Vicariance events shaping Southern South American insect distributions: a search using Hovenkamp?s (1997, 2001) protocols and VIP

DOMINGUEZ, MARTHA CECILIA; AGRAIN, FEDERICO ALEJANDRO; FLORES, GUSTAVO ERNESTO; ROIG-JUÑENT, SERGIO ALBERTO

Mendoza

Simposio; Fourth International Tenebrionoidea Symposium; 2015

IADIZA, CCT Mendoza

The main goal of this study is to use multiple insect phylogenies along with geographical information to test known vicariance hypotheses for Southern South America (SSA). We analyzed the phylogenies and geographical distributions of seven insect genera endemic to SSA (including four Tenebrionidae) using Hovenkamp?s protocol, which have been in part implemented software (VIP). Using this software we were able to hypothesize 55 traceable vicariance events (TVE), among these we recognized four supported vicariance events (SVEs) (i.e. confirmed by more than a single sister group). The first SVE consisted of an East/West separation of the faunas in all analyzed trees; the second SVE is a North/South separation of the fauna located East of the Andes; the third SVE was found in the southernmost fauna located East of the Andes, which separates allopatric Patagonian species in a North/South direction; and finally the fourth SVE separates in a North/South direction clades of the Central Chilean fauna located West of the Andes. Our results, suggest that these four SVEs could be correlated with the uplifting of the Andes marine ingressions that occurred during the Cenozoic that is the estimated age at which these events occurred. Finally, we discuss that current software implementation of Hovenkamp?s ideas need to be expanded; particularly regarding the automated selection of TVEs.