Neotropics as a Cradle for Adaptive Radiations
- Juan E. Guevara-Andino1,
- Liliana M. Dávalos2,16,
- Felipe Zapata3,4,16,
- María José Endara1,
- Darko D. Cotoras5,6,
- Jaime Chaves7,8,9,
- Santiago Claramunt10,
- Julia López-Delgado11,
- Angela M. Mendoza-Henao12,
- David Salazar-Valenzuela13,
- Gonzalo Rivas-Torres7,14 and
- Justin Yeager15
- 1Grupo de Investigación en Ecología y Evolución en los Trópicos-EETrop, Universidad de las Américas, Quito 170124, Ecuador
- 2Department of Ecology and Evolution and Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
- 3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024, USA
- 4Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024, USA
- 5Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 6Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118, USA
- 7Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516, USA
- 8Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132, USA
- 9Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto Biósfera, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, Ecuador
- 10Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A1, Ontario, Canada
- 11School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, United Kingdom
- 12Colecciones Biológicas, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Claustro de San Agustín, Villa de Leyva 12-65 Piso 7, Colombia
- 13Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Quito 170301, Ecuador
- 14Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, Ecuador
- 15Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Ambiente y Salud-BIOMAS-Universidad de las Américas, Quito 170124, Ecuador
- Correspondence: juan.guevara{at}udla.edu.ec
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↵16 These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract
Neotropical ecosystems are renowned for numerous examples of adaptive radiation in both plants and animals resulting in high levels of biodiversity and endemism. However, we still lack a comprehensive review of the abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to these adaptive radiations. To fill this gap, we delve into the geological history of the region, including the role of tectonic events such as the Andean uplift, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, and the emergence of the Guiana and Brazilian Shields. We also explore the role of ecological opportunities created by the emergence of new habitats, as well as the role of key innovations, such as novel feeding strategies or reproductive mechanisms. We discuss different examples of adaptive radiation, including classic ones like Darwin's finches and Anolis lizards, and more recent ones like bromeliads and lupines. Finally, we propose new examples of adaptive radiations mediated by ecological interactions in their geological context. By doing so, we provide insights into the complex interplay of factors that contributed to the remarkable diversity of life in the Neotropics and highlight the importance of this region in understanding the origins of biodiversity.
