López-Rojas Jhon Jairo, Santiago Diego Henrique, Solé Mirco, Lourenço-de-Moraes Ricardo
Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado Ilhéus Bahia Brazil.
Facultad de Ecología Universidad Nacional de San Martín Moyobamba Peru.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Mar 19;15(3):e70677. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70677. eCollection 2025 Mar.
Understanding spatial variability in ecological and evolutionary patterns is key to Amazonian biodiversity conservation. This study examined taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity across amphibians and reptiles, assessing the influence of elevation, interrelationships among metrics, and distribution across five Amazon Basin ecoregions, exploring the "cradle" (speciation) and "museum" (lineage preservation) hypotheses. We analyzed 1011 amphibian species from three lineages and 828 reptile species from four lineages. Integrating distribution maps, phylogenies, and trait data, we calculated phylogenetic (PD), functional (FD), and taxonomic (TD) diversity, including mean phylogenetic (PD) and functional (FD) distance to the nearest taxon. We examined spatial regressions between diversity metrics and elevation, assessed correlations among metrics, and compared diversity metrics across ecoregions for each lineage. Diversity metrics across amphibian and reptile lineages reveal distinct geographical patterns related to elevation. Anurans exhibit higher PD, FD, and TD in the western Amazon, while squamates show hotspots at low altitudes. Testudines are linked to major rivers, and crocodilians display high PD near the equator. Anurans and squamates show elevated PD and FD in the Andes, whereas testudines are found in cratonic regions. Significant correlations and notable differences among ecoregions were found, especially in the Andes and low regions of the Amazon Basin. This study highlights the diverse eco-evolutionary patterns among amphibian and reptile lineages in the Amazon Basin, each exhibiting distinct hotspots distributed across ecoregions. The findings align with the cradle-museum hypothesis, suggesting that some regions serve as centers of ongoing diversification, others preserve ancient lineages, or serve as both. The cradle-museum hypothesis should be carefully analyzed, as each taxon presents a distinct pattern. This research underscores the necessity for targeted conservation strategies tailored to distinct ecological and evolutionary dynamics across ecoregions.
了解生态和进化模式中的空间变异性是亚马逊生物多样性保护的关键。本研究考察了两栖动物和爬行动物的分类、系统发育和功能多样性，评估了海拔的影响、指标之间的相互关系以及在五个亚马逊流域生态区的分布，探讨了“摇篮”（物种形成）和“博物馆”（谱系保存）假说。我们分析了来自三个谱系的1011种两栖动物和来自四个谱系的828种爬行动物。整合分布图、系统发育树和性状数据，我们计算了系统发育多样性（PD）、功能多样性（FD）和分类多样性（TD），包括到最近分类单元的平均系统发育（PD）和功能（FD）距离。我们研究了多样性指标与海拔之间的空间回归，评估了指标之间的相关性，并比较了每个谱系在不同生态区的多样性指标。两栖动物和爬行动物谱系的多样性指标揭示了与海拔相关的不同地理模式。无尾目在亚马逊西部表现出更高的PD、FD和TD，而有鳞目在低海拔地区有热点。龟鳖目与主要河流有关，鳄目在赤道附近显示出高PD。无尾目和有鳞目在安第斯山脉表现出升高的PD和FD，而龟鳖目则出现在克拉通地区。在不同生态区发现了显著的相关性和明显的差异，特别是在安第斯山脉和亚马逊流域的低地地区。本研究强调了亚马逊流域两栖动物和爬行动物谱系中多样的生态进化模式，每个谱系都表现出分布在不同生态区的独特热点。这些发现与摇篮-博物馆假说一致，表明一些地区是正在进行的多样化中心，另一些地区保存古老谱系，或兼而有之。由于每个分类单元都呈现出独特的模式，因此应仔细分析摇篮-博物馆假说。这项研究强调了针对不同生态区独特的生态和进化动态制定有针对性的保护策略。
