The Origin and Diversification of the Hyperdiverse Flora in the Choco Biogeographic Region.

ABSTRACT: Extremely high levels of plant diversity in the American tropics are derived from multiple interactions between biotic and abiotic factors. Previous studies have focused on macro-evolutionary dynamics of the Tropical Andes, Amazonia, and Brazil's Cerrado and Atlantic forests during the last decade. Yet, other equally important Neotropical biodiversity hotspots have been severely neglected. This is particularly true for the Chocó region on the north-western coast of South and Central America. This geologically complex region is Earth's ninth most biodiverse hotspot, hosting approximately 3% of all known plant species. Here, we test Gentry's [1982a,b] hypothesis of a northern Andean-Central American Pleistocene origin of the Chocoan flora using phylogenetic reconstructions of representative

SUBMITTER: Perez-Escobar OA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6910151 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature