Pattern and timing of diversification in the African freshwater fish genus Distichodus (Characiformes: Distichodontidae).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Distichodus is a clade of tropical freshwater fishes currently comprising 25 named species distributed continent-wide throughout the Nilo-Sudan and most Sub-Saharan drainages. This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships, timing of diversification, and biogeographic history of the genus from a taxonomically comprehensive mutilocus dataset analyzed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods of phylogenetic inference, coalescence-based species-tree estimation, divergence time estimation, and inference of geographic range evolution.

Results

Analyses of comparative DNA sequence data in a phylogenetic context reveal the existence of two major clades of similar species-level diversity and provide support for the monophyletic status of most sampled species.

SUBMITTER: Arroyave J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7184684 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature