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Direct effects of mountain uplift and topography on biodiversity.

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Titel: Direct effects of mountain uplift and topography on biodiversity.
Autoren: Marder, Eyal, Smiley, Tara M., Yanites, Brian J., Kravitz, Katherine
Quelle: Science; 3/21/2025, Vol. 387 Issue 6740, p1287-1291, 5p
Schlagwörter: BIODIVERSITY, TECTONIC uplift, RODENTS, MOUNTAINS, MAMMALS
Abstract: Biodiversity hotspots in Earth's mountain ranges suggest a strong connection between topographic development and biological processes. However, it remains unclear whether high biodiversity in mountain ranges is an evolutionary response to the rate of relief generation during mountain building. Focusing on small mammals, such as rodents, we used coupled landscape-biological simulations to show that biodiversity increases with the magnitude and rate of tectonic uplift. This relationship, visible in depositional lowlands over millions of years, underscores the considerable role of mountain building in shaping past and present terrestrial biodiversity. Our results provide insights into the influence of topographic changes on evolutionary processes, offering a potential link between mountain formation and paleodiversity records. Editor's summary: As mountains form, they generate complex topography, heterogeneous environmental conditions, and barriers to movement that can separate populations. Marder et al. investigated whether this process contributes to the high biodiversity often found on mountains. Using simulations, they found that biodiversity increases with tectonic uplift and increasing topographic relief, not only on erosional mountain range highlands but also in adjacent depositional basins. Published long-term datasets on mammal species richness and lizard speciation show similar relationships between mountain building and diversity. —Bianca Lopez [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Datenbank: Complementary Index
Beschreibung
Abstract:Biodiversity hotspots in Earth's mountain ranges suggest a strong connection between topographic development and biological processes. However, it remains unclear whether high biodiversity in mountain ranges is an evolutionary response to the rate of relief generation during mountain building. Focusing on small mammals, such as rodents, we used coupled landscape-biological simulations to show that biodiversity increases with the magnitude and rate of tectonic uplift. This relationship, visible in depositional lowlands over millions of years, underscores the considerable role of mountain building in shaping past and present terrestrial biodiversity. Our results provide insights into the influence of topographic changes on evolutionary processes, offering a potential link between mountain formation and paleodiversity records. Editor's summary: As mountains form, they generate complex topography, heterogeneous environmental conditions, and barriers to movement that can separate populations. Marder et al. investigated whether this process contributes to the high biodiversity often found on mountains. Using simulations, they found that biodiversity increases with tectonic uplift and increasing topographic relief, not only on erosional mountain range highlands but also in adjacent depositional basins. Published long-term datasets on mammal species richness and lizard speciation show similar relationships between mountain building and diversity. —Bianca Lopez [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00368075
DOI:10.1126/science.adp7290