Huntsmen of the Caribbean: Multiple tests of the GAARlandia hypothesis

Publication date: Available online 13 October 2018Source: Molecular Phylogenetics and EvolutionAuthor(s): Yanfeng Tong, Greta Binford, Cristina A. Rheims, Matjaž Kuntner, Jie Liu, Ingi AgnarssonAbstractThe origin of the Caribbean biota remains debated, but amassing evidence suggests important roles of both dispersal and vicariance events in the colonization the archipelago. The most prominent vicariance hypothesis is colonization over the GAARlandia land bridge that putatively connected the Greater Antilles to South America around 33 mya. This hypothesis has received support from studies of individual lineages, but its main prediction—the simultaneous colonization of multiple lineages during that time window—requires further unambiguous corroboration. Here, we examine the phylogenetic structure of huntsman spiders (Sparassidae) of the Caribbean. Huntsman spiders are appropriate models for this question, as they are expected to be dispersal limited as substrate and foliage dwelling spiders that rarely balloon, yet are found on some volcanic islands, and thus at least some overwater dispersal must have occurred. We focus on the Caribbean endemic Neostasina, but also include Caribbean Olios, for a deeper biogeographical understanding. We use two mitochondrial and four nuclear markers to reconstruct dated phylogenetic trees and to test taxonomic and biogeographic hypotheses. Our analyses strongly support the monophyly of Neostasina and the polyphyly of Olios, with a new clad...

Source: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution - October 14, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research