Phylogenetic endemism: a new approach for identifying geographical concentrations of evolutionary history |
| |
Authors: | DAN ROSAUER,&dagger ,SHAWN W. LAFFAN,MICHAEL D. CRISP&Dagger ,STEPHEN C. DONNELLAN§ ,¶ , LYN G. COOK |
| |
Affiliation: | School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, GPO Box 1600, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia;, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia;, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia;, Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia;, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia |
| |
Abstract: | We present a new, broadly applicable measure of the spatial restriction of phylogenetic diversity, termed phylogenetic endemism (PE). PE combines the widely used phylogenetic diversity and weighted endemism measures to identify areas where substantial components of phylogenetic diversity are restricted. Such areas are likely to be of considerable importance for conservation. PE has a number of desirable properties not combined in previous approaches. It assesses endemism consistently, independent of taxonomic status or level, and independent of previously defined political or biological regions. The results can be directly compared between areas because they are based on equivalent spatial units. PE builds on previous phylogenetic analyses of endemism, but provides a more general solution for mapping endemism of lineages. We illustrate the broad applicability of PE using examples of Australian organisms having contrasting life histories: pea-flowered shrubs of the genus Daviesia (Fabaceae) and the Australian species of the Australo-Papuan tree frog radiation within the family Hylidae. |
| |
Keywords: | Daviesia endemism Hylidae phylogenetic diversity phylogenetic endemism weighted endemism |
|
|