TreeBASE Search-Trees for study 9943

@ARTICLE{TreeBASE2Ref18434, author = {Heroen Verbruggen and Lennert Tyberghein and Klaas Pauly and Caroline Vlaeminck and Katrien Van Nieuwenhuyze and W. H. C. F. Kooistra and Frederik Leliaert and Olivier De Clerck}, title = {Macroecology meets macroevolution: Evolutionary niche dynamics in the seaweed Halimeda}, year = {2009}, keywords = {}, doi = {10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00463.x}, url = {}, pmid = {}, journal = {Global Ecology and Biogeography}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, pages = {393--405}, abstract = {Aim: Because of their broad distribution in geographic and ecological dimensions, seaweeds (marine macroalgae) offer great potential as models for marine biogeographic inquiry and exploration of the interface between macroecology and macroevolution. This study aims to characterize evolutionary niche dynamics in the common green seaweed genus Halimeda, use the observed insights to gain understanding of the biogeographic history of the genus, and predict habitats that can be targeted for discovery of species of special biogeographic interest. Location: Tropical and subtropical coastal waters. Methods: The evolutionary history of the genus is characterized using molecular phylogenetics and relaxed molecular clock analysis. Niche modeling is carried out with Maximum Entropy techniques and uses macroecological data derived from global satellite imagery. Evolutionary niche dynamics are inferred through application of ancestral character state estimation. Results: A nearly comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the genus was inferred from a six-locus dataset. Macroecological niche models showed that species' distribution ranges are considerably smaller than their potential ranges. We show strong phylogenetic signal in various macroecological niche features. Main conclusions: The evolution of Halimeda is characterized by conservatism for tropical, nutrient-depleted habitats, yet one section of the genus managed to invade colder habitats multiple times independently. Niche models indicate that the restricted geographic ranges of Halimeda species are not due to habitat unsuitability, strengthening the case for dispersal limitation. Niche models identified hotspots of habitat suitability of Caribbean species in the East Pacific Ocean. We propose that these hotspots be targeted for discovery of new species separated from their Caribbean siblings since the Pliocene rise of the Central American Isthmus.} }