title: The niche and phylogeography of a passerine reveal the history of biological diversification between the Andean and the Atlantic forests.
abstract: The Atlantic Forest is separated from the Andean tropical forest by dry and open vegetation biomes (Chaco and Cerrado). Despite this isolation, both rainforests share closely related lineages, which suggest a past connection. This connection could have been important for forest taxa evolution. In this study, we used the Saffron-billed Sparrow (Arremon flavirostris) as a model to evaluate whether the Andean and the Atlantic forests act as a refugia system, as well as to test for a history of biogeographic connection between them. In addition, we evaluated the molecular systematic of intraspecific lineages of the studied species. We modeled the current and past distribution of A. flavirostris, performed phylogeographic analyses based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes, and used Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) analyses to test for biogeographic scenarios. The major phylogeographic disjunction within A. flavirostris was found between the Andean and the Atlantic forests, with a divergence that occurred during the Mid-Pleistocene. Our paleodistribution models indicated a connection between these forest domains in different periods and through both the Chaco and Cerrado. Additionally, the phylogeographic and ABC analyses supported that the Cerrado was the main route of connection between these rainforests, but without giving decisive evidence against a Chaco connection. Our study with A. flavirostris suggest that the biodiversity of the Andean and of the Atlantic forests could have been impacted (and perhaps enriched?) by cycles of connections through the Cerrado and Chaco. This recurrent cycle of connection between the Andean and the Atlantic Forest could have been important for the evolution of Neotropical forest taxa. In addition, we discussed taxonomic implications of the results and proposed to split the studied taxon into two full species.
authors.affiliation: Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"-CONICET. Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trujillo-Arias
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antonio Carlos, 6627, Caixa Postal 486, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-010, Brazil; Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Mina Gerais, Av. Dom Jose Gaspar, 500, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gisele P M
authors.initials: GPM
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Colecciones Biológicas, km 17 carretera Cali-Palmira (CIAT), Valle del Cauca, Colombia; Grupo de Estudios en Biodiversidad, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Cra 27 Calle 9, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arbeláez-Cortés
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, C/27 Cota Cota, La Paz, Bolivia.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naoki
authors.affiliation: Colección Boliviana de Fauna - Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, C/26 Cota Cota, La Paz, Bolivia.
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antonio Carlos, 6627, Caixa Postal 486, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-010, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabricio R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, rua do Matão, 277, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristina Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Miyaki
authors.affiliation: Museu Paraense Emılio Goeldi, Caixa Postal 399, Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleixo
authors.affiliation: Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"-CONICET. Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pablo L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Tubaro
authors.affiliation: Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"-CONICET. Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina. Electronic address: gscabanne@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Gustavo S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Cabanne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D044822:Biodiversity; D001938:Brazil; D065928:Forests; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D065947:Rainforest; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Andean forest; Approximate Bayesian Computation; Atlantic forest; Cerrado; Chaco; Gallery forests