Pinton A., Agnèse Jean-François, Paugy Didier, Otero O. (2013). A large-scale phylogeny of Synodontis (Mochokidae, Siluriformes) reveals the influence of geological events on continental diversity during the Cenozoic. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 66 (3), p. 1027-1040. ISSN 1055-7903.
Titre du document
A large-scale phylogeny of Synodontis (Mochokidae, Siluriformes) reveals the influence of geological events on continental diversity during the Cenozoic
Pinton A., Agnèse Jean-François, Paugy Didier, Otero O.
Source
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2013,
66 (3), p. 1027-1040 ISSN 1055-7903
To explain the spatial variability of fish taxa at a large scale, two alternative proposals are usually evoked. In recent years, the debate has centred on the relative roles of present and historical processes in shaping biodiversity patterns. In Africa, attempts to understand the processes that determine the large scale distribution of fishes and exploration of historical contingencies have been under-investigated given that most of the phylogenetic studies focus on the history of the Great Lakes. Here, we explore phylogeographic events in the evolutionary history of Synodontis (Mohokidae, Siluriformes) over Africa during the Cenozoic focusing on the putative role of historical processes. We discuss how known geological events together with hydrographical changes contributed to shape Synodontis biogeographical history. Synodontis was chosen on the basis of its high diversity and distribution in Africa: it consists of approximately 120 species that are widely distributed in all hydrographic basins except the Maghreb and South Africa. We propose the most comprehensive phylogeny of this catfish genus. Our results provide support for the 'hydrogeological' hypothesis, which proposes that palaeohydrological changes linked with the geological context may have been the cause of diversification of freshwater fish deep in the Tertiary. More precisely, the two main geological structures that participated to shape the hydrographical network in Africa, namely the Central African Shear zone and the East African rift system, appear as strong drivers of Synodontis diversification and evolution.
Plan de classement
Sciences fondamentales / Techniques d'analyse et de recherche [020]
;
Limnologie biologique / Océanographie biologique [034]
;
Etudes, transformation, conservation du milieu naturel [082]
