Diversificação de anuros endêmicos da porção mineira da Serra do Espinhaço

Abstract

Biotic and abiotic factors, and their interactions, play an important role in shaping the evolutionary history of species, as well as in patterns of distribution and composition of diversity in an area. Phylogeography is an important discipline to assist in the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of a taxonomic group in space and time. Despite the great efforts to know the anurans of Serra do Espinhaço, many questions related to patterns of richness, composition, endemism, biological aspects, and processes involved in diversification still remain unanswered. Thus, this thesis aimed to present an update of the knowledge about the endemic frogs of Serra do Espinhaço, and to investigate the genetic distribution in the landscape at different scales, at the intraspecific level and in an assemblage of endemic frogs. The greatest wealth of endemisms in Serra do Espinhaço is concentrated in the south of Serra do Espinhaço in Minas Gerais, along the Serra do Cipó. Tadpoles and vocalizations are well known for most endemic species of Serra do Espinhaço, as well as their phylogenetic relationship with congener species. However, behavioral and natural history data are scarce for most of them. Many of the studies are incipient, revealing the need and opportunities for future scientific investigations, such as studies on the effects of environmental gradients and adaptations of endemic species to the environmental conditions of the rupestrian field. Different processes such as hybridization, colonization, and fragmentation impacted the evolution of the Serra do Espinhaço biota, and past climatic fluctuations seem to have been important for the diversification and distribution of endemic species. The evolutionary history of Serra do Espinhaço is complex, and we need to consider the multiplicity of processes and factors associated with biota diversification. New phylogeographic studies with the inclusion of nuclear data, other endemic species to Serra do Espinhaço, biology data of species as well as environmental data, analyzed from the perspective of comparative phylogeography, can help us to better understand the different pulses of diversification that occur in Serra do Espinhaço over time.