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This week's paper for disscussion is: McIntyre SRN, Lineweaver CH, Groves CP, Chopra A. 2017. Global biogeography since Pangaea. Proc Biol Sci 284(1856).

Abstract: The break-up of the supercontinent Pangaea around 180 Ma has left its imprint on the global distribution of species and resulted in vicariance-driven speciation. Here, we test the idea that the molecular clock dates, for the divergences of species whose geographical ranges were divided, should agree with the palaeomagnetic dates for the continental separations. Our analysis of recently available phylogenetic divergence dates of 42 pairs of vertebrate taxa, selected for their reduced ability to disperse, demonstrates that the divergence dates in phylogenetic trees of continent-bound terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates are consistent with the palaeomagnetic dates of continental separation.

Meet at University House, in the Fellows Bar area, at 5:30 pm.

Coopers and Cladistics is a long-running evolutionary biology discussion group held every second Thursday at University House, ANU. Please contact Mike Crisp if you would like to be included on the C&C email list.