Microevolutionary dynamics show tropical valleys are deeper for montane birds of the Atlantic Forest

Gregory Thom (), Marcelo Gehara, Brian Tilston Smith, Cristina Y. Miyaki and Fábio Raposo Amaral
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Gregory Thom: American Museum of Natural History
Marcelo Gehara: American Museum of Natural History
Brian Tilston Smith: American Museum of Natural History
Cristina Y. Miyaki: Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 277, Cidade Universitária
Fábio Raposo Amaral: Universidade Federal de São Paulo

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Tropical mountains hold more biodiversity than their temperate counterparts, and this disparity is often associated with the latitudinal climatic gradient. However, distinguishing the impact of latitude versus the background effects of species history and traits is challenging due to the evolutionary distance between tropical and temperate assemblages. Here, we test whether microevolutionary processes are linked to environmental variation across a sharp latitudinal transition in 21 montane birds of the southern Atlantic Forest in Brazil. We find that effective dispersal within populations in the tropical mountains is lower and genomic differentiation is better predicted by the current environmental complexity of the region than within the subtropical populations. The concordant response of multiple co-occurring populations is consistent with spatial climatic variability as a major process driving population differentiation. Our results provide evidence for how a narrow latitudinal gradient can shape microevolutionary processes and contribute to broader scale biodiversity patterns.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26537-9

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