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SBS Informal Seminar Series

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SBS Informal Seminar Series
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Do the species with large geographic range diversify faster?

For our next informal seminar, visiting researcher Dr Jan Smyčka, will be giving an informal seminar on “Do the species with large geographic range diversify faster?” next Friday 17th November at 1 pm in Cruickshank Room G27.

  Synopsis:

Range size is a universal characteristic of every biological species, and is often assumed to influence diversification rates. However, the relationship between range size and past and future diversification of species remains elusive. On one hand, there are strong theoretical arguments that large-ranged species should have higher rates of diversification. This theoretical view is challenged by observations that small-ranged species are often phylogenetically clustered and form spatially localized hotspots, claimed to be the cradles of biodiversity. The research of range-size evolution is a notoriously complex task, because the range sizes evolve not only anagenetically (range expansion or contraction), but also cladogenenetically (range size change between mother and daughter species during speciation).

  Here I explore the relationship between range size and the rates of diversification in various tetrapod groups. To address the peculiarity of range size evolution, I use a state-dependent diversification models covering both anagenetic and cladogenetic changes in range size. I show that in general, large-ranged species diversify faster, as theoretically expected. However, the exceptions from this general trend are common, and are often linked with island radiations and the capacity of various tetrapod groups to spread across islands. I will also talk about possible biases in different methodological approaches estimating species diversification from molecular phylogenies, and about possibilities to improve our diversification inference using fossil data.
Speaker
Dr Jan Smyčka
Venue
Cruickshank G27
Contact
Microsoft Teams meeting
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Meeting ID: 364 120 229 708
Passcode: FUgJSd