Publications by authors named "Riashna Sithaldeen"
Baboons (genus ) are an intriguing study system to investigate complex evolutionary processes and the evolution of social systems. An increasing number of studies over the last 20 years has shown that considerable incongruences exist between phylogenies based on morphology, mitochondrial, and nuclear sequence data of modern baboons, and hybridization and introgression have been suggested as the main drivers of these patterns. Baboons, therefore, present an excellent opportunity to study these phenomena and their impact on speciation.
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- The study examines how environmental changes during the Plio-Pleistocene, particularly aridity from glacial cycles, affected the evolution of the southern African chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) genetic structure.
- Findings indicate that baboon populations likely sought refuge during cooler and drier periods, leading to geographically structured lineages and significant diversification around 1-2 million years ago.
- The analysis reveals a trend of population growth in both major lineages during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, followed by a decline during the last 20,000 years, aligning with climatic shifts in southern Africa.