary history of the Neotropical dwarf cichlid genus Apistogramma from several South American countries are investigated. Mitochondrial and nuclear markers are used to infer phylogenetic relationships between 31 genetically identified species. The monophyly of Apistogramma is suggested, and Apistogramma species are distributed into four clades, corresponding to three morphological lineages. Divergence times estimated with the Yule process and an uncorrelated lognormal clock dated the Apistogramma origin to the beginning of the Eocene (≈ 50 Myr) suggesting that diversifi

SUBMITTER: Tougard C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5584756 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature