Ecological and biogeographic drivers of speciation in neotropical hognose pit vipers, Porthidium (Squamata, Viperidae)
Por:
Patron-Rivero C., Yañez-Arenas C., Chiappa-Carrara X., Rojas-Soto O., Ruane S., Guevara L.
Publicada:
1 ene 2025
Ahead of Print:
1 jul 2025
Resumen:
The neotropical hognose pit vipers (Porthidium) represent an ideal system for studying how ecological and geographic factors drive speciation. This genus encompasses nine species distributed across diverse environments in North, Central and northern South America, with two distinct clades suggesting historical ecological differentiation. Using a time-calibrated phylogeny and occurrence data, we tested whether speciation was driven by niche conservatism or divergence, and assessed the role of major biogeographic barriers. Niche overlap analyses revealed no or low similarity between species (mean D = 0.12, I = 0.24, Jaccard full background = 0.02 and Jaccard union background = 0.06). Our null models confirm an indistinct niche overlap between sister species and random species, indicating speciation through ecological divergence. Speciation was shaped by three major barriers: the Nicaraguan Depression (~10 Mya), the Motagua-Polochic Fault (~7.7 Mya), and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (~3.1–3.5 Mya) indicating an ancestral range in the Pacific dominion by all models, while additionally Páramo and Yucatan Peninsula province by the Bayesian approach. Our findings demonstrate that Porthidium speciation was driven by niche divergence rather than conservatism, with geographic barriers promoting parapatric speciation for non-endemic Porthidium species and sympatric speciation for endemic species. This integrated framework provides new insights into how ecological adaptation and physical barriers interact during rapid radiations in Neotropical vertebrates. © 2025 The Authors
Filiaciones:
Patron-Rivero C.:
Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
Laboratorio de Ecología Geográfica, Unidad de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sierra Papacal, Yucatán, 97302, Mexico
Life Sciences Section, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, 60605, IL, United States
Yañez-Arenas C.:
Laboratorio de Ecología Geográfica, Unidad de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sierra Papacal, Yucatán, 97302, Mexico
Chiappa-Carrara X.:
Departamento de Sistemas y Procesos Naturales, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Mérida, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Yucatán, Mexico
Rojas-Soto O.:
Laboratorio de Bioclimatología, Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Veracruz, Xalapa, 91073, Mexico
Ruane S.:
Life Sciences Section, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, 60605, IL, United States
Guevara L.:
Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico
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