Biogeographic mechanisms involved in the colonization of Madagascar by African vertebrates: Rifting, rafting and runways

Masters, Judith; Génin, Fabien; Zhang, Yurui; Pellen, Romain; Huck, Thierry; Mazza, Paul; Rabineau, Marina; Doucouré, Moctar; Aslanian, Daniel

doi:10.1111/jbi.14032

Cited by 41 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 137 publications

(324 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although these are possible explanations for non‐uniform responses, species may have also been responding to alternate events occurring at this time that were not accounted for in our analyses. While controversial evidence of transient land bridges throughout the Late Cenozoic (66–5 Ma) may have contributed to greater genetic variation in younger island lineages, the population dynamics investigated here are too recent to support this geological and biological evidence (Masters et al, 2021). These stochastic differences in biogeographical and assemblage histories can contribute to asynchronicity as well.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…Many groups in Madagascar originated via transoceanic dispersal throughout the Cenozoic (e.g. Vences et al, 2003Vences et al, , 2004Yoder & Nowak, 2006), although some geological data suggest transient Cenozoic land bridges actually facilitated many of these immigration events (Masters et al, 2021). In addition to these colonization events, more recent population dynamics have also influenced observed patterns of species richness and community diversity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Drivers of unique and asynchronous population dynamics in Malagasy herpetofauna

Kuhn

Gehara

Andrianarimalala

et al. 2022

Journal of Biogeography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim: A long history of isolation coupled with complex landscapes makes Madagascar ideal for exploring the historical factors that have shaped patterns of population diversity and endemism. Many species-level studies have suggested Late Quaternary climate change may have influenced population dynamics in the tropics, but unique biomes and individual species properties may have driven idiosyncratic responses to these shifts. Here, we use community-scale population genetic data to investigate the impact of Quaternary climate cycles on shared demographic response and investigate the contributions of both biotic and abiotic factors which shape these demographic trajectories. Location: Madagascar.Taxon: Reptiles and Amphibians.Methods: Using community-scale population genetic data, we implement a hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation approach to evaluate the degree of synchronous population expansion during glacial cycles across herpetofaunal assemblages both within and across discrete biomes and taxonomic groups. We use Bayesian model averaging to identify intrinsic and extrinsic conditions predictive of individualistic demographic change. Results:We find that demographic responses are not uniform across groups, with more than 50% of all populations showing signal of recent expansion. Our explanatory models indicate species occupying narrow elevational ranges had a higher probability of expansion, while amphibian assemblages showed higher genetic diversity and greater departures from population neutrality. Expansion events were largely asynchronous, with coexpansion found in less than half of all populations. Exceptionally, 69%-74% of all humid-restricted populations coexpanded during the start of the Last Glacial Period at around 100 kya, supporting the hypothesis of a more extensive humid forest cover for Madagascar during this time. Main conclusions:We show that differences in life history and regional biogeography have contributed to patterns of richness and endemism found across Madagascar, and historical connectivity across humid forests has been an important factor in shaping present-day diversity and endemism on Madagascar, particularly for amphibians.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of unique and asynchronous population dynamics in Malagasy herpetofauna

Kuhn

Gehara

Andrianarimalala

et al. 2022

Journal of Biogeography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…2 .5). The availability of pathways between Africa and Madagascar coincides with the periods when Madagascar received immigrants 56 , but it does not offer any clarification for the reversal during the Eocene. If we look at the availability of ecological opportunities, on the other hand, these three periods fit three different climatic profiles: the PETM, the Middle Eocene climatic optimum and the Eocene–Oligocene cooling triggered by the Antarctic glaciation 52 , 55 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Madagascar, which had both a long-lasting link with Africa 56 , 57 and a more puzzling relationship with Asia/India 38 , has presented some interesting results across the Eocene: the Palaeocene trend of colonisation by African taxa is maintained in the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary (Fig. 2 .3).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological changes have driven biotic exchanges across the Indian Ocean

Bernardes

Rintelen

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Indian Ocean has a complex geological history that has drawn the attention of naturalists for almost a century now. Due to its tectonic history, many geological elements and processes have been evoked to explain the exchange of species between landmasses. Here, we revisited previous studies on twenty-three taxa to investigate trends across time since the Gondwana breakup. We investigated these datasets by applying a time-calibrated Bayesian framework to them and reconstructing their ancestral ranges. We conclude that ecological transformations have presented opportunities for the establishment of migrants. The role of donating and receiving migrants has shifted several times according to these transformations. Time-specific trends show weak evidence for the stepping-stones commonly suggested as physical routes between landmasses. However, before its collision with Asia, India may have served as an intermediary for such exchanges.

show abstract

“…Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island and situated in the Indian Ocean (Benstead et al, 2003 ), has probably been isolated from any other land masses for the last 88 million years (Ali & Huber, 2010 ; Ali & Vences, 2019 ), despite recurrent speculations about subaerial terrestrial causeways in the Cenozoic (Masters et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of threatened Malagasy freshwater fishes in zoos and aquaria: The necessity of an ex situ conservation network—A call for action

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Madagascar's biota is characterized by an extraordinary species richness, with a high degree of endemism. The island's freshwater habitats harbor numerous micro‐endemic species, restricted to particular regions and thus particularly at risk of extinction, due to deforestation, overfishing, and introduction of exotic species. The present study investigates for which threatened Malagasy freshwater fish species ex situ populations have already been established, as a baseline to prioritize actions to develop an effective ex situ conservation breeding network. Populations in zoos and aquaria were primarily determined using the Zoological Information System. Of 173 fish species recorded from Malagasy freshwater habitats, 123 exclusively inhabit freshwater; 79 of these are endemic to Madagascar, and 50 are classified as threatened. Our survey found 21 Malagasy freshwater fish species kept in zoos worldwide, of which 19 are endemic and threatened (22 if counting species kept by private breeders). Nine of the 19 Malagasy freshwater fish species kept in zoos have successfully reproduced within the 12 months preceding our survey. The ex situ conservation activities for threatened Malagasy freshwater fishes thus have not improved significantly since the strong start in the early 2000s. More than half of the 50 threatened endemic Malagasy freshwater fish species (viz. 31 species) are not kept ex situ, including 11 species ranked as Critically Endangered. Based on these findings we call for a better distribution of offspring among institutions, including private breeders in the framework of citizen conservation initiatives; a closer connection of ichthyological field research in Madagascar with conservation breeding efforts to set up ex situ populations—both in Madagascar and abroad—of species not yet kept in captivity; and the development of effective, integrated in situ and ex situ conservation strategies.

show abstract

Biogeographic mechanisms involved in the colonization of Madagascar by African vertebrates: Rifting, rafting and runways

Cited by 41 publications

References 137 publications

Drivers of unique and asynchronous population dynamics in Malagasy herpetofauna

Drivers of unique and asynchronous population dynamics in Malagasy herpetofauna

Ecological changes have driven biotic exchanges across the Indian Ocean

Review of threatened Malagasy freshwater fishes in zoos and aquaria: The necessity of an ex situ conservation network—A call for action

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About