Negative global-scale association between genetic diversity and speciation rates in mammals

Ana C. Afonso Silva (), Odile Maliet, Leandro Aristide, David Nogués-Bravo, Nathan Upham, Walter Jetz and Hélène Morlon ()
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Ana C. Afonso Silva: Université PSL
Odile Maliet: Université PSL
Leandro Aristide: Université PSL
David Nogués-Bravo: University of Copenhagen
Nathan Upham: Arizona State University
Walter Jetz: Yale University
Hélène Morlon: Université PSL

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Genetic diversity is critical for species evolution and their adaptability to global changes, while speciation rate is critical for explaining large-scale patterns of species richness. Exploring correlates of variation in genetic diversity and speciation rates across species is a major interest of evolutionary biologists, but these two questions have mostly been investigated independently. Here, we assess the relationship between intra-specific genetic diversity and speciation rate for 1897 mammal species (~one third of the total diversity) covering all mammalian orders. We find a negative association between mitochondrial genetic diversity and speciation rate across mammalian clades globally. This association is not accounted for by differences in the ecological attributes of species. Our findings suggest a systematic link between micro- and macroevolutionary processes that need to be better understood and considered when investigating determinants of either genetic diversity or speciation rates.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56820-y

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