Mountain Summits Research Articles

Imsharria orangei (Ascomycota, Lecideaceae), a new genus and species, and a new species of Porpidia, from the Falkland Islands

Abstract The new genus Imsharria is proposed for a crustose species found on or near mountain summits on the Falkland Islands. It is separated from other genera of Lecideaceae by a combination of Porpidia-type asci, halonate ascospores, immersed apothecia and a hyaline hypothecium, and forms a distinct branch in the phylogenetic analysis using the markers nrITS and mtSSU. The single species, I. orangei, is characterized by its innate apothecia with a brown disc and a thallus containing norstictic acid and an amyloid (I+ violet) medulla. In addition, Porpidia imshaugii is described for a species from the Falkland Islands resembling P. skottsbergiana but with larger ascospores, and Porpidia navarina is shown to belong in the genus Poeltiaria, with the new combination Poeltiaria navarina being made. A key to the Lecideaceae on the Falkland Islands is provided.

The Genomic and Cultural Diversity of the Inka Qhapaq Hucha Ceremony in Chile and Argentina.

The South American archaeological record has ample evidence of the socio-cultural dynamism of human populations in the past. This has also been supported through the analysis of ancient genomes, by showing evidence of gene flow across the region. While the extent of these signals is yet to be tested, the growing number of ancient genomes allows for more fine-scaled hypotheses to be evaluated. In this study, we assessed the genetic diversity of individuals associated with the Inka ritual, Qhapaq hucha. As part of this ceremony, one or more individuals were buried with Inka and local-style offerings on mountain summits along the Andes, leaving a very distinctive record. Using paleogenomic tools, we analyzed three individuals: two newly generated genomes from El Plomo Mountain (Chile) and El Toro Mountain (Argentina), and a previously published genome from Argentina (Aconcagua Mountain). Our results reveal a complex demographic scenario with each of the individuals showing different genetic affinities. Furthermore, while two individuals showed genetic similarities with present-day and ancient populations from the southern region of the Inka empire, the third individual may have undertaken long-distance movement. The genetic diversity we observed between individuals from similar cultural contexts supports the highly diverse strategies Inka implemented while incorporating new territories. More broadly, this research contributes to our growing understanding of the population dynamics in the Andes by discussing the implications and temporality of population movements in the region.

Head in the clouds: two new microendemic tepui-summit species of Stefania (Anura: Hemiphractidae)

In addition to the type locality (the summit of Aprada-tepui, Bolívar State of Venezuela), the distribution of the egg-brooding frog Stefania satelles was long thought to include several isolated tabletop mountain (tepui) summits surrounding the large Chimantá Massif in Bolívar State (hence the Latin name “satelles”). However, multilocus molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed that this taxon includes several undescribed morphologically cryptic species, and that S. satelles should be restricted to its type locality. Two tepui-summit species confused under that name in the literature remain to be named, and the present paper aims at describing these populations previously referred to as Stefania sp. 3 and S. sp. 5. Stefania sp. 3 is only known from the small summit of Angasima-tepui, while S. sp. 5 is only reported from the small summit of Upuigma-tepui, both mountains being located south of the Chimantá Massif. These new, phylogenetically distinct species are described based on external morphology and osteology and in comparison to close relatives in the S. ginesi clade, which consists exclusively of tepui summit species. Both new species have highly restricted geographic ranges (less than 3 km2) and should be listed as Critically Endangered according to IUCN criteria.

Radiocarbon dating of naturally shed reindeer antlers melted out of retreating and down-wasting ice patches and ice caps in western Norway

A rise in summer temperatures, especially since the turn of the 21st century, has caused negative mass balance and marginal retreat of ice caps and ice patches in western Norway. Twentytwo naturally shed reindeer antlers found at retreating and down-melting margins of fourteen retreating ice patches and ice caps on mountain summits in western Norway during the recent decades have been radiocarbon dated. The reindeer antlers show no evidence of being sawed or cut off the skull or any engravings/scrape marks if the antlers had been handled by humans. The oldest reindeer antler in this study dates at 2201-2132 cal. yr BCE. Four dated antlers fall within the age range 2300-2000 cal. yr BCE. Single dates fall within the time ranges 1100 to 1000, 900 to 800, and 500 to 300 cal. yr BCE. Four dated antlers are within the time range 200 BCE to 100 cal. yr CE and two dated antlers fall within the time range 600 to 800 cal. yr CE. Finally, fifteen dates fall within the time range 1300-1900 cal. yr CE, the highest number (n=11) between 1300 and 1600 cal. yr CE. The temperature decline and increased precipitation causing advancing glaciers and ice caps, accompanied by growing ice patches during the Neoglacial period, including the early phase of the Little Ice Age, provided good preservation conditions for the reindeer antlers during the Little Ice Age, with extensive ice and snow cover in the high mountains in western Norway.

Montane diversification as a mechanism of speciation in neotropical butterflies.

The mountains in the Atlantic Forest domain are environments that harbor a high biodiversity, including species adapted to colder climates that were probably influenced by the climatic variations of the Pleistocene. To understand the phylogeographic pattern and assess the taxonomic boundaries between two sister montane species, a genomic study of the butterflies Actinote mantiqueira and A. alalia (Nymphalidae: Acraeini) was conducted. Analyses based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene COI (barcode region) failed to recover any phylogenetic or genetic structure discriminating the two species or sampling localities. However, single nucleotide polymorphisms gathered using Genotyping-by-Sequencing provided a strong isolation pattern in all analyses (genetic distance, phylogenetic hypothesis, clustering analyses, and F ST statistics) which is consistent with morphology, separating all individuals of A. alalia from all populations of A. mantiqueira. The three sampled mountain ranges where A. mantiqueira populations occur-Serra do Mar, Serra da Mantiqueira, and Poços de Caldas Plateau-were identified as three isolated clusters. Paleoclimate simulations indicate that both species' distributions changed according to climatic oscillations in the Pleistocene period, with the two species potentially occurring in areas of lower altitude during glacial periods when compared to the interglacial periods (as the present). Besides, a potential path between their distribution through the Serra do Mar Mountain range was inferred. Therefore, the Pleistocene climatic fluctuation had a significant impact on the speciation process between A. alalia and A. mantiqueira, which was brought on by isolation at different mountain summits during interglacial periods, as shown by the modeled historical distribution and the observed genetic structure.

An experimental test of niche versus dispersal limitation of the distribution limit of the Ghost Antler Lichen, Pseudevernia cladonia, along a temperate–boreal elevation gradient

Understanding the mechanisms underlying species’ distribution limits is critical for predicting how species may respond to environmental change. For species restricted to mountain summits, there is concern that climatic changes may result in increasingly restricted distributions. Two central mechanisms govern species distribution limits: (i) niche limitations–environmental conditions beyond distribution limits that are insufficient for survival and reproduction, and (ii) dispersal limitations that prevent colonization of suitable habitat beyond distribution limits. Here, we conducted a transplant experiment to examine the effect of niche versus dispersal limitation on the altitudinal distribution limit of the Ghost Antler Lichen ( Pseudevernia cladonia (Tuck.) Hale & Culb.) that, within Québec, Canada, is restricted to high-elevation mountain summits in the southeast. Along an elevation gradient, we transplanted individuals into sites within its distribution, at the edge, and beyond its distribution. We observed that survival and performance were greatest within its distribution and decreased markedly beyond its distribution, supporting our prediction that this lichen is niche limited along the elevation gradient. We suggest that cooler and more humid conditions at the summit are important environmental factors for this species’ persistence. Our findings suggest that projected climatic changes in these montane habitats may result in less suitable habitat for this species.

Alpine shrub leaf litter decomposition across mountain summits in south‐eastern Australia

AbstractClimate warming has been linked to shrub expansion in alpine regions and the decomposition of shrub leaf litter and subsequent release of nutrients has been proposed as a mechanism to facilitate shrub growth. We quantified the rate of alpine shrub leaf litter decomposition (measured as mass loss) over the course of a year in four locally occurring alpine shrub species that grow across four alpine summits. We measured a range of environmental attributes at the study sites, and via a standard litter bag approach, we evaluated the effects of site elevation, the depth of litter bag deployment, the removal time, the species‐specific leaf area (SLA) and the accumulated growing degree days at each site on the total per cent and rate of litter decomposition (as mass loss). The higher elevation sites were cooler with more snow days than the lower sites. Soil moisture was higher early in the snow‐free season at the higher elevation sites. Linear mixed effect models indicated no significant effects of elevation on total and rate of litter decomposition, but there were significant positive effects of deployment depth and removal time and a significant negative effect of species SLA. There were significant negative relationships between the rate of decomposition and growing degree days, as decomposition slows through time. The modelled mean rates of shrub litter decomposition for each species indicated that there would be more and faster decomposition if winter and early spring conditions were to persist for a whole year, compared with the modelled rates of average annual conditions persisting for a whole year. Our results indicate that Australian alpine shrub litter decomposes readily, with the highest rates of decomposition occurring soon after deployment, which in this study was after a snowy winter at the start of the growing season in spring.

Moving mountains: reevaluating the elevations of Colorado mountain summits using modern geodetic techniques

One of the most challenging environments for accurate geoid models is in high, rugged mountain areas. Orthometric heights derived from GNSS and a geoid model can easily have errors at the decimeter level. To investigate the effect of geoid model variability on the elevations of peaks in high, rugged mountain areas, this paper is focused on the “Fourteeners” of Colorado, USA (a group of about 60 peaks that are above 14,000 feet = 4267.2 m). Airborne LiDAR data are used to determine geometric (ellipsoidal) heights, which first requires removing a hybrid geoid model, as the LiDAR data is originally provided as orthometric heights. We quantify a significant improvement when using these derived ellipsoidal heights compared with the original orthometric heights: from ± 0.074 to ± 0.054 m (RMSE), an improvement of 28%. Next, a mean geoid model is determined with a relative accuracy of ± 0.06 to 0.08 m and used as a “stand in” realization of the future, official geopotential datum of the USA, NAPGD2022. Using the LiDAR ellipsoidal heights and geoid model, elevations (and uncertainties) for each of the Fourteener summits are determined and found to be, on average, 1.6 m lower than currently published values. This is a much larger change than the 0.5 m decrease expected from the new datum shift alone. The bulk of the difference is due to the original treatments of the vertical angle, triangulation data. A reanalysis of 32 of the 60 peaks shows that the historic data were indeed too high by about 1.0 m or more. Ultimately, no peak falls below the 14,000-foot level nor are any peaks elevated above this level.

Eriothecapaganuccii (Bombacoideae, Malvaceae), a new endangered species from montane forests in the Atlantic Forest of Bahia, northeastern Brazil.

A new species of Eriotheca (Bombacoideae, Malvaceae) from montane wet forests in the Atlantic Forest of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. It is known from only three populations situated between 750 m and 850 m in elevation on mountain summits and categorized as Endangered (EN) based on IUCN criteria. Eriothecapaganuccii is distinct from all congeners by the combination of coriaceous to strongly coriaceous leaves and remarkable few-seeded, globose to subglobose woody capsules that contain scanty kapok and the largest seeds known in the genus to date. The affinities of E.paganuccii to morphologically similar species as well as the importance of obtaining phenologically complete collections are discussed.

Sensitivity of Banner Cloud Formation to Orography and the Ambient Atmosphere: Transition from Idealized to More Realistic Scenarios

Abstract Banner clouds are clouds in the lee of steep mountains or sharp ridges on otherwise cloud-free days. Previous studies investigated various aspects of banner cloud formation in numerical simulations, most of which were based on idealized orography and a neutrally stratified ambient atmosphere. The present study extends these simulations in two important directions by 1) examining the impact of various types of orography ranging from an idealized pyramid to the realistic orography of Mount Matterhorn and 2) accounting for an ambient atmosphere that turns from neutral to stably stratified below the mountain summit. Not surprisingly, realistic orography introduces asymmetries in the spanwise direction. At the same time, banner cloud occurrence remains associated with a coherent area of strong uplift, although this region does not have to be located exclusively in the lee of the mountain any longer. In the case of Mount Matterhorn with a westerly ambient flow, a large fraction of air parcels rises along the southern face of the mountain, before they reach the lee and are lifted into the banner cloud. The presence of a shallow boundary layer with its top below the mountain summit introduces more complex behavior compared to a neutrally stratified boundary layer; in particular, it introduces a dependence on wind speed, because strong wind is associated with strong turbulence that is able to raise the boundary layer height and, thus, facilitates the formation of a banner cloud.

Early Holocene thinning and final demise of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet across the main drainage divide of southern Norway

The thinning and final decay of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet in the Gudbrandsdalen area in central southern Norway is described, based on (1) cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating of 25 glacially transported boulders, (2) radiocarbon dating of plant remains in the basal strata in four lakes and (3) mapping of large ice-dammed lakes that formed at different elevations and at different times during the last deglacation. We complement the new chronology with previously published 10Be-ages from the same region. The dated samples are spread from mountain summits 1800 m a.s.l. to the valley floor at 250 m a.s.l. Our results suggest that the ice sheet surface remained well above 1800 m a.s.l. in northern Gudbrandsdalen throughout the Younger Dryas. During the Early Holocene the ice sheet thinned rapidly, at rates estimated to 1.7–5.8 m yr−1. The final phase of deglaciation involved formation of large ice-dammed lakes, most notably the Store Dølasjø which was formed after 10.4 ka BP and finally drained around 10.0 ka BP. The ice-marginal landforms that characterize the mountain region of northern Gudbrandsdalen, i.e., moraine ridges, lateral meltwater channels, as well as deposits and shorelines from ice-dammed lakes, thus collectively originate from a period of rapid ice sheet downwasting over ca. 1600 years.

Population Status and Vulnerability of Mantidactylus pauliani from Ankaratra Protected Area, Madagascar.

Mountain summits in Madagascar generally have species with specific habitat requirements, providing a home to a unique and locally endemic herpetofauna. Among them is M. pauliani, a typically aquatic and critically endangered amphibian found on the Ankaratra Massif. This species inhabits high elevations with a limited distribution range. Our study aimed to present new data on the distribution and elevational range, habitat use, and threats to M. pauliani and its occurrence according to habitat changes. To achieve this, annual monitoring was carried out from 2018 to 2021. Nine 100 m transects were established along streams at elevations ranging from 1762 to 2378 m a.s.l. along which we conducted visual encounter surveys. Data analysis was performed using a χ2 test and Factor Correspondence Analysis. We found that M. pauliani occupies elevations between 1900 and 2378 m a.s.l. within humid forests and savannah habitats. The results showed a fluctuation in the number of animals observed and a higher occurrence at higher elevations throughout the years according to the season, stream quality, and water volume. Ongoing habitat alteration makes M. pauliani vulnerable to population decline, with annual bushfires likely having a negative impact on habitat.

Compositional shifts of alpine plant communities across the high Andes

AbstractAimClimate change is transforming mountain summit plant communities worldwide, but we know little about such changes in the High Andes. Understanding large‐scale patterns of vegetation changes across the Andes, and the factors driving these changes, is fundamental to predicting the effects of global warming. We assessed trends in vegetation cover, species richness (SR) and community‐level thermal niches (CTN) and tested whether they are explained by summits' climatic conditions and soil temperature trends.LocationHigh Andes.Time periodBetween 2011/2012 and 2017/2019.Major taxa studiedVascular plants.MethodsUsing permanent vegetation plots placed on 45 mountain summits and soil temperature loggers situated along a ~6800 km N‐S gradient, we measured species and their relative percentage cover and estimated CTN in two surveys (intervals between 5 and 8 years). We then estimated the annual rate of changes for the three variables and used generalized linear models to assess their relationship with annual precipitation, the minimum air temperatures of each summit and rates of change in the locally recorded soil temperatures.ResultsOver time, there was an average loss of vegetation cover (mean = −0.26%/yr), and a gain in SR across summits (mean = 0.38 species m2/yr), but most summits had significant increases in SR and vegetation cover. Changes in SR were positively related to minimum air temperature and soil temperature rate of change. Most plant communities experienced shifts in their composition by including greater abundances of species with broader thermal niches and higher optima. However, the measured changes in soil temperature did not explain the observed changes in CTN.Main conclusionsHigh Andean vegetation is changing in cover and SR and is shifting towards species with wider thermal niche breadths. The weak relationship with soil temperature trends could have resulted from the short study period that only marginally captures changes in vegetation through time.

Distinct microbial communities across a climatically versatile summit in the Lesotho highlands.

Most studies investigating the effects of climatological factors on microbial community composition and diversity focus on comparisons of geographically distinct environments (e.g., cold vs hot deserts) or across various temporal scales. Mountain regions provide unique environments to explore relationships between various environmental factors and soil microorganisms given their range of microclimatic conditions and vegetation types. This study investigated micro-topographically (i.e., north-/south-facing slope aspects and flat plateau between them) controlled microbial diversity and community structures across a Lesotho mountain summit. Amplicon sequence analysis revealed that the north- and south-facing slopes were dominated by more Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, while the plateau was dominated by more Acidobacteria. Fungi from the phylum Chytridiomycota more strongly dominated the plateau and the north-facing slope than the south-facing slope. Slope aspect, through its direct influence on air and soil micro-climatology and plant diversity, significantly affects bacterial and fungal community structures at this location. These results provide original insight into soil microbial diversity in the Lesotho highlands and offer an opportunity to project the likely response of soil microorganisms to future climate warming in highly variable mountain environments such as the Lesotho highlands.

The last Fennoscandian Ice Sheet glaciation on the Kola Peninsula and Russian Lapland (Part 1): Ice flow configuration

A detailed reconstruction of palaeo-ice flow configuration is lacking for the Kola Peninsula and Russian Lapland, northwest Arctic Russia. This study presents, for the first time, a 14-stage reconstruction of the last Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS) flow configuration on the Kola Peninsula and Russian Lapland from build-up to complete deglaciation. Flowsets (n = 102) and cross-cutting bedform assemblages identified from a high-resolution subglacial bedform record (subglacial lineations and subglacial ribs) are combined with subglacially streamlined bedrock data to define ice flow patterns, ice divides, ice margins, and glaciation styles of the last glaciation through relative time.The results demonstrate that the FIS flow configuration was not static. The FIS advanced eastwards across the region from Scandinavia, rather than expanding from local upland areas, and established a predominantly cold-based ice mass on the Kola Peninsula with an extensive adjacent warm-based ice lobe in the White Sea. An east-west aligned ice divide was located on the Kola Peninsula and Russian Lapland during the ice sheet build-up stages. However, this divide was short-lived as the White Sea lobe dominated ice flow on the peninsula during the local-Last Glacial Maximum, and ice predominantly flowed across the region from the main ice dispersal zone that was centred over the Gulf of Bothnia during deglaciation. Deglaciation on the peninsula was initially characterised by cold-based ice sheet retreat on the central eastern Kola Peninsula and warm-based ice lobe retreat in the White Sea. Continued deglaciation was characterised by ice sheet thinning, exposing mountain summits as nunataks behind the ice sheet margin, with topography constraining ice flow around upland areas. Ice streams in the region were drivers and consequences of continued ice sheet configuration change throughout glaciation. Four palaeo ice streams – (i) the Imandra Ice Stream; (ii) the Lovozero Ice Stream; (iii) the Kanozero Ice Stream; and (iv) the Kuusamo Ice Stream – and three possible palaeo-ice stream pathways are identified.We consider our ice flow configuration reconstruction to be the simplest palaeo-glaciological interpretation of the bedform record of the Kola Peninsula and Russian Lapland. The empirically-based reconstruction of ice flow geometry provides a regional framework and context for interpreting results from local-scale fieldwork, and is presented in a format that can be utilised by numerical ice sheet modellers to test and verify their models. The results underpin a new data-driven reconstruction of the last FIS in northwest Arctic Russia that we present in Part 2 of this study.

The Origin and Character of God: Ancient Israelite Religion through the Lens of Divinity, Yahweh before Israel: Glimpses of History in a Divine Name and Yahweh: Origin of a Desert God

The Origin and Character of God: Ancient Israelite Religion through the Lens of Divinity, Yahweh before Israel: Glimpses of History in a Divine Name and Yahweh: Origin of a Desert God

AN EXAMINATION OF ERCIYES MOUNTAIN SUMMIT CLIMBING ROUTES AND THE FORMATION OF ROUTE NAMES

This study was made to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the Erciyes mountain summit climbing routes and to obtain information about how the route names were formed. Erciyes Mountain has the title of the first mountain in the Central Anatolia Region and the 5th largest mountain in Türkiye. In terms of both winter tourism, mountain climbing, and highland tourism, it maintains its importance in every period of the year and is flooded with visitors. The study consists of interviews with 10 professional mountaineers, aged between 30 and 66, who carry out mountaineering activities in and around Erciyes Mountain. A questionnaire was prepared before the interview with professional mountaineers. In the survey questions, there are questions about the demographic information of professional mountaineers and the advantages and disadvantages of the Erciyes Mountain summit climbing routes. Telephone and face-to-face interviews were conducted with professional mountaineers. In the findings of the study, it is revealed that professional mountaineers have an emotional affinity with Erciyes Mountain. This emotional attachment is expressed as feelings for a lover. In the summit climb; 60% of the participants stated that they want to go out in the summer period. It has been determined that the most used route is the devil creek and the northern great ice routes. During the summer climbs, it has been stated that stone rupture poses a danger because Mount Erciyes is a volcanic mountain. In winter, there are difficulties due to weather conditions such as storms and avalanches. It was determined that 6 different routes were used by the participants in climbing the summit. These routes are indicated as the Devil Creek, the Devil's left lane (Nesrin Topkapi), the ridge, the northern glacier, the snow ice, and angel routes. As a result, Mount Erciyes is a mountain with a difficulty level above the medium level for experience purposes for people who have just started mountaineering. It is recommended that mountaineers with larger summit targets complete their high-altitude acclimation phase by climbing to the Erciyes summit.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0491/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

When clouds raise an eyebrow – the case for a new supplementary cloud feature ‘Supercilium’

In 2017, the World Meteorological Organization accepted 12 revisions to the International Cloud Atlas, including the introduction of a new supplementary cloud feature, asperitas. Here, we present compelling photographic evidence gathered over recent years, which argues the case for an additional new cloud feature, ‘supercilium’, to be also considered for inclusion in the Atlas, which at present lacks a precise category or description of these clouds. ‘Supercilium’ are short-lived cloud features, which appear in turbulent airflow over, and to the immediate lee of, steep mountain peaks during periods of strong mountain summit level winds.

Atmospheric deposition and trajectories of antimony in Central Europe

Antimony (Sb) concentrations were measured in wet atmospheric deposition at 10 high-elevation sites in the Czech Republic (Central Europe) during three winter seasons (2009–2011). Soluble and insoluble Sb forms were quantified in snow (vertical deposition) and rime (horizontal deposition) on mountain summits located equidistantly near the Czech borders with Austria, Germany and Poland. The highest Sb concentrations were found in the soluble form in rime (0.47 μg L−1), while the lowest Sb concentrations were those in the insoluble form in snow (0.017 μg L−1). The estimated average Sb deposition rate in Central Europe amounted to 1.3. 10−4 g m−2 yr−1. Most Sb was deposited in the soluble form in snow (7.9. 10−5 g m−2 yr−1), followed by the soluble form in rime (3.5. 10−5 g m−2 yr−1). The corresponding insoluble fraction contained less Sb, namely 1.2. 10−5 g m−2 yr−1 in snow and 2.3. 10−6 g m−2 yr−1 in rime. The average Sb deposition in Central Europe, measured at an altitude of 1000 m a.s.l., was by six orders of magnitude higher compared to Sb deposition in the Arctic (7. 10−10 g m−2 yr−1), and by four orders of magnitude lower compared to Sb deposition in a Sb–Hg mining district in China (7 g m−2 yr−1). Using the HYSPLIT model, backward trajectories of air masses indicated that the Sb sources were predominantly situated in Upper and Lower Silesia.

How tectonic, volcanic and climatic processes in Andean ‘sky islands’ shaped the diversification of endemic ground beetles

AbstractAimThe Andean superpáramo ecosystem, above c. 4200 m a.s.l., currently forms an archipelago of isolated ‘sky islands’ which provides a unique setting to study biogeography. However, there is still a poor understanding of how past geological events, together with past climatic changes, have shaped the distribution of life in this ecosystem. Our aim was to investigate the importance of biogeographical barriers in local diversifications and to analyse how populations have become isolated on current ‘sky islands’.LocationNeotropics, Andes, Páramo, Ecuador.TaxonColeoptera, Carabidae, Platynini, Dyscolus.MethodsWe first used distributional data of 45 superpáramo specialist species to define areas of endemism in northern Ecuador. We then selected 34 currently isolated populations of 12 species to perform a high‐throughput genome skimming approach encompassing the complete mitogenome and the complete nuclear ribosomal cluster. We also generated a time‐calibrated estimation for the diversification of the group, and compared it to geochronological data.ResultsA high proportion (60%) of the sampled species are microendemic, being restricted to a single mountain summit. Three mutually exclusive areas of endemism are limited by deep transverse valleys across the Andes, and Pliocene speciation events are related to these orogenic barriers. The phylogeny obtained from the genome‐skimming approach provides a robust base to analyse the diversification of superpáramo endemic species and populations throughout the Plio‐Pleistocene.Main conclusionsThe opening of the Interandean Valley did not play a significant role in the diversification of the group prior to the Pleistocene. More recently, multiple populations have become isolated on the superpáramo of various volcanoes by independently colonizing this habitat during repeated cycles of glacial–interglacial periods. Our results highlight the joint contribution of orogeny and climatic fluctuations for explaining the current patterns of distribution. Each species had a different colonization history, with its populations reaching the different volcanoes at different glacial–interglacial cycles. Our approach also can provide a powerful tool to constrain the geological processes responsible for the topographic changes along and across the Cordillera.