Ancient geographical gaps and paleo-climate shape the phylogeography of an endemic bird in the sky islands of southern India.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sky islands, formed by the highest reaches of mountain tracts physically isolated from one another, represent one of the biodiversity-rich regions of the world. Comparative studies of geographically isolated populations on such islands can provide valuable insights into the biogeography and evolution of species on these islands. The Western Ghats mountains of southern India form a sky island system, where the relationship between the island structure and the evolution of its species remains virtually unknown despite a few population genetic studies.

Methods and principal findings

We investigated how ancient geographic gaps and glacial cycles have partitioned genetic variation in modern populations of a threatened endemic bird, the White-bellied Shortwing Brachypte

SUBMITTER: Robin VV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2954160 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature