Historical Biogeography of the Goodeinae (Cyprinodontiforms)

By Domínguez Domínguez, Omar, C. Pedraza-Lara, N. Gurrola-Sánchez, S. Perea, R. Pérez-Rodríguez, I. Israde-Alcántara, V. Hugo Garduño-Monroy, I. Doadrio, G. Pérez-Ponce de León, D.R. Brooks

Viviparous Fishes II, 19-61 2010


" The study of the evolutionary history of freshwater fishes permits to infer theories about the biotic and geological evolution of a particular region, which can further be applied to understand processes of population divergence, speciation and also for conservation purposes. Central Mexico possesses complex physiographic and hydrologic systems. The freshwater ecosystems in this region are characterized by their genesis dynamism, destruction, and compartmentalization induced by intense geologic activity and climatic changes that occurred since the early Miocene. Based on the premise that taxon phylogeny represents a hypothesis of the phylogenetic relationships among species or populations distributed in different areas, in this work we made use of the phylogenetic analysis of goodeines at intrapopulation level. The analysis comprised 162 sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 41 species and 138 populations, along with the description of phylogeographic patterns, the molecular clock, and available data on the geological history and climatic changes of Central Mexico. This bulk of information is then used to uncover biogeographical patterns by using a particular algorithm, PACT (Phylogenetic Analysis for Comparing Trees).

This study demonstrates that the dynamic of genesis and destruction of the river drainages in Central Mexico, induced by the high tectonic and volcanic activity since the Miocene, resulted in a complex pattern of the evolutionary and biogeographic history of the Goodeinae. This complexity, combined with the climatic history of the past 15 Mya gave the Goodeinae biogeographic history a high degree of complexity, which is characterized by a taxon-pulse dynamic, in which dispersal, isolation and extinction events occurred in different spatial and temporal scales. In addition, the erosion of the river tributaries from the Pacific and Atlantic slopes (e.g. Balsas, Ameca and Pánuco) generated the capture of water bodies of the Central Altiplano by these rivers, with the subsequent dispersal of species characteristic of that region. In this context, river capture is diagnosed as the main dispersal mode that influenced the recent evolutionary history of goodeines, at least during the last 2 Mya. Co-distributed species are not always affected in the same way when a common geological event occurs; for instance, the connection between two water bodies, or the isolation or fragmentation of the original habitat. The reason for that could be the differential capabilities of the organisms to disperse along river basins, the sexual selection mechanisms, and different survival capabilities when a new environment is colonized. The biogeographical history of goodeines is not completely explained yet. More sampling effort is needed in lees explored basins and the influence of forces other than geological and climatic needs to be determined to fully understand the evolutionary history of goodeines "

Classification: Taxonomy and phylogeny.

Language: English

Domínguez Domínguez, Omar & C. Pedraza-Lara, N. Gurrola-Sánchez, S. Perea, R. Pérez-Rodríguez, I. Israde-Alcántara, V. Hugo Garduño-Monroy, I. Doadrio, G. Pérez-Ponce de León, D.R. Brooks. 2010. "Historical Biogeography of the Goodeinae (Cyprinodontiforms)". Viviparous Fishes II. 19-61 (ffm00282) (abstract)