01188nas a2200145   4500008004100000245008700041210006900128260001200197300001000209490000800219520067200227100002000899700002900919856009400948       2001                        eng d00aAmphibians as indicators of early tertiary "out-of-India" dispersal of vertebrates0 aAmphibians as indicators of early tertiary outofIndia dispersal   c6 April  a93-950 v2923 aSixty-five million years ago, massive volcanism produced on the India-Seychelles landmass the largest continental lava deposit (Deccan Traps) of the past 200 million years. Using a molecular clock-independent approach for inferring dating information from molecular phylogenies, we show that multiple lineages of frogs survived Deccan Traps volcanism after millions of years of isolation on drifting India. The collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates was followed by wide dispersal of several of these lineages. This "out-of-India" scenario reveals a zoogeographical pattern that might reconcile paleontological and molecular data in other vertebrate groups.1 aBossuyt, Franky1 aMilinkovitch, Michel, C.  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Literature/B/Bossuyt%20and%20Milinkovitch%202001.pdf01579nas a2200145   4500008004100000245012200041210006900163260001100232300001400243490000700257520102600264100002001290700002901310856009401339       2000                        eng d00aConvergent adaptive radiations in Madagascan and Asian ranid frogs reveal covariation between larval and adult traits0 aConvergent adaptive radiations in Madagascan and Asian ranid fro  cJune 6  a6585-65900 v973 aRecent studies have reported that independent adaptive radiations can lead to identical ecomorphs. Our phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences here indicate that a major radiation of ranid frogs on Madagascar produced morphological, physiological, and developmental characters that are remarkably similar to those that independently evolved on the Indian subcontinent. We demonstrate further that, in several cases, adult and larval stages each evolved sets of characters which are not only convergent between independent lineages, but also allowed both developmental stages to invade the same adaptive zone. It is likely that such covariations are produced by similar selective pressures on independent larval and adult characters rather than by genetic or functional linkage. We briefly discuss why larval/adult covariations might constitute an important evolutionary phenomenon in species for which more than one developmental stage potentially has access to multiple environmental conditions.1 aBossuyt, Franky1 aMilinkovitch, Michel, C.  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Literature/B/Bossuyt%20and%20Milinkovitch%202000.pdf02414nas a2200169   4500008004100000245015600041210006900197300001200266490000700278520178800285100002002073700002002093700002202113700002602135700002902161856005402190       2006                        eng d00aPhylogeny and biogeography of a cosmopolitan frog radiation: Late cretaceous diversification resulted in continent-scale endemism in the family ranidae0 aPhylogeny and biogeography of a cosmopolitan frog radiation Late  a579-5940 v553 aRanidae is a large anuran group with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. We investigated the phylogenetic relationships and early biogeographic history of ranid frogs, using 104 representatives of all subfamilies and families, sampled from throughout their distribution. Analyses of similar to 1570 bp of nuclear gene fragments (Rag-1, rhod, Tyr) and similar to 2100 bp of the mitochondrial genome (12S rRNA, tRNA(VAL), 16S rRNA) indicate that the monophyly of several taxa can be rejected with high confidence. Our tree is characterized by a clear historical association of each major clade with one Gondwanan plate. This prevalence of continent-scale endemism suggests that plate tectonics has played a major role in the distribution of ranid frogs. We performed dispersal-vicariance analyses, as well as analyses constrained by paleogeographic data, to estimate ancestral distributions during early ranid diversification. Additionally, we used molecular clock analyses to evaluate whether these scenarios fit the temporal framework of continental breakup. Our analyses suggest that a scenario in which the ancestors of several clades (Rhacophorinae, Dicroglossinae, Raninae) reached Eurasia via the Indian subcontinent, and the ancestor of Ceratobatrachinae entered via the Australia-New Guinea plate, best fits the paleogeographic models and requires the fewest number of dispersal/vicariance events. However, several alternatives, in which part of the ranid fauna colonized Laurasia from Africa, are not significantly worse. Most importantly, all hypotheses make clear predictions as to where to expect key fossils and where to sample other living ranids, and thus constitute a strong basis for further research. [Anura; biogeography; convergence; radiation; Ranidae; Ranoidea.]1 aBossuyt, Franky1 aBrown, Rafe, M.1 aHillis, David, M.1 aCannatella, David, C.1 aMilinkovitch, Michel, C.  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/15702135nas a2200217   4500008004100000245007500041210006900116260001600185300001200201490000800213520150600221100001801727700002101745700002001766700002201786700001501808700002101823700001801844700002001862856003501882       2007                        eng d00aGlobal patterns of diversification in the history of modern amphibians0 aGlobal patterns of diversification in the history of modern amph  cJan 16 2007  a887-8920 v1043 aThe fossil record of modern amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and caecilians) provides no evidence for major extinction or radiation episodes throughout most of the Mesozoic and early Tertiary. However, long-term gradual diversification is difficult to reconcile with the sensitivity of present-day amphibian faunas to rapid ecological changes and the incidence of similar environmental perturbations in the past that have been associated with high turnover rates in other land vertebrates. To provide a comprehensive overview of the history of amphibian diversification, we constructed a phylogenetic timetree based on a multigene data set of 3.75 kb for 171 species. Our analyses reveal several episodes of accelerated amphibian diversification, which do not fit models of gradual lineage accumulation. Global turning points in the phylogenetic and ecological diversification occurred after the end-Permian mass extinction and in the late Cretaceous. Fluctuations in amphibian diversification show strong temporal correlation with turnover rates in amniotes and the rise of angiosperm-dominated forests. Approximately 86% of modern frog species and > 81% of salamander species descended from only five ancestral lineages that produced major radiations in the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary. This proportionally late accumulation of extant lineage diversity contrasts with the long evolutionary history of amphibians but is in line with the Tertiary increase in fossil abundance toward the present.1 aRoelants, Kim1 aGower, David, J.1 aWilkinson, Mark1 aLoader, Simon, P.1 aBiju, S.D.1 aGuillaume, Karen1 aMoriau, Linde1 aBossuyt, Franky  u<Go to ISI>://PREV200700290016