In the light of evolution X: Comparative phylogeography

Abstract

Phylogeography is the study of the spatial arrangement of genealogical lineages, especially within and among conspecific populations and closely related species (10). Ever since its inception in the late 1970s (11, 12) and mid-1980s (13), the field has sought to extend phylogenetic reasoning to the intraspecific level, and thereby build empirical and conceptual bridges between the formerly separate disciplines of microevolutionary population genetics and macroevolutionary phylogenetics. In the early years, phylogeographers relied on data from restriction-site surveys of mitochondrial (mt) DNA to draw inferences about population structure and historical demography, but stunning improvements in molecular techniques (14, 15) and extensions of coalescent theory and other analytical methods (16) later broadened the field’s scope dramatically (17). Phylogeographic perspectives have transformed aspects of population biology, biogeography, systematics, ecology, genetics, and biodiversity conservation. One aim of this colloquium was to bring together leading scientists to address the current state of phylogeography as the discipline enters its fourth decade. The broader goal was to update a wide audience on recent developments in phylogeographic research and their relevance to past accomplishments and future research directions.