Model selection in statistical historical biogeography of Neotropical insects—theExophthalmusgenus complex (Curculionidae: Entiminae)

Abstract

Statistical historical biogeographical methods rely on the use of models that assume various biogeographic processes. Until recently model selection remains an explored topic and the impacts of using different models on inferring biogeographic history are poorly understood. Focusing on the Neotropical weevils in the Exophthalmus genus complex (Insecta: Curculionidae: Entiminae), we compare three commonly used biogeographic models -DIVA (Dispersal-Vicariance Analysis), DEC (Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogenesis) and BayArea (Bayesian Analysis of Biogeography), and examine the impact of modeling founder-event jump dispersal on biogeographic history estimation. We also investigate the biogeographic events that have shaped patterns of distributions, diversification, and endemism in this group of weevils. We sample representatives of 65 species of the Exophthalmus genus complex and 26 outgroup terminals from the Neotropics including Caribbean islands and mainland. We reconstruct a molecular phylogeny based on six genes and performed molecular dating using a relaxed clock with three fossil calibration points. We conduct biogeographic history estimations and compare alternative biogeographic models with the R package BioGeoBEARS. Model selection strongly favors biogeographic models that include founderevent jump dispersal. Without modeling jump dispersal, estimations based on the three biogeographic models are dramatically different, especially at early diverging nodes. When jump dispersal is modeled, however, the three biogeographic models perform similarly. Accordingly, we show that the Neotropical mainland was colonized by Caribbean species in the early Miocene, and that in situ diversification accounts for a majority (~75%) of the biogeographic events in the Exophthalmus genus complex. Our study highlights the need for testing for wide-ranging historical biogeographic processes in the study of Caribbean biogeography and the importance of comparing and selecting the best-fitting model in statistical biogeographic inferences. We demonstrate that modeling founder-event jump dispersal significantly improves the fit of the biogeographic history estimation of Caribbean and Neotropical mainland weevils. We establish that in situ diversification acts as a dominant biogeographic force in the evolution of the Exophthalmus genus complex. The colonization of the Neotropical mainland from Caribbean islands reinforces the notion that islands can be an important source of continental diversity.

Phylogenetic biogeography reveals the timing and source areas of the Adiantum species (Pteridaceae) in the West Indies, with a special focus on Cuba

“…The composition of fossil biota is therefore in accordance with our ancestral area estimation, which suggested neotropical common ancestors for most of the extant West Indian species (Fig. 2) (McDowell, Volovsek, & Manos, 2003), vertebrates (Glor, Losos, & Larson, 2005;Hedges, 2006;Heinicke et al, 2007;Seutin, Klein, Ricklefs, & Bermingham, 1994) and invertebrates (Zhang et al, 2017).…”

“…An explanation of this pattern might be the high dispersal capacity of many ferns by wind-dispersed spores, in combination with reproduction by outbreeding or mixed mating systems (Bystriakova et al, 2014;de Groot et al, 2012;Wolf et al, 2001;Wubs et al, 2010). Cenozoic transoceanic, over-water dispersal has been suggested previously for some West Indian angiosperms (Filipowicz & Renner, 2012;Gugger & Cavender-Bares, 2011), vertebrates (Hedges, 2006;Heinicke, Duellman, & Hedges, 2007), and invertebrates (Zhang, Basharat, Matzke, & Franz, 2017). Most West Indian Adiantum species diversified during the Miocene when the Greater Antilles had completely emerged and were isolated due to tectonic subdivision and movement, and when the Lesser Antilles were in the process of attaining their current shape (Iturralde-Vinent, 2006).…”

Species delimitation and evolutionary relationships among Phoebis New World sulphur butterflies (Lepidoptera, Pieridae, Coliadinae)

“…As suggested by present-day behaviour of some species (Urquhart & Urquhart, 1976;Oliveira et al, 1998;Srygley & de Oliveira, 2001), some ancestral populations were probably strongly vagile and colonized the continent across the open ocean. Reverse colonization from the Greater Antilles to the continent has been inferred for other groups, including Urocoptidae land snails (Uit de Weerd et al, 2016), Heraclides swallowtail butterflies (Lewis et al, 2015), Exophthalmus weevils (Zhang et al, 2017), Anolis lizards (Nicholson et al, 2005), Eleutherodactylus frogs (Heinicke et al, 2007) and Amazona parrots (Russello & Amato, 2004).…”

Peer Review #1 of "Phylogenetic revision of the psammophilic Trogloderus LeConte (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), with biogeographic implications for the Intermountain Region (v0.1)"

“…Historical biogeographic estimation in BioGeoBEARS supports the use of a model incorporating founder-event jump dispersal (Matzke 2014). This process is not only important for taxa distributed across islands (Matzke 2014, Zhang et al 2017, but also for taxa living on sand dunes or other isolated habitats which can functionally act the same as islands (Van Dam and Matzke 2016). The DEC model resulted in a most likely estimation with a log likelihood score of -43.6.…”