From Paleogene to Anthropocene: phylogeography, geographic patterns of traits, and chronology of evolutionary drivers in northeast Asian anurans.

Authors

Siti N Othman, Amaël Borzée

Published in

Heredity. Jun 21, 2026. Epub Jun 21, 2026.

Abstract

The responses of anurans to paleogeology, climate variability and anthropogenic factors play a crucial role in understanding their diversity and population dynamics. Despite substantial phylogeographic studies existing for northeast Asia, a region-wide synthesis linking divergence timing with major evolutionary drivers is lacking. To address this gap, we synthesised published divergence-time estimates for northeast Asian anurans from 1998 to present, and linked basal, stem and crown ages to their associated drivers and regional contexts. We integrated the data with time-calibrated genomic species trees, diversification analyses, and three key trait data (body size, elevation and latitude range) to assess temporal patterns of lineage divergence and compare diversification dynamics among the major anuran families in northeast Asia. Our synthesis identifies four recurrent evolutionary drivers: (1) paleogeology and landscape barriers, (2) climate fluctuations and latitudinal gradients, (3) glaciations and past sea-level change, and (4) anthropogenic influences. Across families, we highlight unresolved species boundaries, detect the genetic imprint of human-mediated disturbance, synthesise phenotypic, ecological, and macroevolutionary patterns using openly available datasets, and identify cases where multiple drivers interact within species complexes. Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures (BAMM) trait reconstructions showed that across all three traits, Ranidae had the highest trait values through time, indicating broader ecological breadth and greater macroevolutionary expansion than Bufonidae and Microhylidae. Our synthesis integrates divergence timing, trait evolution, and environmental drivers, providing a general framework for understanding biodiversity responses to long-term environmental change.

PMID:
42324404
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Jun 2026.

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