Abstract Detail

Biogeography

Struwe, Lena [1], Heiberg, Einar [2], Haag, Scott [3], Lathrop, Richard G. [4], Smouse, Peter E. [1].

Tracking evolutionary clades across the space-time-environmental continuum.

Methodological improvements in the Spatial Evolutionary and Ecological Vicariance Analysis (SEEVA) further advance elucidation of historical and ecological vicariance of evolutionary lineages in any organismal group and any geographic area. SEEVA provides a multi-source, direct analysis method for correlating field collections, phylogenetic hypotheses, species distributions, and georeferenced environmental data, as well as other sources of biotic and abiotic data. A newly developed divergence index (D) measures the difference in variable distribution between sister groups, independent of sample-size, and is comparable across clades, variables and datasets. Dispersal-vicariance analysis (DIVA), currently used primarily in biogeographic analysis, is incorporated into SEEVA for evaluation of ecological niche shifts due to broadening or narrowing of existing niches, or adaptation to new niches, as well as niche conservatism and ancestral niche analysis. We illustrate with a small SEEVA analysis of Prepusa and Senaea (Gentianaceae) from southern and southeastern Brazil, investigating disjunct species from campo rupestre and campo de altitude habitats. The spatial analysis shows fragmentation and speciation from a widespread common ancestor, but with a rather narrow ancestral ecological niche, showing subsequent adaptive radiation of different clades for wetter vs. drier, colder vs. warmer, and divergent soil types. We will distribute a manual for the method, as well as the free software, SEEVA.

Broader Impacts:

1 - Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution, & Natural Resources, 14 College Farm Rd, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, USA
2 - Lund University, Department of Clinical Physiology, Lund, SE-221 85 , Sweden
3 - Rutgers University, Center for Remote Sensing & Spatial Analysis, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
4 - Rutgers University, Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, USA

Keywords:
ecology
evolution
phylogeny
Environmental niche evolution
ecological niche
niche conservatism
GIS
Biogeography
dispersal
vicariance
temporal
spatial pattern
methodology
software
Variation.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 3
Location: 551A/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 8:30 AM
Number: 3003
Abstract ID:373