Abstract
Fishes in the lower Congo River. An extreme case of species divergence and convergent evolution
Highlights
In its lower reaches the Congo River is the world’s fastest and deepest river, and this short stretch hosts great biological diversity
The intense surface rapids largely prevent the movement of motile animals, many fish species have adapted to these extreme hydrological conditions through biological processes that are the focus of Professor Melanie Stiassny’s research in this hyper-diverse region, a collaborative and long-term research program between the American Museum of Natural History, CUNY Graduate Center and York College, the University of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo; DRC), and the University of Marien Ngouabi (Republic of Congo; RC)
Some exciting discoveries have been made by the Congo Project so far; physically and genetically distinct species have evolved similar traits in a process known as ‘convergent evolution’, where separate populations undergoing similar selective pressures evolve to exhibit similar morphological traits
Summary
In its lower reaches the Congo River is the world’s fastest and deepest river, and this short stretch hosts great biological diversity. The intense surface rapids largely prevent the movement of motile animals, many fish species have adapted to these extreme hydrological conditions through biological processes that are the focus of Professor Melanie Stiassny’s research in this hyper-diverse region, a collaborative and long-term research program between the American Museum of Natural History, CUNY Graduate Center and York College, the University of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo; DRC), and the University of Marien Ngouabi (Republic of Congo; RC). The intense flow between the low flow velocity regions on either side of the river channel hinders the movement of fishes both across and up/down the river, and the fishes inhabiting the separated, low flow velocity areas are physically separated by the water itself and rarely or never encounter one another These conditions are ideal for the occurrence of speciation, where populations of a single species that have been separated over time evolve into genetically distinct lineages. Understanding the process by which one species can evolve into two or more genetically distinct species is vital for understanding
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