To explain the spatial variability of fish taxa at a large scale, two alternative proposals are usually evoked. In recent years, the debate has centred on the relative roles of present and historical processes in shaping biodiversity patterns. In Africa, attempts to understand the processes that determine the large scale distribution of fishes and exploration of historical contingencies have been under-investigated given that most of the phylogenetic studies focus on the history of the Great Lakes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe phylogenetic relationships within the piranhas were assessed using mitochondrial sequences with the aim of testing several hypotheses proposed to explain the origin of Neotropical diversity (palaeogeography, hydrogeology and museum hypotheses). Sequences of the ribosomal 16S gene (510 bp) and control region (980 bp) were obtained from 15 localities throughout the main South American rivers for 21 of the 28 extant piranha species. The results indicate that the genus Serrasalmus is monophyletic and comprises three major clades.
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