Narrow thermal tolerance and low dispersal drive higher speciation in tropical mountains.

ABSTRACT: Species richness is greatest in the tropics, and much of this diversity is concentrated in mountains. Janzen proposed that reduced seasonal temperature variation selects for narrower thermal tolerances and limited dispersal along tropical elevation gradients [Janzen DH (1967) Am Nat 101:233-249]. These locally adapted traits should, in turn, promote reproductive isolation and higher speciation rates in tropical mountains compared with temperate ones. Here, we show that tropical and temperate montane stream insects have diverged in thermal tolerance and dispersal capacity, two key traits that are drivers of isolation in montane populations. Tropical species in each of three insect clades have markedly narrower thermal tolerances and lower dispersal than temperate species, resulting i

SUBMITTER: Polato NR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6298121 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature