Complex niche divergence underlies lineage diversification in Oophaga poison frogs

Oophaga poison frogs, native to the Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves and La Amistad National Park, exhibit complex niche divergence patterns that have driven their speciation. The study reveals that these frogs originated in Central America before dispersing into South America post-Panama Isthmus closure, with both clades converging on similar geographical distributions and climatic niches. Sister taxa within each clade display parapatric distributions along elevational gradients, suggesting divergence along continuous ecological gradients. The research used multi-locus gene genealogies, species phylogenetic methods (MDC and *beast), and environmental niche modeling to reconstruct their phylogeny and test the role of geographical isolation, climatic niche divergence, and altitudinal gradients. Notably, significant shifts in climatic niches were observed post-dating the final elevation of the Talamanca Range and northern Andes, indicating that speciation along structured landscapes has been a primary evolutionary force.

Posso‐Terranova, A., & Andrés, J. A. (2016). Complex niche divergence underlies lineage diversification in Oophaga poison frogs. Journal of Biogeography, 43(10), 2002–2015. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12799