title: How likely is speciation in neutral ecology?
abstract: Patterns of biodiversity predicted by the neutral theory rely on a simple phenomenological model of speciation. To further investigate the effect of speciation on neutral biodiversity, we analyze a spatially explicit neutral model based on population genetics. We define the metacommunity as a system of populations exchanging migrants, and we use this framework to introduce speciation with little or no gene flow (allopatric and parapatric speciation). We find that with realistic mutation rates, our metacommunity model driven by neutral processes cannot support more than a few species. Adding natural selection in the population genetics of speciation increases the number of species in the metacommunity, but the level of diversity found in the Barro Colorado Island is difficult to reach.
authors.affiliation: Canada Research Chair on Terrestrial Ecosystems, Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographique, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada. philippe.d.proulx@gmail.com
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desjardins-Proulx
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gravel
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D051456:Gene Flow; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D008954:Models, Biological; D010176:Panama; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012641:Selection, Genetic