NSFDEB-NERC: Origins and expansion of endemic biodiversity in western Melanesia and their relation to tectonic evolution

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This project addresses a fundamental research question regarding how geological processes drive the diversification of species and current patterns of biodiversity. The project will focus on western Melanesia, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth as well as a region of high tectonic activity. A synthesis of biological and geological models for several animal groups will clarify the timing and extent of colonization and diversification of biotic diversity within the context of the region’s geologic history. The results will advance our understanding of the effects of tectonic movements on the generation and dispersal of species. The research is funded in partnership with the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as an international collaboration between U.S. and U.K. laboratories. The project will support the training of graduate and postdoctoral scholars, as well as collaborative training and outreach activities in Papua Guinea. The research team will construct dated phylogenetic trees for over 25 reptile and amphibian lineages representing different dispersal abilities, times of origin, and natural histories that span the five major landmasses of western Melanesia. Areas and times of origin for each group will be identified and traced to explain details of their expansion to new regions. Updated geological models will be created and will illuminate tectonic events that drove speciation and dispersal in the region. This research will test competing models for the origins and maintenance of Pacific biodiversity distributions. The results will be broadly useful as a model for investigating biogeographic evolution in regions with complex tectonic histories and dynamics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.