BRS Ole Seehausen: Islands of endemism – insularity but not isolation makes lakes cradles of species diversity

Zoom webinar link for remote attendees:

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/66364136696?pwd=OVp2UW10Ulp5eCtncTVzQ3pvWmFZUT09

Passcode: 202209

host: Dolph Schluter

Title: Islands of endemism – insularity but not isolation makes lakes cradles of species diversity

Abstract:

Lakes of various age and size are home to large endemic species flocks. There 

is increasing evidence that such lacustrine species flocks have also 

contributed much to regional and continental species diversity. However, while 

many lakes host species flocks, only a minority of taxa radiate into flocks 

and there is considerable repeatability in which taxa radiate. I will review 

published and unpublished ecological, biogeographical and genomic data that 

permit discussing properties of lakes that make them good cradles and 

properties of lineages that make them good speciators. I conclude that 

ecological insularity and hybrid ancestry are key to radiation, while 

geographical and genetic isolation constrain it. Lakes have hosted radiations 

and exported species diversity for millions of years but this has come to an 

abrupt end in the industrial era, with likely lasting consequences for 

freshwater biodiversity.

Dr. Seehausen's bio:

I am an evolutionary ecologist. I am keen to understand the evolutionary 

processes and ecological mechanisms by which biological diversity arises, 

those by which it is maintained and those by which it is lost. I am studying 

natural and sexual selection, gene flow and interspecific hybridisation, 

species interactions, evolutionary constraints and historical contingency. I 

want to know how these affect variation within populations and between 

populations, phenotypic polymorphisms, speciation, adaptive radiation, species 

assemblages and macro-ecological patterns. I also want to know how better 

understanding these processes can benefit nature conservancy.