Idiosyncratic responses to drivers of genetic differentiation in the complex landscapes of Isthmian Central America.

Isthmian Central America (ICA) is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, hosting an exceptionally high number of species per unit area. ICA was formed <25 million years ago and, consequently, its biotic assemblage is relatively young and derived from both colonization and in situ diversification. Despite intensive taxonomic work on the local fauna, the potential forces driving genetic divergences and ultimately speciation in ICA remain poorly studied. Here, we used a landscape genetics approach to test whether isolation by distance, topography, habitat suitability, or environment drive the genetic diversity of the regional frog assemblage. To this end, we combined data on landscape features and mitochondrial DNA sequence variation for nine codistributed amphibian species with disparate life histories. In five species, we found that at least one of the factors tested explained patterns of genetic divergence. However, rather than finding a general pattern, our results revealed idiosyncratic responses to historical and ecological processes, indicating that intrinsic life-history characteristics may determine the effect of different drivers of isolation on genetic divergence in ICA. Our work also suggests that the convergence of several factors promoting isolation among populations over a heterogeneous landscape might maximize genetic differentiation, despite short geographical distances. In conclusion, abiotic factors and geographical features have differentially affected the genetic diversity across the regional frog assemblage. Much more complex models (i.e., considering multiple drivers), beyond simple vicariance of Caribbean and Pacific lineages, are needed to better understand the evolutionary history of ICA's diverse biotas.

Cryptic lineages and diversification of an endemic anole lizard (Squamata, Dactyloidae) of the Cerrado hotspot.

The Cerrado is a wide Neotropical savanna with tremendously high endemic diversity. Yet, it is not clear what the prevalent processes leading to such diversification are. We used the Cerrado-endemic lizard Norops meridionalis to investigate the main abiotic factors that promoted genetic divergence, the timings of these divergence events, and how these relate to cryptic diversity in the group. We sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear genes from 21 sites of N. meridionalis to generate species tree, divergence time estimations, and estimate species limits. We also performed population-level analysis and estimated distribution models to test the roles of niche conservatism and divergence in the group diversification. We found that N. meridionalis is composed by at least five cryptic species. Divergence time estimations suggest that the deepest branches split back into the early-mid Miocene, when most of the geophysical activity of the Cerrado took place. The deep divergences found in N. meridionalis suggest that beta anoles invaded South America much earlier than previously thought. Recent published evidence supports this view, indicating that the Panama gap closed as early as 15 mya, allowing for an early invasion of Norops into South America. The spatial pattern of diversification within N. meridionalis follows a northwest-southeast direction, which is consistent across several species of vertebrates endemic to the Cerrado. Also, we found evidence for non-stationary isolation by distance, which occurs when genetic differentiation depends on space. Our preliminary data in two out of five lineages suggest that niche conservatism is an important mechanism that promoted geographic fragmentation in the group.

Geographic determinants of gene flow in two sister species of tropical Andean frogs.

Complex interactions between topographic heterogeneity, climatic and environmental gradients, and thermal niche conservatism are commonly assumed to indicate the degree of biotic diversification in montane regions. Our aim was to investigate factors that disrupt gene flow between populations and to determine if there is evidence of downslope asymmetric migration in highland frogs with wide elevational ranges and thermal niches. We determined the role of putative impediments to gene flow (as measured by least-cost path (LCP) distances, topographic complexity, and elevational range) in promoting genetic divergence between populations of 2 tropical Andean frog sister species (Dendropsophus luddeckei, N = 114; Dendropsophus labialis, N = 74) using causal modeling and multiple matrix regression. Although the effect of geographic features was species specific, elevational range and LCP distances had the strongest effect on gene flow, with mean effect sizes (Mantel r and regression coefficients ß), between 5 and 10 times greater than topographic complexity. Even though causal modeling and multiple matrix regression produced congruent results, the latter provided more information on the contribution of each geographic variable. We found moderate support for downslope migration. We conclude that the climatic heterogeneity of the landscape, the elevational distance between populations, and the inability to colonize suboptimal habitats due to thermal niche conservatism influence the magnitude of gene flow. Asymmetric migration, however, seems to be influenced by life history traits.

The relative roles of vicariance versus elevational gradients in the genetic differentiation of the high Andean tree frog, Dendropsophus labialis.

There are two main competing hypotheses (vicariance and vertical ecotones) that attempt to explain the tremendous diversity of the tropical Andes. We test these hypotheses at the intraspecific level by analyzing mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from 24 populations of the high Andean frog, Dendropsophus labialis (Anura: Hylidae). This species displays geographic variation in a number of phenotypic traits. Most of these traits covary with elevation, while few vary along the horizontal (latitudinal) axis. We found that, both, vicariance and elevation had important effects on the genetic differentiation in this species. We detected two highly divergent clades along the south-north axis using independent information from mitochondrial and nuclear genes, suggesting that this differentiation was the result of long-term barriers to gene flow rather than stochastic processes. We hypothesize mechanisms for D. labialis strong differentiation in light of geological and paleoenvironmental models of evolution in the northern Andean highlands.

DNA Barcoding Survey of Anurans across the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia and the Impact of the Andes on Cryptic Diversity.

Colombia hosts the second highest amphibian species diversity on Earth, yet its fauna remains poorly studied, especially using molecular genetic techniques. We present the results of the first wide-scale DNA barcoding survey of anurans of Colombia, focusing on a transect across the Eastern Cordillera. We surveyed 10 sites between the Magdalena Valley to the west and the eastern foothills of the Eastern Cordillera, sequencing portions of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) genes for 235 individuals from 52 nominal species. We applied two barcode algorithms, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery and Refined Single Linkage Analysis, to estimate the number of clusters or "unconfirmed candidate species" supported by DNA barcode data. Our survey included ~7% of the anuran species known from Colombia. While barcoding algorithms differed slightly in the number of clusters identified, between three and ten nominal species may be obscuring candidate species (in some cases, more than one cryptic species per nominal species). Our data suggest that the high elevations of the Eastern Cordillera and the low elevations of the Chicamocha canyon acted as geographic barriers in at least seven nominal species, promoting strong genetic divergences between populations associated with the Eastern Cordillera.