Local Endemism Within the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot
Abstract
The apparent biotic affinities between the mainland and the island in the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot have been interpreted as the result of frequent migrations during recent periods of low sea level. We show, using molecular phylogenies of two invertebrate and four vertebrate groups, that biotic interchange between these areas has been much more limited than hitherto assumed. Despite several extended periods of land connection during the past 500,000 years, Sri Lanka has maintained a fauna that is largely distinct from that of the Indian mainland. Future conservation programs for the subcontinent should take into account such patterns of local endemism at the finest scale at which they may occur.
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References and Notes
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We thank the Forest Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka, for research permission; J. Spinks, S. Loader, and S. Meegaskumbura for lab work; the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science's Collection of Genetic Resources for tissues; D. Raheem, Y. Mapatuna, F. Naggs (U.K. Darwin Initiative grant no. 162/08/214), S. Kankanam-Gamage, K. Wewelwala, S. Batuwita, and R. Wickramatilleke for fieldwork; and A. Captain, S. Thakur, and C. Luckhaup for photographs. Sequences have been deposited at GenBank under accession nos. AY700937 to AY700990 (caecilians); AY700999 to AY701021 and AY701030 to AY701052 (snakes); AY706108 to AY706131 and AY708128 to AY708196 (frogs); AY708197 to AY708278 (fishes); AY708052 to AY708091 (crabs); and AY708092 to AY708127 (shrimps). F.B. is a postdoctoral researcher and K.R. an aspirant at the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO)–Vlaanderen. Supported by FWO–Vlaanderen grant nos. G.0056.03 and 1.5.039.03 (F.B.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel–Onderzoekrsaad (F.B. and K.R.); Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, the “Communauté Française de Belgique” (Action de Recherches Concertées no. 11649/20022770); the Walloon Region (BioRobot-Initiative no. 114840) (M.C.M.); Boston Univ. and NSF grant no. DEB9977072 (C.J.S. and M.M.); Leverhulme Trust grant no. F/00696/F (D.J.G and M.W.); and WHT Sri Lanka (R.P., M.M., M.M.B., and K.M-A).
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Published In
Science
Volume 306 | Issue 5695
15 October 2004
15 October 2004
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American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Submission history
Received: 11 May 2004
Accepted: 1 September 2004
Published in print: 15 October 2004
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