Two Incredible Radiations on Sulawesi
A dynamic paleo-archipelago shaped the evolution of two large radiations of skinks with unique ecological, thermal, and elevational adaptations
For my PhD research I focused on a one-of-a-kind natural laboratory—the island of Sulawesi—which underwent spectacular paleogeographic transformations over the past 20 million years with discrete phases of paleo-island formation, fusion, and mountain-building. Our large team conducted a total of eight large-scale biodiversity surveys across Sulawesi's remote mountains.
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Through extensive phylogenomic analyses on hundreds of specimens, I found that two genera of skinks (Sphenomorphus and Tytthoscincus) each contained up to 7 elevationally stratified species on each mountain, and that these radiations synchronously evolved parallel physiological and morphological strategies to occupy high-elevations. For example, they evolved to occupy unique niches, such as arboreal, semi-aquatic, and fossorial habitats. They also consistently used similar morphological and thermal physiological strategies to inhabit high elevation environments.
I traced the biogeographic history as these two genera radiated across Sulawesi. I found that overwater dispersal between paleo-islands set the foundation on which mountain-building further developed species complexes. Each genus has 30–40 species, and nearly all of them are undescribed.
The manuscript describing this work is nearly complete and will be submitted for peer review soon!
